News - Updated 24/2/2009

Jesus said, "Behold, I make all things new"

One of the most remarkable and satisfying benefits of an effective partnership is that working together brings hope. By helping people work together, you help them develop hope of what can be—dreams that never could be realized if they continue to work alone.

But eventually, hope has to turn into realization or fulfillment. When expectations are raised and not fulfilled, hope dies and often turns to disillusionment. Then, there is the critical importance of good communications within a partnership. When positive expectations are realized, and people know about it, you have fuel for even greater hope.

Hope keeps us alive—whether as individuals or as groups working together in partnership. The Viennese psychologist, Viktor Frankl in his book, Man's Search For Meaning, tells of how hope kept him and fellow prisoners alive during the darkest days of the prison camps of the Holocaust. He credits his own ability to survive the death and despair all around him to the fact that hope kept him looking forward, clinging to what might be in the future.

We see examples of this in every aspect of our lives. In marriages, our work, with friends, politics, sports teams, and our local church experience. The energy and vision that powers a Partnership to accomplish the seemingly impossible dream is hope. But if hope is not buoyed by expectations fulfilled, your partnership can succumb to discouragement, if not despair!

Of course, the people and/or ministries active in your Partnership develop expectations of each other and the partnership itself. But, there are other vital "publics" to keep in mind. While the partnership isn't necessarily responsible to communicate directly with all of these publics, you need to be keenly aware of them, and their expectations, and help those who do need to communicate with these groups do so.