SECTION I. IDEAS FOR DEVELOPING PARTNERSHIPS AN OVERVIEW "How can we meet the ever-increasing needs of the people we seek to support and encourage?" "How can reach out to those struggling to improve their lives and be self-supporting?" "When there are never enough resources, how can we continue to innovate and grow?" These questions could come from a college committee looking at its goals or from a church outreach committee. They pose challenges to both institutions as both colleges and churches struggle with limits of time, energy, and money. These challenges will be with us in the 21st century. One possible way of meeting them is to explore ways that campuses and congregations can work together. How can churches be resourceful and enriching to the people and institutions of higher education, and how can colleges be resourceful and enriching to the people and institutions of the religious community? The possibilities are limitless. Sharing resources is obviously efficient and practical. The momentum generated by groups coming together to help and support one another encourages and affirms all those who participate. Examining needs is a good starting point for churches and colleges seeking ways to work together. What are the needs that churches can help to meet on campus? How can the college assist local churches? How can the church and the college collaborate on community projects? The answers to these questions will vary depending on the setting; therefore, this booklet will not attempt to provide answers. What it will do is to open up the possibilities and help the reader develop a strategy to find the answers. Both the church and the campus are energy sources, generating and distributing energy to enable people to survive, grow, and live fuller and richer lives. The purpose of this booklet is to search for practical, economical, and effective ways that these "energy sources" can "connect" to improve service to the community and to each other. How can needs be identified? What kind of connections are needed, and how can they be developed? TYPES OF CONNECTIONS THE PRIMARY CONNECTION The primary connection links the campus and the congregation. Establishing connections can only take place when the churches and the academic community are interested in building and maintaining them. All other connections depend on this primary connection. If such a relationship is not properly established, then any future linkages for programs or projects do not have a firm foundation for support. How is such a connection established in the real world? The following factors are important: (1) The educational and religious communities agree to conduct a comprehensive search for ways they might be mutually resourceful to one another and to the larger community. (2) The college's involvement includes representation from student services, instructional services, community services, and one or more student governing bodies such as the student council. Representatives of the local ministerial association, council of churches, area governing bodies, or clusters of congregations need to be involved in this exploration. (3) Broad representation in the initial search carries over into the task force that emerges to enable the exchange of resources and programs. (This provides a strong foundation for future dialogue.) (4) Ecumenical representation and interfaith involvement can be advantageous in this exploration. Not only are ecumenical initiatives practical in terms of resources (people and funds), but it can have positive effects for the community as a whole. (5) Both the religious and the academic communities understand clearly that the purpose of the primary connection is to provide a basic, ongoing relationship between the two. Direct Connections: Resourcing Existing Programs The following are all connections that can be "plugged in" as needed. Resources can be exchanged and programs adapted. Once the primary connection is in place, many variations of these types of connections are possible. Perhaps the most exciting feature of this venture is the discovery of needs and resources that match up with no significant program modifications. One simply makes the connection. Start up costs: minimal. This is the most energy efficient exchange. The resource is available, the need is self-evident. The connection is ready to be made. Examples: - Counseling staff at the college are invited to a church senior high meeting to discuss values and decision making. - Local pastor skilled in counseling those in grief leads a workshop at the college for members of the community who have recently experienced loss. -Drama club at the college is invited to put on an extra performance during the day for senior citizens at the center operated by area churches. -Leaders of the senior citizens' club are invited to work with the nursing or gerontology department of the college to sponsor a community event on "Aging Parents: Whose Responsibility?" -Continuing Education Center takes its exercise course to an area church. -Church educational event on leadership held on college campus with speakers from the business department. -Service learning program places volunteers at a church day care center. -Pastor leads a session for students with volunteer placement in "helping" situation; encourages sharing of feelings encountered in moving into helping roles. -Early childhood education faculty offer work-shop on discipline for pre-school children to workers in church "mothers-morning-out programs." -College Speakers Bureau list is circulated to churches at area clergy association meeting; churches are urged to call on speakers as needed for family-night dinners or seniors' programs. Connections: Adapting Existing Programs These are situations in which need and interest are evident, the resources are available, but the resources do need some modification. Start up costs: low to moderate. Major cost factor is time that it takes to find or adapt it to fit. Examples: - Denomination with local headquarters wants a course on church administration for its pastors; works with university business faculty to ask that they adapt a one-semester organizational management course for non-profit groups to meet the needs of area clergy. Faculty agree to redesign the course and schedule several meetings with church leaders so that proper adaptation can be made. - Local pastor skilled in counseling the dying and those in grief has been asked to lead a six-week seminar for nursing students. He is willing to do so, but he needs to consult with the nursing faculty as he develops the course - Students at the local technical school who are skilled in home repairs, contribute their services to insulate older homes in the community for owners who are unable to do the repairs themselves. Note: Consultation from those requesting the service is imperative. Good communication and follow-up is essential to develop these programs and to build confidence between the religious and academic communities. Making New Connections: Developing New Resources In this case, there is a concern coming from both communities but no ready program or resource to meet the need. Because they have a common concern, both are motivated to design a new collaborative program. Start up costs: moderate to high. If there is a part-time person working with the committee, then the costs will be moderate. If efforts are developed by a totally volunteer group, then costs could be high due to time requirements. Examples: - Religious leaders are concerned about the lack of support services to young single adults in the community. College staff are concerned about their inability to provide support services to commuter students since they spend so little time on campus outside of classes. They begin to explore this concern with the leaders of the Commuter Club and with the local Women's Resource Center in the community. - Pastors who have visited the campus through classroom invitations and other programs discover that there is a concern among some students, faculty, and student personnel over the lack of a focused program dealing primarily with value questions. After many meetings of brainstorming and review, a series of four day-long programs over a period of a month is designed to deal with values in relation to the environment, racism, world hunger, and personal responsibility. Building New Partnerships: Developing New Concerns In this situation, either the religious group or the academic group has identified a need it cannot meet alone. (1) This might be a community need that they could pool their resources to meet. - A local nursing home needs their fellowship room repainted. Church volunteers are willing to do the paint job but need the expertise of art students from the local university to design a wall mural and develop a plan for doing the work. - The child care faculty at a local community college is constantly hearing about the need for more day care. They wish to share this need with local church leaders and determine whether a symposium on developing more church day-care programs can be offered in the city. If sufficient interest is shown, the faculty would like to work out a model for initiating such out-reach programs in churches. (2) One of the communities might have a need that they would like the other to assist with. -The international studies program at the university is seeking families to host international students who have nowhere to go over the Christmas break. Could churches take on this sort of project? -Churches want to offer an area-wide fair on "celebrating diversity". Could the college join in and help sponsor an international festival? (3) One of the communities might have a resource that they want to share with the other. How might that be accomplished? -The college wants to coordinate a program for their students in the social work to serve in helping roles in church settings? Would churches develop placements and supervision in return for energetic help with children and the elderly? -Women's group at the church wishes to help people learn to read. Could the faculty reading "experts" help them develop this outreach, or could they help in a project the college already has in place? NOTE: Before initiating new programs, PROCEED WITH CAUTION. It is important to remember that genuine needs, exciting ideas, and good intentions are not sufficient to ensure a successful program. When a project requires much coordination and time and energy to carry out, it is necessary to have strong leadership and commitment to seeing a project through? Key Questions to Ask? (1) How thoroughly has the need been researched? (2) Are other groups already addressing this concern? (3) Are these appropriate needs for the church and college to address? (4) Are other organizations better suited to meeting this need? Could the church or college "broker" the idea to another group with a primary commitment to this issue? (5) Is this a "one shot" or once a year commitment or is it ongoing? (6) Can some other group take it on if we get it started? (7) Do we really have the resources of time, money, energy, and leadership to take on this project? Start up costs: moderate to unjustifiable. It is very important that the above questions be carefully considered so that unrealistic goals are not set causing the primary connection to become strained. Example: A World Hunger task force from a local church is concerned about how world hunger is being addressed at the college, and approaches certain faculty with questions and resource material. Faculty feel that this is not a consuming topic of interest among students but agree that perhaps it ought to be. They agree to review the "Bread for the World" study seminar related to the Presidential Commission on World Hunger. Two semesters later the "Bread for the World" material is incorporated into course offerings at the college. Example: A large denomination announces to the college that they will provide a full-time minister to youth at the college, who will be available to all youth. The denomination would appreciate it if the college would reciprocate with office facilities. The college questions the wisdom of the move by the denomination as the college is totally commuter and most of the students have part-time jobs or family responsibilities that draw them away from the campus. But office facilities are provided and religious services and programs are offered. After two years of operation, the college withdraws its contribution of facilities due to lack of use by the student body. Troubleshooting Points to keep in mind: (1) Is the primary connection well-developed? (2) Are both campus and parish staff actively involved in maintaining the relationship? (3) Is a system in place for regular communication? In addition to face-to-face dialogue, newsletters and reports can be shared when appropriate. (4) Has a means for regular evaluation been established? (5) Are concerns and problems being shared rather than ignored or "glossed over"? Strengthening the relationship between campus and college is fundamental to the ministry's effectiveness. Merely developing the relationship is not enough. Ongoing communication is essential! A final reminder: As partners in ministry explore needs and ways to meet those needs, their enthusiasm becomes contagious. There is a strong desire to put these newly brainstormed ideas into immediate action. Remember to take your time! Do not rush into new programs. Refocus on how to enrich or adapt existing programs. This has been stated in the previous section, but it cannot be overemphasized.