SPAC Partnerships Guiding Principles

Holistic

We believe the Gospel is to be both proclaimed and demonstrated by reaching out to the spiritual, physical and emotional needs of the whole person. Our proclamation has social responsibilities as we call people to love and repentance. Our social involvement has evangelistic consequences as we demonstrate the love of Christ. We further believe all things are being reconciled unto Christ as the Gospel is “lived out” in our church, our community and our world. Consequently, our passion is to participate in this “whole work” of reconciliation until its fullness.

Self-Sustainability

We desire to see individuals, groups of people, communities and even nations be freed from oppression and the trap of dependence upon outside resources and move towards self-sustainability. This desire causes us to carefully strategize through the entire process including our exit plan. Development work should begin with a clear exit strategy communicated and committed to on both sides of a partnership.

Measurable Transformation

We believe lives, people groups, communities and nations are transformed as they incorporate Biblical principles into their life choices. We further believe such transformation is evident, and therefore a measurable aspect of a partnership. Our passion is to be agents of this kind of transformation.

Working “with” not “for”

We recognize in the past, harm has frequently been inflicted on the poor and oppressed even with well-intended attempts to serve them. Often this has been the result of programs designed by donor groups “to do” something for the recipients before authentically engaging with them. This often leads to local people becoming sidelined and marginalized, and thus our witness to them is fragmented. Going forward, we are determined to avoid this mistake. We will be intentional in first seeking to understand the people group that we are seeking to partner with, and then collectively determine how we may be involved in holistic, sustainable, transformational ministry. We will reinforce biblical values of dignity and empowerment through our ministry choices.

Reciprocal Relationships

We agree that in the West, we face our own kinds of poverty and oppression. These are perhaps not as visible as in other parts of the world, but are nonetheless real and exist both inside and outside the church. We know that God’s ways are higher than our ways and often he uses the marginalized to impart wisdom and Godly truth to those who seem to “have it all together.” Consequently, we anticipate and will encourage opportunities for those whom we serve to speak truth into our community, which may be used of God to set us free from our poverties and injustices.

Strategic

We recognize that while each individual serving opportunity provides benefit to both those who serve as well as those being served, each partnership should play a role in achieving the overall plans and purposes of Sherwood Park Alliance Church. Every Justice and Compassion initiative should serve not only its own designed outcomes, but fulfill its unique part of creating disciples of Jesus Christ who seek to transform our churches, our communities and our world.