Jeff Pieper is the Director of Strategic Relationships for Luis Palau’s Next Generation Alliance (of which, f2fmi is a proud member). Jeff’s role is to promote collaboration, team work and to build the network of ministries that work together.

A wise teacher said, “…it is really awesome when God’s people hang together in unity (my interpretation of Psalm 133.1). How excellent is it when we all serve together in order to accomplish something that is way bigger than anyone could do alone. “There is more that unites us than divides us.” One of my professors said that in a class about church leadership. It really stuck with me.

When I joined the Next Generation Alliance staff of the Luis Palau team, this became even more evident when collaborative missions and conferences were being conducted. At the core, the alliance ministries of the Palau organization exists to identify, affirm and equip those who believe that they are to declare the amazing transformational power of God and invite others to experience a relationship with Jesus Christ.

I was in Petionville, Haiti in December of 2009 for a collaborative mission between over a dozen separate organizations who chose to come together. The local association of churches represented a diverse denominational cohort and hundreds of local pastors and church members collaborating. The week of ministry that included conferences, humanitarian work, radio and television programs, music and proclamation reached all over the city of Petionville awe well as the national capital of Port Au Prince. Something like this can only happen when people come together and work in unity. Together, we can go so much further and accomplish so much more than we ever could alone.

It takes all types of ministries to be able to connect with the diverseness of people in this world. To suggest one method or approach would be to suggest that the entire world speaks a common language with a common understanding of all of life. Sometimes we get skeptical about working with others and can yield to what a majority of times is fear. At times we may imagine that if we collaborate with others, we’ll lose our place or our “voice” in the midst of others. Unity doesn’t mean we all have to look the same, talk the same or eat the same pizza. Can you imagine only one type of pizza? No way! Ministry, for that matter the Christian life as well, does not have to be that way either. God says it’s rad when we all hang together in unity. He gives us props when we dismiss the things that most people use to separate and divide.

That’s why collaborating with others is such a great thing. We realize that there is so much more uniting us than dividing us. People all over the world are similar in so many ways even though we all have our own unique attributes about us. Having experiences with other people who are passionate about declaring the goodness of Christ is a blessing. Traveling together, supporting one another while each other are speaking and teaching is empowering. Sharing meals or some cookies and milk is something anyone in the world – and right here at home – would totally dig. I mean, come on, who doesn’t like cookies? Cookies can unite the world under a peaceful banner of love! (Okay, I digress.)

Whether in Kigali, Rwanda, my home of Portland, Oregon or around the world, collaborating with others has been an amazing experience for me. So many people from all walks of life all over the world coming together to serve. Everyone with different background and life experience; people from various economic situations, and so many different cultural and ethnic environments have been represented. Everyone unified to serve something bigger than their own self! All God’s created people can come together in unity and harmony to share the hope and restoration that God provides. At the end of all the collaborative mission trips, it was clear that living out the love of Jesus Christ through word and actions is the most important thing we can do for the world. And anyone can do that… anywhere in the world! Everyone has the power to do the work of an evangelist in the manner God has called you.

Together we can go farther than we could alone. It’s ok to hang alone and chill, turning inward for reflection and solace. When it comes to connecting with a city, a region or a nation, we all have to put down the nonsense that divides and as the Beatles sang, “come together.”