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The Beauty of Cooperation

Baptist Campus Ministries: Brad Simmons
Monday, September 1, 2008

Part of what makes working for the Heart of Kansas cool is that I get to see a lot of the ways that churches partner together. Cooperation among churches is nothing new, but until recently I hadn't given much thought to how much cooperation had played a major part in my life. Let me explain.

While I was at college in Alabama, I was involved with the Baptist Campus Ministry on campus. That ministry was funded by the local association, and the Alabama State Board of Missions (ALSBOM). During one of our weekly worship services, a video was shown that featured a partnership between ALSBOM, and one of the Northeastern conventions. The video was about going to the northeastern U.S. to start campus ministries. God used that video, and the encouragement of some friends in the campus ministry, to call me to work with college students.

I ended up in Kansas in 2000 because ALSBOM sent 12 summer missionaries to serve in KNCSB. I was one of those summer missionaries, and I worked at Super Summer, the summer youth camp sponsored by KNCSB. Through my time at the camp, I met people who were instrumental in bringing me to Kansas to work at HOKSBA, and serve at Wichita State University.

In 2004, several international students were attending Southwind Fellowship (a HOKSBA cooperating church) because of a tie some of them had to that church through an IMB missionary they had met when they were in their home country. Because of Southwind's cooperation with HOKSBA, I was introduced to those students, and there is now an international student church (The Mission) on the WSU campus made up of students from over twenty different countries.

Earlier this year HOKSBA hosted a vision tour, during which, pastor's and lay leaders from churches all over the country came to see ministries that HOKSBA churches are involved in. One of the ministries featured was The Mission. After the vision tour, one of those churches, and the association it is a part of, decided they would help The Mission by purchasing a van and trailer for us to use as we serve students. In late July, we received their gift, and have already been using it to move equipment and students.

While I'm sure this list is not exhaustive, it is at least indicative of the many ways cooperation between churches has been a key avenue by which God has brought me to where I am today. God is at work in so many ways around us, and has given us all so many gifts and ways to serve one another. What a blessing it is to see how God uses us, when we're willing to use what he has given us, wherever it is needed.