For years I used to wonder why there so many churches out here working in silos and not working together towards the same shared purpose. It was mystifying that there could be four churches on the same block but not a single one knew each other. I used to find myself going to conferences and networking events and people would vent about not having enough resources to do ministry. In my mind. It was easy, simple, combine your efforts and let’s get to work.
I used to have a very optimistic vision that if we get about twenty churches together we can solve so many issues if we were united. I still believe this to this day but I also know that collaboration takes time and strategy.
Collaboration has to start by authentic relationships. I spent the majority of my ministry journey even in my introverted nature, making sure I knew as many people as I could in the youth ministry space here in the DC Area. I wanted to see what people did well. I wanted to see what wasn’t working. I wanted to even bring my kids to something already in place without having to try to duplicate knowing that I didn't have the resources to.
Collaboration has to happen without a transactional mindset. The reality is whether we know it or not, people don’t trust easily in ministry. In many situations when collaboration has happened, people either have been burned, ghosted, or wronged by a connection. I believe we must pray about who we should align ourselves with and make sure that our collaborations serve a greater purpose. When we approach with the mindset of just what can I get out of it, it no longer is a collaboration. I believe we should approach partnerships by asking each other how we can work together so that it pleases Christ, benefits the communities we serve, and lastly how it mutually benefits our institutions. I also recognize that in some situations that I must realize that in some partnerships that I may have the resource of what that ministry needs and be ok with no getting anything back in return. I have often served other ministries well and have found that there were others that sowed into me that I couldn’t give back to.
Lastly, I believe we must be theologically and or missionally aligned. If we don’t find commonality in what we believe to be true then our efforts in trying to serve each other well will not be sustainable. Certainly we can both believe differently and still serve each other well but it takes great intentionality that we put our differences aside in order to do greater work. During the pandemic, a group of us in the DC Area (10 churches) combined our efforts to do some virtual gatherings that were specific to youth engagement. We all came from different denominations but what we all had in common was our love for youth. We were able to put together a beautiful service that incorporated students from each of our congregations and also hosted a virtual game night. Collaborations can be done and they can be done well but we must first make sure our intentions are pure, honest, and serving the greater community and not just for ourselves.
Thomas Brackeen is a servant leader who has over 28 years of experience working with youth and young adults in the DC area through PG Parks and Recreation, coaching in various basketball leagues, and serving at different churches in the DC Metro area. He is also the founder of Keep It Real Fridays, a platform that was designed as a safe space for youth and young adults to express their authentic voice through the creative arts and receive spiritual encouragement. His mission is to empower young people and the leaders who serve them to make an impact in this world.
He is affectionately known to some of his peers as the “Youth Pastors’ Pastor as he has dedicated a portion of his life to mentoring, coaching, and systems thinking for youth and young adult ministry. He fulfills these roles various national youth ministry organizations and through his newly started business TBJ Enterprises, LLC.
Professionally he works in his current role as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Lead at The Nature Conservancy, where he has worked for the past ten years. He works in Philanthropy Leadership and across the organization to develop systems thinking and change management strategies. These strategies are focused on hiring & recruiting policies, engaging a diverse nontraditional donor base, discrimination & harassment prevention, and enhancing inclusivity within work culture.