The Better Together Project (TBTP) seeks to constructively respond to the increased polarization within our contemporary American context that is dramatically impacting local congregations and their ministries. In the process, we aspire to help the wider church demonstrate the unity that Jesus prays for in John 17. In response to this polarization and the divisive decisions that have resulted, TBTP seeks to build a network of center-set churches that focus on our common mission of becoming Christ-followers rather than a bounded-set that defines itself in terms of doctrines that determine who is “in” and who is “outside” its borders. We aim to create a network of churches organized around seven local hubs, geographically dispersed across the United States. Each hub would build partnerships among approximately seven local churches. Each participating church would commit to a three-year program designed to build that church’s capacity for living in unity across disagreements that do not determine a believer’s salvation. Building a capacity for such unity in the service of mission is our primary goal, both within each congregation and among the partner churches in each hub. These efforts aim at helping congregations thrive through deeper relationships with God and one another, leading to specific missional outcomes in their communities. Ultimately, TBTP is designed to reorient local congregations from inwardly-focused quarrels about intractable issues toward an outwardly-focused mission, building unity for the sake of helping our communities flourish by engaging the good news of the gospel, the only source of true healing and hope in a troubled world.
The Better Together Project
Grand Rapids, MI
Regional