Imagine a city with no streets, no lights, no phone system, no public water supply, no sewers and no police or fire protection systems. It would be pretty hard to build hospitals where people could be healed, schools where children could learn, businesses where people could be productively, creatively employed, or construct performing arts centers and art galleries where music, drama, and other aesthetic delights were displayed. In short, it'd be pretty hard to call it a city.

Worse yet, imagine a city where you had competing, uncoordinated water systems, fire departments, and street planners!

Now, imagine a whole bunch of Christian ministries whose intent is to reach a major city or unreached people group. The ministries are all well-intentioned, many have talented team members, their vision is bright, and faith is strong. But none of the ministries are talking with each other. There's major duplication of effort, huge gaps exist in the necessary spiritual strategy, and the lack of communication and coordination, and apparent competition confuses the very people they are trying to reach.

It's a very simple picture. But the fact is that a strategic approach to partnerships and networks that you launch and sustain help "pave the streets and light the lights" for evangelism among people who possibly have never heard of Jesus. They provide a powerful infrastructure for holistic evangelism and the formation and strengthening of local fellowships. Ministries for the first time can identify and cooperate on critical, basic elements of evangelism. If it's an unreached people group, it may be Scripture translation, literature production, evangelistic radio and TV, personal follow-up, etc. In a great city it may be youth, the homeless, employment issues, mass media, or other forms of witness and service.

Working together, light will ignite hope and the streets of coordination become powerful channels of Jesus' grace.