PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

October 6, 2024

POWER OF COLLABORATION

The theme for the annual meetings of the Marshal County Community Foundation and the United Way of Marshall County on Thursday, September 26, 2024 was “The Power of Collaboration.”  The setting for event, the Bremen Community and Performing Arts Center, was an illustration of the theme.  The center had been funded in part by Seller Funds which had been distributed on a regional basis and had been obtained with community help.

One of the speakers for the evening was Gary Neidig, chairman of One Marshall County.  One Marshall County is a volunteer organization that is developing a comprehensive plan to help the growth of Marshall County.  Earlier in the month I had heard Gary along with Matt Davis speak to the Plymouth United Methodist Men’s group.  The organization strives to provide a setting where a variety of institutions, government entities, groups, and organizations can put aside their turf issues and work together for the common good.

From the time the Hebrew people entered the Promised Land until King Saul, they were a loose confederation of twelve tribes.  Each tribe had their own leadership, unique stories, places for worship, and turf issues.  However, when one or more of the tribes might be threated, a collation of tribes would come together to meet the threat.  We find a number of illustrations of the power of such collaboration in the Book Judges.

Judges 6:1-8:35 tells the story of how the Lord raised up Gideon to address the Midianite oppression of the Hebrews.  Gideon called the tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulum, and Naphtali to follow him against the Midianites.  In a surprise attack at night using torches and trumpets Gideon and a hundred men put the enemy to flight.  The four tribes were victorious, in part, because they were able to put aside their turf issues, and come together for the common good.

The evening of September 26 we heard many inspiring stories about the power of collaboration in Marshall County.  It was a time of celebration of what has been done and of what is to come.  This collaboration does not stop at the county line.  Marshall County is in a catchment area of about 700,000 persons.  Marshall County is participating in a number of collaborations that will benefit the whole area.  This spirit of cooperation is taking place all over the state of Indiana.  People, groups, governments, organizations, institutions, and businesses are putting aside their turf issues so that everyone might prosper and grow.

All of us have the opportunity of experiencing the power of collaboration.  It may be on the block where we life, with the church too which we belong, where we work, with an organization to which we belong.  There is great benefit when we focus on what we have in common with others rather than what separates us.

Many years ago, I was involved in a workshop lead by Jim Campbell.  Jim was a labor negotiator.  For successful negotiations to take place there had to be a reason the participants were in the same room.  What did they have in common.  An important part of the deliberations was for each party to be able to state the position of the other party or parties to their satisfaction.  Out of such deliberations it was possible to forge an agreement where everyone was a winner.

(Comments may be sent to davidh15503@embarqmail.com.)