In elementary school I remember a line on our report card for “Works well with others”.  Do you remember that?  Hopefully most of us got an S or S+ on that line.  What kind of grade would you get today if you were being graded on “Works well with others”?  I believe most of us would disappoint our teacher with our score.  That’s what collaboration is really – right?  Working well with others? 

In your job what does it really look like to collaborate, and does it really matter? Does it matter for the Kingdom?  Is Collaboration related to cooperation? Did Jesus call for us to collaborate, cooperate, or just fulfill the great commission? Am I ever going to stop asking questions and bring some answers?

 In our work:

The iWork4Him Nation encourages its members to put Christ in first place in all they do at work. They are working like they are working for the Lord (Col. 3:23).  Their excellence in teamwork will lead others to enjoy working together.  Other steps of the iWork4Him Nation encourage genuine work relationships that build trust.  These relationships can then lead to deeper conversations about life and who we are in Christ.  It’s like a circle that keeps on growing.  We work well with others in our work, and the Kingdom grows.  Let’s try to get an S+ for “Works well with others” in our work.

For the Kingdom:

Jesus was clear in John 17:20-21 that unity would cause the world to believe in Him. As He was praying, he said “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.  I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me."

Imagine that kind of unity that is so profound that the world believes in Jesus.  What will it take to bring that kind of unity to fruition within the body of Christ? Can you imagine what unparalleled selfless collaboration and cooperation could look like?  That is my dream!

The Cambridge Dictionary defines collaboration as "The situation of two or more people working together to create or achieve the same thing.

Cambridge defines cooperation as "The act of working together with someone or doing what they ask you."  Based on the Cambridge definitions and what Jesus said on unity – I would say that collaboration and cooperation are desperately needed to bring about Unity in the Body of Christ.  And what did Jesus say would happen when we have that kind of unity – the world will believe.  Listen, the people we work with need Jesus.  Collaboration and cooperation would go a long way to unite the 113,000 churches and the 84,706 Christian Non-profits in America and make salvation known.

Collaboration for the Kingdom involves bringing together Christ Followers committed to excellence. What does that look like?  A group of selfless, team players, humble, driven by Jesus' mission, and not intimidated by other collaborators who run in the same lane.  Those kinds of qualities might gain you an S+ on your report card for “Works well with others”.

A potluck is successful because everyone brings their favorite dish, made with love and the best ingredients.  When you put all the special dishes together you get a fantastic meal.

Kingdom collaboration is possible when Christ Followers come together with their gifts, talents, and abilities and put it all on the table and say, "This is what I have, can this help any of the rest of you?"  This makes for fantastic unity that the world doesn’t even know.

The Awaken Podcast Network is an example of Collaboration in the Kingdom where over 110 voices of the faith and work movement have been gathered together to proclaim in Unity that "Your Workplace is your mission field and your primary place of ministry outside of your home.”

So, practice Collaboration today with other Christ-followers who want the same things as you but can't get them accomplished without you. It's been 2000 years since Jesus spoke the words in John 17, its high time we focused our effort on bringing them to fulfillment with His Holy Spirit's help.  If we can do this, we might just earn an S+ for “Works well with others.”

For an iWork4Him interview to encourage collaboration listen to this episode.

Jim