Description

Template for Evaluating Local Ministry Partnerships

By Larry McCrary

This resource is a practical evaluation grid designed to help church leaders assess alignment with local ministry partners. It provides key questions across strategic categories—such as theology, vision, sustainability, and gospel opportunity—so leaders can make informed, prayerful decisions. Churches can use it to compare multiple partners side by side, customize it to fit their context, and build more intentional, fruitful local partnerships.

Local partnerships are one of the most meaningful ways a church can live out its mission in the community. Whether through compassion ministries, justice initiatives, evangelism, or church planting, these relationships extend the church's reach and foster long-term kingdom impact. But not every opportunity is equally strategic—or equally aligned. That’s why churches need a clear and thoughtful process for evaluating potential local partners.

The Template for Evaluating Local Ministry Partnerships is a practical tool designed to help churches assess alignment with local organizations and ministries. It offers a framework of guiding questions that can be adapted to your church’s context and goals. Some churches have even developed scoring systems based on these questions to create a more objective decision-making process.

How to Use This Template

Use this tool to evaluate one or more local partners side by side. Each row represents a key area of consideration. The Category column names the topic, the Questions column offers a prompt for reflection or discussion, and the Answers column provides space to document your responses. You might add multiple “Answer” columns, one for each potential partner.

Churches can use this grid in leadership team discussions, missions committees, or partnership development processes. You may find it helpful to adapt the questions, add your own, or assign weights or scores to each category based on your priorities.

What to Consider

Some of the key areas addressed in this resource include:

Theological Alignment – Does the partner share your church’s core beliefs?
Ministry Strategy – Are they clear about their vision, mission, and methods?
Church-Centeredness – Do they value and involve the local church in meaningful ways?
Gospel Opportunity – Are they open to spiritual formation and gospel conversations?
Volunteer Engagement – Are there opportunities for your church to participate beyond giving?
Sustainability and Impact – Is their work fruitful, strategic, and built for long-term health?

Making a Faithful Decision

Once you’ve completed the grid:

Compare responses across partners to identify alignment and gaps.
Pray together as leaders, asking for discernment and wisdom.
Follow up with potential partners to explore any unclear areas.
Visit in person if possible, to build relationships and assess cultural fit.
Commit wisely to partnerships that align with your church’s vision and contribute to gospel-centered transformation in your city.

Partnering Well for the Kingdom

Healthy local partnerships don’t happen by accident—they require intentional discernment. By using this evaluation grid, your church can invest relationally and strategically in work that matters for the kingdom. The goal is not just alignment, but shared mission, mutual growth, and long-term gospel impact in your community.

Category	Questions	Answers
Program Type for Our Church	Is this a formal program of our church, a collaborative project, or simply a way to affirm and support church members who are living missionally?
Type of Ministry	What type of ministry does this partner focus on—compassion, evangelism, church planting, financial assistance, or something else?
Theological Alignment	Does their statement of faith align with our church’s theological convictions?
Clear Vision, Mission, and Ministry Focus	Do they have a clear and compelling mission and vision that guide their work?
Clear Strategy	Do they have a specific strategy for how they carry out their mission, and does it align with the kind of impact we want to support?
Local Church Involvement	How do they connect those they serve to the life of a local church? Do they operate from a church-centered lens?
Legal Status	Are they legally registered as a 501(c)(3) or equivalent nonprofit organization?
Financial Accountability	Are their financial statements (such as a 990) available and transparent?
Volunteer Opportunities	Are there meaningful ways for our church to engage beyond simply providing resources?
Sustainability	Does this partnership help local leaders grow in sustainable leadership and ministry? Does the organization have a long-term, viable model?
Existing Partnerships	Who is already partnering with this person or organization? Would it be strategic to collaborate or to prioritize lesser-resourced partners?
Ministry Alignment	Will this partnership help us accomplish our vision for ministry in the community?
Mutual Benefits	Will this partnership bring mutual benefit to both our church and the ministry partner? If so, how?
Ministry Philosophy	Does this ministry help us reach across barriers such as race or economic class in our community?
City Gaps	Does this organization address a root issue or significant gap in our community’s needs, rather than just the symptoms?
Discipleship Alignment	Will this partnership help our church grow in love, empathy, compassion, and understanding of people whose stories might otherwise go untold?
Gospel Opportunity	Is this partner open to gospel conversations and spiritual formation? How might we create, lead, or sustain gospel-centered opportunities together?

Next Steps

Gather a list of organizations that you would consider partnering with.
Begin setting up meetings to get to know the organizations.
Ask other churches in your community who they partner with locally and why. Discover if there are ways to partner with other churches in your local ministry endeavors in the process.