Strengthening your companion relationships
Companions nurture their relationships by:
- Praying for one another
- Keeping in touch via email, letters or calls
- Learning about one another’s lives
- Visiting one another
- Exchanging pastors and leaders
- Creating and collaborating on specific joint ministries or programs
- Connecting individual congregations in “sister” relationships
- Advocating for one another, where the companion church lives under continual oppression or danger
For resources to strengthen your companion relationships, download the Companion Synod Handbook 
and review the following sections:
Preface................................................................................................................................. 1
Foreword.............................................................................................................................. 2
PART I: COMPANION SYNOD BASICS...........................................................................3
The Lutheran World Federation: a global communion.................................................3
ELCA Global Mission.......................................................................................................... 3
Companion synod relationships in our Lutheran communion.................................. 3
Benefits of companion relationships............................................................................... 4
Participants in the program................................................................................................ 4
Glossary of terms................................................................................................................. 4
Accompaniment basics...................................................................................................... 5
Receiving: a key part of accompaniment......................................................................... 5
Guiding principles................................................................................................................ 5
PART II: FOR ELCA SYNODS............................................................................................... 6
Within the ELCA synod, the bishop sets the tone........................................................... 6
The committee provides continuity..................................................................................... 6
Forming or maintaining the committee............................................................................. 7
Guiding principles for companion relationships............................................................. 7
Do you have a covenant?...................................................................................................... 7
Relations between the companion and the committee...................................................8
Missionaries and regional representatives can be good resources........................... 8
How ELCA Global Mission can help................................................................................... 8
Cross-cultural issues that can influence your relationship............................................ 9
Language.................................................................................................................................. 9
Time............................................................................................................................................ 9
Money.......................................................................................................................................... 9
Global stewardship principles............................................................................................. 10
Give ELCA Global Gifts.......................................................................................................... 11
What about material gifts?.................................................................................................... 11
An ice cream parable............................................................................................................. 12
Building your relationship...................................................................................................... 13
First, get to know your companion....................................................................................... 13
Communicate regularly......................................................................................................... 13
Pray for one another............................................................................................................... 13
Worship can deepen the relationship................................................................................. 14
Advocate for your companion................................................................................................ 14
Visit one another...................................................................................................................... 15
Exchange people.................................................................................................................... 15
Tanzania and Nebraska: pastor exchange........................................................................ 15
Service project......................................................................................................................... 16
Foster congregation-to-congregation relationships........................................................ 16
The synod’s role in congregational relationships........................................................... 17
Malawi and Northwest Wisconsin: congregation-to-parish relationships...................17
Project assessment.............................................................................................................. 19
Assessing your current relationship................................................................................... 20
Companion synod assessment.......................................................................................... 21
Best practices for successful companion synod relationships..................................... 22
Beginning an additional relationship.................................................................................. 23
Determining feasibility........................................................................................................... 23
Discerning a decision............................................................................................................ 23
Formalizing the new relationship......................................................................................... 24
Getting started.......................................................................................................................... 24
Share the good news with your synod................................................................................. 24
Organize and orient your committee.................................................................................... 24
Learn about your new companion....................................................................................... 24
Communicate with your new companion........................................................................... 24
Make your first visit................................................................................................................... 24
Give the people-to-people relationship time to grow........................................................ 24
Invite your new companion to visit........................................................................................ 25
Look at the future together and shape a covenant............................................................ 25
Consider cross-companion synod activities...................................................................... 25
Involve youth in the companion synod relationship.......................................................... 25
PART III: FOR CONGREGATIONS.......................................................................................... 27
Building interest...................................................................................................................... 27
Learn about your companion................................................................................................ 27
Remember your companion in worship............................................................................. 27
Taste and see!......................................................................................................................... 27
Get to know a missionary who works with your companion........................................... 27
Creating personal relationships.......................................................................................... 28
Visit your companion.............................................................................................................. 28
Invite visitors............................................................................................................................. 28
Establishing congregational relationships........................................................................ 28
Financial and material aid..................................................................................................... 29
Appendices
Appendix 1: Some thoughts about being companions.................................................... 65
Appendix 2: Sample companion synod covenants........................................................... 66
Appendix 3: Resources from ELCA Global Mission.......................................................... 68
Appendix 4: Protocol agreement........................................................................................... 69
Orientation Handouts
Handout A: Vocabulary Worksheet........................................................................................ 86
Handout B: Accompaniment Kyrie......................................................................................... 87
Handout C: Cross-cultural Relationships............................................................................ 88
Handout D: Cultural Norms Worksheet................................................................................ 89