The Threefold Cord Plan

Pierce County Pastors introduced a new plan at this November's prayer retreat. It is simply a practical plan for putting feet to our commitment to unity and to united effort in our ministries. Here are the details:

Definition
The “Threefold Cord Plan” is a specific pattern for building fruitful relationships between local Christian ministers. The plan asks each minister (pastor or ministry staff person) to invest relationally in two of his or her peers for one year.

The Goals
The goals of this relational investment are three: (1) the other person’s success in ministry, (2) the minister’s own growth from spiritual cross-pollination, and (3) the strengthening of the city and county network of churches. The nature of the investment (time, place and means) is entirely up to the individual.

How It’s Done

Step 1
The minister prayerfully commits himself or herself before the Lord to work for the success of two of his or her peers in the county for one year.

Step 2
The minister intercedes in prayer regularly for his or her two peers until the next annual Pierce Pastors’ retreat.

Step 3
The minister keeps himself informed about the ministries of his or her two peers and prayerfully seeks other ways to encourage them and promote their ministries during the year. The details of this step are entirely up to the individual minister’s own schedule and creativity. Encouragement of peers could involve lunch invitations, rounds of golf, or the sharing of church personnel (e.g., a worship team).

Step 4
At the end of the year’s commitment, the minister invites his or her two peers to the Pierce County Pastors’ retreat and encourages each of them to repeat the Threefold Cord Plan with two others apiece. The first minister then commits himself or herself to two new peers for the following year.