When you collaborate … the power for team development, ministry expansion and kingdom impact is immeasurable.
“Yes, and” means building on someone else’s idea
rather than shutting it down. Collaboration involves adding something or someone to make an idea bigger, better, more effective, more efficient or have a greater impact. As one Forbes article put it, “Collaboration is a critical competitive advantage in today’s economy.” Te same could be said for camping ministry. When you collaborate across departments and
teams within your ministry, with other camps in your section or build partnerships with outside organizations that are aligned missionally, the power for team development, ministry expansion and kingdom impact is immeasurable.
Collaboration Defined Before digging into what collaboration looks like, it’s helpful to differentiate it from cooperation. Simply put, cooperation is about helping each other; collabo- ration is about building something together. Steve Prudhomme, president of Grace Adventures
(Mears, Michigan), puts it this way, “Cooperation is usually task-driven, involving individuals and groups who come alongside each other for a purpose or cause. Collaboration is an integrated partnership more tied into mission, purpose and outcome.” He explains that cooperation involves minimal
integration, with each side maintaining its identity. Collaboration, on the other hand, demands a higher level of interdependence. “If the why is aligned,” Prudhomme said, “the relationship is healthier.” Tat sense of shared purpose is central for Javier
Mendez, executive director of L.E.G.I.T. Ministries. “Te greatest resources we have are people. In our calling to build God’s kingdom, people are not sup- posed to compete with each other but rather complete each other.” Collaboration is about people uniting around a shared mission, each bringing their strengths to build something greater than they could alone.
Collaboration as Culture At Grace Adventures, Prudhomme sees collaboration as essential. But he emphasizes that it doesn’t happen by accident — it grows out of what he calls an “antici- patory culture.” “We want people to see what we’re moving toward
— a plan or destination,” he explained. “Te rearview mirror is important, but the windshield helps our team look to the future and discover ways we can collaborate to get there.” This forward-thinking mindset helps break down
silo thinking. “We ask, how can we maximize strengths, minimize weaknesses and be all-in on the relationship?” Prudhomme said. “That way, when tough things happen, it’s us solving the problem — not pointing fingers.”
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www.ccca.org November/December 2025
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