Believers can accomplish more together than they ever could individually. That’s partly why Christ has always called us to be a Church, not simply individual followers. Community and shared work is both an essential part of our calling as Christians and a practical amplifier for whatever Kingdom impact we might hope to make.
Our salvation is found together.
Our salvation is found together. We minister to each other, encourage each other, even correct each other when necessary. We use our God-given and unrepeatable gifts in concert to carry out God’s will here on earth—and it is abundantly clear from scripture that this structure is essential, not accidental.
Most of us are familiar with 1 Corinthians:
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ,” we read there. “For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”
This unity in multiplicity is precisely what God wanted, too. “In fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be?” the letter continues.
The matter of practical amplification.
But beyond this fundamental spiritual reality, there is the matter of practical amplification. We can simply do more when we work together. Pooling resources, sharing each other’s burdens and rallying over common purposes has always been a more effective means of work—not to mention more spiritually fruitful.
Finances are a uniquely useful example in this respect. God calls us to be good stewards of our resources, of course; but part of stewarding our resources well involves recalling always that what God has entrusted to us is meant to be used not only for our own benefit but also for the good of others and the advancement of his purposes. The early Church demonstrated this by sharing what they had so that needs could be met and ministry could flourish.
Financial collaboration helps foster a stronger, more united witness to God’s Kingdom.
Financial collaboration helps foster a stronger, more united witness to God’s Kingdom in countless ways. It often builds up a culture of generosity within families. It supports ministries that might otherwise struggle to reach the communities they serve. It even cultivates a culture of collaboration, rather than competition, between local churches.
I’ve seen this over the course of my own work in the space of Christian credit unions. When churches, ministries, and individuals intentionally collaborate, they can create a multiplying effect that far exceeds what any one organization could accomplish alone. But pooling resources is not simply a financial strategy—it is an expression of trust, unity, and shared commitment to God's work.
By asking not only “What can this do for me?” but also “How can this serve the Kingdom?” we begin to unlock greater opportunities for impact at every level. A perfect example of this in action is our policy of using AdelFi member deposits to support Kingdom-focused lending work. Even using a debit card can make a meaningful contribution to ministries here at home and abroad.
AdelFi members have together donated more than $6.9 million to missions since 1995.
The transaction itself generates a small donation to missions, at no cost to the user. The merchant pays an interchange fee when a member uses an eligible card, and some of that interchange fee goes to support missionaries, global outreach, and more global ministry work. And partly because of decisions like this, AdelFi members have together donated more than $6.9 million to missions since 1995.
When believers pool their resources and work together in this way, they also acknowledge their dependence on God and their interconnectedness with one another. Partnerships like these are not about elevating any individual, church, or organization; they are about faithfully joining together to participate in what God is already doing.
God truly is the source of it all.
The more we recognize him as the source of all we have, the more willing we become to share generously, collaborate faithfully, and pursue His Kingdom purposes together. As we read in Isaiah, God truly is the source of it all; “all that we have accomplished you have done for us.”
Advancing God’s Kingdom is a shared responsibility—but more than that, it is a shared invitation. God gives us what we need. It’s our joy to use those resources for the betterment of the world He gave us.
Mike Poirier is chief lending officer and head of the ministry development team at AdelFi Christian Banking, a Christian credit union formed through the union of Christian Community Credit Union and AdelFi, bringing more than 130 years of combined experience serving individuals, families, churches, ministries, and businesses throughout the United States of America.
