Last month we hosted MergonConnect, our bi-annual gathering of South African ministry partners. The theme Growing Together invited us to explore how we can build beyond our generation – strengthening ministries to widen their reach and deepen their roots in Christ.

A clear thread emerged: lasting impact is never achieved in isolation. Like growth in creation, Kingdom growth happens through connection.

Speaking into this, Mergon’s Neil Hart unpacked seven principles of collaboration to help ministries build for long term impact. He drew on the story of FiftyFour, an online learning platform for thriving organisations which was itself born from shared vision and partnership. FiftyFour shows what becomes possible when organisations join forces to tackle challenges too great for one alone.

From competition to collaboration

The largest living organism on earth isn’t the blue whale or the giant sequoia – it’s an aspen forest in Utah. Each tree appears separate, yet beneath the soil, one vast root system connects them all, sharing life and sustaining growth. That’s an image of Kingdom collaboration: distinct parts, one life source, unseen roots, flourishing together.

Love for one’s calling is beautiful – but dangerous when it becomes ownership. In God’s Kingdom, nothing is proprietary; everything is entrusted. When we remember that, competition loosens its grip.

Consider this: there are 3000 churches in the world for every one unreached people group. More often people are working in the same area, reaching out to the same people groups, but they don’t even know the other exists. What if these same local organisations could say ‘let’s tackle this together?’

In the same way, the aspen forest embodies this posture of interdependence – when one tree thrives, the entire forest benefits. What if the Church lived like that – connected, interdependent, and generous in support?

The FiftyFour story

Collaboration begins with a shared purpose, a challenge too great to solve alone, and a common conviction to respond. Along the way, we learn from one another, building layer upon layer of relationship, understanding, and practical solutions.

That was our experience in building FiftyFour – an online learning platform designed to equip ministry and non-profit leaders with practical, Bible-based tools for organisational health and sustainability. What began as a simple conversation between foundations turned into a dynamic partnership that brought the platform to life, with Mergon, Maclellan and 3W Foundations each investing their unique strengths and resources.

The collaboration began with an assessment tool designed by Mergon to help ministry leaders evaluate organisational health. As we shared ideas and experiences, we realised that several partners were exploring similar needs. Rather than each developing separate solutions, we decided to combine our insights and efforts, building on what already existed and strengthening it together.

Maclellan invested deeply in the underlying technology, bringing sharper design and functionality to what had been a simple diagnostic. They also took the time to draw out the biblical truths underpinning each dimension – grounding the practical assessment in scriptural wisdom. That work, in turn, challenged us to clarify the theological foundation of the project.

The importance of shared leadership also emerged. The collaboration was structured so that each foundation contributed equitably – financially, intellectually, and spiritually. Each shared one-third of the ownership, risk, and reward. This allowed for open-handed generosity and kept the partnership grounded in mutual accountability.

The platform we eventually launched was far more than any single organisation could have produced alone. FiftyFour now serves leaders in over 100 countries, offering more than 85 courses, live sessions with global specialists, and a robust ‘9D’ organisational health assessment that helps leaders take their next right step in growth and learning.

There was great blessing in the process. Collaboration taught the teams that if collaborative progress is slower, outcomes run deeper and further. Shared work builds shared understanding – and that true partnership forms character as much as it produces results.

From this journey, seven principles of collaboration emerged – simple, practical ways to strengthen partnerships and build together for lasting impact:

1. Relationship before output

True collaboration begins with trust. Relationship is the root system of Kingdom work; without it, visible growth cannot last. Like the unseen network of roots beneath the aspen forest, relationships sustain fruitfulness.

2. Forge common mission and values

Clarity is essential to building together – it needs to be written down. The values established four years ago still guide FiftyFour’s decision making today. Clear alignment is essential for all future work you’re doing together.

3. Share leadership

Shared leadership distributes power and acknowledges that ownership is collective. When common buy-in is felt throughout the team, contribution and joy increases. In the Kingdom, there is no place for ego.

4. Create and fail fast

Collaboration creates margin for experimentation because the burden of risk is shared. With less risk the freedom to innovate increases. Failure becomes not fatal but formative and teams learn faster. In this climate greater and greater possibilities emerge.

5. Practise adaptive growth

Collaboration requires us to adapt and grow. We assume we’ll get some things wrong – we all have blind spots that others can help us see. Collaboration calls for agile leadership that holds things lightly. In that freedom real collaboration begins to flourish.

6. Be persistent

Be persistent. Success in collaboration is rarely clear-cut. Along the way, relationships may be strained and teams may face disappointment. Even so, stay the course. Lasting collaboration takes time, patience, and a commitment to keep going when the path feels uncertain.

7. Share inputs and wins

Building generosity into collaboration builds a spirit of trust and trustworthiness. Freely we have received, freely we give; that’s the kind of sacrificial model of collaboration that Jesus exemplified – He lost so we could win. This is the essence of collaboration. When we work together, sharing diverse resources and insights, we don’t just accomplish more – we experience the joy and unity that come from walking in step with how God designed his Kingdom to work.

To learn more about FiftyFour, visit https://www.fiftyfour.global/en.