One of the things we’ve always believed to be true is that Goshen Valley is only as strong as the community that surrounds it. Thankfully, since the beginning, we’ve been blessed by some incredible partners in our community that have a passion for transforming the stories of young men in the North Georgia area.
Because partnerships are so critical to the impact Goshen Valley is able to make, I thought it might be helpful to share with both our partners and supporters the reason that our partnerships have become so successful.
3 Keys to Goshen Valley’s Partnerships
Here are three things that have helped Goshen Valley create an extraordinary amount of impact through our partners over the years:
1. We act with intention and clarity in everything we do.
Goshen Valley is intentional about our partnerships. We try our best to work with those who have a deep understanding of the issues, needs, and opportunities are presented through our ministry. We are also intentional about establishing partnerships that we feel can grow through the years. For example, we are approaching our 7th year to partner with First Baptist Woodstock as part of Love Loud, our 6th year to partner with Family Christian as a domestic mission trip site, and 3rd year to partner with North Point Church through the Be Rich Campaign.
2. We craft shared goals and outcomes with our partners
A few years ago, we met with some of the leadership from Love Loud and agreed that it was important to create additional opportunities for our young men to connect with their servants over the three days that they visit the ranch. We decided to work collaboratively and coordinated a series of service learning days for the young men at Goshen Valley to partner with the servants from Love Loud. As a result, our young men now spend Friday of that week at home on the ranch working as part of a Love Loud Academy. The boys earn certificates for the work they learn and do that day, as well as build lasting friendships with those that come and serve. It’s been a tremendous success for both organizations.
3. We review and evolve our partnerships annually
We have learned that partnerships have to be shared in their successes and their failures. It’s important that we are interacting with our partners throughout the year, discussing specific ways in which the partnership can continue to grow. In some cases, we work to cut programs that aren’t working. In others, we look to expand on areas that have been successful. Either way, we believe that the decisions we make should be shared and collaborated on equally. With everyone involved in the review process, we can make sure that we can ensure that everyone is benefiting, not only those being served, but those serving as well.
To all the incredible partners we’ve worked with over the years… thank you. We could not have made nearly as much impact in the lives of the young men who become part of the family at Goshen Valley without your help.