COVENANT BETWEEN SHIGHATINI LUTHERAN PARISH
UGWENO, TANZANIA
AND
BETHESDAY LUTHERAN CHURCH
AMES, IOWA U.S.A.

VISION
The Companion Congregation relationship exists for the purpose of strengthening one another for life and mission within the body of Christ. It offers us the privilege of participating in the life of another church through prayer, study, communications, and exchange of persons and resources. It opens our eyes to the global challenge that Christ offers us today and calls us to deepen our commitment and discipleship as individual persons and as a community of faith.

COVENANT AGREEMENTS
In order to give shape and direction to our journey as partners in the mission of God as revealed in Jesus Christ, we accept the following covenantal agreements:
•	We agree to learn more about the congregation, city, state and country in which our partner congregation lives and works.
•	We will help each other in this endeavor by exchanging information and suggestions for learning through letter, newspaper clippings, photographs or any other means available.
•	Individual-to-individual relationships must be the foundation of our partnership in mission. We will explore every possibility to foster such relationship; for example, visits and/or letters between pastors, church leaders, church councils and committees, men's and women's groups or young people.
•	We agree to pray for each other at every opportunity, especially as a part of our regularly scheduled worship services.
•	In addition to informing each other of our current programs and outreach ministries, we agree to invite mutual participation in each other's future faith community activities.
•	We agree to encourage visits by members of Shighatini Lutheran Parish and Bethesda Lutheran Church whenever possible.
We do this to the glory of God!       Imani Moja, One Faith 

BETHESDA TANZANIA MINISTRY TEAM
BETHESDA LUTHERAN CHURCH, AMES, IOWA
CREATED BY CHURCH COUNCIL, APRIL 15, 2003

PURPOSE: The Council voted to establish a Tanzania Ministry Team that will be responsible for facilitating the building of companionship relations with Shighatini Lutheran Parish and the PARE Diocese in Tanzania.

ORGANIZATION:
a)	The Ministry team will be chaired by a representative of the Christian Service and Mission Board. (The Chair may or may not be a current member of the CSM Board. In other words the CSM Board representative need not be an official member of the CSM, but would represent CSM.)
b)	Members of the team would include:
a.	At least one member from each Bethesda Church board who would like to be representated on the Tanzania Ministry Team. (The Board representative may or may not be a current member of the Board.)
b.	Representatives of Bethesda Committee who have an interest in the Bethesda-Tanzania Companionship. (Example: Bethesda Centennial Committee)
c.	Bethesda members who may provide leadership for specific Bethesda projects with Tanzania. (Examples: a project team to work with the Shighatini primary and secondary school system; a team to work with the Shighatini Dispensary.)
d.	Others as deemed necessary by the Council of Ministries.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
a)	To carry out activities for Bethesda to build the companionship relationships. (Example: the Pastor of Shighatini Lutheran Parish will be on an internship at Camp Ewalu this summer, 2003. The SEIA Synod has asked if Bethesda could host him from June 28 through July 5. We need a church wide Ministry Team to plan the activities for that period of time.)

FOOTNOTE: Several boards and committees have already been actively involved in Tanzania activities during the past few months:
a)	Education: Adult Education, Sunday School offerings and gifts
b)	Youth: Preliminary discussion of a Youth trip to Tanzania
c)	Worship, Music and Art: Creating banners, planning music exchanges.
d)	BLCW: role of women in the Church in Bethesda and Tanzania.
e)	Fellowship: Special events celebrating the Tanzania/Bethesda companionship.
f)	Centennial: Plan to invite members from Shighatini to our 2005 Centennial.
g)	Evangelism and Lay Ministry: Evangelism a major need at Bethesda.