I grew up on Westerns, watching them with my dad and grandpa. From Gunsmoke and Bonanza to nearly every John Wayne film, those tales of good versus evil became part of my childhood backdrop. I spent countless hours in make-believe, a cowboy hat from Tweetsie Railroad on my head, greeting everyone with a slow drawl: “Howdy, partner!”
I’ve always wondered about that phrase. Was it really common in the Old West, or just Hollywood magic? A quick search shows “howdy” came from “how do ye?” But it’s the word partner that has always stuck with me. To call someone “partner” is to recognize connection—acknowledging that our work and lives intersect.
As people of faith, that word speaks deeply to us. The church is not only a partnership of believers working together, but also a partnership with God. God calls us to join in building the Kingdom, and we do that best when we also partner with one another.
As Lutherans, we already proclaim that we are “church together.” We partner with the wider church—8,400 congregations across the ELCA, and specifically the 184 congregations of the North Carolina Synod. We partner across denominations, too, with Episcopal, Methodist, Moravian, Presbyterian, Reformed, and UCC siblings. As Lutherans, partnership is part of our DNA.
So it’s no surprise that when Emmanuel identified our core values—Inclusivity, Generosity, and Community—partnership emerged as essential. Our Council created guiding principles to help us live into those values, one of which states: “We will pursue partner relationships with organizations and congregations because we can do more together.”
That commitment shapes how we live out our ministry. We collaborate instead of working in isolation. Some partnerships are long-standing, like Open Door Ministries and Meals on Wheels. Others are newer, like Communities in Schools of High Point (CIS). For several years we’ve hosted their School Resource Room, which now serves every public school in High Point. Without us, they would reach just seven schools. Withus, they reach them all. By simply opening our doors, we’ve touched the lives of countless students.
That experience sparked a bigger question: how else could we use our building for partnership? With our long-time relationship with the Emmanuel Senior Enrichment Center ending, we recognized an opportunity. An empty building serves no one—not us, not the community, not the Kingdom. We wanted to be good stewards, making sure our space amplifies God’s work. By leasing rooms at affordable rates, we can sustain these relationships while supporting each other.
We didn’t advertise our space widely. These opportunities grew out of relationships. And so far, we’ve welcomed three exciting partners:
Communities in Schools of High Point: We’ve hosted their School Resource Room since August 2023, beginning as a simple storage space but quickly becoming more. With the help of a NC Synod grant and other partners, the project expanded, and in May 2024 the ribbon-cutting drew over a hundred community members including the Mayor of High Point, leaders from the NC Synod, and national CIS leaders. CIS has sinceasked to bring their Construction Skills program into our building. This program gives high schoolers hands-on training in the trades while also building character. Students have already crafted benches for public spaces and shelving for the School Resource Room. In early 2026, we plan to host this program alongside the Resource Room under a formal lease.
Pediatric Speech and Language Services: Since June, we’ve hosted this group of speech therapists who primarily work out of Greensboro but wanted to better serve children in High Point. Through Lutheran partners, they found us, and now one of our unused classrooms is a place where kids grow in confidence and communication. They lease the space at $400 per month, helping cover costs.
High Point Community Theatre: Through our connection with CIS, we were introduced to this local theatre group. They needed a rehearsal space for youth productions, and our fellowship hall was a perfect fit. We will host rehearsals for four productions each year. Their lease includes modest rental fees, plus a Gold-level sponsorship for Emmanuel—giving us visibility on posters, playbills, websites, and free tickets. The first show will be Beetlejuice Jr. and they’ll start practicing on September 29th. We can’t wait to cheer them on at their first show on November 14th, so we hope you can join us!
These are just first steps. Our building is one of our largest ministry expenses, and the more we can do with it, the better our stewardship, and the greater the impact. We trust that more partnerships will come, and I am confident we’ll be ready to welcome them with a heartfelt, “Howdy, Partner!”