Christian Innovation Consultation Report (2022)

CONSULTATION EVALUATION REPORT

2022

Arranged By

Melissa

DEMOGRAPHICS ATTENDEES: 23

(does not include staff or Chanon, but does include Rev. Lamar)

GENDER: 14 WOMEN, 9 MEN DENOMINATION:

RACE:

SURVEY PARTICIPANTS: 22

EVALUATION SUMMARY REPORT

Rate the effectiveness of the following: To what degree were you inspired by what other participants are doing related to innovation or Christian innovation?

Rate the effectiveness of the following: To what degree do you feel like you better understand what the obstacles and needs are of diverse Christian innovators working to contribute to the impact innovation within the religious sector and broader community?

Rate the effectiveness of the following: To what degree do you feel like the design of the consultation was effective in helping you make connections, think, wrestle and learn with others, and reflect on one faithful next step.

What’s one meaningful insight you’re taking away from this consultation?

What’s one meaningful insight you’re taking away from this consultation?

The field is big and keeps growing.

That BIPOC innovators need spaces of rest, recovery, and healing.

Moving around during the activities was good in helping us to meet those that we didn't know.

The importance of collaboration, sustainability and scale models.

Innovation is challenging to define in a meaningful way but there is potential in the diversity.

The experience informed and shaped my practice in much needed way so that I can continue to be of service to youth, families, and communities!

Not often that I experience a meaningfully intentional learning experience such as the one with FTE. How much the private sector and faith communities can / should learn more from each other in regards to Innovation particularly Christian Innovation?

We are stronger together! Network matters.

The need for reflection with building new social impact businesses.

I am surprised at how disconnected innovators seemed to be. I do appreciate the attention to a diverse group.

Christian innovation is needed today more than ever. Christian innovation will not be welcomed and nurtured in traditional structures so innovators must be close to one another to be the community of faith that tradition Christian structures will nto provide.

New connections Need for innovators to be refreshed. This can emerge because innovators is centered.

That innovation is a fluid and disputed concept, yet it is necessary to frame our giving birth to new worlds and to transforming the world's self-inflicted pain to promise and progress.

I am inspired by the amazing humans gathered here. I am aware of the limitations of my work. We are made whole in spaces like these. May the connections deepen.

Beauty, necessity and value of a diverse group of individuals, thanking in the field of Christian renovation.

Relationships between innovators and funders are critical for growth! I’m excited to stay connected and learn from other innovators to foster sustainability.

Innovation needs to be mined and cultivated There are significant pathways to accelerate our shated objectives.

T

The both and nature of Christian and social innovation.

I taking away that it is possible to be a Christian innovator. Additionally, I am taking away a wealth of resources in the individuals I meet through the gathering.

I must continue to do the work for my soul.

Trends in our ideas. Innovators need financial resources, rest/healing, and space.

What else would you like FTE to know about your experience or that you haven’t shared already?

It put a couple of ‘somewhat’s’ simply because I KNOW it could be MORE significant if there was a connector like we described in our pitch.

Someone needs to FOCUS on keeping the connections going and making them deeper and richer.

There is so much work yet to be done, but this is an amazing start.

Amazing.

Question: How do we close the gap between organizational or industry innovation and individual social innovators? What is the role of emerging institutions, and how do we actively connect the work of Christian innovators and entrepreneurs to these emerging institutions?

Having a funder in the room on the last day impacted the dynamics in the room after we had already developed some chemistry together.

Also, more should have been said on the first day or beforehand about the pitch competition. The pitch competition with a funder present pitted the members of this group against one another when what had been said and suggested all week was collaboration. Also there was a missed opportunity to share with the group why the funder was there. Leaving us in the dark about that reinforced unhealthy power dynamics.

Thank you for creating a different type of space, it was incredibly inspiring. As much as I adore Bill Lamar and got so much out of his meditations,

it might have been interesting to have a diversity of theological reflections. I would have loved to hear from some of the female pastors or even lay people in the room. And it felt like the design labs could have had a little more context on what would be on the other side of our design work.

Thank you to team FTE for your kindness, grace, thought leadership and for welcoming me to join your FTE family network! I am inspired by each of you!

I wish there was time for everyone to meet earlier in the convening, even if it's just introductions in a group -- loved this event!

Loved the pitch events. They were all so interconnected, practical, and encouraging in continuing the work of Christian social innovation. Also enjoyed the flexibility of being together formally and informally. A plus for sure.

I think we need a variety of morning and evening devotions that are not so emotionally heavy. We need more active ways to engage. Some dancing. Some laughter. Some singing.

Given Rev. Lamar’s focus and the emphasis on the Black experience, the experience of Latinex, Asian, and Pacific Islander participants was noticeably sidelined.

I thank you for this opportunity. I appreciated very much the intentionality to have a diverse gathering.

Thanks so much Thank you. How can we continue this? We will connect organically, but more is necessary. Let's keep dreaming about deepening these holy and blessed roots.

I love the work you guys are doing. I am walking away from the event with new friendships and vision. I look forward to any other ways that I can be of service.

Thank you for the opportunity to learn about your organization. You offer a quality program for leaders.

The experience affirmed FTEs unique position as a convener accelerator. Thank you.

Would love to gather as a cohort twice a year.

I would love to have this group reconvene sometime in the future.

This has given me life!

Let’s do this again!

Christian Innovation Consultation Participant List September 26-28, 2022

Shelley Best Soulpreneur

Iva Carruthers Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference

Danielle Goldstone innoFaith

Heber Brown Black Church Food Security Network

Elizabeth Coffee H.E. Butt Foundation

Spencer Burke Soularize & Lean Faith

Kit Evans-Ford Argrow's House

William H. Lamar IV Metropolitan A.M.E. Church

Rosa Lee Harden Faith+ Finance Neighborhood Economics

1

Amy Butler Invested Faith

Kyndra Frazier KYND Consulting, Inc.

Nikole Lim Freely in Hope

Christian Innovation Consultation Participant List September 26-28, 2022

Moy Mendez Hope Center

Dave Odom Leadership Education at Duke Divinity

Teddy Reeves Smithsonian NMAAHC gOD-Talk: A Black Millennials and Faith Conversation

Tim Soerens Parish Collective

Nathalie Parker National Network of Young Adults

Maria Pope Republic

Robert Rueda Baptist Student Ministry Edinburg, TX

Melva Sampson Pink Robe Chronicles

bel Reyes Innovation Bridge

Fallon Wilson BlackTechFutures Research Institute

2

Frank Yamada The Association of Theological Schools

AGENDA MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 - INSPIRATION 12:00 – 1:00 pm

Lunch

Market Table

2:00 – 5:00 pm

Opening Session Renaissance Kimberly Daniel & Stephen Lewis, FTE Facilitators Participant explorations into different conversations, definitions, themes and insights on the subject of innovation and Christian innovation.

4:30 - 5:00 pm

Harvest Renaissance A time to hear the wisdom of the room, consisting of insights, connections, and lingering ideas from today’s conversations.

5:00 – 5:30 pm

Closing Reflections Renaissance Rev. William H. Lamar IV, Pastor of Metropolitan A.M.E. Church

5:30 – 6:00 pm

Break

6:00 – 7:00 pm

Dinner

Market Table

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 – SOURCING/RESOURCING 7:00 - 8:00 am

Breakfast

Market Table

8:30 – 9:00 am

Morning Meditation Renaissance Rev. William H. Lamar IV, Pastor of Metropolitan A.M.E. Church

9:00 am – Noon Morning Session Renaissance Communal storytelling and affinity group explorations into how participants built their capacity for innovation, what they are doing, obstacles they face, and what they need to contribute to impactful innovation within the religious sector and communities of faith.

12:00 – 1:30 pm

Lunch

Market Table

3

AGENDA TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 – SOURCING/RESOURCING (CONTINUED) 1:30 – 5:00 pm

Design Labs Renaissance Participant discernment in design labs in order to design viable solutions to four challenges to advancing impactful innovation within the religious sector and communities of faith.

3:00 – 3:30 pm

Break

5:00 – 5:30 pm

Closing Reflections Renaissance Rev. William H. Lamar IV, Pastor of Metropolitan A.M.E. Church

5:30 – 6:00 pm

Break

6:00 – 7:00 pm

Dinner

Market Table

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 - LEARNINGS 7:00 - 8:00 am

Breakfast

Market Table

8:30 – 9:00 am

Morning Meditation Renaissance Rev. William H. Lamar IV, Pastor of Metropolitan A.M.E. Church

9:00 – 11:30am

Pitches and Insights Renaissance A time to hear four teams pitch viable solutions to challenges to advance impactful innovation.

11:30 am – Noon What Now, What Next?

Renaissance FTE shares its intentions, commitments, and next steps toward advancing impactful innovation.

12:00 – 1:30 pm Lunch and Departure

Market Table

4

S

E

P

T

E

M

B

E

R

2

6

-2

8

CHRISTIAN INNOVATION CONSULTATION