Principles of Design

The following principles of design will guide our process:

• Hold up what currently is.  This work is being done in a variety of places.  Leaders are being formed, conversations are occurring, intermediaries are functioning. We are looking to find them, network with them, highlight their work, fill gaps and replicate where appropriate.  
• Build trust in small steps.  There is a reason many intermediaries fail in attempting to serve religious organizations and subsequently many religious organizations are not served well.  Mistrust has been reinforced by lots of history.   Walking before we run will help, showing proof of concept, establishing successes, then scaling up as appropriate.
• Build for a movement. Keep giving the ownership out to those who are stepping up to lead, vesting a broader community in this effort. It is critical to maintain focus on building a community of mutual interest and ministry while also moving deliberately through a set of decisions to formal structures and offerings.   
• Expand the conversation. Reach small and large churches, endowed and storefront. And ensure the conversation is not just about church– that it is leaven so that the church can become an agent for broader social change.
• Invest in engagement. It takes time to shift to a new way of thinking or operating. The challenge of integrating the economies of church and the practices of the social capital markets demands a disciplined approach that dives deep, faces complexity, and commits to doing the hard work of deep engagement.