Throughout Christian history, individuals
have discovered unmet needs and stepped forward to create new strategies to
meet those needs. Such efforts have
given birth to monastic orders, mission
boards, parachurch ministries, and benevolence ministries that often stand
alongside the church to reach and minister to human need.
In his blog, Lou Dubois notes that the same
is true today of individuals who may not identify themselves as religious but
who see need and find innovative ways to respond. He refers to Rupert Scofield’s comment that “whether
your mission is as ambitious as
pulling millions of people out of poverty or as modest as feeding people in
your neighborhood, now is the perfect time to get started. Social
entrepreneurship has never been more needed, more valued and more achievable
than it is today."
This is certainly
true in the faith community. A number of
individuals, especially young adults see the needs of the neighborhood,
country, or world and are finding ways to address those needs. They are unwilling to wait for slow
bureaucratic processes that often kill creativity and are launching out on
their own.
In order to be successful, Dubois suggests
that the social entrepreneur must do three things. These steps would be useful for the ministry
entrepreneur to consider as well.
First, know your issue. This will require not only doing the
demographic study but immersing yourself in the context as well. Talk to the people “on the ground”—both those
in need and those who are already seeking to meet the need. In so doing, you will discover the resources
that are already being invested here, those that are absent, and some that you
might be able to tap in order to pursue the mission you have identified.
Second, build your brand. Clearly understand the need you are seeking
to meet and be able to articulate it clearly and concisely, and then take
advantage of all the means at your disposal to communicate what you are
doing. This requires personal contacts,
networking, and the use of social media.
If you are not adept in using digital resources, enlist someone who is.
Third, think of it as a business. "The modern non-profit must adopt
many of the same strategies, policies and best practices employed by successful
enterprises in the for-profit world, but not at the cost of its soul,"
writes Scofield. A successful entrepreneur, even one in ministry,
must consider the “bottom line.” Can you find or create the resources—financial
and otherwise—to make this ministry work?
Does it have the potential to become self-supporting?
Changing times call for creative approaches and
the Spirit continues to call out those who are willing to accept the challenge.
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