In the mid 1990's I went to seminary to train to be a minister. That formal training coincided well with my "informal" training of growing up as a minister's kid. I learned a lot about taking care of the needs of church members, running church programs and reaching out to the community with the goal of getting them to come to church. That worked for me until I attended a conference that Reggie McNeal was leading. He asked, "If your church went out of business today would anyone in your community notice?" That question changed how I viewed ministry.
For the last 15 years I have been exploring ways to connect church with community. There are some obvious things in connecting with other non-profits that seek to help others. But what does it look like to collaborate with local businesses to make an impact? Can churches find a mission "big enough" to include the innovative edges of the business community? Can businesses find a mission "big enough" to include social good? I believe we can and I look forward to exploring that with you.