For Churches

FAQ For Churches and Others Interested in Partnering with Invested Faith

How was Invested Faith born?

The founder of Invested Faith, Rev. Dr. Amy Butler, has worked for almost three decades as the leader of historic faith institutions.  Read her story here. In the process of leading churches to new expressions of faith in a modern world, Butler realized how crippling our tendency to cling to the past can be. Like most of us, she’s watched many faith communities become victims of a theology of scarcity and die because they are unable to harness a new imagination for what God is doing in the world.

As a mentor and teacher for young clergy, Butler also began to notice a trend of new seminary graduates veering away from traditional roles in church leadership and choosing instead to create their vocations in unconventional and entrepreneurial ways.

She wondered, “Where is the intersection of these two trends?” After years of observing these trends and doing the work of ministry herself, the idea for Invested Faith began to take shape. In October of 2019, Butler gathered a group of wise women/brilliant thinkers to spend a weekend workshopping the idea. Since then, we’ve been building, building, working and waiting to see where this calling will take us.

Read more about the Invested Faith vision here.

How can my church get involved with Invested Faith?

Become an early adopter of the Invested Faith model. We’re looking for churches to partner with us to support an individual Invested Faith Fellow and to continue to build the work of Invested Faith. We’re developing new models of partnership and would love to talk! 

Invested Faith offers churches and religious organizations an opportunity to send their witness forward in a spirit of abundance. If your church or organization would like to learn more about Invested Faith, please send us a note.

How can my church match a grant for an Invested Faith Fellow?

Your church can partner with Invested Faith to match a grant with a set gift amount, assuring that your gift funds a specific Invested Faith Fellow and also builds the continuing work of Invested Faith. If your church or institution is interested in becoming an Invested Faith Partner, please reach out for a conversation. We welcome all partnerships and would love to talk.

Will our church be publicly recognized as a supporter of Invested Faith?

Yes. By contributing your assets to the Invested Faith Fund, your church or institution is leading the way, modeling for others a new way to live out your faith. Regular social media postings will highlight donors, and your church or institution will be featured prominently on the Invested Faith website. The wishes of institutions or donors who choose to remain anonymous will be honored.

What do we get out of this as a church?

Facing the end of an institution’s life cycle can be a painful process, but a transition like this does not diminish the years of faithful work and witness you have lived together. Instead of closing your institution and allowing that witness to fade, your assets can live on, sending your witness forward to support social entrepreneurs who are living out the gospel and changing the world in innovative ways outside the stained glass walls of the church - through social enterprise in local communities and through out-of-the-box thinking. Even as this expression of your institution’s life comes to a close, you continue your witness by leading others on the cutting edge of something new and innovative.

Who chooses who will get the money?

Invested Faith Fellows are chosen by a team of Invested Faith Advisors and are selected based on these criteria, that each one is:

• rooted in faith,

• working to change unjust systems, and

• building a sustainable financial model.

Depending on funds available, Fellows will be selected at regular intervals each year. Read more about our selection process here.

What if our denomination owns our property or assets?

A community must have the legal authority to place its assets with Invested Faith. However, denominations can partner with Invested Faith too!  We’d love to have conversations with anyone who has an interest in living out faith in this new way.  Invite and encourage your denominational leaders to learn more about Invested Faith.

I’m an individual. Can I give money too?

Absolutely. Several generous individuals continue to make significant donations to Invested Faith. Invested Faith will be glad to accept and acknowledge gifts from individuals and other organizations.

All donations are tax-deductible and gifts can be given online. You can also become a monthly supporter of Invested Faith by setting up a recurring donation.

What if we just have a little bit of money to give?

Invested Faith is looking for partners who share this vision and are ready to invest in the future.  The beautiful thing about this effort is we believe even the smallest investment can have significant impact.  Come to think of it, this is rather biblical, isn’t it?  Give what you can; you may not believe how impactful your gift can be.

Is this a fund where individuals or institutions can earn interest on their investments?

Invested Faith is a fund, and it does earn interest. However, the funds of individuals and institutions placed in the fund are charitable gifts to the Invested Faith Fund. Any interest earned is returned to the fund and distributed to future Fellows.

Who else is funding this?

Invested Faith has received generous gifts from several individual donors as well as a significant grant from the Baugh Family Foundation to get started.  We’re always looking for donors with an expansive imagination for what God is doing in the world.  Interested in giving?  We’d love to talk.

 What kinds of projects do you fund?

Invested Faith Fellows are selected based on these criteria, that each one is: rooted in faith, working to change unjust systems, and building a sustainable financial model.

Check out our Fellows page to read about individuals who have received grants from Invested Faith.

What is the theology of abundance?

A theology of abundance is the fundamental belief that there is enough--enough for everybody to flourish and thrive. We live in a world economy, however, where we’re taught to accumulate as much as we possibly can. When that push to accumulate contaminates our faith, fear takes root and we become cut off from one another in our rush to hoard what we have. We start to forget that God that created a world for everyone to have what they need; we get scared. And that fear begins to fuel a theology of scarcity: what’s mine belongs to me; I have to hold everything close or I’ll lose a sense of security; what’s mine is mine, and I need to keep all of it. How would this world be different if we lived with hands and hearts open, assured that God has a plan to heal this world?  Read a little more from noted theologian Walter Breuggemann here.

Other questions?

If you have other questions, please use the form below to submit a question or schedule a conversation. We would love to talk!

Use this form to connect with Invested Faith and ask a question or schedule a conversation to explore options for yourself, your church or institution.