Good News Blooming All Over
Rev. Amy Butler and Rev. Alisha Gordon in NYC in March
Dear Friends of Invested Faith,
If I wasn’t already scrambling to prepare for Holy Week, I’d know that Easter is coming quickly by all the life blooming at Invested Faith!
One of the main reasons I love this work is the constant and steady stream of hope that runs through my days as I meet our Fellows and the congregations who are propelling their legacies toward the support and celebration of the Fellows’ work.
This month’s newsletter is especially packed with good, good news, so keep reading!
Rev. Amy Butler and Dorian Hollinsworth, Jr. in NYC
I recently traveled to NY and had the great pleasure of spending some time with two of our Invested Faith Fellows: Alisha Gordon (pictured with me above) and Dorian Hollingsworth, Jr. (pictured with me here).
Coincidentally, these two Fellows have been nationally recognized for their work by significant organizations:
The Wesleyan Investive Tom Locke Innovative Leader Award has named Alisha Gordon and The Current Project as an awardee, and Dorian Hollingsworth, Jr. can now claim new status as a McDonald’s Change Leader for his work with the Teen Care Network! Join me in congratulating them both and look for Dorian’s face on McDonald’s bags! We’re so proud that Invested Faith Fellows are regularly being recognized for the excellence and innovation they bring to the world.
And, would you take a look at this? Our 2022 Impact Report has hit the streets and it’s filled with all kinds of good news. Our catalogue of Fellows keeps growing as we are privileged to tell the stories of amazing people building businesses that are changing unjust systems. You can read more below about A Sanctified Art - a creative team named as a Fellow just last month.
We’re also working closely with several congregations and legacy boards considering how the assets of their declining congregations can be the impetus for justice and new life. If you know a community thinking about how to leave a meaningful legacy, we would love to share copies of our 2022 Impact Report and a special resource for congregations in discernment. Reach out and consider being part of all that Invested Faith is doing.
I am grateful for your ongoing encouragement, engagement, and support. As the growth of Invested Faith picks up speed and momentum, I’m excited…and I’m also a bit afraid. Stepping out into the unknown just because you know God is calling you there is scary stuff. It’s worth the risk, of course; it’s how the Spirit moves and changes things for us and for the world. But it’s not AS scary when I don’t feel alone. Your strong financial support of these efforts translates to accompaniment for me, and for that I am so deeply grateful.
Read our 2022 Impact Report
Our 2022 Impact Report is now available both in a digital format and in print. Contact us here if you would like to receive a hard copy.
Congratulate our Fellows!
Invested Faith Fellow Rev. Alisha Gordon has been selected as a Tom Locke Innovative Leader awardee.
Invested Faith Fellow Dorian Hollingsworth, Jr. has been named a 2023 McDonalds Black and Positively Golden Change Leader.
Meet our New Fellows
Meet our new team of Fellows from A Sanctified Art
A Sanctified Art is an artist collective that provides progressive visual art, poetry, and other creative resources for liturgical worship with inclusive and affirming theology and an expanded imagination around the divine image. Find out more about A Sanctified Art here.
Get Involved
Request a phone call. Sometimes the old fashioned way is the best way. We'll be happy to schedule a phone or video call with you to answer any questions you might have about invested Faith and give you some ideas about how you can be involved.
Introduce us! Maybe you know someone who fits our criteria for an Invested Faith Fellow: rooted in faith, working for justice and addressing systemic problems in their community while building a sustainable financial model? At Invested Faith, we don't do typical grant applications. Read more about our criteria and how to apply here.
Match a grant. If your organization would like to partner with us to support an Invested Faith Fellow and build the work of Invested Faith, please reach out. We would love to talk!
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