Invested Faith turns 3

Some people may be aware that I have three children (term used loosely because they are, in actuality, not children anymore). What they may not know is that I was never especially fond of the young child phase of parenting. After my first was born, I quickly learned that I much prefer dealing with humans who can walk and talk and function as independently as possible - which they do now (most of the time).

I thought of this today when I realized that this week marks the THIRD birthday of Invested Faith. It’s unbelievable to me how far Invested Faith has come, how much amazing work we’ve been able to identify and fund, and how much clearer and more refined this work has become. I find I am loving this phase of an idea I dreamed about beginning to speak for itself, stand on its own two feet, and realize its unique impact in the world.

The thing is: you don’t start walking and talking on your own without intense care and tending, which makes me think of how this all began.

For years I have been watching the modern trend of faith institutions in decline and potential young leaders choosing career paths outside those institutions, believing their efforts to build businesses that challenge unjust systems are more effective outside an institution that so often resists change.

Having led historic congregations my whole career, I kept wondering: how can we bridge the massive assets still held by many religious institutions and individuals to the work of world changing social entrepreneurs?

Any kind of birthing is really, really hard, so I knew if this question I was struggling with would ever actually become something, I would need to borrow the skill and brains of the smartest people I know.  I started making a list, and on that list were many women.  What if I workshop this idea with some of the smartest WOMEN I know? Women know how to birth things, and this group stepped up to become midwives for me.

For an entire weekend, these brilliant souls asked hard questions, pushed me to keep refining my idea, tossed around possible names for whatever this was going to be, laughed, cried, said all the hard things that sometimes don’t get said.  Their generosity of time and wisdom gathered over those few days was immense, and together this idea that had been floating in my brain for several years became…Invested Faith. 

Invested Faith is a fund that receives the assets of individuals and institutions and makes small, unrestricted grants to faith-rooted social entrepreneurs building businesses that are changing unjust systems.

Invested Faith is now old enough that she’s making her voice heard in the world, walking alone (if sometimes wobbly), and making a unique contribution to the important work of healing the world.

Happy birthday, Invested Faith! You have the potential to change the world…keep growing into what you’re meant to become!