March 2025 Newsletter
Dear Invested Faith Friends,
These are days in which we long for good news. I am so glad to be writing on behalf of Invested Faith today with good news, and also with the reminder that your support of Invested Faith bolsters and grows a network of now almost 70 faith-rooted social entrepreneurs on the ground in our communities, helping our neighbors who need support now more than ever. Thank you.
In May I will travel to the Festival of Homiletics in Atlanta, the largest preaching conference in the world. Pastors from all over will be in attendance, and on Tuesday evening, May 13, Invested Faith and our partner Good Faith Media will host an evening called Faith+Future. This will be a rare opportunity to meet a group of Invested Faith Fellows in person and to learn about how your church can be part of building this critical network of world changers. Even if a preaching conference is not in your travel plans, be sure to flag this opportunity for your pastor or leader. Join us by registering here.
I'm also delighted and so very proud of two Invested Faith Fellows, Josh Hayashi and Beverly Jenkins, who have been named Locke Leaders. The prestigious Tom Locke Innovative Leader Award, named by Wesleyan Impact Partners, recognizes individuals who have proven themselves in the innovation space and demonstrated evidence indicating great potential for the future, and who invest in people, populations and communities not currently effectively reached or well-resourced, especially by the faith communities. Learn more about Josh and Beverly below.
Invested Faith Fellows are some of the finest innovators I know, and your support of their work gives them the courage to keep going. It's what our world needs most in this moment, so again I want to say from the bottom of my heart: thank you.
Join us in Atlanta in May!
Are you attending the Festival of Homiletics in Atlanta this May? Join Pastor Amy at this special event! You'll have the chance to meet several Invested Faith Fellows and learn more about our work and Good Faith Media. Best of all - it's free!
Advance registration is required. Click here to register.
If you're not a faith leader already attending the Festival, forward this email to your pastor, colleague, or friend to make sure they know about this opportunity!
Meet Invested Faith Fellows and Locke Innovative Leaders: Beverly Jenkins and Josh Hayashi
Beverly Jenkins
Founder, ordained pastor, and innovator Rev. Beverly Jenkins is the president and CEO of Refuge and Restoration (R&R) which serves the North St. Louis community by creating resources that lead to sustainable growth.
Repurposing a strip mall that had been abandoned for 20 years, the R&R team created an equitable access community hub that includes an early child development center, a bank, co-working space, as well as a church and needed community social service offices. This innovative system-linking holistic hub will help build community and foster economic development.
Josh Hayashi
Ordained reverend, cultural champion, and connection maker Rev. Joshua Hayashi is the CEO and Co-Founder of Mission Management Company (MMCo) in Honolulu, Hawai'i, a business that promotes repurposing church assets in innovative and transformative ways.
MMCo helps local religious communities thrive by assessing their financial health, transformation readiness, and property potential, which then guides discussions on mission and property-development viability, as well as how to align church missions with neighborhood needs.
