Wesley Innovation Hub

Wesley Innovation Hub

Congregational Application

Wesley Theological Seminary is seeking local church applicants within a 40-mile radius of the United States Capitol (center of the DC quadrants) to join the Wesley Innovation Hub. Together, the WIH will engage in a two-year innovative learning and design process to build relationships and partner with young adults beyond the walls of the church. At the end of the first year, each congregation will have the opportunity to apply for up to $20,000 to utilize in their experimentation and implementation.

The Wesley Innovation Hub is made possible by a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment.

Expectations

● Selected churches will create a team of at least four people dedicated to:

o building relationships with young adults beyond and within the church;

o participating in research, brainstorming, and prototyping with other innovation hub congregations;

o updating and involving their home congregation; and

o launching new ministry or community models based on their learning, research, and discernment.

● Each team must include one person in pastoral leadership (lay or ordained, paid or volunteer) and one (other) young adult in the target 23-29 year-old age range.

Throughout the process, Wesley faculty, staff, and student researchers will work with and learn from the congregations. A full description of expectations is listed below and in the complementary Congregational Information document. The Wesley Innovation Hub seeks to engage the full diversity of young adults and churches in the DC metro area.

To be considered, the following congregational application, including individual team member responses, must be submitted no later than April 30, 2018. Questions can be directed to .

Please note – the selection team is seeking an honest and self-aware assessment of your congregation. Often the most innovation congregations (or people) aren’t the ones who “have it all together!”

The basics:

1. Distance from the US Capitol: ____ miles

2. Church Name: ______

3. Address: ______

4. Denomination/affiliation: ______

5. Senior Pastor: ______

6. How long has the senior pastor been serving this congregation? ____ years

7. Primary Contact information: (name)______

o (phone)______(email)______

o (position/title) ______

8. Church website: ______

9. Please list other social media links/handles:

▪ Facebook: ______-

▪ Instagram: ______

▪ Twitter: ______

▪ Other: ______

10. How many pastors serve in your church?

11. How many other paid staff?

12. Approximately how many people serve in lay leadership positions in your church?

13. Of those, how many are ages 18-35?

14. Approximately what percent of your lay leaders change each year, and why?

Your Congregation:

1. Describe your congregational demographics (approximately):

o ____ number of individuals engaged in weekly worship/fellowship/service (average)

o ____ % children (under 18) ___% 18-34 ___% 35-64 ___% 65+

2. In terms of ethnic/cultural makeup, my congregation is:

___% African-American __% Hispanic/Latinx ___% Caucasian

___% Asian-American ___% 1st or 2nd generation immigrant

___% multi-ethnic/other

3. To what extent does your congregation reflect your community’s demographics – or not? Please explain.

4. Is attendance: (check one)

o Growing quickly?

o Growing steadily?

o Stable?

o Declining slowly?

o Declining quickly?

5. Finances: $____total annual expenditures [____% facilities, ____% staff/personnel, ____% mission/giving, ____% other (please specify if category exceeds 10%)]

$____ total annual income [___% tithes, ___% endowment draw, ___% facilities rental, ___% grants/community giving, ___% other (please specify if category exceeds 10%)]

6. Who manages the finances at your church? (check one)

o Pastor

o Treasurer

o Business Manager or other paid staff member (explain) ______

o ______

o Volunteer

o Other (describe) ______

7. Describe weekly worship. What kind of music, liturgy, art, and/or preaching is involved? Who leads? What is emphasized?

8. What have you attempted in the last 3-5 years that you’ve failed at, and what did you learn?

9. What does your congregation celebrate and bless? How are those celebrations and blessings made visible to the congregation and the broader community?

10. What excites you most about being in relationship with young adults?

11. What concerns do you have or challenges do you face about engaging young adults in your community?

Young Adults:

1. Describe the young adults (23-29 years old) in your congregation’s immediate neighborhood. How much do you know about them? How do you know what you know?

2. How are young adults (ages 23-29) primarily involved in your congregation? (circle the top 2-3)

o Worship

o Programs (which ones?______)

o Intentional relationships

o Economic investment

o Missional outreach (what/to whom? ______)

o Other: ______

3. How is your church currently involved in the lives of young adults (23-29) in your community? (check all that apply)

o Worship

o Programs (which ones?______)

o Intentional relationships

o Economic investment

o Other: ______

o Our church is not currently involved in the lives of young adults in our community.

4. How has your congregation tried to be involved in the lives of young adults (ages 23-29) in your community in the past 1-2 years?

o What worked well?

o What did not work well?

The Innovation Hub:

Your congregation will need to have a team of at least four, and up to six, individuals who are committed to the Innovation Hub for the next two years. Each team should have at least one member in the target age range (23-29 years old) at the time of application and one person who is in pastoral leadership at the church.

This project requires a significant commitment of your leadership team’s time, estimated at 8-10 hours per month for learning, planning, and experimenting in addition to scheduled gatherings and, for at least one team member, classes and coursework (see below).

The primary contact should expect a slightly greater time commitment in order to communicate with their Wesley Research Associate and organize team meetings and activities. Throughout the first year, a set of resources and exercises will be provided with readings, activities, and gatherings.

All team members are required to attend the three in-person and one online gathering in the first year as well as the 3-5 second-year gatherings. Additionally, a free, 2-credit master’s-level Young Adult Ministry course will meet on four Saturdays throughout the first year. We recommend at least one team member participate, either to audit or for master’s credit, and additional team members may enroll in the class at no cost.

There are significant dates and experiences that are part of this project. Dates are subject to change, but are projected to include:

Fall 2018- Spring 2019

● September 2018 – Friday night through Saturday afternoon retreat

● November 2018- Saturday cohort gathering to discuss learnings, progress, and next steps

● January 2019 – Hub video conference (evening)

● March 2019 – Saturday cohort gathering

● April 15, 2019 - Submit congregational grant proposals (up to $20,000)

Fall 2019 - Summer 2020

● September 2019- May 2020 – 3-5 cohort gatherings

● July 1, 2020 - final report due

Also,

● Regular meetings of your congregation’s Innovation Team, and completion of individual, team, and congregational activities

● Ongoing conversations and regular site visits with Wesley Research Associate

The recommended seminary class will meet once a month on a Saturday during:

October 2018, December 2018, February 2019, and April 2019.

● Can your congregation commit to these opportunities?

_ Yes

_ No

● What barriers do you feel you face in implementing this project in your church? (Please be honest - we all have barriers!)

The Team:

For each team member, please list their name, age, racial/ethnic identification, email address, phone number, length of affiliation with the congregation, and current or past leadership positions held (if any).

Name / Age / Race/
Ethnicity / Email / Phone number / Affiliation with congregation? (attending, member, leadership?)
1. Pastoral Leader
2. Young Adult (23-29)
3. Other
4. Other
5. Other (optional)
6. Other (optional)

At least two senior leaders (e.g. – senior pastor and church council chair or lay leader) as well as all team members should review this application and expectations and commit their support.

By signing this document, I bless the congregation’s involvement in the project and pledge my support to the process and outcomes.

Congregational Leaders:

Signature: ______