by L. Gregory Jones
Everybody seems interested in innovation and entrepreneurship these days. Start-ups are generating new jobs, creating wealth and providing solutions to longstanding problems. People are also aware that old-line social institutions need innovative approaches that provide renewal, re-establish trust and cultivate sustainability.
What do faith communities have to do with innovation and entrepreneurship? Faith communities have their own need for innovation, demonstrated in a growing interest in starting new churches, developing "fresh expressions" for gatherings of community and discussions about how to cultivate a renewed sense of mission.
But do faith communities have anything unique to contribute to conversations about innovation and entrepreneurship, especially in "social entrepreneurship"? At first glance, the answer seems to be "no." Burgeoning literature on social entrepreneurship barely mentions the church or other faith-based institutions - and when it does they're often described as part of the broken institutional landscape.
However, Christian social innovation, at its best, depends on a conception of hope different than the optimism that often characterizes secular endeavors, a hope that acknowledges personal and social brokenness. Further, faith communities, at their best, have embodied perseverance, often bringing people together across generations and diverse sectors to imagine how common effort and faith might overcome obstacles.
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