Funding New Forms of Church
A three-phase model for innovation and donor alignment
New forms of church are springing up every week. Innovation is the lifeblood of progress, and these new experimental ways of doing church can benefit significantly from an R&D approach that ensures the new model is practical and impactful.
It can also provide a common language for outside investors looking to support the new ministry, and this article will tackle the journey of innovation in three categories or phases: Proof-of-concept, Prototyping, and creating a Working Model.
Phase #1- Proof of Concept
Every innovative endeavor begins with an idea—a God-given spark of creativity that addresses a ministry gap. The initial step in innovation is often to define the problem and then clearly conceptualize a solution.
The first major milestone is to develop a proof-of-concept (PoC).
This PoC is a preliminary version of the idea aimed at validating its effectiveness and often involves three tasks.
Conceptual Validation: Clearly define the new model’s vision and objectives. This might include a focus on community building, flexible meeting times, or digital integration.
Initial Experiments: Form a small, diverse group to pilot the idea. Conduct initial gatherings to test the core principles.
Feasibility Studies: Evaluate the ministry's practical aspects, such as location, resources needed, and participants' willingness to commit to this new format.
The goal of a PoC is not to create a fully functional church or ministry but to demonstrate the feasibility of the core idea. Positive results at this stage pave the way for more extensive development.
I recently finished reading Elon Musk's biography and was fascinated by the section on SpaceX. In the proof-of-concept phase, he blew up four rockets before he had one success. It’s OK if something “blows up” in the proof-of-concept phase.
Rather than calling the proof-of-concept phase a “loss” or “defeat,” this stage of ministry prepares for the next ministry launch.
This phase is often self-funded unless the donor base is committed to research. There are no assurances for investors or entrepreneurs at this stage.
Phase #2- Prototyping
With a successful proof-of-concept, the next step is to develop a prototype—a more detailed and comprehensive version of the tested model. This is the phase where the initial ministry experiments are redesigned and developed. This stage involves:
Design and Development: Create detailed plans for the new form of church, including meeting formats, leadership roles, community activities, and communication strategies.
Resource Allocation: Determine the resources required, such as meeting spaces, digital tools, and materials for worship and community building.
Testing and Iteration: Gather feedback from pilot groups to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Iterate on the model by adjusting aspects of the ministry (meeting frequency, content delivery, engagement strategies, etc.).
Prototyping is an iterative process, often involving multiple versions before arriving at a model that meets the desired specifications.
This stage is critical, and additional outside funding is often garnered from family, friends, and a few key ministry partners. The prototype shows people that whatever you are doing is working!
Phase #3- Working Model
The final stage in the innovation process is developing a working model ready for greater real-world application and scalability. A working model is a “market-ready product” that has been tested and refined and is ready to be introduced to a larger community, with all major issues resolved.
At this point in the process, major donors (individuals, districts, denominations, networks) are often ready to provide increased funding.
There is no need to blow up rockets unnecessarily at this stage. This phase involves the following steps:
Scalability Planning: Develop strategies for scaling the new model of the church, including training new leaders, establishing support networks, and creating a sustainable growth plan.
Quality Assurance: Ensure the model meets spiritual and community standards through continuous assessment and refinement. This could involve periodic reviews and a feedback mechanism for ongoing improvement.
Launch and Support: Roll out the working model to a larger group of people, providing necessary support and resources for those implementing this new form of church.
Implementing new expressions and models of the church using this structured R&D approach can ensure that the transition from idea to reality is methodical and effective.
By moving through the phases of proof-of-concept, prototyping, and developing a working model, entrepreneurial pastors can create a church that is contextual, flexible in its approach, and impactful in its mission.
Funding New Forms of Church
Effective funding strategies are essential for progressing through each stage of innovation, and communication is vital. Misalignment can occur if a donor believes they are funding a working model (Phase #3) when the ministry leader is still in the proof-of-concept phase (Phase #1).
It’s vital that donors and ministry leaders are on the same page to avoid unrealistic expectations, resource misallocation, and potential project failure.
To mitigate this, clear and continuous communication is crucial, and it’s recommended that donors and supervising agencies have an agreed-upon language from the beginning.
Regular updates, meetings, and documentation help ensure all parties understand the project’s status and next steps. Establishing milestones and deliverables for each stage can clarify expectations and facilitate smoother transitions.
Here is a review of how these innovative forms of church are often funded.
Proof-of-Concept: Initial funding is often secured from personal savings, small grants, or investors who believe in an idea’s potential. Crowdfunding can also be effective at this stage, but this is often the season when the entrepreneur or church planter is “working out of their garage”!
Prototyping: As the ministry project advances, a successful prototype can secure larger investments from family, friends, and perhaps a few strategic partnerships. In this phase, Elon Musk had one Tesla sitting on the track to encourage future investment.
Working Model: This is the final phase of the process, where substantial funding from districts, networks, or major donors helps scale the innovative idea.
It’s vital that pastors, pioneers, and outside donors understand each of these phases of ministry and the impact of their investment. Successful navigation of these stages ensures that innovative ideas are transformed into practical, impactful solutions and a common language for donors and outside investors.
Dwight Nash is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Mobilize the Church. You can reach him at dnash@mobilizethechurch.com or by calling 214.458.3981
This is very well said. I’ve had SO many convos with innovators who were expecting proven working model level scale of funding for innovations still at proof of concept stage—and I’ve had to lower expectations. This is expected. What has surprised me is how often funding entities were ready to throw too much cash at proof of concept stage work. I’ve had to implore them not to do so for the very key “misaligned expectations” point you made.
Great piece and good thinking, Dwight.
Now: the only question I have from the book you read is how did Midas Touch Elon screw up Twitter so quickly? ;-)
Hi Dwight, Thanks so much for providing this framework for mission clarity. I will be sharing this with our apostolic initiators in the Central Canada District. (Also, I just finished reading the new book on the Fourth Turning, thanks for the recommendation!)