Business in the Neighborhood

Marketplace Possibilities for Community Transformation

Social enterprise is a trendy topic these days. But there is significant substance behind that trend. Churches across the country are recognizing that creatively engaging the marketplace in their neighborhood is critically important, not merely because it creates a pathway to sustainability in ministry (which it can) but more significantly because marketplace initiatives (i.e., job training, small business, co-ops) create possibilities for the creative expression of God’s kingdom, flourishing relational ministry, and unleashing the potential in our neighbors and neighborhoods far more significantly than most traditional neighborhood engagement strategies.

In Love Mercy Do Justice, we believe creative initiatives that engage the marketplace will be a new benchmark for meaningful community development work in our under-resourced communities (urban, rural, and suburban alike), and will create an intersection for many best practices in the field of community development and justice work. This helps all of us to better fulfill our mission of proclaiming a whole gospel to the whole world.

In the recordings below we engage in thoughtful dialogue around the theological motivation and philosophical foundation for the various forms of social enterprise engagement, some basic tools for getting started, and will highlight stories from Covenant churches around the country who are leading the way in this area. These sessions will provide a taste of what is to come from LMDJ in regard to equipping churches to create meaningful marketplace solutions for community transformation and will help us create a growing cohort of practitioners committed to seeing the Covenant become a leading denomination in this field.