We turn data into action. That’s our distinctive edge—our “path to purpose.”
It all begins with an idea or hypothesis.
Step 1: PILOT.
We move ideas into action—through field conversations or a pilot test with a congregation—to see if they hold real promise. At the same time, we seek out others who’ve worked in similar areas, learning from their experience and finding partners for collaboration.
After this step, we YIELD, or pause for a moment. We make sure this project is something worth pursuing further. We might ask about the possible systemic impact of the work, or if it’s scalable. If we determine there’s an opportunity, then we proceed.
Step 2: RESEARCH.
This is where we make use of the social sciences to systematically investigate the idea. This might include rigorous testing and qualitative and quantitative methods of assessing evidence.
Then, data in hand, we STOP. The difference between this stop and the previous yield is that we must make the intentional choice to continue. It is not a given. We want to make sure there’s a missional case for going forward. This is also an opportunity to seek funding partners to continue. We find that the more collaborators we have, the better work we do.
Step 3: PROTOTYPE.
This is where we stand out. Based on our research, we seek opportunities where interventions might cause a change, then develop a few to consider.
Step 4: EXPERIMENT.
After settling on a prototype, we go out and try it. We’re really good at this “action research.” We test things in actual congregational settings to see how they work in the real world. As needed, we iterate and continue to evolve the experiment, seeking the best way to make the intervention work.
After the action research phase, we YIELD to discern our next steps based on what the research reveals. If we decide not to continue, we document both what worked and what didn’t, so others can build on our learning. If the results are strong and we move forward, we seek a partner to carry the project through to completion or sustain it over time.
STEP 5. DISSEMINATE.
Whether we achieved the results we expected—or discovered surprising new ones—we want to share our work beyond ourselves. By partnering with others, we help the budding ministry grow and, ideally, expand or be replicated elsewhere.
It all begins with an idea or hypothesis.
Step 1: PILOT.
We move ideas into action—through field conversations or a pilot test with a congregation—to see if they hold real promise. At the same time, we seek out others who’ve worked in similar areas, learning from their experience and finding partners for collaboration.
After this step, we YIELD, or pause for a moment. We make sure this project is something worth pursuing further. We might ask about the possible systemic impact of the work, or if it’s scalable. If we determine there’s an opportunity, then we proceed.
Step 2: RESEARCH.
This is where we make use of the social sciences to systematically investigate the idea. This might include rigorous testing and qualitative and quantitative methods of assessing evidence.
Then, data in hand, we STOP. The difference between this stop and the previous yield is that we must make the intentional choice to continue. It is not a given. We want to make sure there’s a missional case for going forward. This is also an opportunity to seek funding partners to continue. We find that the more collaborators we have, the better work we do.
Step 3: PROTOTYPE.
This is where we stand out. Based on our research, we seek opportunities where interventions might cause a change, then develop a few to consider.
Step 4: EXPERIMENT.
After settling on a prototype, we go out and try it. We’re really good at this “action research.” We test things in actual congregational settings to see how they work in the real world. As needed, we iterate and continue to evolve the experiment, seeking the best way to make the intervention work.
After the action research phase, we YIELD to discern our next steps based on what the research reveals. If we decide not to continue, we document both what worked and what didn’t, so others can build on our learning. If the results are strong and we move forward, we seek a partner to carry the project through to completion or sustain it over time.
STEP 5. DISSEMINATE.
Whether we achieved the results we expected—or discovered surprising new ones—we want to share our work beyond ourselves. By partnering with others, we help the budding ministry grow and, ideally, expand or be replicated elsewhere.
