Photo by Joseph Rosales on Unsplash

By Steve Matthews, FaithX – Partner Relations Director

This year FaithX celebrates its 10th Birthday!

Yep. Ten years ago, our founder and President Ken Howard began turning a vision into reality. Through decades of ministry, Ken witnessed the gaps and untapped possibilities in how we “do” church — and set out to help faith communities and denominational leaders see themselves and their neighborhoods with fresh eyes. In 2018, my colleague Mary Frances and I joined Ken in that work. Together, we’ve built a passionate, experienced team that equips churches with tools and consulting designed to spark insight and missional innovation — transforming ministry both inside the walls and out in the communities where we live and serve.

We call this work The FaithX Project. Some of our tools include the Congregational Vitality Assessment, the Judicatory Vitality Assessment, MissionMaps for Faith Communities (an interactive demographics resource), the Leadership Development Assessment (for The Iona Collaborative at Seminary of the Southwest), and we continue to evolve and innovate based on the real needs of those with whom we partner.

In the last 10 years our services and resources have been used by well over 3000 churches, schools, and judicatories… and there are new projects on the horizon! So, does the number “3000” feel like a successful outcome for a 10-year-old non-profit? Did each of these 3000 clients feel like their outcomes were “successful”? What were the ripple effects… the secondary success stories that emerged from those who worked with us? How were communities and churches impacted in ways we can’t measure?

I guess Faith X’s success depends on your lens. I think our work and ministry represents at least 3000 success stories, and this is why.

• In order to work with us, an organization must be curious about itself. Who are we really (not just who do we wish we were)? How is our context changing? Is the status quo way we do things enough for us? What would faithfulness look like?
• Secondly, the organization must have an intention for change. If a group is going to pay for our resources, they are already demonstrating a desire for movement in a positive direction. Holding this intention for transformation with some measure of tenacity greatly compounds the possibility for a “successful” outcome.
• Finally, the successful community working with us brings their wisdom to the table. Wisdom, at its core, is not the result of one smart person’s discernment. It is the energy and insight we gain from our communal and respectful listening and sharing with one another. Wisdom often emerges when we ask ourselves, “What are we learning about ourselves, and what are we discerning is our next best step?”

Curiosity. Intention. Wisdom. Three practices that are almost prerequisites for engaging FaithX.

So, has FaithX been successful? We certainly have many outcome-based stories to share, but we don’t have 3,000 of them. We can’t always tell you whether someone successfully shifted their culture, dug deep enough to break through long-standing stuck-ness, or had the “Aha” moment that sent them in a new direction. Maybe they did. Maybe not.

But here’s what I believe: simply engaging with FaithX signals a desire for change — and that desire is its own kind of success. If a community can nurture genuine curiosity about itself and its neighborhood, hold a faithful intention, and listen for the wisdom already present among them, something powerful has happened — even if the outcomes look different than expected.

So, let us ask you: What are you curious about? What intention are you trying to hold? Where do you need someone to listen alongside you as you discern your next step? If any of that resonates, we’d love to hear from you at info@faithX.net.

Here’s to another 10 years of faithful innovation!