The Changemaker Initiative is a partnership between LAUMC and the global nonprofit organization Ashoka. We are pioneering a new kind of church—connecting the path of following Jesus with the skills of social innovation, empowering all people, young and old, to make an impact as compassion-driven changemakers.
What is changemaking? Can we really change the world? As followers of Jesus, our mission assumes that personal transformation will lead to social transformation. But we are not always clear about how to do that with the kind of impact that we (and God) hope for. Ashoka is a global social entrepreneurship organization that is in the business of identifying people who have the inspiration, character traits, and skills to change the world for good—and then helping them do it. In partnership with Ashoka, LAUMC’s Changemaker Initiative will help translate our heartfelt compassion into practical changemaking—in our families, our schools, our church, our businesses, and our organizations.
During spring 2018, approximately 30–35 Fellows (youth and adults) will be chosen from our congregation to embark on a 10-month process of changemaking in any and all sectors, with our faith as the core. Fellows will assemble teams of collaborators and be mentored by Ashoka experts to pilot and carry out innovative change. During this time, we will establish an entire ecosystem and mindset of changemaking at our church—and there is a role for everyone. For more information, details, and resources, visit our new Changemaker Initiative website.