Why you should apply for the Hub 2017
“In 2008 a Muslim man had a dream about Jesus. He knew it was Jesus, but he didn’t know anything about Jesus. But he woke up with a desperate longing to find out more.
“As soon as it was light enough he ran out onto the street stopping people and asking over and over again the same question: ‘Can you tell me about Jesus?’
“That same year I met that man, and he told me that there were many other people in his community who wanted to know about Jesus. He asked me, ‘Who is going to tell them?’”
This is how The Hub 2016 member Lisa Bateup started her pitch about CultureConnect at the recent Anglican Deaconess Ministries Funding Event. She joined 14 other women – including fellow Hub member Mel Fung of the Jesus Club, which reaches out to people with intellectual disabilities – presenting their ideas, ministries, strategies and art projects.
Lisa and Mel had an advantage, having already been through 11 weeks of coaching in The Hub. They had participated in an intensive, testing the quality of their idea. They had heard guest speakers on design and imagination. They had met other women entrepreneurs. They had received formation through spiritual disciplines including lectio divina and The Examen. They had been specifically trained in communication skills and how to pitch an idea. They had access to city office space, resources, and personal coaching.
This is the model of The Hub, an opportunity for women to explore a ministry, an idea, a business, or an art project in community and with expert coaches. The Hub is situated conveniently at St Andrew’s House, subsidised by Anglican Deaconess Ministries, using the tools and resources of Seed.
Seed is an enabler and incubator of positive social change. It encourages people to live different, by discovering purpose and creating change that is embedded in the biblical story and aligned with God’s purposes.
At The Hub Lisa realised that her main task was to use her CultureConnect consultants to energise and empower churches to reach out to the migrant communities around them. Mel realised she needed more resources to properly resource the Jesus Clubs that have formed, and build the infrastructure in preparation for the growing demand.
They will continue to have input, and design, develop and test their ideas for a year. Then they will have further opportunities to pitch for funding and support.
The Hub members are unanimous in their enthusiasm for the value of their experience:
“As someone starting out completely on my own, The Hub has been a critical mobiliser for me. I am now able to explore the reality of a vision I’ve carried in my heart for many years. More than that, I am in safe space to pull apart the vision, examine it, rework it and repeat that process until God’s shape of the vision is clear and ready to implement. What a privilege and a gift!”
“I want to stay in the Hub for years – not just for the content, but for the process of applying the content in an interactive and supportive setting. You are doing a stellar job at providing this invaluable service.”
“Seed tools and the session [about design] both excellent. Input from Kara excellent.”
Editor’s Note: We are no longer accepting applications for the Hub program.