ImagineHub: Centers for Missional Innovation

ImagineHub is a network of spaces and environments for “spirit-filled collisions” of diverse people where innovation, design thinking and entrepreneurship is nurtured, cultivated and harvested. The first ImagineHub sites launched in 2019 in under-utilized church spaces in central North Carolina. Our vision is to empower action-oriented dreamers for missional innovation in holy spaces, where intentional listening to God is cultivated to transform lives, congregations, communities and the world through innovative and collaborative ministry experiments.

The ImagineHub Steering Committee represents partner organizations overseeing the collective impact initiative:

• Bishop Ken Carter from the Florida Conference of the UMC, and President of the UMC Council of Bishops from 2016 – 2020
• Rev. Amy Coles, Assistant to the Bishop of the Western NC Conference of the UMC
• Dr. Dennis Carroll, Provost of High Point University
• Louis Judge, Associate Vice President of Alamance Community College
• Joel Gilland, CEO of Wesley Community Development in NC
• J. Lee Lloyd, strategic advisory services
• Leesa Sluder of Earth Equity Advisors, a socially responsible investment fir

ImagineHub outcomes:

a. Reimagine how historical church buildings in community-centric locations can be renovated and repurposed during weekdays, evenings and Saturdays.
b. Accessible innovative spaces for training, mentoring, connecting, co-working and incubation for new people.
c. Create transformative team environments where diverse people with new ideas can be nurtured from spark to launch.
d. Build skills and capacity in innovation, design thinking and entrepreneurship fr new people, impacting economic and community development.
e. Develop cross-cultural humility for breaking down divisions of between people.
f. Develop deep bonds of relationship and connections between the church and new diverse people in the community.
g. Enable partnerships between church and community as innovative solutions are sought for the common civic good.

ImagineHub is now accepting applications for the Fall 2020 cohort on a rolling basis, with application deadline of July 31, 2020. To learn more, register for an on-line info session for June 30 or July 7. Join the current ImagineHub locations in building a faith-based entrepreneurial ecosystem and spark a movement of economic mobility in your community!

Central Terrace UMC in Winston-Salem, NC

Christ UMC - Glenwood in Greensboro, NC

First UMC in Asheboro, NC

Woodmont UMC - Mission First in Reidsville, NC