Venture FX Review - Methodist
Venture FXSchemeReview14 December 2011Vicky Cosstick, Change Aware
When you put a cargo on board a ship, you make that venture on trust,For you do not know whether you will be drowned or safely reach the other shore.If you say, “I will not embark till I am certain of my fate,” then you will do no trade:the secret of these two destinies is never disclosed.The faint-hearted merchant neither gains nor loses; nay he loses, for he is deprived of his fortune.Only those who are zealous in their search, who faithfully seek the flame, find the light.Since all affairs turn upon hope, surely faith is the worthiest object of hope,for thereby you win salvation.Rumi, Masnavi III: 3083-91Cover picture from The Beacon Church, Dartford2Venture FX Review14-Dec-11
ContentsAbbreviations . 6Executive Summary. 7Appendices. 9Chapter 1: Introduction and Methodology . 101.1 What is Venture FX?. 101.2 Purpose of the review . 101.3 Background of the consultant . 101.4 Complexity theory as a paradigm . 111.5 Approach to the review . 121.6 Constraints, cautions and limitations . 141.7 Ethical considerations . 151.8 What to expect. 16Chapter 2: Story & Stories. 172.1 The VFX scheme . 172.2 DARTFORD. 182.3 EXETER . 202.4 CORNWALL . 222.5 COTTENHAM: CAMBRIDGE . 242.6 SCOTLAND: INVERNESS . 262.7 SHEFFIELD . 282.8 HANLEY – STOKE ON TRENT . 302.9 What distinguishes VFX pioneering? . 32Chapter 3: Issues arising from VFX. 343.1 The value of VFX. 343Venture FX Review14-Dec-11
3.2 How VFX is perceived . 343.2.1 Experiment, pilot or model? . 343.2.2 VFX as pilot . 353.2.3. VFX as model . 353.2.4 VFX as experiment . 353.3 How VFX works . 363.3.1 Project and pioneer. 363.3.2 Finances . 373.3.3 Training and support of pioneers. 383.3.4 Monitoring & Evaluation . 393.4 Implications for Ministry . 403.4.1 Ministry . 403.4.2 The language of “pioneer” and “fresh expressions”. 403.4.3 A third strand of ministry? . 413.4.4 Leadership & sacrament . 423.4.5 Relationship between pioneering and ordained ministries. 423.5 Methodist Identity of Project and Pioneer . 433.5.1 To be or not to be church?. 433.5.2 Methodist identity of pioneers . 443.6 Integration into the wider church and Connexion. 443.6.1 How VFX fits into the Methodist church . 443.6.2 The relationship with the local church. 453.7 The overall value of VFX to the church . 46Chapter 4: Conclusions & Recommendations. 484.0 Summary of conclusions against the original objectives . 484Venture FX Review14-Dec-11
4.1 Objectives of the VFX scheme . 484.2 Four key elements of the scheme: . 494.3 Expected Outcomes . 504.4 The Project Leader . 514.5 The pioneers . 524.6 Support. 524.7 Peer Network: . 524.8 Evaluation . 534.9 Summary Conclusions and Recommendations . 534.9.1 The scheme is widely valued. 534.9.2 The pioneers are working effectively. . 534.9.3 Inculturation. 544.9.4 Support systems are effective. 544.10Recommendations for the future . 544.11 Concluding comments . 614.11.1 Pioneering as a type of space. 614.11.2 Inevitable tensions . 6214.11.3 Final remarks. 63Bibliography . 645Venture FX Review14-Dec-11
unities of PracticeDistrict Development EnablersDepartment for International DevelopmentLocal Management GroupOrganisational DevelopmentProject Management GroupSpecific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic & TimedStrategy and Resources CommitteeVFXYouth Participation SchemeVenture FX Review14-Dec-11
Executive SummaryVenture FX (VFX) is a scheme set up by the Methodist conference in 2008 to reach younger peoplewith no Christian heritage. The original proposal envisaged an investment of some 7 million over10 years to establish 20 pioneers and 20 projects to encourage new forms of church to emergeamong young adults. It intended to build on the recent experience in both the Anglican andMethodist churches of establishing “fresh expressions” – new and more relevant ways of beingchurch in our time.At the time the review was carried out (September-November 2011), there were 7 establishedpioneer projects and 8 pioneers, in Dartford, Kent; Exeter; Polzeath, N Cornwall; Inverness; Sheffield;and Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. Further projects are being or will be established between September2011 and New Year 2012 in Nottingham, Edinburgh, North Wales, Milton Keynes, Plymouth &Exeter, and Bermondsey, S. London.Venture FX was one of three major “strategic projects” established by Methodist Conference in2008; the other two are the Youth Participation Scheme (YPS) and the District Development Enablers(DDE). All three are being reviewed at this time.For the review, the consultant visited all 7 projects and met all 8 pioneers. She interviewed a total of41 stakeholders, including the pioneers, relevant District Chairs, senior leaders from the ConnexionalTeam and others involved locally in the work of the pioneers. The consultant understood that shewas not reviewing the projects themselves, but the scheme as a whole, and approached the schemeas an experiment in social innovation in complex contexts, or localities, using complexity theory as atheoretical paradigm to underpin the approach to the review.The review tells the story of each project, and identifies common elements in the pioneers’approaches, including their commitment to a Methodist identity, and their use of creativemethodologies including art, music, sport, and community building, as well as up-to-date technologyand social networking tools, to engage young people in relationships that may lead to explicit faithbased conversation and shared worship.The review finds that the scheme is almost universally highly valued by review respondents, many ofwhom accept that the value of the scheme is its open-ended and exploratory nature, described as anexercise in “holy risk”. While none of the work of the pioneers is unique in and of itself, thedistinctiveness of the scheme lies in the potential for shared learning about evangelism incontemporary cultures that is emerging from the current and future wider pioneer network.The review: Recommends that finance for the remainder of Phase l and for Phase ll of the schemeshould be confirmed, and that a transparent account of the scheme’s finances should bepublished. It would be shortsighted, even or perhaps in particular in the light of the presenteconomic climate, to cut funding at this point – and cutting funding would have majornegative consequences for individuals and communities in pioneer localities.7Venture FX Review14-Dec-11
Suggests that numbers of projects should be capped at the present 13 in order to focusresources on the quality of learning emerging from the scheme.Finds that support, supervision and training for the pioneers is generally adequate, but thatfurther investment should be made in the future – to expand learning and trainingopportunities for pioneers and the wider pioneering network.Explores three key issues that emerge from the review: nature of the pioneers’ ministry, theemerging ecclesiology in pioneer localities; and the Methodist identity of the pioneersthemselves.The review concludes that it is too soon to make judgements about the nature of the pioneers’ministry and recommends that they do not form themselves as an explicit religious community;rather that they and the wider pioneer network should develop themselves along the lines of asecular Community of Practice.Similarly, the review concludes that it is too early to draw conclusions about the ecclesiologyemerging in pioneers’ localities.It is also too soon and could be counterproductive to draw pioneers into present training schemesfor lay and ordained ministries; rather, opportunities should be opened up either centrally orregionally for interested lay and ordained Methodist ministers to engage with pioneers through theactivities and processes of the Community of Practice.The Venture FX scheme has developed generally in line with the outcomes and intentions of theoriginal proposal. The original planned and expected outcomes of the scheme are defined withinthe Council paper and the PMG also reviews the work-plan and priorities of the coordinator on anongoing basis. This level of planning seems very appropriate for an innovative complex social changeproject. There are further adequate parameters in place – the PMG, supervision & training,mechanisms for ongoing learning – to ensure the scheme’s accountability.The review concludes that emphasis should be placed on continuing to develop the pioneers’commitment to their own Methodist identity and the Methodist identity of the work they are doingin their localities, through the learning and training opportunities offered within their own and widerpioneers’ network or Community of Practice.The review notes tensions that have emerged in some local circuits and districts, and between theVenture FX scheme and the Cluster for Discipleship and Ministries, but concludes that these tensionsare both inevitable, given VFX’s innovative approaches and position on the boundaries and beyondthe edge of the church, and have been or are being generally well managed.The Venture FX scheme has grown, and continues to grow organically. Potentially, it could offer theMethodist church a genuinely Methodist way of growing church widely in unchurched localities(social and geographical contexts and networks). It is currently vulnerable to institutional pressures.It needs to be owned but not over-controlled by the whole church, which can be justly proud of thisrather remarkable experiment.8Venture FX Review14-Dec-11
AppendicesAppendix 1:Appendix 2:Appendix 3:Appendix 4:Appendix 5:9Project ProposalList of intervieweesCommunities of PracticeDocument ListQuestions used during the reviewVenture FX Review14-Dec-11
Chapter 1: Introduction and Methodology1.1 What is Venture FX?Venture FX (VFX) is a scheme set up by the Methodist conference in 2008 to reach younger peoplewith no Christian heritage. The original proposal envisaged an investment of some 7 million over10 years to establish 20 pioneers and 20 projects to encourage new forms of church to emergeamong young adults. It intended to build on the recent experience in both the Anglican andMethodist churches of establishing “fresh expressions” – new and more relevant ways of beingchurch in our time.At the time the review was carried out (Sep-Nov 2011), there were 7 established pioneer projectsand 8 pioneers, in Dartford, Kent; Exeter; Polzeath, N Cornwall; Inverness; Sheffield; and Hanley,Stoke-on-Trent. Further projects are being or will be established between September 2011 and NewYear 2012 in Nottingham, Edinburgh, North Wales, Milton Keynes, Plymouth & Exeter, andBermondsey, S. London.Venture FX was one of three major “strategic projects” established by Methodist Conference in2008; the other two are the Youth Participation Scheme (YPS) and the District Development Enablers(DDE). All three are being reviewed at this time.1.2 Purpose of the reviewThe VFX scheme was envisaged to span two phases of 5 years; or, rather, each project was envisagedto span two phases of five years – so the scheme overall might last for longer than 10 and up to 15years. The original project proposal stated that there would be a review of the scheme in Year 3 ofthe first phase, on the basis of which funding would be decided for the second phase. On therecommendation of the Strategy and Resources Committee (SRC) however, Conference approvedfunding for 10 projects, with approval for the remaining 10 projects contingent upon a positivereview in Year 3. In 2010 the SRC approved funding for up to 15 projects, prior to the review, inorder not to inhibit the progress of the scheme. Firm decisions about funding for Phase 2 have notyet been taken.1.3 Background of the consultantAt this point, I need to introduce myself personally. This is because I bring a quite specificprofessional and theoretical background to the review, which has shaped the approach agreed withthe Head of Projects Research and Development, the Cluster in which VFX is based.10Venture FX Review14-Dec-11
I was invited by Irene MacWilliam, currently carrying out the review of the DDE scheme andcoordinating reviews of the DDE, YPS and VFX schemes, to put myself forward for the VFX reviewconsultancy. The relevant parts of my background include a Masters in Systematic Theology fromUnion Theological Seminary in New York, where my dissertation was supervised by the Methodisttheologian Geoffrey Wainwright. From 1985-1986 I was an editor and journalist on The Tablet, theCatholic weekly, and from 1987 until 2001 I worked for the Roman Catholic church. Firstly I workedfor 7 years in adult formation at diocesan level –specialising in post Vatican II approaches toministry, communion & collaboration and mission/evangelisation; secondly, for five ye
Stoke-on-Trent. Further projects are being or will be established between September 2011 and New Year 2012 in Nottingham, Edinburgh, North Wales, Milton Keynes, Plymouth & Exeter, and Bermondsey, S. London. Venture FX was one of three major “strategic projects” established by Methodist onference in
The United Methodist Publishing House, 2009. The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church 2008. Nashville, TN: The United Methodist Publishing House, 2008. The United Methodist Hymnal. Nashville, TN: The United Methodist Publishing House, 1989. The United Methodist Book of Worship. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, January, 1996.
Introduction to Venture Building Types of Venture Building Models 3. In-house Venture Building: Empowering Innovation In this third model the corporation owns the venture builder, which becomes a vehicle for investing in new businesses. Interestingly the venture builder is also the contex
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Figure 2: Venture capital investments, number of companies by stage, 2000-2009 10 Figure 3: Venture capital investments, amount invested by stage ( m), 2000-2009 10 Figure 4: Venture capital deals by source, 2000-2009 11 Figure 5: Early Stage venture capital deals by source, 2000-2009 12 Figure 6: Number of exited companies, UK, 2000-2009 13
