NTS engages entrepreneurship, design thinking, and social enterprise.

Nazarene Theological Seminary hosted three sessions during Global Entrepreneurship Week in Kansas City, bringing experts in entrepreneurship, community development, and social ministry together to explore innovation for the church.

Hosted by faculty and leadership from the seminary, each workshop addressed a key theme that supports ministry both within and outside of local congregations.

Design Thinking and Entrepreneurship

Dr. Dean Blevins contributed a workshop on “Ministerial Entrepreneurship by Design” demonstrating how design thinking helps entreprenurial ministry practice. Dr. Blevins provided a backdrop to the Nurturing Care incubators, or Maker’s Spaces (PS 95:6-7), as an example

Entrepreneurship and the Church

Dean for Administration George Townsend hosted a panel discussion around “Faith Communities and Entrepreneurs: Exploring Possibilities and Overcoming Problems” which included exceptional panelists like business Chris Goode, founder of Ruby Jean’s Kitchen and Juicery; Nazarene layman Mark Brinkley, retired director of grants for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation; Marna Terblanche, Director of Matthew’s Ministry and participant in the NTS Nurturing Care initiative an educational leader in entrepreneurship.

Social Ventures and Community Development

Kurt Rietema, Fr. Justin Matthews, Daryl Answer, Heather Bryant

The seminary’s final session explored the “Social Venturing and the Future of Community Development” hosted by Heather Bryant, Dean of Marketing and Enrollment at NTS, but also previously Chief Development Officer at Mental Health Association of Oklahoma. Panelists included Father Justin Matthews, Reconciliation Services Kansas City and Co-founder of the Social Venture Studio. (Socialventurestudio.com). Kurt Rietema, Senior Director of Youthfront Neighborhood, Argentine. And Darryl Answer, assets-based community development consultant and founder of Verge Solutions LLC, Kansas City. The session generated key insights into the strengths of social venturing in partnership with community development practices.

Available through NTS Praxis

Mark Brinkley, Chris Goode, Marna Terblanche, George Townsend

All three sessions are available through NTS Praxis , the lifelong learning resource developer at Nazarene Theological Seminary at https://cpl.vhx.tv/global-entrepreneurship-week-kc. For more information contact communications@ntspraxis.org

About Dean G. Blevins

Dr. Dean G. Blevins currently serves as Professor of Practical Theology and Christian Discipleship at Nazarene Theological Seminary as well as Director of Nurturing Care with Children through Worship and Prayer. An ordained elder, Dean has ministered in diverse settings and currently also serves at the USA Regional Education Coordinator for the Church of the Nazarene. A prolific author, Dr. Blevins recently co-wrote the textbook Discovering Discipleship and edits Didache: Faithful Teaching, a journal for Wesleyan Education.

View all posts by Dean G. Blevins →