FW Christian Think Tankery

The challenge for a carpenter is to skillfully use his hammer without concluding that every problem in life is, in fact, simply a nail. I've spent a good deal of my life in politics and/or public policy, and I'm at risk for the same hubris, in that not every problem in the world needs a public policy patch.

Still, policy is important, and here is my wish list of think tanks that existed in Fort Wayne and/or Northeastern Indiana to solve perennial problems.

Center for Life Studies

Purpose: Studying best practices for advocating for life.

I want Fort Wayne researchers evaluating current pro-life work -- including not only babies, but elder care and general life culture issues -- and disseminating best practices news to FW PL ministries and beyond.

Center for Marriage Studies

Purpose: Studying best practices to strengthen and encourage marriage.

Center for Non-violence. 

Purpose: Studies and helps churches and community groups implement best practices for reducing violence.

Basically, take Stop the Madness-like research and implement it at a Christian Church level.

Center for Racial Reconciliation. 

Perhaps better: Center for Racial Collaboration.

Purpose: The problem with notion of "racial" is that it is an evolutionary concept. I wonder how we could change this assumption. Center for Imageo Collaboration? (Interesting branding, but definitely needs refinement.)

Center for Homiletic Studies

Purpose: This is a center for evaluating best practice sermons and preaching. Distributes facts that can be strategic resource for pastors to use. Hosts conferences for pastors to attend. Panels for evaluating theological trends and disagreements.

Center for Entrepreneurship Studies

Purpose: This is a center for evaluating and disseminating news on best practices for encouraging the founding of business and enterprise centers. The center would reach out to target communities -- usually downtown, poor -- communities to encourage business start up and wealth production.

Development department: charged with pursuing major gifts.

Marketing Department

1. Educate FW leaders about the tank's research progress.
2. Educate lawmakers about our progress.
3. Help the development office achieve its fundraising goals.
4. Staffed with journalists experienced int elling the tank's story on a regular basis. Ideal: people who have been trained and are regularly trained at the World Journalism institute.

Events Department:

Quarterly speakers series: 

Every quarter, we'll have a major Kai Nielsen - JP Moreland style debate. I would hope this would be a profit center for the organization. We'd have to be careful that we understood what was on the radar of the public to ensure sufficient interest to generate demand for purchasing tickets and swag.

Quarterly major speakers. 

Gig 1 will be a private setting for major funders. Gig 2 will be a speech for the entire community.

Center for Evangelism and Discipleship

Purpose: This group studies best practices for effective evangelism and discipleship.
What is working, what is not. What is working in other areas around the world that could be replicated in FW.

Center for Ministry Effectiveness

Purpose: This center studies the metrics of ministry effectiveness and serves as a resource for emerging and established ministries alike to better understand the management process in order to thrive in their mission. Things like accounting, marketing, sales, conversion, board selection, and the like.

I'd like each center to operate its own virtual online library, in which it "maintains" books that it commends on a variety of subjects. People can "buy" these books from the Tank's website (actually buy from a back end retailer, which fulfills the order, and cuts the Tank a percentage.)