We strongly believe that there is a way of starting and growing ventures and non-profits that are largely under-practiced, undefined, and full of promise. In our conversations, most Christian founders and funders have a hunch that they are called to a more comprehensively faithful and sustainable approach to their work of venture building and impact creation. But the aims and practices of such an approach are unclear—mostly because they just haven’t seen it practiced. We believe the TrueWorks community, supported by this Praxis designed program, can and will create a line of sight to just such a way of leading and building—which we call redemptive entrepreneurship and redemptive leadership.

We’ve invited you into this community because we believe you and your venture or organization show considerable redemptive promise, and that you’ve demonstrated an openness and eagerness to operate more fully through a redemptive lens.

When we call something redemptive, it means someone is giving or sacrificing to restore something or someone to its proper place. Redemptive leaders (read: YOU) are those who, being deeply spiritually formed, generously surrender their personal and organizational power for the sake of others. A redemptive enterprise “spends itself” on behalf of the world more than on its own behalf. Organized to “bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners” (Isaiah 61),  the redemptive enterprise seeks to embody these truths to its customers, workforce, and partners. The founders or leaders, and ideally many of the funders, are led by the Spirit to create sustainable value while leaving opportunity for others (gleaning), and to operate regularly with grace and forgiveness.

Our time together will be built upon deepening your imagination and accelerating your practice of redemptive entrepreneurship in the dimensions of strategy (what you build), operations (how you build), and leadership (why you build). No truly redemptive venture or non-profit can ignore any of these, as they all must work together for redemptive purposes.

We encourage you to take 15 minutes to read through the 2022 Praxis Community Letter for greater context and for clarity of the vision we have for you as you enter this community. All of your Praxis experiences are built on this foundation.

— The TrueWorks and Praxis Teams