The SPARK Award
Inspiring Innovation in Faith
The Spark Award is our initiative to highlight and celebrate the most innovative missional projects in Europe. With the challenges that faith ventures face in today's world, we believe it's crucial to spotlight where progress is being made and where the mission of God is being furthered in impactful ways.
Our goals for the Spark Award are threefold:
Showcase inspirational projects that advance God's mission in Europe.
Applaud innovation and initiative beyond traditional church models.
Encourage a new generation of leaders to pursue fresh, transformative ideas.
In this inaugural year (2024), the Spark Award is set to inspire and uplift by recognizing outstanding efforts that embody the Christian witness beyond Sunday services, taking the radical message of Jesus to towns and villages across Europe. The best is yet to come.
Meet the Jury
We are honored to have a distinguished panel of experts serving as our jury for the Spark Award. Each member brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective on missional innovation.
Martin Robinson
Bio: Former principal of ForMission College with a rich background in cross-cultural mission and church planting.
Why We Value Him: Martin's experience in leading diverse church plants and his missional challenges understanding is profound.
Evi Rodemann
Bio: A theologian, event professional, and non-profit leader known for her vibrant personality and leadership development work.
Why We Value Her: Evi's extensive travel and connections make her a vital source of insights from across Europe.
Christian Kuhn
Bio: A dynamic leader in the Francophone regions of Switzerland, engaging as a pastor, speaker, and trainer.
Why We Value Him: Christian's blend of technical skill and spiritual leadership fosters unity across cultural divides.
Duncan McFadzean
Bio: An investment banker with a focus on corporate finance in the Scottish Food & Drink sector and co-founder of Creo.
Why We Value Him: Duncan bridges commercial success with purpose-driven entrepreneurship, providing valuable insights.
Tobias Faix
Bio: A leading German Protestant theologian and professor specializing in practical theology.
Why We Value Him: Tobias is a great thinker with a deep understanding of transformational studies and digital church.
Christian Nowatzky
Bio: Principal organizational consultant at Volkswagen Group Services and co-founder of Berlinprojekt and City-to-City Europe.
Why We Value Him: Christian's expertise in both spiritual leadership and secular engagement offers a unique perspective.
How we judge Missional Innovation
The Spark Award criteria are designed to identify projects that truly make a difference in their communities and beyond. Our jury evaluates each project based on the following key criteria:
Leading Measures (Focus on design and input):
Focus of Impact Beyond Church with Kingdom-minded Goals: Projects that aim for community transformation with a Kingdom-focused vision.
Rooted in Innovative Listening to Culture, God, and People: Initiatives that arise from active spiritual discernment and engagement.
Innovative Approach in Faith Engagement: Projects that present novel methods of living and sharing the Christian faith.
Lagging Measures (Focus on results and outcomes):
Inspiration and Scalability Potential: Projects that inspire others and can be replicated in different settings.
Broad Audience and Stakeholder Engagement: Initiatives that reach a wide audience and engage unique stakeholder groups.
Positive Local Reception and Partnership Interest: Projects that receive acclaim and interest from secular partners and the public.
The Award Process
The process is initatied and curated by the Spark Leadership Team. We drive the submissions and present the award to the recipient.
1) Candidate List: The Spark Leadership Team provides a list of 5 pre-selected projects to the jury for consideration. (in May 2024)
2) Delibration and Voting: The jury gets extensive briefing and picks a recipent based on the criteria mentioned above. Submission of scores and votes via an online platform. (by September 2024)
3) Announcement and Celebration: Awarding the chosen project and communicating the winner (October 2024)
Through this process, we ensure that the Spark Award highlights the most deserving and impactful missional projects in Europe.