Sinapis Global Summit Reflections

Sinapis 2022 Network Summit - Dreams Becoming Reality

After six months of delays caused by COVID, we hosted our second international summit in March 2022 - this time in Egypt with our partner, The Community Egypt (TC Egypt). Two years of lockdowns and endless online calls create a deep longing to be together. Physical presence brings texture. It deepens connections in ways no screen can. Zoom rarely displays a friend’s sense of humor, empathy, or dance moves. And nothing builds relationships like bad dancing.

Organizations from 15+ nations attended the summit, with areas of focus ranging from entrepreneur training and acceleration to ecosystem development to investment. For many, this was their first opportunity to meet in person. As we spent four days with this brilliant group of leaders, we realized with gratitude that three specific dreams at Sinapis had become a reality.

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Our network of faith-based accelerators is connected and growing.

As the graphic below from our 2015-2016 annual report shows, Sinapis has desired to “build a network of those called by the Holy Spirit to create a faith-based accelerator for their own country or context.” In just over five years, our network has grown to seven organizations operating in 10 frontier market nations.  

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Bringing this group and multiple prospective partners together created a rich opportunity for dreaming and practical collaboration. Here are some examples of how our time together built upon these commitments:

• Convening: The summit in Egypt provided the most fruitful example of our desire to convene thus far in our history. Deep relationships are developing. Rather than a hub and spokes model with Sinapis at the center of everything, we are collectively building a diverse network where new ideas come from each member.

• Innovation Lab: Each organization presented innovative projects that could benefit specific organizations or the whole network. We used Appreciative Inquiry to discover the best of what exists today and dream of more effective ways to serve together. We explored ideas for shared revenue generation and showed how Sinapis’ new learning management system will curate the best practical tools from around the network to help all members improve their training, financial management, marketing, and human resource functions.

• Research: Sinapis recently completed an Impact on Poverty study to determine the effects a growing Kingdom business can have on the lives of poor suppliers. The initial research was shared at the summit and will soon be shared globally.

• Investors: A growing group of international capital providers is emerging across the network. Leaders from Faith Driven Investor, ImpactConnect, Kua Ventures, and Legacy Ventures participated in the summit, with others expressing interest in future engagement.

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We are expanding through partnership to markets where Christianity is a minority.

‍Sinapis focused its first six years on serving entrepreneurs in Kenya. The majority of Kenyans identify as Christian, but since much of this reflects a cultural association rather than personal commitment, significant discipleship needs still exist. While maintaining a focus on East Africa, we recognize the enormous need for Kingdom businesses in places where the good news of Jesus is not widely known. In 2019, TC Egypt became our first partner in a market like this. TC leads a vibrant discipleship and addiction recovery ministry in Egypt and also offers entrepreneurship training and acceleration to help business leaders grow companies that create jobs and bless the community. TC began serving Coptic Christians in Egypt and recently adapted our curriculum to engage Muslim entrepreneurs more effectively. Asia Leadership Development Network (ALDN) from Mongolia followed in 2020, and there is growing interest from other organizations in spiritually dark places like Pakistan and Eastern Europe.

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A broader movement is gaining momentum.

‍God is piecing together experienced leaders and organizations to each bring an element required for a broader movement. We all face the temptations of inward focus and subtle distrust. But we can’t allow these instincts to stunt much larger potential in God’s kingdom. To fight against this and embrace a larger perspective, we invited like-minded leaders from Agora Enterprises, the Angello Network, Faith-Driven Entrepreneur and others to join us after the completion of our partner summit. Shared worship, meals, and laughter deepened relationships. Each organization presented its work and most important areas of innovation. We dreamed together of thriving Kingdom businesses in the most challenging frontier markets alleviating poverty through job creation, bringing hope to communities, and creating economic engines that fuel the growth of the local church. We walked away with sharper clarity and understanding of how each of our unique gifts works together as we pursue this vision.

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This summit represents a milestone in our journey at Sinapis. Yet, it is just another step toward the shared future the Lord is creating. We celebrate His goodness and shift our attention to the more challenging work of moving intent to action so those we serve have the opportunity to benefit from the full potential of our collaboration.Thank you for the continued support of our mission that makes gatherings like this possible. If you'd like to learn more about the Global Summit or how you can partner with this movement, please send me an email. Our team would be happy to talk more.

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‍Matthew Rohrs
CEO, Sinapis

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