Design Thinking for Social Impact in the Ministry

Design thinking is a user-centered approach to problem solving that combines creativity and logic to solve complex problems. It emphasizes empathy, experimentation and iteration. This workshop will equip participants with the design thinking mindset, methodologies and tools to prototype innovative solutions to social challenges in each of their projects. Working collaboratively, each group will also have the opportunity to support the development of prototypes for other projects to create a real ecology of collaboration, imagination and transformation.

Key learning outcomes:

• Understand and apply the principles of design thinking.
• Identify and define a social challenge of your social projects.
• Develop empathy and use empathy maps to understand your stakeholders.
• Brainstorm innovative solutions using ideation techniques.
• Develop low and high fidelity prototypes for selected solutions.
• Test and refine prototypes based on feedback.

Building Collective Futures and Intercultural Solidarity

Join us for an immersive and transformative workshop that explores the intersection of culture, spirituality and design thinking. This hands-on session will invite participants to reimagine religious and community spaces that reflect the unique heritage of the Coque community in Brazil, while promoting collaboration and mutual support between churches in Brazil and the US.

Through interactive exercises, cultural mapping and intercultural dialogue, participants will discover ancient wisdom, share stories and participate in creative design sessions to prototype new and inclusive sacred spaces. Together, we will explore how these spaces can be reshaped to better serve the needs of our communities, while honoring local traditions and global connections.

Key discussions will include:

• How sacred spaces in Brazil and the US can learn from each other.
• How to incorporate cultural identity and local wisdom into church design.
• Practical ways churches can support each other across borders, sharing resources and knowledge for joint success.

This workshop will empower participants to see church spaces as dynamic centers of cultural expression, justice work, and spiritual transformation. It is designed for faith leaders, community organizers, and anyone passionate about creating inclusive, future-focused spaces rooted in sacred memory and collective resilience.

We will build a bridge between the past and the future, the local and the global, as we imagine how sacred spaces can be transformed to meet the spiritual, cultural, and justice-oriented needs of our time.