Featured Public Ministry

This Chicago-based organization is focused on helping congregations — especially BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) congregations — respond to serious challenges in their communities. The Oikos Institute for Social impact believes congregations and organizations that are anchors in their communities are uniquely positioned to help their neighbors face structural inequalities, higher-than-average unemployment, wealth inequality, and gentrification.



The primary program for congregations offered by the Oikos Institute is called Fishing Differently. Through a Fishing Differently cohort, anchor institutions form a group that receives professional expertise and guidance so that they can effectively collaborate on a coordinated response to an identified challenge. A 2-3 year process, the Fishing Differently cohort program helps each cohort develop a vision grounded in community history and assets and then build the financial and human resources needed to implement its vision by accessing their FISH (faith, intellectual, social, and human capital).