In the United States, more than 450,000 churches, ministries, and non-faith-based organizations combine into an ecosystem. This is more than double the number of fast food restaurants across the country, and quadruple the number of libraries. An ecosystem this large has the potential to make a massive impact, especially because it’s united by a singular purpose: to help people flourish.
But what does it mean to help people flourish? Flourishing is a multilayered concept. Someone can thrive at work but face deep conflict in their personal life. Others are surrounded by loving relationships, but struggle with mental health or financial stability. Whole human flourishing is inherently interconnected — it’s the “heart, soul, mind, and strength” Jesus outlined in Mark 12:30. This flourishing is brought about through a combination of individual (spiritual disciplines and the work of the Holy Spirit) and communal (the organizations that make up the ecosystem) effort.
The Harvard Center for Human Flourishing, Barna Group, and Gloo have conducted extensive research to discover what factors contribute to human flourishing. They found 7 interconnected dimensions that bring about whole-person health:
- Faith: The dimension of spiritual vitality is measured by the desire in someone’s life to put God first and believe in the authority of the Bible.
- Relationships: This dimension measures satisfaction with one’s closest relationships, from family to friendships.
- Purpose: This dimension runs deeper than work alone, measuring someone’s sense of meaning derived from everyday life and the role they inhabit — whether at work, home, or leisure.
- Finances: This dimension measures not wealth, but worry and stress surrounding money and basic needs like food, housing, and monthly living expenses.
- Health: The health dimension encompasses how someone would rate both their mental and physical health.
- Character: The dimension of character is measured by someone’s response to the world and their engagement with the culture around them.
- Contentment: Finally, this dimension considers a high-level measure of happiness and satisfaction in life as a whole.
These seven factors, when combined, indicate someone’s overall level of flourishing — and the aforementioned 450,000 organizations of the faith and flourishing ecosystem are each committed to helping people grow. Their individual work is incredibly impactful, but imagine how much more they could achieve if they could connect more meaningfully with each other?
Throughout history, technological advancements have inspired connection and human flourishing. Consider the steam engine: a simple principle that, when constructed perfectly, changed the world. Steam engines powered factory machinery, enabled train transportation, and catapulted the world into the Industrial Revolution. Or the printing press: another simple invention that transformed the world by enabling the mass production of printed literature. Because of this, knowledge was democratized and literacy skyrocketed.
These inventions, along with many others, are not only lauded for their financial or industrial impact but for the way they expanded capacity for human flourishing. In our generation, technology can serve as a similar tool. Some organizations are wary of technology, fearing that automated tools and artificial intelligence can filter out human connection or fail to align with their vision and values. But when leveraged for good, today’s technology can have a similar effect to the steam engine or the printing press: breaking down silos and barriers to allow for true connection.
The faith and flourishing ecosystem remains largely underserved by modern digital technology — but what if they found a values-aligned way to embrace this shift? What if they allowed technology to deepen their connections and foster greater human flourishing?
Gloo is here to fill in the connection gaps by innovating a new kind of tech: the kind that serves as a force for good. As founder Scott Beck says, “Collective might is really about cooperative contribution. Joining together unlocks benefits we wouldn’t have access to individually.” When organizations work together, they can accomplish more together than they can apart.
Imagine the faith and flourishing ecosystem powered by this collective might. It could truly unlock a new trajectory of human flourishing in the country and around the world. And by building tools that serve the people who spend their days serving others and helping them flourish, Gloo aims to help these nearly half a million organizations scale the ways they’re called to serve.
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