Faith Inkubators is a committed partner with congregations and leaders walking with young people and families on the journey of faith and striving to live fully into the baptismal promises we share as communities of faith.

Our Mission

Our mission is to incubate faith, create community, and equip leaders. We do this by:

• Providing congregations and leaders with an experiential, biblical, and theologically sound learning model.

• Equipping staff and leaders with support materials to grow communities of care in small groups.

• Encouraging an integrated approach to faith formation that includes learning, serving, worshipping, growing, and playing.

Our Vision

Christian community where:

• parents feel equipped to share faith,

• mentors model faith and walk with young people, and

• the church connects the community as partners and provides opportunity for young people to grow practices, language, and expressions of faith for the sake of the world.

Ten Foundations of Faith Inkubators

1. We love our curriculum BUT the real power is in the stories of faith by the people of God both written in scripture and walking on two feet.

2. The Gospels are still being written every time you gather. Take notes and share stories.

3. A living, loving adult leader, modeling the grace and mercy of Jesus, is the leaven in the bread of your small groups.

4. The church, community and parents ALL make baptismal promises. A collaborative relationship is critical to forming faith in the life of a maturing young person.

5. The family is a church (“wherever two or three are gathered in my name…”) and must be inspired, challenged, and equipped to live out the functions of the church (education, proclamation, prayer, acts of loving service, etc.) in the world.

6. Action and reflection are everything. Young people are physically present at church 1-2 hours a week (maybe). Instilling the practices of listening for God’s still small voice, pointing to what God is doing in the world, partnering with God, and reflecting on the experience is giving missional ownership to young people.

7. Honor Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. If a young person feels unsafe, is physically or emotionally unwell, or is carrying the heaviness of their day – forget higher order theological stuff – that’s your plan for the day.

8. Everything you do should be real, relational, and relevant.

9. Take care of those taking care. Everyone has a role to model self-care, good boundaries, and dispensing grace.

10. “The passing on of the faith to the next generation is much too important a task to be left in the hands of those who are paid to do it.” (April Ulrich Larsen) In other words, let the lives of those in your community speak.

The Faith Inkubators Ownership Team

Pete Erickson has served and consulted in congregations since 1991. Pete has an undergraduate degree in Communication from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and an MA in Organizational Leadership from Saint Mary's University in Minneapolis.

Pete was part of the original Faith Inkubators staff in 1995 and served as a curriculum writer, trainer, and Director of Partner Care. He continues to be a ministry practitioner in his role as a Senior Associate with Interserve Ministries. Pete excels in relationship management, recruiting and equipping leaders, and non-profit development and leadership. He lives in Hudson, WI with his spouse, Selena and their dog Murphy.

Pete’s role with Faith Inkubators will include curriculum development, coaching/training, and member relationships.

Monty Lysne has served and consulted in summer camps and congregations since 1988. Monty has an undergraduate degree in Communications and Religion from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN.

Monty was also an early part of the Faith Inkubators staff and spent 14 years combined as Product Manager of Head to the Heart and as a ministry systems trainer. He spent three years as Director of Discipleship Ministries at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Loxton, South Australia and served as a trainer for the Lutheran Church of Australia. He continues to be knee-deep in ministry in his role as Coordinator of Youth and Family Ministries at Trinity Lutheran Church in Stillwater, MN, the church where Head to the Heart was born. Monty excels in teaching and training on small group ministry systems. He lives in Stillwater, MN with his spouse, Tracy, adult and teenage daughters, Mya, Morgan, Molly, and Mirra, and their portly chihuahua-mix William.

Monty’s role with Faith Inkubators will include desktop publishing, layout, coaching/training, and member relationships.

Tom Collins has been Director of Technology for Faith Inkubators for over 20 years. Tom has undergraduate degrees in Communications and English Writing from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN.

Tom’s role with Faith Inkubators will be focused on managing the business-side of Faith Inkubators.