Diffusion of Innovation Theory developed by E.M. Rogers, originated to explain how, over time, an idea or service gains momentum and spreads through a specific social system. The end result of this diffusion is that people, as part of a social system, adopt a new idea or behavior. There are five established adopter categories (see diagram below).  The majority of the general population tends to fall in the middle categories, our project partners initial focus has been the Innovators and Early Adopters.

In Oklahoma, the first three years Faith Partners worked with the ODMHSAS and the Regional Prevention Centers infrastructure to engage interested congregations that had shown interest and readiness. In the fourth year, we have witnessed the expansion into the Early Majority population as the originally trained congregational teams in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Shawnee, and Ponca City; has lead us to Mangum, Lawton, Muskogee, and Norman. The on-going work of the Oklahoma Faith Partners Trainers will be to help RPCs create readiness in additional communities, conduct additional congregational training series, and facilitate connection to local resources that will help sustain and grow these initial efforts.