Spring, 2007
Previous Issues of Newsletters
CONTENTS
* Summer's Shapin' Up! - Alternatives on the road
* LIFE Profiles - Two Chicago-land Congregations Support Alternatives
* Tony & Shane's DVD Project Update
* WOW! Letter
* Ways You CAN Help
Summer's Shapin' Up!
One of my goals, as head of Alternatives, is to meet as many of our friends face-to-face as possible. And to make new friends! I'd love to meet you.Mid-July--mid-August I plan to be in the Southeast: Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, returning via Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana, and then Wisconsin.
If you'd like to host a small gathering in your home or church, please contact me right away and we'll see what we can arrange. We usually meet for one-two hours over a simple soup luncheon or potluck supper. I present the personal and global benefits of simpler living and Alternatives' resources and services. We talk about meeting the needs of young adults in increasingly tough times. We share stories, ideas, inspiration, support.
If you have ideas or questions call 800/821-6153.
Invitations, itinerary and notices will be by email. If you do not receive our eNews Simply :60, we probably do not have an email address for you. If you care to be involved in any way, please reply. When I'm ready to go, my itinerary will be posted on our web site home page in window #3 at Where's Geraldo?
We hope you're simply healthy and happy.
Your friend,
Gerald Iversen, National Coordinator
P.S. Meet many of the wonderful people I've met on recent speaking tours to California, the Northwest, the Northeast, North Carolina, Michigan-Ohio, Missouri-Kansas-Oklahoma-Texas, and Minnesota-South Dakota-Iowa-Nebraska-Colorado in window #5 at SimpleLiving.org. Faces of Simpler Living are organized by region.
Two Chicago-land Congregations Support Alternatives
First Congregational's Love and Justice wrist band.
Sheep in First Congregational's Christmas pageant
On their website site LoveAndJustice.org, First Congregational Church, Naperville, proclaims:
We welcome all,
NO EXCEPTIONS!
Encouraged by Pastor Greg Skiba, the church's Christian Missions and Social Action Ministry has given Alternatives the equivalent of a LIFE membership, in addition to support in previous years.
Christian Missions and Social Action Ministry provides financial help to those in need, educates the congregation about the needs and issues it is working to address, encourages the congregation to become involved in addressing these needs and issues, and provides direction and support to those in the congregation who coordinate activities to address these needs and issues. The Ministry seeks to support the weak and help the afflicted, while honoring all people.
First Congregational Church donates 15% of its operating budget to external agencies. They support some 30 agencies, including Alternatives.
Epiphany Episcopal's logo
Worship at Epiphany Episcopal
Epiphany Episcopal, Chicago, is a vibrant, growing community of faith serving the Near West Side -- a multi-faceted diversity of God's People living and working in this crossroad of four very different Chicago neighborhoods. Epiphany's people worship, serve, and thrive in a broad cross section of economic status, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, education, sexual orientation, gender identification, age, homelessness, psychiatric diagnosis, and employability in this rapidly changing urban intersection.
Epiphany participated in the AIDS marathon and was able to play an important role of hospitality during the 2006 march for immigrants' rights.
Epiphany worships twice weekly in many settings inside and outside their building. Visit epiphanychicago.com.
A great example of Epiphany's new spirit is collaboration with the Mexican Consulate and the United States Department of Agriculture to provide a summer meal site. A community partnership involving five organizations and providing 21,650 meals over 11 weeks, operates in the parish house.
Another good example of Epiphany's new spirit is last summer's project to transform the abandoned playground in front of 211 S. Ashland into a garden for the whole community. Under the leadership of Meigan Cameron, the parish obtained extraordinarily generous donations of plants, trees, and landscaping design services. With the hard work of the parish members and friends, the lot was cleared, completely replanted and flourished. The garden, with its great old mulberry tree, now offers a welcoming, shady neighborhood gathering spot and has been a gateway for new members.
The PERPETUAL Membership from Epiphany's priest Meigan Cameron also has personal significance. 'I want to teach my child how to give,' she said.
Wouldn't your congregation also like to become a member?
UPDATE!
Tony Campolo
Shane Claiborn (photo by Becky Garrison)
Tony & Shane Explore Simpler Living
A new video from Alternatives features Tony Campolo & Shane Claiborne
Recording date - May 8th!Over half the expenses of the video are being donated. We must raise $19,000 by April 15th!
We have good news about our initiative Reaching Out to Young Adults. Tony Campolo and Shane Claiborne have agreed to make a video for us! This is the most promising prospect for Alternatives in my decade leading Alternatives!
We are serious about meeting the needs of young adults and giving them hope and inspiration in the face of monumental global problems.
A Donor DVD is available upon request. See a brief overview of the project, a five-minute introduction of the project and of Shane himself. See an excerpt from a recent presentation by Tony Campolo. He's well known for his teaching, books, videos and humanitarian work. Finally, view a complete presentation by Shane, including questions and answers. This proposal DVD is not the project itself.
Tony and Shane's intensely personal dialog about the foundations of the Christian life and voluntary simplicity on this pointed-yet-hopeful video will have current relevance for and be targeted at the yearnings of today's Christian.
We plan to issue the video both on DVD and also in brief segments on the internet where young adults are likely to see them.
Tony Campolo, professor emeritus at Eastern University in suburban Philadelphia, a media commentator and the author of a dozen books and numerous videos, including Curing Affluenza. He has served on Alternatives' Honorary Board of Directors since it inception in 2003 on Alternatives' 30th anniversary.
Shane Claiborne is a founder of The Simple Way community in Philadelphia and author of The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical (with a Foreword by Jim Wallis). He's featured in the DVD/CD series Another World Is Possible! Shane, still in his early 30's, is a much-sought-after speaker.
HEAR Tony & Shane at SimpleLivingWorks.org >> Archives >> Audio/Video >> Tony & Shane's DVD Project.
SEE short video about the project at SimpleLivingWorks >> Archives >> Audio/Video (or YouTube).
Possibly you could provide a grant or know someone personally who could. Possibly you or your agency would place an advanced quantity order. Or both. We welcome your ideas. Request a DVD and share it with others. We'll gladly provide you a copy of a detailed proposal. Please be in touch.
I received the copy of the DVD promo on Shane and Tony....BRAVO!!!! I watched it several times through and I will do anything I am able to do to see the project brought to fruition! I have decided to send in a monthly extra donation to Alternatives for the project. I'm afraid it won't be much but hopefully, I can offer it as a testimonial and a way forward to others as I attempt to open their hearts to the necessity of seeing this DVD become a reality. I will also be sending you a couple of names and addresses within the next few days and I'm hoping you will mail off a letter and a copy of the promo to them. I wanted to be in touch to let you know how much I am committed to helping you with this and to commend you for putting it together!
My two teenagers (15 and 18) are very impressed by Shane. I am taking my daughter to visit The Simple Way in the spring and it was great for them to actually see and hear him. They find him such a credible and inspiring Witness to Gospel Values and although I am disinclined to box him into the new 'voice for the Youth of the Church' thing, he could very well be the kind of 'real deal' that enables many more young people to walk-the-walk. He's delightful!
God Bless You and let me know if there is anything else I can do specifically. I will begin beating the bushes for potential support!
Yours in Christ, Michelle Wilbert, Michigan
The following information is obsolete.
Ways You CAN Help!
* Send referrals! Be proactive. Sharing names and contact information of anyone who shows interest in simpler living.
* Be a volunteer for Alternatives in your community. Visit SimpleLiving.org >> Volunteers >> Activities.
* Pledge a LIFE membership. * Donate regularly * each month or quarter. We're tax deductible!
* Lower taxes through Alternatives' Endowment.
* Give someone a simpler living nudge. Share Alternatives' resources, give gift memberships.
Member/Volunteer Reply [3/07]
Donations
___ I want to support the Young Adults Initiative! $5000 / $2500 / $1000 / $500 /$250 / $100 / $75 / $50 / $35 / $25 -- tax deductible
___ I want to pledge per __ month / __ quarter.
___ I want to be a dues-paying member, or renew.
___ I want to be a charter member of Alternatives' endowment. I'm pledging at least $500.
___ I want to help sponsor Alternatives' resources for 2007. I'm pledging at least $500.
___ Send me information about including Alternatives in my will and about planned giving.
Volunteers
___ Yes, I want to become/continue as a member of the Simpler Living Community Network (incorporating SLOW Down Network).
___ No thanks, I'm no longer interested in volunteering.
___ Contact me about hosting a speaker in my area.
___ I will distribute Alternatives' free Resource Guide. Send me __ copies of the full 48 page master catalog. Send me __ copies of the current mini-catalog.
Thank You's
___ I'm giving $100 or more by check or credit card (include numbers and expiration date). Send me one of the following free resources for each $100 . . .
___ Audio CD 'Alternative Christmas Trilogy'
___ Audio CD 'Living Simply & Loving It!'
___ CD-rom 'Simply the Best: 30 Years of Alternatives.'
___ 'Unplug the Christmas Machine' Workshop-on-a-CD (audio).
___ 'Living More-with-Less Study/Action Guide'
___ 'More-with-Less Christmas' audio CD
___ 'Spirit of Simplicity: Quotes & Art' book
___ 'Spirit of Simplicity: Quotes & Art' CD-rom
___ 'Stories & Songs of Simple Living' cassette
___ 'Break Forth into Joy: Beyond a Consumer Lifestyle' video (VHS tape)
For more choices visit SimpleLiving.org >> eStore >> Misc. >> Premiums. For donations under $100, claim FREEBIES at Misc. >> Freebies.
* Comments, requests, questions, concerns, stories welcome.
Read about membership BENEFITS at SimpleLiving.org >> Membership or at eStore >> Membership.
Member/Volunteer Reply
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ALTERNATIVES for Simple Living
PO Box 340, 109 Gaul Dr., Sergeant Bluff, IA 51054
Alternatives@SimpleLiving.org
712-943-6153 * 800-821-6153 * fax: 712-943-1402
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