2024 Year End Appeal
Support the work of the Ekklesia Project
It is not true that violence and hatred should have the last word, and that war and destruction rule forever—
This is true: Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, his name shall be called wonderful councilor, mighty God, the Everlasting, the Prince of peace.
Daniel Berrigan, Advent Credo
Dear Friends of the Ekklesia Project,
As the new liturgical year begins, we are reminded of the always-fraught ecological, social, and political landscape in which the church has sought to be a witness to the multifaceted work of seeking shalom in God's world.
The Ekklesia Project remains committed to the work of strengthening ecclesial communities who wish not to serve the idols of empire but to follow the Prince of Peace. If you’re reading this post, you’re a subscriber to our new Substack, “Called Out: Conversations with the Ekklesia Project”. We are grateful that you have joined us in this venture!
In July, we gathered in person and online to reflect on Bearing Witness to Grief: Climate Collapse, Resistance, and Grounded Hope. We hosted our first-ever regional Gathering in San Francisco four months later to continue reflecting on these themes. On January 20, 2025 (Inauguration Day and MLK, Jr. Day) we will host (online) a six-month check-in around the Gathering theme of grief. Register here to gather with us.
With our partners at Englewood Community Church, we revised and republished the first book in our Congregational Formation Series Initiative, The Shape of Our Lives: A Field Guide to Congregational Formation. We continue to gather online for evening prayer on Thursday nights, to read and reflect on poetry during Advent and Lent, and to continue to listen to each other for the ways the Spirit is moving in our congregations and communities.
We do all of this with the work of volunteers on a whisper of a budget. Our Substack is free. We keep Gathering costs as low as possible to make attendance more feasible, hoping only to break even each year. Our ~$18,000 operational budget provides small stipends for the EP Coordinator and Gathering Facilitators and covers the costs of our communication platforms, and basic operating expenses. Between a deficit from this year’s Gathering and an operational budget shortfall, we’re about $7,500 below where we need to be to break even for the year.
As you make your end-of-year gifts, all donations will help us cover this shortfall. As you prayerfully discern about the new year, we hope you’ll consider joining our small group of regular donors. Even a modest gift of $5, $10 or $25/month will help us keep our budget balanced.
Donating online is easy and secure.
You can also mail contributions to:
Mary Bowling
c/o Englewood Christian Church
57 North Rural St.
Indianapolis, IN 46201
As we prepare for God's gift of the Incarnation and the renewal of all things, we thank you for your generous gifts and for all the ways you support the work of the Ekklesia Project. We look forward to seeing you—at the Gathering, on Substack, and online—in 2025.
Advent Blessings,
M. Therese Lysaught, EP Treasurer
Debra Dean Murphy, EP Coordinator