| Dear Charles,
This is a historical moment for the Henri Nouwen Society. I am writing to tell you about it and to ask for your full support. Let me explain.
In each of our lives we have moments when we "know" that something really important is happening within us. Often it is related to a new direction in our life or a significant re-commitment to a path that we are already on. We have a deep sense that the new step we are taking matters very much.
This is exactly what is happening to the Henri Nouwen Society right now.
Few people in the past 100 years have had as much impact as Henri Nouwen, but millions of people have yet to be introduced to his spiritual writings. I am excited to share with you a big decision we have just made.
We are saying "yes" to significantly expanding our work to reach many more people, to draw people closer to their deepest identity as a beloved child of God. It is a commitment that will involve all of our time, energy, and creativity, and it will require the support of friends and donors far and wide. When I say "many more people", I mean not just people in North America, but also people in Asia, in Africa, and in Europe. Not just people in this generation, but also people in future generations. Let me share with you some of the details because I want you to catch my excitement: - The Nouwen Society will continue various initiatives that we have explored over the past several years. Examples are the development of our website, learning webinars, book club discussion guides, online reflection groups and the daily e-meditations that go out to more than 42,000 people.
- We will create a more robust cycle of learning opportunities and resources. On April 23, we co-hosted the first call-in seminar focusing on The Spirituality of Caregiving featuring Marjorie Thompson and Gordon Peerman. Access to the recorded version of the seminar can be purchased at: http://www.henrinouwen.org/Events/Retreats/Online/CaregivingWebinar2015.aspx
- On November 14, 2015 we are launching an Annual Henri Nouwen Lecture series with Jim Wallis - founder of Sojourners who will speak on "The Spirituality of Social Justice" This will be available for everyone, not just those who can physically attend.
- We have begun to plan a conference for May 2016 entitled "Exploring the Inner Life through the Lens of Henri Nouwen" featuring Anne Lamott and Shane Claiborne and another in October 2016 focusing on "The Wounded Healer" with John Ortberg. These events will commemorate the 20th anniversary of Henri's death.
- Another area of expansion is in the area of publishing. We have teamed up with Alive Communications to release new books drawn from Henri's original letters, lectures, seminars and unpublished works. This is very exciting!
- The treasure at the heart of all we do is our archival center at the University of Toronto where scholars and students, ministers and lay people can come and delve into the riches of Nouwen's spiritual legacy. This is a physical place, with competent staff, where we preserve and make available Henri Nouwen's life work. We will make several new financial investments to make this material highly accessible.
Our 2015 fundraising goal to execute this vision is $300,000, a significantly higher goal than in the past. We need your help to make all this happen.
Please give as generously as you can.
If you have been touched by Henri Nouwen's life and teaching, please partner with us on these initiatives to touch and impact many more people. Thank you for your part in helping us reach out to the next generation of those seeking truth and nourishment for their inner journey of faith. Faithfully, Karen Pascal, Executive Director
P.S. Henri Nouwen told us about the Good News of Jesus, the simple message that we are a cherished child of God - loved first by God long before we did anything to deserve or earn that love. When Henri grasped this deep truth for himself, it became his mission to pass it on to others through his teachings and writings. Please help accomplish Henri's mission and give today.
Click here to donate in US dollars. Click here to donate in Canadian dollars.
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