On November 13, we will celebrate our one year anniversary, and I wanted to say thank you to everyone reading this for being a part of this community / organization / mission and also take some time to honor those* responsible for getting us this far. Looking back at this year, it’s truly amazing what we’ve accomplished with little to no resources, and it’s an honor to have been a part of it, to watch it be co-created — something new, alive and evolving.
With all of that said, we are not impervious to change, and there are currently a few open seats on our Board of Directors. If any of you are willing to step into those leadership positions in 2014, please let me know.
One of the primary areas in which we need help is the reviving of our community outreach programs. This involves researching and/or developing ongoing programs that give back — including community service, helping families in need, volunteering at local gardens, etc. We’ve had some really great ideas in this area, and have made inroads with other local non-profits (who could definitely benefit from our help) but we need someone compassionate and skilled at managing other people to really breathe some life into this and move it forward.
Another area we need help in is the planning of our monthly interfaith services — this would include coordinating with the city on our calendar, and the scheduling of future speakers and musical guests. We also need committee members for the planning of future events and workshops, including the upcoming Religious Literacy series and our 9th annual Alchemy Fest fundraiser.
We also need to hear from you. We need your input and ideas. The friend-sourcing journal was originally instrumental in guiding us toward the types of projects our community members would like to participate in and what our community might be able to sustain. But we need to continually build feedback loops and structures (virtual or otherwise) that will allow us to nominate, vote on, organize, implement and execute these projects — as well as solicit ideas for new ones — so that we may actually serve the community in a greater and more effective way. This will not happen without your voice.
Most importantly, as we continue to unfold (as Spirit-in-Action), we must remain committed to living a life that is mindful, optimal, meaningful and sustainable.
Thank you again for participating (even if you’re just following along on the blog) in everything that’s happened this past year. I look forward to growing our reach, deepening our relationships and continuing to do meaningful work — including the small things like spreading goodness, beauty and truth wherever we go.
If you have any questions or if you feel that you might be ready to get involved, please reach out via e-mail, phone, Facebook, Twitter, telepathy or smoke signal.
Looking forward,
Joran Oppelt
Integral Church
* Joey for planting the seed and starting the argument (and the Google Doc); Rev. Russell Heiland for the encouragement; Lorrie for inspiring us to give in greater ways; Christa and Jessica for an amazing Alchemy Fest; Kevin, Max, Nimo and Ivan for energizing the men’s group; Los, Catherine and Shanna for stepping into their roles as board members; Shannon for watching the kids; Denise for her huge and powerful heart; Jacqueline for sharing; Jake for always being there; Jason Sowell for his friendship and guidance; Lynne McTaggart for showing up; Stephen Prothero and Howard Rheingold for their work; Paramahansa Yogananda for pretty much everything; Amir Ahmad Nasr for his story; Fr. Richard Rohr for his wisdom; Rev. Temple Hayes for her wing; Chris at Palehorse for seeing and hearing it; all the volunteers at all of our events … and Jennifer for her infinite patience.
Integral Church 