ESSAY
Letter From Peter Leithart
POSTED
June 16, 2015

Dear friend of Theopolis,

Before he attended the Theopolis course on Holistic Mission during Easter term, 2014, Jonathan Sedlak lived with his family in the quiet, comfortable Milwau­kee suburb of Slinger, Wisconsin.

An intensive week in Birmingham changed all that. Listening to missionary Wes Baker and hashing over readings and ideas with other students, Jonathan became convinced that he and his family needed to follow a new path. Over the next six months, they moved to downtown Milwaukee, joined an Anglican church, and started looking for ways to serve their neighbors.

Jonathan and his wife volunteer at a food pantry and trek down to the river to visit the camps of the homeless. They seek out fellowship with Christians from other denominations. Joining with Catholics and Lutherans, they are helping to develop community gardens in the inner city, turning the barren waste into Eden.

Jonathan isn’t alone.

Sarah Davis, a church musician from Springfield, Missouri, said her week at the Theopolis music course was “life-transforming.” Studying at Theopolis has impacted “everything” that Clint Hail does at e3 Partners, the ministry where he serves – everything from strategic planning to developing training curriculum for churches in Costa Rica.

Theopolis just finished our second school year. We’ve had two rounds of intensive courses, on Genesis and Revelation, liturgy and music and missions. We have sponsored two series of Nevin Lectures, welcoming Timothy George and Robert Louis Wilken. We’ve published numerous essays on our web site and in our newsletter, In Medias Res. We’ve initiated partnerships in Eastern Europe and the U.K.

We’re grateful to the Lord for all He’s done. But these facts don’t get to the heart of the work of Theopolis.

Our real work is with people, leaders like Jonathan, Sarah, and Clint. We don’t teach Bible, liturgy and culture merely to grow in knowledge. Our mission is not to explain the world but to change it. And it is deeply moving to realize that we’re already doing that.

You have been a critical part of this effort. We would not be able to devote ourselves to this work or these students without your faithful prayers and financial support.

We believe that the Lord has called us to do more, a lot more. The next year is shaping up to be a busy one, as we build a home for our expanded programs in Birmingham.

  • In August, Jim Jordan, Rev. Rich Lusk, and I will begin the first phase of our in-residence training program, a series of Bible courses offered to students here in Birmingham.
  • We’ll continue our European partnerships and cultivate others in Asia and Latin America.
  • We’re finalizing our plans for the year-long course that we will launch in 2016.
  • We’ll publish a portion of Jim’s Psalter translation on our web site, and make other audio, video, and written work available.
  • We’ll collaborate with local churches and Christian ministries to serve the local Birmingham area.
  • We’ll offer three more intensive courses – on Mission to the City, the book of Exodus, and Sacramental Theology.
  • We’ll welcome Fr. John Behr in February as our 2016 Nevin Lecturer.

So far, we’ve been living out of our suitcases, but we’re settling into Birmingham and making it home. To do that effectively, we need to find a building to serve as a physical base of operation. And to do that, we need your help.

We need another $3000 a month for a suitable space for offices, classrooms, and library. And another $1500 a month would provide the needed resources to enhance and expand existing programs and to help launch the year-long course mentioned above.

Our ministry year (and fiscal year) ends June 30th. We are hoping for a remarkable outpouring of support in the month ahead to meet these goals—whether you’re your pledging $30 a month, 45 pledging $100 a month, or a bunch of generous one-time gifts. Click here to donate.

There are others like Jonathan, Sarah and Clint who are looking for some help in understanding and responding to the call of God. Theopolis needs to be ready to inspire, to equip and to unleash them for service in God’s Kingdom.

Please take time – now if possible – to prayerfully consider making a generous gift to support this strategic ministry. Together, we can transform the lives of leaders who, in turn, transform the lives of those they serve.

Sincerely in Christ,

Peter Leithart

President, Theopolis Institute

P.S. Your continued support – especially towards this $4500 a month goal – will be a great help and encouragement. We thank God for your partnership in the Gospel!

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