Update on Mere Orthodoxy's Emergency Appeal

Dear reader,

Six weeks ago, the unthinkable happened at Mere Orthodoxy. A large sum of money given to us as a donation by mistake had to be returned. It was a defining moment for us. Would we panic? (There were twinges of that.)  Would we fold? (We did consider that too.)  Would we scale back and take other jobs, and just keep this beautiful creature alive but on life support? (We seriously considered this as well.)  

What did we do? First, we took a deep breath and then sought the Lord earnestly and tried to listen carefully. What we heard was God reminding us of one of our own value statements, “we are not anxious or fearful, but hopeful and confident in the providence of God.” Panic, folding, pulling back in fear are not options for those who want to walk in the steps of Jesus. While we never fully understand in the moment the ways and work of God in our individual or corporate lives, “for My thoughts are not your thoughts, and My ways are not your ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (IS 55:8-9), we do know that He is both present and powerful. He has dominion over all things and His resources are unlimited. 

After hearing this and other scriptural affirmations, we felt compelled to put the situation before you, our readers, and donors. Wow! More than 200 friends of Mere O have contributed over $63,000 in just six weeks. We are so encouraged and thankful for your generosity and God’s active work in this situation. Your appreciation for and confidence in Mere Orthodoxy as demonstrated by your giving so far has been energizing for Jake and myself.

However, we are still $37,000 short of full recovery. Like a patient doing physical therapy after surgery, the first few weeks of recovery seem almost magical as healing is dramatic. But the next season of recovery is often slower and more painful as we seek to rebuild muscles that have atrophied and strengthen joints that are stiff and sore. Well, that’s where Mere Orthodoxy stands today. We’ve come a long way back from that dark bottom, but we still have a bit of a mountain to climb. 

Would you join us in praying for a complete and full recovery in the next 30 days. Our goal is to surpass our $100,000 goal by June 30. We are very excited about the future of Mere Orthodoxy, and we look forward to sharing some of what is planned for the future with you, starting in our next monthly newsletter, coming in mid-June. In the meantime, let me remind you of 5 great reasons to support Mere O with your financial contribution or membership:

1. Mere O is integral to raising up future generations of thoughtful Christian leaders, who are willing to slow down, reflect upon truth and culture, then act with wisdom, patience and grace for the good of a tumultuous and chaotic world. Our readers are young, eager to learn and to help lead the Christian movement faithfully in the coming decades. If this describes you, you are investing in yourself by supporting Mere O. If you are older, you are making a significant investment in the next generation.
   
   
2. Mere Orthodoxy is a prophetic voice for our time. We call out bad thinking and bad behavior wherever we see it, because we envision a more faithful Christian presence and practices. We consistently call people to the ideal, to the better, to the ways of Christ, to thinking and living that creates shalom for individuals, families, churches, and society as a whole. We believe in robust Christian and civil institutions and so we seek, at all times, even when pointing out shortcomings and failures, to work for the renewal and health of institutions, rather than simply tearing them down.
   
   
3. Mere Orthodoxy speaks into every aspect of life, culture, and faith in 21^st century western civilization. If you read us on a weekly basis you know that we cover a wide array of topics, themes and issues which affect individuals, families, churches and society as a whole. We seek to bring fresh perspectives while drawing deeply from the finest of thinkers, writers and leaders from the past two Millennia. You can count on us to continue to shine the light of biblical truth onto every imaginable aspect of life, and we will do it with grace, humility and reasonableness.
   
   
4. Mere Orthodoxy will steward the resources entrusted to us wisely. This organization has operated as frugally as any organization I am aware of. We will continue that tradition, but being wise also means investing in innovation, growth, and greater impact. And so our pledge is to invest the donations we receive to maximize the opportunities we have to speak into the lives of our readers who are the present and future leaders of the Christian movement. 
   
   
5. Mere Orthodoxy makes a difference daily. Every day we are reaching thousands of readers with insightful and biblically grounded content. You have our promise to continue to elevate truth, champion a robust and faithful Church, expose bad actors and call into question bad ideas. We will do this for the common good and for the advancement of God’s Kingdom in the now but not yet moment in which we live.

If you have not yet contributed to this effort, we would greatly appreciate a contribution of any size. One of our goals is to expand our donor base, so we would love to have several hundred additional readers become new supporters of this work at $25, $50, or $100. Some of you will be able to make a larger gift of $500 or $1000. Your investment, no matter the amount, will not only help us restore what was lost but will help ensure that this media ministry continues and flourishes in the decades to come. All donations are fully tax deductible. If you prefer to send a check or give out of a Donor Advised Fund, you may mail a check to:  

Mere Orthodoxy Project
New Horizons Foundation
731 Chapel Hills Drive
Colorado Springs, CO  80920
Tax-ID  84-1123082

We would also welcome all of you who would like to become members to do so here so you won’t miss the upcoming issue of our print journal and some additional content and experiences that are available to our members.

If you have already contributed, thank you!  If you plan to contribute now, please know how much your support means to us and to the one million readers who benefit from Mere O each year. Watch the header on our homepage www.mereorthodoxy.com for progress reports on this funding campaign. We look forward to getting to know you better in the days to come and we welcome your feedback on all our content.  

Sincerely,
Mark Kremer
Publisher
Mere Orthodoxy