Summary of our call today, October 5/6:
Present on today’s call: Ed (Netherlands), Francois (France), Clyde (U.S.), Christina (New Zealand), and Rene. Following the opening prayer, it was suggested that CCRI begin actively collecting the data and demographics from those meetings when a representative is ready to share a summary of their discussions and to make this information public so that everyone has access to it. Acknowledging how difficult it is to get local gatherings started, it is advised to work through existing small communities to the greatest extent possible. This is where The SCCs already organized around the world will play a significant role. With Valerie’s guidance, we hope to go public a.s.a.p. with the shared website: www.ThePeopleSpeakOut.org.
Funding was discussed at length. Our applications have been turned down by all but one application. The Lilly Foundation is still a possibility. Clyde shared that his IEC in Virginia, called Nova, has received $240,000 upon the death of one of its members. He suggested that we apply to Nova requesting a loan to fund the upfront costs of one or more of the Synods to be repaid when registration fees come in. All of us are asked to explore grant option possibilities for religious projects (or irreligious groups like ours) and pass them onto Rene who has offered to do the work of submitting applications.
It was agreed that all of us would come together to compose and send out a joint newsletter – not from any one of us but from all of us (and any additional groups who choose to join with us). The letter would promote (1) the Council 50 declaration http://www.council50.org/c55/declaration-2015; (2) local gatherings where the people are asked to share their needs of the Church; (3) sharing the outcome of the ideas that emerge from these gatherings via the “report form” http://tpso.catholicchurchreform.org/local-gatherings/local-gathering-report; and (4) attendance at one of the series of People’s Synods being planned. This will be worked on this week via email. When the draft is approved, it can be sent out through the newsletter list from all the organizations involved.
It was agreed that key reform leaders would be personally contacted in advance to invite them to be a part of this collaborative movement. David Saaveda, the acting co-director of CTA, has been contacted and will be joining us on the special Skype conference call now set for October 17/18.
Rene