A Good View This week I had five awesome conversations about Jesus with business owners. Each one said, "I'm spiritual, but not religious." Their reasons were varied, but in every case a curiosity of Jesus was overlapped with a reticence towards organized religion. Serving as a chaplain with NEW VERTICAL opened the door to exploring the gospel in fresh ways. While the details on these meetings are confidential, I can say collectively these meetings: reflected - negative experiences, institutional skepticism, theological curiosity, social/political divides, etc...  represented - executives in commercial real estate, healthcare, the arts, judicial systems, and hundreds of employees,  In other words, this week's "Good View" revealed an expanding landscape unreached by the existing ecclesial systems. These conversations remind me of the gospel of John chapter 4 "I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest."

Collaboration New Vertical supports the local Church by engaging unreached sections of the local community. Chaplains serve unseen areas beyond the existing lines. Here is a short video discussing this process.

New Vertical Chat - Coming Shepherding the GAP requires a nonlinear approach. Therefore, we are recording a 4-part chat to be released in October titled "Is Christianity Left or Right?" It is a conversation between me and a friend (local business owner) who is openly unsure about Christianity. One objective is to start a conversation about Jesus that orbits on scripture.

Financial Update.  We are at 35% of our Phase 1 budget. Reminder. We have two funding models. They are as follows: Phase 1 Raise two years of support. We call these two years our booster engines.   Phase 2 Establish long term indigenous support with local churches and community leaders coupled with existing institutional grants.    We are a 501C3! WHAT NOW? We are making great progress with fund raising! But not enough to shift gears. By faith we will see NEW VERTICAL expanding its engagement in personal and group discipleship.  You can help by advocating for us with the following: Coporate matching funds. Often times large organizations (J&J, IBM, GE, etc.) will match giving for 501C3 organizations. Maybe your organization is one such place. This means your workplace mirrors your missional heart and matches your charitable donations.   Family Offices and donor advised boards. If you know of one such fund we should contact, please point us in the right direction.  We can pursue dedicated grants. While we are putting our best foot forward with groups such as the Lilly fund, Maclellan Foundation, etc., we need advocacy. If you know a gatekeeper at a similar organization, we would love an introduction.   The need for marketplace chaplaincy is big. By faith our network can connect us to individuals on Wallstreet and Mainstreet who have a heart for leadership wellness.

Two other needs:  We have two other partnership opportunities available.  Prayer Simply put: "We need your prayers". If you are willing to pray for us on a regular (daily, weekly) basis, please let us know. While telling us does not make the prayer effective, it is super encouraging. Words - Words can come in two distinct forms: Collaboration and Advocacy. Long term we need both. Presently advocacy feels more pressing. Getting the word out is both essential as well as a path to building a sustainable model. While we are SO GRATEFUL for support from our existing network, advocacy leads to a larger network which fosters a special form of encouragement.     Building a support network is an essential part of the process. By faith we will once again fully engage the community.

New Vertical  Quick explanations for advocates Chaplaincy is a new title for some, so below are some quick descriptions of New Vertical: Here is a link to our channel for short educational videos. New Vertical - YouTube In the 70's the culture was 90% Christian. The local pastor could reach the community on Sunday. Moving forward less than 30% identify as Christian. If the local pastor is like a tank driver, Market place chaplains are like infantry support. We need both, and we need them both to support each other.    Think Young Life (student ministry) to the business and community leaders. Marketplace Chaplains can connect with a Chamber of Commerce or other civic groups as an extension of a local Church's mission.    Picture the names on the banner in the outfield. NEW VERTICAL engages the leaders of those businesses. The health of these operators impacts the health of a community.