Our Mission is:
"To Love God. To Love people. To Follow Jesus."
We're giving that our best shot.

News Updates as of 12/19/2008

• Our partners over at Yes! And... CAMP are holding an on-line auction that ends this Thursday! (Dec 11) Get over there for a lot of fantastic items including, books from Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, a dinner conversation and audio book of Jesus for President with authors Shane and Chris, CDs from Potter Street Records, DVDs from Another World is Possible and The Ordinary Radicals, as well as cards, handcrafted gifts, and a whole lot more. Every penny that you spend there gets spent on kids in Philly who can't afford quality arts education. You CAN make a difference!
  
• The Alternative Seminary now has a website! More info below
• TOYS! TOYS! TOYS! We are collecting new, unwrapped toys for kids of all ages (no guns or barbies please). We need them by December 14 and distribute them on December 20 to parents so they can give them to their own kiddos. Also, feel free to send us a check with TOYS in the memo and we’ll do the shopping. Woohoo!
• Rise Up USAntiheroes! Rise up! As per usual we had all sorts of fun on the world’s biggest day of shopping. It was another Buy Nothing Day party outside the Gallery Mall. Check out the video, photos, and links by our very own undercover agent “Third Eye.” Join us next year if you missed… and of course, Antiheroes never rest until the world is at rest.
  
  Check out pictures from this year's event here.
  Didn’t get enough? Here are some classic USAntihero archives: pictures | video
• Welcome to Our 10th Annual Open House!
  • Sunday, December 21 from 4-7pm… it is a magical time every year for friends and neighbors. This year will be our 10th one so it’s extra magical. Feel free to bring goodies (no booze please). It will be at the Potter Street Community house.
• Our Simple eStore is new and improved! And we've added new titles such as Becoming The Answers To Our Prayers by Shane and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove (here) and The Ordinary Radicals, directed by Simple Way co-founder Jamie Moffett (here).
• THE ORDINARY RADICALS SCREENINGS
  • TSW founder Jamie Moffett has an exciting new project called “The Ordinary Radicals”. Jamie is an evangelist for hope. He and an entire team of friends are traveled the country, gathering stories of people doing beautiful little acts of love and resistance to the empire. You can view the trailer, find screenings of the film, and buy various whatnots at www.theordinaryradicals.com
• Shane and Chris Lahr went on a whirlwind trip to Rwanda (and South Africa and Kenya, and Germany...). We cannot do justice to the pilgrimage here, especially in light of all they experienced in Rwanda -- so Chris has set up a blog with pics and stories. And here is more info on the fantastic people who hosted them in Africa
  ALARM | HANDS OF COMPASSION
• Conspire! Plotting Goodness
  • Conspire! aims to explore the good news. We'll share our very different experiences as we seek to love God, love people, and follow Jesus - joys, stuggles, questions, and adventures. You'll find articles, reflections, poerty, and artwork on big and small of subjects. http://www.conspiremagazine.com/
• FIRE UPDATE
  • Sept 2008 - See a few photos
    
• Community of Communities Site
  • You can check out the latest experiment in truth from our little network of communities. It's still in the development stage, but looks like a fantastic way for us all to keep connected. www.communityofcommunities.us
    
• Shane's Speaking Stuff
  • You can always keep up with Shane's schedule by visiting this section of our website.
    
• Interested in visiting? If you haven’t heard about the Schools for Conversion taking place all over the country this next year, check ‘em out – newmonasticism.org/sfc -- and if you are interested in intentional community or missional living in the inner city and aren’t sure where to start (and are on the younger side), check out our friends at Mission Year.
• Greasel Coop There has been a little buzz stirring here in the Philly area around creating fuel out of waste veggie oil – and there is now an official "Greasel Station" at New Jerusalem, our sister community in North Philly. Let’s keep spreading the vision of a "post-oil era"! In fact at they also have bumper stickers that say: “No War Necessary… this car runs on vegetable oil.” The hope is that we might create a for-profit eco-business that would provide jobs and income for New Jerusalem. And it would create a centralized place to learn about alternative fuel, convert engines, and store grease and biodiesel. We’d love to have other ideas, gifts and connections as we embark on this adventure. New Jerusalem is at 2011 W. Norris street (at 20th street and Norris) -- 215-763-8806 http://newjerusalemnow.org/
• INVITING ALL STORIES…
  • We would love to hear from you! If you have a story of how you are living as an ordinary radical or how you are practicing the politics of Jesus... or if you just want to share what's stirring up in your heart... stop by -- www.zondervan.com/JesusforPresident

Needs:

• Wonderful Worldwide Web Volunteers
  • Through our Web sites, the Simple Way is connecting with ordinary radicals doing extraordinary things across the country and around the world. Have computer or graphic skills and a passion for loving God, loving others, and following Jesus? Or simply a vision for how we can harness the internet to bring our communities together? Contact Brian to join our team of wonderful worldwide web volutneers!
• Officekeeper & Mail Coordinator - Download Profile
• One million dollars to buy the porn shops in our neighborhood
  • Over and over folks are abused and shooting each other outside the bar and adult bookstores. We'd love to give the owners an offer they can't refuse, and a legal agreement not to reopen. Hey, we had a friend that did it… it's worth a shot. We'll turn that porn shop into a red tent revival.
• Lawn mower. So things can be mailed to the PO Box, but because lawn mowers are heavy gift cards to Home Depot or Lowes are also a good bet -- thanks so much!
• A good diesel van to convert so it runs off veggie oil, please contact us.
• Shout outs:
  • o 3200 RESTORATION: We are grateful for the tireless work of Jessica our gardening intern (she studied Horticultural Therapy and has been doing her field placement with us – 500 hours worth!). With the help of all kinds of neighbors and volunteers, she has helped resurrect H Street after the fire with new grass, garden boxes, and a tree.
  • 3234 restorations: We are so thankful for the work of Jesce Walz and Tim Fryett to take on the challenge of beautifying the Potter Street Community House. THE DROP CEILING AT 3234 IS NO MORE. Sure the mice are angry and may be organizing an uprising, but for now the world breathes better and the universe got a little less ugly.
  • Thanks to everyone that rocked out school supplies with us. With your help, on Labor Day, we gave back to school packs to over 400 neighborhood kids. Special thanks to Mennonite Central Committee and Mount Vernon Mennonite who came through huge! Check out this video.

Latest Newsletter:

Spring 2008
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Winter 2007
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Newsletter Archives»

• PAPA FESTIVAL 2008 -- WE DID IT AGAIN! PAPA FEST 2008. Nearly a thousand folks from all over the planet converged on Plow Creek Farm June 19-22 (and doubled the size of the town of Tiskilwa!). It was magical. Special thanks to all the lovely folks of Plow Creek for hosting us! For photos, video, and more info check out the site http://papafestival.org/

• Relational Tithe is an interactive platform for connecting and meeting needs across socioeconomic and geographic barriers. It is also a place to explore, to meet, to share dreams and ideas, to ask and discuss questions, to learn and to grow together. http://www.relationaltithe.com/
• Alternatives to the Military: We have now launched CENTURION'S PURSE, our alternatives to military resource headed up by former and current servicemembers and conscientious objectors. We are now taking applications for these grants www.centurionspurse.org/apply. We are also accepting donations – checks payable to "Centurion's Purse" and mailed to: PO Box 14751 Philadelphia, PA 19134
  • Meanwhile, our friend Logan is an Iraq war veteran and current Christian peacemaker.  He’s been helping compile resources for other soldiers who are ready to beat their machine guns into farm tools.  Here’s a word from Logan.
  •  And here are some resources for those of you in the military, or who have friends and family, who are struggling to find the strength to carry the cross and the sword and are looking for community and friends who will accompany you. FOR RESOURCES CLICK HERE.
  • For a great resource to help with folks returning from war or just to spark good discussion, check out The Ground Truth (the film we recently showed here).  
  • Another story of a soldier who said “Enough!” Click here.
• Alternatives to Insurance: Imagine a group of folks committing to pool their money together every month in order to cover each other’s medical needs? Sounds pretty sweet eh? Well, it’s happening.
  • It is preposterous to think that folks don’t have proper medical care here in one of the world’s richest countries (the US is one of the only industrialized countries without universal health care). Many of us here on Potter Street remember the life of She-She, a little girl who died a few years ago of asthma (yes, asthma) because she did not get adequate treatment. And while we are grateful for the tireless labor of folks working toward health care for all, we are not willing to wait for the government to do what the Church is meant to BE. Christian Healthcare Ministries is one of a growing number of innovative communities bearing each other’s burdens when it comes to medical expenses. Each month folks contribute money to a common fund of which over 90% goes directly to meet needs. Members receive newsletters that tell who is in the hospital and how to be praying for one another. CHM now has over 20,000 members who have collectively paid over 400 million dollars in medical bills over the past 20 years. Check them out: www.chministries.org
• The Alternative Seminary now has a website! The Alternative Seminary is a little underground seminary here in Philadelphia area. Visit the website for more information and keep an eye out for upcoming events. We are grateful for all the tireless work of our friend and TSW board member Will O’Brien for facilitating the Alternative Seminary all these years. Keep an eye out for ongoing events, especially if you don’t mind a little homework here and there. http://www.alternativeseminary.net/
• PRACTICAL IDEAS FOR ORDINARY RADICALS
• Grey Water Waste bathroom plumbing system
• Getting an abandoned house
• Community of Communities Database
  • Nearly every day now folks are asking about communities near them, how to get connected, if there is a communities directory...  we will be creating a directory of hospitality houses and intentional communities to connect the dots a little bit so keep an eye out, and be ready to shoot us a little profile of your community!  Check it out at communityofcommunities.us.

A lot of folks have asked about some of the structures and rhythms that allow us to function as a community.  Over the past 10 years, we’ve learned a lot and made plenty of mistakes, and we have now created a little packet to help new folks adjust to life here on Potter Street, sort of decoding some of our common life and expectations. We often liken these structures to the trellis of a garden.  You want enough structure to provide stability, so that your tomatoes don’t flop around on the ground and rot.  But if you have too much structure it can have the opposite effect, and can suffocate the plants from being free to grow.  So this works for us, along with our foundations and functionality. We offer it, not necessarily as something to emulate or copy, but as a resource to look at as you discover what works for your community.

• Our Commitments
• Our Foundation and Functionality