2008 Where We’ve Been

• Doable Evangelism goes national as Randy Siever presents at over 6 national events
• Jim and Casper exceeds 22,000 books sold.
• Jim and Casper DVD produced by Craig Spinks
• Jim and Casper speak at numerous conferences and retreats
• Craig produces new Outsider Interviews DVD
• Todd, Jim and Craig contract to publish The Outsider Interviews Book/DVD with Baker Books
• OTM promotes, produces and manages 5 national conferences. ($125K budget)
• OTM receives first large grant of $30,000
• Off The Map makes budget (in spite of faltering economy)
• OTM Team (Helen, Todd, Elaine, Randy, Elizabeth, Craig &Casper) continue to serve generously.

We gave something away – Doable Evangelism

Doable Evangelism was Off The Map’s firstborn. We cut our organizational teeth making evangelism doable for ordinary Christians. This year we decided to license DE for solo flight. We’ve “given away” Doable Evangelism which is now nurtured, led and piloted by Randy Siever and his team. www.doableevangelism.com . We couldn’t be more excited or proud.

We’ve launched something new – The Practicing Church

We had a hunch that what we learned through Doable Evangelism could be applied in other settings. Similar to how an aspirin can be used for headaches and heart attacks. We’ve taken the active ingredients that make DE potent and packaged them in a new initiative - The Practicing Church.

The Practicing Church beliefs gone good

The Practicing Church is a new movement designed to encourage and accelerate the redefinition of Christianity that’s being called for by Christians and Non Christians.

After centuries of overload – the beliefs switch in the church’s fuse box has flipped off and is no longer able to deliver the levels of power it once channeled.

A hunger for spiritual authenticity and demand for practicality is replacing beliefism - a spirituality that puts me first - with otherlyness a spirituality about serving others.

The Practicing Church tells the stories of people and churches where beliefs (have) gone good.

We believe

• The church is being redirected by God to major in serving and minor in beliefs.
• We must broaden the definition of serving to include the ordinary and doable.
• God wants to change not only how outsiders see us but how we see ourselves.
• There’s a historic window of opportunity to dramatically transform Christianity.

We intend

• To help clarify this transformation through events, writings and online
• To provide practitioners of Otherlyness a platform and a voice.
• To connect participants of The Practicing Church using every means at our disposal.
• To collaborate with anyone who is interested in advancing this agenda
• To rescue Jesus from religion and take him very, very public.

We’re getting younger

Over the course of 2008, I began working with three young leaders. Through these relationships, it became apparent to me that God was introducing me to Off The Map’s future. These three guys have agreed to join the Board of Off The Map and begin serving in key roles starting in 2009. We will be bringing Jeff on as interim Executive Director in early 2009. He will assume this role full time in the fall of 2009.

Jeff Smith

Jeff has taught in seven different education environments, both public and private. His teaching assignments have spanned third grade through adult learners, encompassing mathematics, history, literature, theology and philosophy. He has coached basketball for 12 years and is currently the middle school mathematics coach in Issaquah School District, representing that district in the Microsoft Math Partnership. Jeff was also the associate pastor of Calvary Chapel San Juan in Friday Harbor, WA for two years.

Jeff is currently studying in the Organizational Systems and Renewal program (www.osr-nw.org) at Seattle University (www.seattleu.edu). In June of 2009, he will be graduating with a Masters degree, specializing in organizational guiding through authentic conversations. He holds BA in Mathematics from California State University, San Bernardino as well as an MA in Education from Chapman University, but his wife reports that this 3rd degree, from Seattle University will be his last.

Tyler Mahoney

Tyler is an innovative thinker who combines emerging philosophy with his Roman Catholicism. Tyler came to faith between two worlds, between evangelicalism and Roman Catholicism—he had a Roman Catholic Young Life leader and was catechized in both traditions. A practicing Roman Catholic, Tyler works in evangelical ministry, mainly for Young Life and Off The Map. He worked in Alaska as a National Park Service ranger for four years, giving presentations and guided tours to hundreds of people at a time.
Tyler also excells in photojournalism, working at the Anchorage Daily News at the age of sixteen. As a college freshman, he became the photo editor of the Seattle University newspaper. In 2004, Tyler interned for Mike Judge, the director of Office Space, Beavis and Butthead, and King of The Hill. In June 2009, Tyler will receive his Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Religious Studies from Seattle University with a special emphasis in Social Justice and Church History.

Tim Soerens

Tim Soerens has a B.A. in Rhetorical Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Masters of Divinity from Mars Hill Graduate School, Seattle. He is the founder of an innovative church called Dust that brings together service, spirituality, and relationship in a way of life that seeks to join God’s dream of reconciliation. It is located in a rapidly growing and diverse downtown neighborhood of Seattle called South Lake Union.
Tim currently serves as vice-president on the Cascade Neighborhood Council, South Lake Union Friends and Neighbors Planning and Policy Committee, founding member of Lake Union Opportunity Alliance and the Cascade Farmers Market. Tim is married to Maria-Jose Soerens and lives in South Lake Union, Seattle.

2009 Look Forward

• Produce one major Off The Map Live conference called The Practicing Church
• Produce 2-3 conferences for Todd Hunter
• Write The Outsider Interviews Book/DVD
• Write Jim and Jane Go to Church - What Women think about Christianity
• Develop consulting group to help business understand young leaders and spirituality
• Offer a 2 day Experience the Practicing Church learning event in Seattle
• Acquire significant funding ($100K) from 2-3 foundations
• Hand off Executive Directorship to Jeff Smith in fall 2009
• Add six new Board members and grow volunteer staff

You’ve given generously in the past and we hope you continue in 2009. We realize however that the economy is creating new challenges and/or that you might have new organizations you would like to support. If that’s the case for you, please accept our gratitude and thanks for your financial partnership up to this point.

If you are planning to give to Off The Map in 2009, please let us know how much you plan to give and the timing of your gifts. Please email me with your response and any questions or comments to jim(at)offthemap(dot)com

The five conferences we produced this year were structured to generate significant income for Off The Map, but did not deliver. Since all of them took place in the fall, we believe we simply got caught in the economic downturn. We know that a number of other organizations experienced a similar downturn in attendance at their fall events as well. As we close out 2008, if you are able to help us with an end of year gift, it would be appreciated.

If you would like to make a deductible donation for 2008, the IRS requires your envelope be postmarked no later than December 31, 2008. (Our mailing address is: Off The Map, P. O. Box 75094, Seattle, WA 98175) You can also donate online here and for those who would like to make a monthly commitment, sign up here

But Wait There’s More! Anyone donating $25 or more before the end of the year will receive a copy of The Outsider Interviews

Thanks for your generosity
Jim Henderson