Dear Interhelpers and Friends,

Registration is now open for Truth Telling, Truth Tellers, a weekend of the Work That Reconnects, October 19-21, in Deerfield, MA. This annual Interhelp Gathering is open to all, whether you have journeyed the Spiral many times, or you are new to the work. Details here.

Please see below for more events and news of Interhelp projects (including our micro-grant program).

Also below: “Elevator Speech.” We hope you will contribute to our conversation: How do you describe Work That Reconnects events?

Just out: the latest issue of Deep Times: A Journal of the Work That Reconnects. It’s a rich issue, woven around the theme of “deep time.” I strongly recommend this review of Bob Stilger’s AfterNow: When We Cannot See the Future, Where Do We Begin? 

Here’s a prayer offered by Joanna Macy in a recent interview in Emergence:

Paula Hendrick
Interhelp Editor

New Events

Boston area Community of Practice Potluck
September 29, 6:30
Cambridge, MA, near Porter Square
Open to anyone who’s done any kind of Work That Reconnects workshop. Please reply to John MacDougall.

Active Hope: An Introduction to the Work That Reconnects
Saturday, October 27, 9:30-4:30
First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, Cambridge, MA
Details here.

Supporting and Expanding the Work That Reconnects

Facilitation Support: Monthly facilitator support calls, for WTR facilitators in the NE US, are underway, generally on the second Monday. Contact Joseph Rotella.

Micro-Grant Program: Seed funding is available to support WTR offerings in our region! We are especially seeking programs or projects that touch on or emphasize: engaging young people; de-centering whiteness; developing a Community of Practice; or creating a “bridge” with another group.

Tending and Mending Action Circle

In our March Interhelp newsletter, we invited feedback on our new Community Guidelines for Tending and Mending the Social Web. In response we’ve made some important changes, and will be continuing our re-vision and editing process later this summer. We’d love to receive your input.

Our second Community Practice Day (in which we reflect on and practice implementing these guidelines) is in the works, likely for September. If you are interested, let us know, and we can include you in our scheduling process.

Welcome to the members of our newly formed “Repair Circle”: Eleanor Mathews, Joyce Reeves and Markie Babbott. They bring a wealth of skill in interpersonal communication and conflict resolution. Should a hurt or conflict arise within workshop/community space, they will assist in resolution and healing as needed. Thank you!

Elevator Speech

When you have just a few moments to describe the Work That Reconnects in general, or a WTR workshop in particular, what do you say? That was a topic of June’s Facilitator Support call. Some of the responses are below. We’d love to hear what YOU like to say. You can reply right here. (Thanks to Anne Goodwin, Amy Tighe, Carol Harley and Paula Hendrick for contributing to this conversation.)

In a workshop we come into solidarity with other folks who are realizing the depth of the situation we’re in, and that it’s important to come together and be together.

It’s something I found that works for me. It helped me move from overwhelm and despair to finding my place, focusing my energy.

Everybody is stressed: this is a technology for understanding that others are going through the horrible pain we all feel.

Life-enhancing solutions everyone can participate in; a way to find your place in the work for a life-sustaining society.

We break through denial, numbness, and distraction (people get that our culture entertains us to death).

The Work That Reconnects is a body of group exercises, meditations, and philosophical writings….. It provides tools for maintaining energy, inspiration and connection….. It works on emotional and spiritual levels…..

We learn to respond to the world situation with heart and soul as well as our minds.

The workshops help activists and other caring people – from any tradition, secular or spiritual – draw strength and courage from their inner resources, and from each other.