Mark Scandrette

Can be found here.

Hello Everyone,
Here’s the latest on Dieter’s condition. Dieter had a stroke sometime Sunday night. They did emergency brain surgery and induced a coma to help him stabalize so they could assess the extent of damage.

Dieter Zander is one of the founders of ReIMAGINE and we worked together for several years in San Francisco. Dieter was an influential voice early on in the gen-x/post-modern/emerging church transition. You can learn more about him here.

The Latest news from 5 P.M. on Tuesday.

They did a CAT scan, the bleeding has stopped, but the swelling is worse. The doctor likened it to a twisted ankle that gets swollen bruised.
Because of the swelling they are going to continue to keep him sedated for the next 24 hours.
As far as a “prognosis” the doctor said it was a substantial stroke and there has been damage.
Dieter has also got a small amount of pneumonia in one of his lungs. They are giving him antibiotics to help this go away.
Val has specifically asked for us to pray that pneumonia go away, so that his body will use it’s energy to heal his brain instead of fight the liquid in his lungs and that the swelling would go down in his brain. Until that happens they will keep him sedated and will be unable to further assess the damage caused by the stroke.

Matt got a bit choked up on the phone, so lets pray for him as he is communicating for the family, which can’t be easy. He did say that the boys are doing great.

Matt also said there probably won’t be another update until tomorrow.

This morning I heard that my friend, Dieter Zander, one of the cofounders of ReIMAGINE had a stroke last night and is in serious condition. Please pray for him and his family and community.

LIVING SIMPLY AND GENEROSLY
(In an era of scarcity and greed)
Finding a Path Toward Greater Freedom & Creativity

Saturday, November 10, 2007 9 a.m.- 3 P.M.
Location: The Mission District of San Francisco (specific location TBA)
Cost: $45 Includes lunch and materials (scholarships available upon request)
Register online here.
With the rising costs of housing, education and healthcare, many of us feel challenged to live within our means and pursue our dreams. At the same time, we are increasingly aware of the disproportionate privilege we possess in comparison with most of the worlds population. What does it mean live justly and sustainably in a culture of prosperity and materialism? How can we apply what Jesus taught about time, money and possessions to our current life context?

“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

“A person’s life does not consist in the abundance of their possessions.”

“Sell your possessions and give to the poor.”

“Do not worry about your life… seek first the kingdom… and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Through this one-day workshop we will examine what Jesus taught about time, money and possessions and explore how we might translate important themes into life practices: Abundance, Gratefulness, Contentment, Trust, Generosity, Simplicity & frugality.

This workshop is designed for people who:

• Live in fear and worry about not having enough
• Wish to reduce, minimize or eliminate personal debts
• Long to have a more simple, sustainable and soulful life
• Want to rethink life beyond the empire of the American Dream
• Desire more time for family, relationships and the things that matter most
• Seek to leverage their life energy creatively for the good of the world

In this applied workshop participants will:

• Gain insights and tools for transforming your relationship to money– taming consumptive impulses
• Practice gratefulness
• Establish time, life energy and financial goals
• Develop a working budget, debt-reduction strategy and planned giving
• Learn creative tips about how to live more simply in specific budget areas

Whether you tend to spend too much and find yourself in debt, or you are thrifty and obsessive about saving, this workshop has something to offer because the genesis-dream for each of us is a posture of radical contentment and generosity!

FACILITORS:

Over the past 17 years, Mark Scandrette, along with his wife, Lisa have learned to maximize a modest family income to leverage their time creatively to serve and be of use to others. Through their example they have inspired many to live more simply and generously. Mark is the author of the recently released book, SOUL GRAFFITI: Making a Life in the Way of Jesus, and is the executive director of ReIMAGINE! in San Francisco.

Two years ago Damon Snyder left a lucrative position in a large technology firm to pursue a life of greater simplicity and service. He currently works part-time in a technology start-up and along with his wife, Alice, on the journey to reinvent their lives beyond the typical Silicon Valley scenarios. Damon also works with ReIMAGINE with a special interest in how our “cultural captivities” are challenged by the message of Jesus.

We’ve been involved with Page Street Center, a very unique community center for many years. Please consider coming to their benefit and silent auction.

Soul in the City
A Buffet Brunch & Silent Auction

Hosted by page street center
10:00 a.m. - 1:00pm Saturday September 1, 2007

Enjoy fabulous food, open mic entertainment, an inclusive silent auction, and opportunities to meet our Page Street team. Proceeds from the auction, plus ticket sales ($15/person) will support our Center.

For more information, visit our event website:

www.soulinthecitysf.com

To purchase tickets, make an auction donation,  or volunteer, call  Eric Bergquist at (415) 939-2377, or email us at sfpagestreet@yahoo.com   This event will be held at First Baptist Church, 22 Waller Street, SF

Page Street Center has served the needy of our community for almost 40 years. We provide groceries that feed approximately 400 people each week, serves at least three meals each week, hosts a drop-in center for as many as 60 mostly homeless youth weekly, gives away socks, clothing, personal hygiene items and more.

It seems like every week at this time of year someone is shot and killed in our neighborhood. I was especially saddened when I walked by the memorial for 15 year old Edivaldo Sanchez– only two years older than my daughter. The Chronicle did a story on Edivaldo that can be found here.(see an excerpt posted below).

(06-17) 16:20 PDT SAN FRANCISCO — A pair of gang members in a stolen car shot and killed a 15-year-old boy Saturday night as he stood with a friend outside his family’s apartment on a busy street in San Francisco’s Mission District, police said. The victim, identified by the city medical examiner as Eddie Valdo, was shot at about 8 p.m. at the corner of 24th and Harrison streets. Two young men, believed to be 17 to 20 years old, drove up in a Honda Accord and the passenger opened fire, said police Sgt. Neville Gittens, a department spokesman.

Eddie left a trail of blood on the sidewalk as he ran a half-block west on 24th Street and collapsed outside a taqueria at the mouth of Balmy Street. Paramedics pronounced him dead near a tree, where on Sunday a shrine of flowers, candles and photographs began to form. Eddie’s friend was unhurt.

The 24th Street corridor is a bustling business district full of cafes, restaurants and markets. It is also known for gang activity, but Eddie was not a gang member, said family members and Gittens. Even so, Gittens said, homicide inspectors believe the killing was gang-related.

Relatives referred to the victim as Edivaldo Sanchez, who went by “Eddie.” They said he came to the United States three or four years ago from Puebla, Mexico, attended San Francisco’s Horace Mann Middle School and loved to play soccer. He lived with his mother and several other relatives a half-block east of the shooting scene, in a second-floor apartment above a Mexican market.

“He was a really good boy,” said Jannet Alonzo, a 26-year-old cousin of the victim. “I don’t know why this happened to him.”

The Spiritual Ecology Project:
A day of conversation about the emerging church and God’s mission in our world.

WHEN :     Tuesday, JUNE 12, 2007
9am - 12pm, & 12pm - 2pm

WHERE:    1040 Mariposa St. (between Pennsylvania & Mississippi)
San Francisco, CA 94107
directions and public transportation 
(there is parking nearby, though you may have to search for it)

HOW MUCH:  $10 donation at the door, to cover food & facility

Featuring:

Karen Sloan, author of Emerging & Fresh Expressions of Church
Doug Pagitt, author and pastor of Solomon’s Porch
Nathan George, Founder of Trade as One
Mark Scandrette, author of SOUL GRAFFITI: Making a Way in the Life of Jesus 
Tony Jones, author and National Coordinator of Emergent Village
Barry Taylor, author and adjunct Professor of Theology and Culture, Fuller Theological Seminary
Linda Bergquist, Church Starting Strategist, adjunct Professor at Golden Gate Theological Seminary

Come early for a breakfast treat of homemade pancakes and crepes!

Breakfast served from 8:30am - 8:59am. We will begin the conversation promptly at nine o’clock.