Thank you to all supporters of the North American Thebaid Project so far, especially to you who contributed during the first week of the Crowdfunding campaign.

The Week 1 numbers are very encouraging. As of mid-day July 18:

• Our Facebook Launch Announcement reached over 1,400 views, with 64 Facebook shares by supporters and over 100 likes… and counting!
• 924 views on the official website since our July 12 crowdfunding launch; over 3200 total!
• $1,200 (8% of our goal) raised through our Indiegogo Crowdfunding portal alone;
• $2,900 total raised (so far) from twelve gifts across all methods (Crowdfunding, PayPal, In-Person/Cash/Check), for an average of almost $250 per contribution;
• Great response to the Thebaid feature article by Pravoslavie/Orthodox Christianity last week, with over 300 (so far) clicking through to the Thebaid.org site;
• Strong response to the Thebaid Project Announcement over at Byzantine TX blog, with nearly 200 clicking through to Thebaid.org.

Also, I’m very thankful for the opportunity to give talks and introduce the Thebaid Project both at my home parish, Christ the Savior-Holy Spirit in Cincinnati, and at my “home-away-from-home”, St Symeon’s Orthodox Church in Birmingham AL. Had some good conversations about the Thebaid Project and Orthodox monasticism in North America, and look forward to more parish talks and visits as the Project continues.

How You Can Help:

• Make a contribution through our Indiegogo Crowdfunding Page; there are rewards for different levels of support starting at only $10 and $25. At $50 and up you will receive the First Edition of the book upon its publication in 2018. At $275 and up you will receive the Deluxe Limited Edition (leather-bound).
• Donate via PayPal (from the Thebaid website); you can make a one-time donation, or a recurring, monthly commitment. (You’ll also receive the same “perks” just as via the crowdfunding campaign, but your donations will not count towards the posted crowdfunding totals.)
• Tell your friends, family and church: share by email, Facebook, and other social media using the links provided.
• Schedule for me to speak at your church and give a brief presentation on the North American Thebaid.

The North American Thebaid Photographic Pilgrimage Project is a unique creative endeavor, intended to convey the beauty and mystery of Orthodox Christian monasticism in the USA and Canada, and to help inspire a new generation of monks and nuns right here in North America. Through your financial support, we’ll be able to schedule travel and photography to begin in Autumn 2016.

Thank you for your consideration and prayers…