Missional Wisdom Foundation Quarterly Report

snapshot.
Your soul knows the geography of your destiny.
Your soul alone has the map of your future,
therefore you can trust this indirect, oblique side
of yourself. If you do, it will take you where you
need to go, but more important it will teach you a
kindness of rhythm in your journey.
John ODonohue, Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom
Summer, 2014
pilgrimage.
The summer found the Foundation staff and friends traipsing
across the Scottish moors, following the ancient Way of St.
Cuthbert and retreating to the island of Iona. Along the way, we
formed a community to laugh and cry together, to wander and
wonder together and to bind up each others literal and
figurative wounds.

Pilgrimage is a rich metaphor for the work of the
Foundation. The MWF is literally forging into unknown
territory, walking together as a band of followers and with
Christ himself, moving toward a holy place in which we hope to
be transformed. As we walked through Scotland toward holy
monastic sites that played key roles in the spread of the gospel
throughout the Celtic world, we found ourselves building bonds
and experiencing communion with each other and the Spirit.
We were prepared to move forward into the work of our calling.
There are many ways to share in the life of the Foundation. You are
invited to discover those that speak to your spirit. Dinner with friends,
living in community, serving the neighborhood, traveling far away,
working in new ways, studying with intensity, worshipping with a full
heart, seeing with new eyes . . . there is a place for you among us.
Major Initiatives
AMW
Pilgrimage
Epworth
Publishing
New cohort formed for
Texas/New Mexico
Way of St. Cuthbert and
Iona, Scotland
New residents, new
neighbors, new
relationships
Abide Curriculum
Missional. Monastic.
Mainline
Be part of our journey. Be at Gods work in the world.

Missional Wisdom Foundation Quarterly Report
2
Do Justice. Love Mercy.
The months of July, August and
September have been filled with
opportunities to serve the larger church as
well as the church in Dallas/Ft. Worth.
The last week of June and first two
weeks of July most of the leadership of the
Missional Wisdom Foundation were on a
Celtic pilgrimage, walking the Way of St.
Cuthbert and spending a week on Iona.
This was an invaluable time of deepening
in our discernment about our vocation as a
Christian organization, and for deeping in
spiritual formation and leadership
development.
After we returned from Scotland I
taught for 2 weeks in the Course of Study
School at Perkins, as well as completed
teaching an online course on launching
missional communities, for the Academy
for Missional Wisdom.
August included a two-week visit to
Western North Carolina where I was a
faculty person for the Academy for
Spiritual Formation, and presented at the
School for Congregational Development a
plenary session on Jesus Rule of Life, and
team-taught with Larry Duggins a two-day
Missional Wisdom is discovered at the intersection of deep
contemplation, radical hospitality and service to others.
workshop on planting missional
communities.
After that Larry and I spent time in
conversation with people in the Asheville
area who are interested in joining the next
cohort of the Academy for Missional
Wisdom, and we were deeply blessed to tour
a medical respite intentional community for
homeless persons that was started and is led
by our AMW grad, Jody Halstead.
We also spent time with Bishop
Goodpaster and several other leaders from
WNC Conference to discuss missional
ministries that are developming in WNC. We
then went to Pfeiffer University to share
about the Clarify program, our new summer
immersion program for undergraduates, to
help them with missional theology and
vocational discernment.
The last weekend in August I led a
Leadership Summit at Missouri UMC in
Columbia, MO, focusing on spiritual
formation and leadership development.
Fall term began at Perkins the last
week of August, and I am teaching two
classes this term as well as leading a directed
study with one student, and serving on
several committees.

wherever two or more are gathered
I taught Sunday School twice at University
Park UMC, focusing on the Epistle to the
Galatians and emergence.
September 22-23 I was honored
to be the speaker at the Oklahoma Indian
Missionary Conference annual clergy
retreat. Then on September 26 I presented
two workshops at the Sentralized
conference, a national gathering for leaders
of missional ministries largely within the
evangelical world.
I am very thankful for the
support of the TMF for the ministries of
the Missional Wisdom Foundation,
especially the grant that has freed my time
to be able to travel, speak, preach, lead and
teach beyond DFW.
Rev. Dr. Elaine Heath

Missional Wisdom Foundation Quarterly Report
3
1
The Epworth Houses have taken on a new vitality
in the last months. It is as if each of the houses
have dug down and found their foundations and
have begun to build.
The Bonhoeffer House will be graduating two
long-time residents soon. Adam White, House
Steward, has been instrumental in leading newly
grounded practices within the house. Ryan Klink
is a new resident, who is also serving as an intern
within MWF. Ryan planted two intentional
communities in Commerce, TX as an
undergraduate. He was a graduate of the
Academy and will be assuming the role of House
Steward in the coming year.
Cochran House has begun to thrive as we have
begun using the new ABIDE curriculum. The
Direction in Common through the last year has
begun to solidify in intentional practices among
the residents. It has given us a methodical means
of moving from unhelpful practice toward helpful
practice.
La Paloma House has moved from being the
house most likely to close to the most
transformed house. The five undergraduate
women, including three new residents, have
embraced an ebb and flow to the house. The
House steward has worked with the director of
the Wesley at U.T. Arlington and me, in building
leadership skills designed to overcome obstacles
to communication and discipleship practices.
Romero House has two new residents. The
House now has a married couple, two single
women and one single man. Four of these are
seminary students and one works in a local public
school system.
Palmer House continues to open their doors to
people seeking sanctuary and sabbatical. This
quarter, they have welcomed many enquiring,
studying and listening regarding intentional faith
community. The three women are all young
professionals engaged in their vocations and
careers, and they use art and permaculture to
expand and connect their friendships.
Susanna Wesley House spent the summer with
ministry duties through their work, through
church and Methodist Childrens Home as well as
pilgrimage. Since their return we have added one
woman, an undergraduate, to this house of one
married couple and one single woman, all of
whom are professionally employed. Though this
house is only just beginning, the residents have
already been engaged in imagining and dreaming
about ways to invite and offer hospitality to the
children of the neighborhood.
As the Abbot, my work has been centered in the
discernment and equipping process with the
Houses to receive new residents as well as
2
continuing to encourage presence within their
communities. This was a great time of testing for
my own continued practice of spiritual disciplines
and discovering of growing edges. At times the
circuit-riding nature of this Abbots work require
understanding of solitude as well as an anchorites
resolve to stay engaged in prayer in solitude and
among many populations.
Along with the house transformations and
ongoing growth, we have seen an increase in
pilgrimages through the Epworth Houses. This
past quarter, we have opened up space for
hospitality, conversation and formative teaching
with multiple high school leadership groups.
Along with these young pilgrims, we have
welcomed pastors from the northern conferences
as sabbatical residents.
As Abbot, I seek to make myself available to all
who come for ongoing formation within the
house and beyond. Some of the invitations
accepted this past quarter involved:
Leading Wesley Foundation Leadership
Retreat
Ongoing Direction and Formative
Teaching with Pastors on Sabbatical
Leave
Leading Day Retreats for Youth
Leadership Teams
Leading Pilgrimages of Conference
Leaders and Pastoral Leadership groups
from
Conferences beyond our boundaries
through the Epworth Project
Spiritual Direction with Youth Ministers
and commissioned leaders from within
Texas
Speaking to congregations regarding the
possibility of starting their own
intentional communities within their
neighborhoods and among their
members
Connecting and working with anchor
churches and our ongoing desire to
work in connection with local churches
through education and hospitality.
Participating as a Mentor to Senior-level
seminary students through SMU-
Perkins Intern Program.

May the Lord continue to multiply the number of
people inspired and participating in the practice
and life of intentional community building
through Christ Jesus.
Rev. Jerry Moore
Abbots Report
Elaine Heath
Leader
Constructive Theologian,
Educational Architect,
Forerunner
Elaine is a theologian, apostolic
preacher, teacher, and prophet. Her
work integrates systematic, pastoral,
biblical and spiritual theology to
constructively bridge the gap between
academy and church, opening a path
for missional emergence in both.
Central themes in Elaines theology
include the wisdom of the great saints
and mystics, the healing power of the
gospel of Jesus, the church as Gods
missional community of faith, and the
centrality of the Holy Spirit in prayer,
discernment and ministry.
Larry Duggins
Leader
Pilgrim Theologian,
Resource Management,
Leadership Mentor
Larry is a pastor and a business
person. He is equally comfortable in
the worlds of spiritual leadership and
financial analysis, and he seeks to
understand the margins in which those
worlds meet. Central themes in
Larrys theology include the
transformational power of pilgrimage,
the importance of living into the
mission Christ set forth for us, and the
centrality of the Holy Spirit in prayer,
discernment and ministry.

Missional Wisdom Foundation Quarterly Report
4
1
This quarter, we have taken a number of
proactive steps to diversify our funding
sources. We are seeking recurring sources
of revenues to support our ministries and
to balance the various sources of funding
so that we are not dependent on any single
source or category of funding. On a cash
basis through the first eight months of
2014, public donors have represented the
largest source of funding for the
Foundation at 43%, followed by grants at
37% and tuition at 13%.
After
researching the best
practices of other new monastic
communities, having discussions with
others who administer residential
communities and consulting our current
residents, the Foundation has begun
collecting rent from the participants of the
Epworth Project houses. Individual
residents are paying $200 plus their share
of expenses monthly, while couples
sharing a room pay $300 plus expenses.
We have determined that paying these low
rents does not create an ongoing financial
hardship for the residents, and in fact
increases their commitment to the
program. Rents at these levels will generate
approximately $50,000 per year to partially
offset the costs of the Abbot and property
maintenance. The Foundation has
consulted with legal counsel and is
confident that the rental income will not
create a tax liability for the Foundation.
During 2014, we have applied for ten
grants for various projects and have been
awarded over $100,000. We continually
2
scour a variety of information sources
to identify grantors with interest in
the ministry fields we serve. We find
that very few grant sources are
interested in funding the long-term
operation of the Foundation itself,
and that most are focused on very
specific types of programs of
ministries. We are therefore actively
pursuing grants to fund the
development of new curricula and
construction of buildings and
infrastructure to support our new
projects in immersion education, co-
working and community education.
During the fourth quarter,
we are undertaking a direct mail and
email campaign to increase our
donations from private sources as
individuals plan their year-end giving.
We have developed a trifold brochure
that describes the ministries of the
Foundation in laypersons language,
which we will pair with personal
correspondence from an MWF
director or lead team member. We are
planning on mailing over 250 of these
direct appeals to personal contacts,
and we are hopeful that the appeal
will lay the groundwork for an
ongoing growth in direct giving.
Rev. Dr. Larry Duggins
Funding & Development
Bret Wells
Leader
Practical Theologian,
Academy Director,
Coaching Strategist
Bret is a theologian, leadership coach,
church planter, teacher and father.
Each of these roles serve as extensions
of his calling to help people discover
and live out purpose and calling in
their own lives. Central themes in
Brets theology include the Trinitarian
God as a Community of Love, the
missional paradigm as a necessary
result of being created in the image of
such a God, and the importance of the
missional imagination as both
prophetic message and vocational
discernment.
Jerry Moore
The Epworth Abbot
Rev. Moore comes to the Foundation
from 30 years of pastoral ministry,
including eight years as chair of the
Order of Elders. He has also served as
faculty and spiritual director for the
Academy. He holds multiple
undergraduate degrees, a Masters of
Divinity and has completed extensive
post-graduate studies in Formative
Spirituality & Awareness. He is an
Ordained Elder in the United
Methodist Church.

Missional Wisdom Foundation Quarterly Report
5
The last several months have been very full
preparing for the fall launch of our tenth
Academy cohort. Comprised of students
from Texas and New Mexico, this cohort is
centered in both Las Cruces and Dallas. We
are excited about the opportunity to exhibit
some of the great work that Missional
Wisdom Foundation is doing here at home
for the benefit of our students.
The Texas - New Mexico cohort is the first to
participate in the new design of the Academy
curriculum after three years of research and
one year of planning. Students now
participate in a four-module system that
progresses learners toward their intentional
community launch. The new orientation
module sets expectations and eases
participants into our online learning platform.
Next are the theological foundations and
leadership and community modules, which
are composed of five of our previous course
offerings as well as a brand new one, entitled
Creating Culture. The modules are designed to
lead into the practicum, where students
launch and lead intentional communities.
The redesign is more than just a re-ordering
of courses, however. Coaching is an integral
part the Academy, and an essential tool for
missional leadership. Coaching assumes that
the student is the expert of their own context,
as well as their own gifts and abilities. The
coachs role in the process is to create an
environment that draws that expertise to the
surface. The student is then equipped to use
their Academy training to imagine and create
effective missional space in their own time
and place.
In addition to providing the coaching service,
we are also incorporating coaching skill
training into the new Creating Culture class, so
that we are both equipping students and
modeling missional leadership for them.
Finally, the redesign expands the amount of
coaching that students receive. They now
meet with their coach once a month from the
very first module and twice a month in the
fourth module. Previously, we were only able
to offer coaching for the final twelve months.
This new emphasis should pay dividends for
our students as they are coached throughout
their time in the Academy.

Rev. Dr. Bret Wells
The Academy
Justin Hancock
Research Fellow
Rev. Justin Hancock is an
Ordained Deacon and holds
a Masters in Christian
Ministries. His pastoral work
with young adults and
refugees informs his position
as House Steward of
Epworths Cochran House.
He counsels others living in
intentional community
throughout the MWF.
Daryn DeZengotita
Communications &
Coworking
Wendy Miller
Spiritual Direction
Rev. Wendy Miller is a
contemplative story-listener
and transformative instructor.
She holds degrees in Church
Leadership, Pastoral Care,
Spiritual Theology and
Spiritual Direction. She has
20 years of experience in
preparing clergy and laity for
the tending of the soul.
Robert Bishop
Academy Registrar
& Coaching
Katie Province
Administration
Denise Crane
Funding & Grant Writing


185 S. Whites Chapel Blvd.
Southlake, TX 70692

Learn more and engage with us at www.missionalwisdom.com.













Missional Wisdom Foundation Quarterly Report
rule of life.
the very mention of the word rule can
send shivers down the spine and elicit
images of legalism or suffocating
restrictions. But a Rule of Life is simply a
description of how we choose to live an
explicitly stated commitment to pursue a
particular way of life. In the context of
Christian discipleship, were talking about a
covenant to pursue the Way of Jesus
together with intentionality.
Bret Wells, from the ABIDE curriculum
Love God. Love People. Love Creation.
Missional Wisdom Foundation
I thank God for the
opportunities God has given to
us in the Missional Wisdom
Foundation to reach within and
beyond Texas and the UMC
into global and ecumenical
contexts in order to help the
church more faithfully bear the
gospel into the world.
Rev. Dr. Elaine Heath