June 21, 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Talley Summerlin or Elizabeth Freese Email: tsummerlin at greencanary.net or elizabeth at deepconversion.net Guide to “Church Greening” Curricula Now Available AUSTIN, TX – June 21, 2010 -- The Small Groups Ministry of St. David’s Episcopal Church and Deep Conversion Communications, both of Austin, TX, are pleased to announce the completion and availability of “Greening Church Culture: A Guide to Adult Christian Environmental Education and Formation Curricula.” Funded by a grant from the Richard S. Reynolds Foundation, the Guide is intended to empower Christian education/formation leaders as they work to engage congregations at the convergence of faith and environmental sustainability. “So many church leaders, like me, want to encourage more green consciousness and action, but with a dizzying array of curricula options, it’s hard to know where to start,” said Rebecca Hall, Small Groups Ministry Director at St. David’s. “While we do not at all mean to dismiss other curricula, we have identified several that are high quality, well-rounded, and useful for a foundational program.” Guide creators brought to bear expertise in Christian education/small group ministry, sustainability consulting, communications strategy, and eco-theology in order to evaluate curricula in a comprehensive manner. They surveyed much of the field of adult, faith community oriented, eco-education materials, chose the five most compelling options, analyzed strengths and weaknesses, and offered suggestions for use under different circumstances. In addition, beyond this discernment of existing curricula, the Guide directs future curriculum developers to consider innovation in several crucial, often controversial, content areas. “The green-church movement is really growing and moving into the mainstream now, and we hope this Guide contributes to that momentum,” said Elizabeth Freese, founder of Deep Conversion Communications. “At the same time, we hope it serves as a positive challenge to the Church to regenerate and evolve its prophetic mission.” Download the Curricula Guide from Deep Conversion's website or at http://stdave.org/site/sitewide/cat/greening_church_culture/. St. David’s Episcopal Church, Small Groups Ministry is led by Rebecca Hall and is oriented to increasingly deep formation of Christ’s disciples. Deep Conversion Communications is a for-benefit, education and advocacy firm dedicated to cultural innovation toward eco/social justice. It was founded in 2009 by partners, Elizabeth Freese and Talley Summerlin, who is also the Director of Green Canary Sustainability Consulting and an Account Director at EnviroMedia Social Marketing. Learn more at www.stdave.org and www.deepconversion.net. ###
September 28, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Talley Summerlin Email: talley at deepconversion.net
Deep Conversion Founder Advances Earth Ministry Through Winning Sermon
Austin, TX - September 28, 2009 -- Deep Conversion Communications founder, Elizabeth Freese, is the winner of the Franciscan Philanthropist Award in Earth Ministry’s national Care for Creation Sermon Contest, held at University Lutheran Church in Seattle on September 27, 2009. The event was a fundraiser, and Freese’s entry, “The Irresistible Sustainable Future,” raised the most money from attendees.
Taking her new title of “philanthropist” seriously, Freese is encouraging others – beyond the event participants and even people of faith – to rally to Earth Ministry’s call for much needed funds to support their church greening mission.
“Earth Ministry does essential environmental work because the deepest, most necessary culture change in the U.S. will happen largely through the Church, and other faith institutions, or not at all,” Freese said. “Organizations like Earth Ministry are the empowering transformation agents that we – religious and not – need now.”
Freese’s sermon, those of the other finalists and winner, Rev. Anne Hall, and donation opportunities are available at www.earthministry.org. The “Sustainable Life Sermons” series, which contains the original version of Freese’s winning sermon and others like it is available on her blog.
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March 3, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Talley Summerlin Email: talley at deepconversion.net
New Venture Drives Innovative Integration of Christian and Environmentalist Missions
AUSTIN, TX – March 3, 2009 -- Deep Conversion Communications launched today as a for-benefit business aiming to contribute to greater societal conversion to sustainability. The venture will leverage the eco/social justice ideals shared by both modern environmentalists and ancient Judeo-Christian prophets to participate in urgently needed culture change.
”Sustainability is ultimately a cultural issue – the intersection of group values, worldview and behavior. So, if over 75% of Americans self identify as Christian, a truly successful environmental movement must engage the Church – where so much of people’s culture is formed and maintained,” said Elizabeth Freese, co-founder of the firm. “Conversely, the Church has a prophetic faith at its heart, and the challenge of sustainability could revitalize the integrity of the Christian mission for the greater good.”
“This is beginning to take hold among ‘care for creation’ Christians, but we see the potential for the Church to galvanize its power, alongside secular organizations, toward whole new levels of economic, political, lifestyle, and religious transformation,” Freese continued.
In service to this end, Deep Conversion has developed three divisions of offerings. The first is vision/mission, story, and creativity facilitation to help organizations redefine themselves internally in light of global sustainability crises and cultural opportunities. The second is strategic, values-based message and tactics consulting, geared toward green activists and businesses that aim to reach out to and build coalition campaigns with, or within, the Christian faith community.
Through its third area of focus, Deep Conversion offers Christian formation materials to assist those within the Church who seek to simultaneously reinvigorate their faith and engage in comprehensive green action. In addition to these services, the founders provide insightful, inspiring, and provocative thought leadership in their blogs and essays.
Deep Conversion is the Austin, TX based creation of partners, Talley Summerlin and Elizabeth Freese, who combine their experience and training in a unique, dynamic mix.
Summerlin is a former VP and Creative Services Director for global public relations firm GCI Group, where he co-produced numerous CSR and public health/environmental campaigns for Dell, Seventh Generation and Whole Foods Market. He also led countless brainstorm sessions and facilitated vision and mission development for a variety of corporate and nonprofit clients.
In addition to his work with Deep Conversion, Summerlin is currently a Director with Green Canary Sustainability Consulting. Summerlin holds a BA in Communication from Trinity University and a MA in English from the University of Arkansas.
Freese has been an environmental activist and public relations professional and has also conducted years of research on social movement strategies, bedrock cultural issues pertaining to eco-crisis, and the Christian Church in the sustainability challenge context. Alongside her Deep Conversion work, Freese manages her family’s sustainable household and lifestyle. She has a BA in Sociology from Columbia University, a MA in Communication from the University of Arkansas, and a MA in Religion from the Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest.
