As important as this may be, it has come at the expense of abandoning serious interest in the pursuit of goodness, truth and beauty, once the very hallmark of higher learning. Clearly, we are reaping the fruit of this very fact throughout our everyday lives – in government, media, law, business, family life, and the list goes on.

So how are we to respond? With despair? With anger and contempt? With spiritual and intellectual isolationism? Or might we, with firm resolve, dare to plant the seeds of renewal?

Lewis challenges us, declaring “this very obvious fact – that each generation is taught by an earlier generation….” (from God in the Dock). He then offers us direction: “The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts” (from The Abolition of Man). What a magnificent challenge!

Enter C.S. Lewis College!

“We need C.S. Lewis College because we need more C.S. Lewises!”

So observed C.S. Lewis College Distinguished Fellow, Professor David Lyle Jeffrey of Baylor University, shortly after our 2011 C.S. Lewis Summer Institute.

C.S. Lewis College graduates – with highly developed reading, analytical, writing and verbal skills, combined with their rich exposure to a “Mere Christian” collegiate community, to the visual and performing arts, study abroad, community service, and the diverse academic and social environment of a surrounding major university community – will be truly prepared for life and ready to serve in any career path they feel led to pursue.

As you know, much of our effort over the past two years has focused particularly upon launching C.S. Lewis College on the former D.L. Moody campus in Northfield, Massachusetts.

We’ve accomplished much, including drafting documents totaling almost 500 pages on curriculum, budget, structure, governance, and related matters. We’ve participated in numerous meetings with representatives of the State Department of Higher Education, the regional accrediting agency, and surrounding government, educational, and church related institutions.

We’ve built a support base of over 620 Founders and have won the endorsement and encouragement of many new friends in the local community and around the world. Countless volunteers over the past 25 years have contributed their time and talents to prepare the way for the founding of the College. And now, students across the country are eager to attend and over 300 faculty have expressed keen interest in participating in the experience.

The one thing needed to make this dream a reality is $15 million to fund the first few years of College operations. Of this, the Green Family of Hobby Lobby set a benchmark of $5 million by December 31, 2011.

Regrettably, due to the state of the economy and the very short time constraints of the campaign, we fell $3.2 million short of the year-end goal. As a result, the Greens have now opened the door to other potential recipients of the Northfield campus who may either partner with us or decide to use the campus for their exclusive purposes.

Encouraged by many friends of the Foundation, we continue to believe it is God’s ultimate intention to plant us in Northfield, however daunting the challenge. Whatever the outcome regarding this particular site, however, of this we are clear: We are resolved to follow God’s leading and persevere to the end that C.S. Lewis College may be established to serve the body of Christ and the world at large for generations to come.

But this will not be easy

In addition to actively seeking major gifts for the College, we must also raise ongoing funding for our other Foundation programs and operations. With an exciting program planned for Camp Allen in the fall, planning under way for a return to San Diego next year, and Oxbridge 2014 on the horizon, there is much to do; and this in addition to managing the daily activities of a busy Study Centre at The Kilns in Oxford.

Going into the summer months, it is extremely important that we raise the income now to underwrite our upcoming activities.

All that we’ve accomplished over the past 25 years has been through the generous financial support of friends like you and the extraordinary efforts of many hundreds of volunteers serving in a wide variety of capacities. For your part in helping to bring us this far, we are truly grateful. Simply put, we could not, and cannot, do this without you!

As we press on in pursuit of our mission we ask you to prayerfully consider partnering with us by making a particularly significant gift at this critical juncture.

Your gift at this time of $50, $500, or even $5,000 would be greatly appreciated and would enable us to continue our on-going work. Thank you for your consideration of this need!

These are trying times and your support truly does make the difference. It is not an exaggeration to say that few missions are of more strategic importance to our future.

Distinguished philosopher and ambassador to the United Nations, Dr. Charles Habib Malik, declared:

This great Western institution, the university, dominates the world today more than any other institution; more than the church, more than the government, more than all other institutions. … No task is more crucial and urgent today than to examine the state of the mind and spirit in the Western University.

In the spirit and mind of Christ, as expressed in and through the life and work of C.S. Lewis, the C.S. Lewis Foundation is dedicated to respond to this urgent call. To succeed, your support is needed now as never before. Together, enabled by the grace and power of the living God, we truly are making a difference. For the sake of this and future generations, we invite you to give, and to give generously.

What We’ve Done So Far Towards the Founding of the College

Over the past twenty-five years, the C.S. Lewis Foundation has been patiently laying the groundwork for the launching of a very special college, a college distinctively designed to prepare Christian leaders for tomorrow – a college inspired by the very form of education that uniquely prepared Lewis to communicate so powerfully with people of every age, persuasion, profession, and social class.

Here is just a bit of what we’ve been able to accomplish already with your support:

• Drafted documents totaling almost 500 pages on curriculum, budget, structure, governance, and related matters.
• Participated in numerous meetings with representatives of the State Department of Higher Education, the regional accrediting agency, and government, educational, and church related institutions.
• Built a support base of over 620 Founders
• Won the endorsement and encouragement of many new friends in the local community and around the world.
• Attracted numerous students and faculty across the country with the vision for the College, including over 300 faculty and over 200 students and parents who have directly contacted us to express their interest. All this has been done without actively marketing or recruiting for the College.

In 1897, The New York Herald released a statement that Mark Twain, then 51, was “grievously ill and possibly dying. Worse still, we are told that his brilliant intellect is shattered and that he is sorely in need of money.”

Of course, Twain was alive and well. Upon hearing of his likely demise, Twain offered up the phrase “The report of my death was an exaggeration,” which has since been quoted and adapted countless times over the years to humorous effect.

Well, we can definitely say that, contrary to recent news article headlines in Christianity Today, The Huffington Post, and others, the reports of the death of C.S. Lewis College were greatly exaggerated. We can also say with a smile that we are “sorely in need of money” to launch the College.

So what does this all mean?

1. As we reported earlier, after missing a December 31, 2011 fundraising deadline, we have lost our “sole beneficiary” status in regards to receiving the gift of the Northfield Campus from Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. Hobby Lobby is now seeking other potential recipients, possibly to share the campus with us in some way.
2. We still have a window of opportunity to raise the $10-15 million needed to be the sole recipient of the Northfield Campus. Be assured, we are pressing on towards this goal.
3. More than 600 founding contributors have already joined us in support of the College. They join countless others who have shared excitement over our vision.
4. If Hobby Lobby does gift the campus to another organization, and if, for one reason or another, collaboration with that organization should not prove mutually advantageous, the Foundation will, consistent with its long standing objective, continue to seek to establish C.S. Lewis College at another appropriate location, preferably in the Five College area of Massachusetts.
5. We are specifically seeking lead donors with the ability to give gifts of $1 million or more to champion our cause – to establish a Mere Christian Great Books College which will produce great thinkers and our future leaders. As Abraham Lincoln wrote, “The philosophy of the classroom today will be the philosophy of the government tomorrow.”

Currently celebrating its 25th anniversary, the C.S. Lewis Foundation is actively continuing its tradition of delivering superlative events that stimulate thought, increase aesthetic appreciation, and deepen Christian roots.

Inspired by the life and legacy of C.S. Lewis, the C.S. Lewis Foundation is dedicated to advancing the renewal of Christian thought and creative expression throughout the world of learning and the culture at large.

With the help of hundreds of friends and by the grace of God, our programs have inspired visionaries and leaders and have changed the lives of countless others.

From the inception of the Foundation, C.S. Lewis College has always been part of our core vision.

Whether we are the single beneficiary of the Northfield campus, share space with a complementary organization who owns the campus, or launch the College elsewhere, we intend to move forward with our plans for C.S. Lewis College.

We sincerely hope you will be a part of these plans as you share in our vision for the future.

Further up and further in!

We’ve been busy this New Year working on many projects over the last few weeks – fundraising for C.S. Lewis College, meeting with Hobby Lobby representatives, hosting our annual Twelfth Night event, and planning our fall C.S. Lewis Retreat.

Given all that is going on, we thought it was important to swim up to the surface, take a breath of fresh air, and fill you in on what is happening at C.S. Lewis College.

As a Founder, you should have received a letter in November letting you know about our December 31st deadline to raise an additional $5 million.

The good news is that we had a wonderful outpouring of support in the last few weeks of 2011. We were able to raise $600,000 by year’s end toward this goal, in addition to a previous $1.2 million gift from Hobby Lobby. This was an incredible blessing, but it was also short of our goal, particularly in regards to attracting gifts from donors who could give $1 million or more.

As announced by Dr. Mattson at our recent Twelfth Night event, this means a few things:

• We have lost our “sole beneficiary” status in regards to receiving the gift of the Northfield Campus from Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. Hobby Lobby is now seeking other potential recipients, possibly to share the campus with us.
• Nevertheless, we will, with God’s help, press on to raise the $10-15 million needed to be the sole recipient of the Northfield Campus.
• We are specifically seeking lead donors with the ability and desire to give gifts of $1 million or more.
• In any and all events, please be assured that we are totally committed to pressing on and founding C.S. Lewis College. If Hobby Lobby does gift the campus to another organization, and if, for one reason or another, collaboration with that organization should not prove mutually advantageous, the Foundation will, consistent with its long standing objective, continue to seek to establish C.S. Lewis College at another appropriate location, preferably in the Pioneer Valley.

After witnessing much evidence for it, we believe that He has led us to Northfield for the purpose of founding C.S. Lewis College. We know that while we must and will continue to do our part, the exact ways God’s purposes will be realized are completely in His control.

To this end, we ask that you pray for us as we strive to do our part in seeking His will and His provision. We cherish your continued support of C.S. Lewis College in whatever ways you have been called to do so.

How you can help

There are several ways that you can help!

1. Help us connect with a potential “Champion” who could make a “lead” gift. It should not come as a surprise to you that C.S. Lewis College needs a few people to step forward to make “lead” gifts – gifts from $100,000 to $1 million or more. If you are aware of someone for whom the making of such a gift might be a real blessing, for them as well as for the College, please let us know.
2. Become a C.S. Lewis College Founder, or if you are already a Founder, renew or increase your Founders commitment. We thank you so much for being part of the more than 600 people who have already become Founders!
3. Make a gift of any amount. Your gift will help provide vitally needed operating funds to continue our on-going work right now.
4. Get the word out about C.S. Lewis College! Host a “Founding the Future” event in your home, your church, or your organization. Use Facebook and Twitter, visit our blog, or start an e-mail chain among friends to point people to our College website: www.cslewiscollege.org. Or you can tell people about us in person.

The Foundation is striving earnestly to accomplish the fundraising that is necessary to open the College, but we will need you every step of the way.

Thank you for your support!