Pledge Drive Letter | Ian Campbell

Dear Collective,

I grew up in DeLand my entire life, and I decided to stay in town while doing my undergraduate education at Stetson University. I was a regular in a local church, involved in youth group and other events with that church. Once I began at Stetson, most of my connections to that church dissipated. I was introduced to Ben Collins in my first week at Stetson and eventually became a part of Canvas, which would evolve into Collective. 

This community became like family to me. It was a place of honesty and openness. As a new college student, I had questions and was just plain curious. I wanted to hear from people who didn’t have the same beliefs, background or story as I did. The opportunity to articulate what I believed, and who I was, allowed me to learn a lot about myself. As Collective has come into being and developed, this has continued to be the case for me. I know Collective as my second family; a group of people, encouraging of self-discovery and understanding. 

Encouraged and empowered by this environment, I have recently taken the next step on (what Collective regulars may call) my “path”. I recently left DeLand, moved to Atlanta, and started my first classes at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, pursuing a Master of Divinity. During convocation, I heard a familiar message that I have come to value through my time at Collective. 

The message spoke to the value of arguing with God: being in a place where you can be honest with your thoughts and beliefs while reflecting on the presence of a loving God.

"Collective is a place to argue with God and yourself about who we are and why we are continually drawn to this mystery."

This is Collective to me, and this has always been Collective to me. It’s a place to argue with God and yourself about who we are and why we are continually drawn to this mystery. I know that Collective has provided this space of self-reflecting, belief-shaping, and life-giving arguments for many people. I want it to continue on this path. This is why I pledge my financial support.

As a graduate student, my financial contributions can’t be as high as I’d like. But, even my $10 a month can make an impact on this community. I’d encourage all of you to take some time this week to think about the influence that Collective has had in your life. If you can give more, awesome! Even the smallest amount can make a difference.

Grace & Peace,

Ian Campbell

P.S. - The scheduled giving is very intuitive to setup. I encourage you to look into it.

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