“I came to Washington with high ideals and big dreams, but the reality of Capitol Hill culture came close to making me give up. However, through Liberatus I have had the opportunity to view my work through a new lens. I no longer see the workday devoid of meaning, but instead, I see it as an opportunity to speak truth and beauty into our broken system. Ideas are powerful, and I believe that God is working through Liberatus to change Capitol Hill.”
Three year report
Liberatus is a community journal about bringing truth and beauty to American politics from the inside, because people who work in politics are tired of dysfunction. Writers who join us creatively explore healing for work culture, communication, and personal well-being.
Vision
method
To connect our concept of freedom to our work in the Kingdom, redefining it for our time as the creative pursuit of truth and beauty
Mission
To pursue truth and beauty creatively through an online journal, and to invite others into the pursuit
goal
To empower a community with experiences in American politics to realize healing through creative writing
Anthem
LIBERATUS—We Are Set Free
what does that mean?
COMMUNITY
A nonpartisan community of Jesus followers
A respite from the chaos of political culture
A pursuit of unity amid diversity
CONTEMPLATION
A home for wisdom-seekers
A framework to re-imagine every political interaction
A deeper look at what the gospel means for work in politics
CREATIVITY
A creative space to pursue healing for those who are burned out
A new ethos for American politics
An artistic reflection of the goodness of God
“It’s so encouraging to be part of a new, creative, and refreshing approach to our nation’s political climate.”
about the three year report
from caleb paxton
Out of all the nuances of what I hope to bring to life through Liberatus, the most important element for me is building a creative space to pursue healing for those who are burned out from politics.
Because I've been there too, creating Liberatus is deeply personal. That's why I think it's so important that we grow the organization through personal relationships.
In this endeavor, I have at times missed the mark. But I believe that healing is personal. It's not a message for those "out there;" rather, it's a deeper journey each of us must run every day.
As an organization, our focus is building a community of political insiders to pursue truth and beauty together. One can't achieve, own, or manipulate goodness—but together we can fix our affections on Jesus and comprehend at ever deeper levels how the peace of Christ can transform American politics.
As we mark three years, I'm so, so grateful for your participation in this work. And while experiencing the beauty of the Kingdom is immeasurable, my hope is that the performance indicators we chose for this report point back to the vision of healing and the long-term commitment necessary for that vision to move forward.
We Are Set Free,
Caleb Paxton
Founder & Board Member for Contemplation
from amy sluiter
We are so blessed to be celebrating three years of Liberatus, and the journey of this community in its pursuit of unity, widsom, and beauty in today's political theatre. As we look back on the past three years, we are excited to share with you some of the quantifiable successes we have achieved along the way.
Each of these statistics represents real hours, money and other resources devoted to this new and beautiful idea for political discussion. To all those in the community that have contributed to making this journal a real starting point for a new ethos in today's culture, we thank you.
Looking ahead at the next three years, we are eager to begin laying the ground work for a growth and outreach strategy to engage an even broader community in our dialogue. We will be pursuing formal funding sources, including developing the Freedom's Mob brand as a fundraising platform. We will continue building a diverse and unified Board of Directors, and continue expanding the Liberatus community of writers as we focus our writing topics in 2018-2019 on welcoming refugees, developing personal values, and crafting political narratives.
We look forward to all God has in store for our community, and will report back regularly to our monthly donors on our progress towards our mission.
With gratitude,
Amy Sluiter
Secretary & Board Member for Excellence
what we did
“It’s easy to spend everyday on Capitol Hill focused on the grind of the Hill’s daily life without ever taking a breath to think critically about the purpose of it all. Writing for Liberatus forced me to examine my time in DC with eyes wide open. I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
110
Journal Entries Published
12
Writers have published journal entries to date
9
Interviews, with guests including Congressman Jeff Duncan, an athlete with Major League Triathlon, and the U.S. Botanic Garden
16
Journal issues on a variety of creative themes, including the Olympic Games and The Chronicles of Narnia
97.9%
Of all funds received in 2017 came from monthly donors
6
Writers currently part of the Liberatus community, excluding board members and guest contributors
74%
Of all lifetime funds were donated by monthly donors
3.44
Average number of journal entries per writer in community, excluding board members and guest contributors
$500
Given to Peace City Church for the creation of a benevolence fund as part of the ongoing creation of Refuge
A Note On Our Operating Philosophy
Liberatus is a community journal. But we don't need writers so we can have content. Rather, we need a creative space to pursue healing so we can have writers on the inside of American politics take up the vision of healing and lead cultural renewal. To build the organization, our focus is on personal interactions:
"[We] should focus our attention on the people immediately around us. We need the message of Liberatus, and our friends and coworkers need this message, before some group 'out there' needs it.... While we may not always avoid larger marketing pushes, we will move forward not by gaining a large Facebook following, but by actual handshakes and eye contact."
-Internal Memo, November 2015
unique audience size
Tracking By Calendar Dates of Each Journal Issue
Issue Previews
how we did it
You gave more than $50,000 over the past three years. Thanks!
“I firmly believe that [the restoration of all things through Jesus] encompasses politics, specifically the American political discourse. The young generation of Christians currently in public service—my generation—has a calling to bring restorative “good news” to bear in the way we work. Only the gospel possesses the power to end the trench warfare that is our political dialogue. The Liberatus message of truth and beauty resonates with my deep desire to play a role in answering this call.”
measuring effectiveness
“I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy reading Liberatus. It causes me to think and has also led me to draw closer to the Lord and actually listen to His will for my life. I’m not sure where it will lead, but I just wanted to thank you for playing a part in strengthening my faith. Something that was sorely needed.”
where we are now
41.8%
Community Participation Rate
Non board members wrote 41.8% of all journal entries published over the first three years.
66.67%
Writer Retention Rate
Of the writers who have joined the the Liberatus community to date, 66.67% continue to participate.
90.7%
Original Photo Rate
Out of all the photos we used for visual elements in 2017, 90.7% of them were original to Liberatus.
targets for effectiveness
50%
Community Participation Rate Target
Over the next five journal series we publish, we plan to empower our writers to lead cultural renewal by increasing the percentage of all journal entries written by non board members to 50%.
75%
Writer Retention Rate Target
Over the coming year, we plan to grow the size of the writing community to ten members or more and deepen relationships with current members for a lifetime writer retention rate of 75%.
100%
Original Photos Target
To fuel creativity and renewal, we plan to reset and recharge in nature, capture nature's beauty through photography, and infuse beauty into each journal series for an original photo rate of 100%.
growing the liberatus community
“I am intrigued by and drawn to the mission of using creativity to explore the ideals of truth, beauty, freedom, and liberty—particularly at this defining moment in our history and politics. I am excited to be a part of a community of people committed to manifesting light, love and beauty as a panacea to the contentious times we find ourselves in. ”
funding the vision
The chart below shows how growth in annual funding levels corresponds to the size of the writing community, number of regular and special edition journal series, and number of full time staff members needed to build community.
how you can join the pursuit
“It’s poignant and inspirational. It’s always a great read to have early in the morning while the day is still quiet.”
FROM DAVID PAXTON
I am thankful to see how far Liberatus has come in 3 years. Finding beauty in politics—and work in general—is critical to making a difference and inspiring change, and it’s refreshing to hear a new way of thinking that looks inward to start that change, rather than trying to impose beliefs on others. Looking forward, I’m excited to see how Liberatus continues to grow and touch more lives in the community.
-David Paxton, Designer
FROM CLAIRE HANDSCOMBE
I believe that how we use language matters, and that when we are leading others it is important to communicate not just clearly but in a way that inspires the reader. That's why I give my time to helping the Liberatus journals be the best that they can be, where words are concerned—so that Liberatus can reach its potential in bringing truth, beauty, and healing to American politics.
-Claire Handscombe, Editor
from Jamison coppola
Beginnings are special things. Being with something "since the beginning" signifies a special honor to those who can claim it. I'm honored to have been part of Liberatus "since the beginning" and look forward to seeing how God will bless the work as we continue.
I believe the work of Liberatus is indispensable if we are to return to ordering our politics according to truth and beauty. It's exciting to be a part of an organization that is pursing both beauty and truth in American politics.
-Jamison Coppola, Vice President & Board Member for Community
From Jonathan McCay
Over the past 3 years, Liberatus has forged into the headwind of worsening dysfunction and divisiveness of the American political landscape in an effort to write a new story of freedom. The task has not been easy and at times the progress has seemed slow. Yet, steadfastly, we continue in our efforts to creatively explore much needed healing in work culture, communication, and personal well-being for those on the inside of politics. Looking to the year ahead, we're focusing on cultivating community - inside the Beltway - to foster this kind of healing through creativity. Help us grow the Liberatus community and fund this vision of healing through freedom.
Liberatus is still in early stages of growth: every dollar brings us one step closer to new opportunities for cultivating community, facilitating deep contemplation, and fostering creativity. Will you join us in 2018? Help us write a new story of freedom.
-Jon McCay, Treasurer & Board Member for Simplicity
