I am writing you as one of the 99 seminarians nationwide who have received a grant this year from the Society for the Increase of the Ministry (SIM). I imagine that you, like me, felt a great relief when you received the letter from SIM awarding you a grant.

SIM has been working hard the past year to raise awareness among bishops and seminary deans about its fundraising efforts for seminarians' education, and now they would like to branch out with their publicizing efforts at the grassroots level--to dioceses and parishes. We seminarians can be some of the best publicists because donors have said they like to know the stories of those who benefit from their donations.

SIM has asked me to do a few simple things to help them promote their efforts, and they would like to identify at least one seminarian at each Episcopal seminary who could help with these easy tasks. I am writing to see if you are willing to be the SIM advocate at your seminary and in your home community. They have asked us to help in the following ways:

• Refer people to SIM's web site (http://www.simministry.org) and to their video (http://www.youtube.com/simministry1)   

• Create  your own video discussing your life in seminary and what SIM has meant to you. 

• Link to their Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/SIM-Society-for-the-Increase-of-the-Ministry/104836496586 

• Link to their LinkedIn page:
  http://www.linkedin.com/in/simministry and their Twitter page: http://twitter.com/SIMministry 

• Get the word out in parish and diocesan communications.

If you can help, great! Email Cindy Clark at cindy@simministry.org to let her know you're willing to lend your support. If you can't commit at this time, please let Ruth McElraevy know at ruth@simministry.org so that she can identify another seminarian at your seminary who might be able to help.

Wishing you a fruitful summer,

Janine Schenone
SIM Seminarian Rep

Berkeley Divinity School at Yale, M.Div. 2012