Articles from our E-Update

Gregory Slayton grew up in a difficult family environment. Eventually, his father abandoned the family. Gregory determined he would be different, and he has succeeded.

"Some cultures and countries do a better job affirming, guiding, and encouraging fathers," Gregory said. "Modern American culture is sadly lacking in these areas-and we are all poorer for it. But the good news is this: good dads are made... not born."

With a foreword from former President George W. Bush, and endorsements from Tim Keller, Jeb Bush and many more, "Be A Better Dad Today!" helps fathers gain the "Ten Tools of Fatherhood" men need to become worthy family leaders, as well as to help create what Gregory calls the "Noble Family Vision."

A former ambassador in the Bush administration, Gregory and his wife, Marina, live in Hanover, New Hampshire, with their children.

Visit the "Be A Better Dad Today" website here.

The book will be published before Father's Day. Sign up here to get a first edition of "Be A Better Dad Today!"

Read an excerpt from Chapter One here.

It doesn't start with an ask, it starts with a give.

This is the core belief and guiding principle behind one of the most successful nonprofits to provide clean drinking water around the world, Charity: Water. Founded and led by 36-year-old Scott Harrison, Scott began to discover his calling while working for Mercy Ships in poverty-stricken West Africa when he was still in his 20s.

His organization has grown more than 400 percent in the last four years, with more than 75 percent of the donations coming straight from the web. Charity: Water has been able to provide clean water to more than 2,000,000 people in 19 countries.

We are delighted that Scott Harrison will be with us to speak at The Gathering 2012.

Visit the Charity: Water website here.

Charity: Water received more than $1,000,000 this past year as part of the extraordinary story, "Rachel's Campaign." Rachel Beckwith's ninth birthday wish was to donate $300 to Charity: Water, but she died tragically before her wish could come true. Read what happened here.

Read "One on One with Scott Harrison" in the NYT here.

What would happen if all of New York City's taps went dry? Watch actress Jennifer Connelly in this PSA for Charity: Water, directed by Hotel Rwanda's Terry George.

Read Fast Company's "Trickle Forward Economics: Scott Harrison's Water-Based Experiment In Viral Philanthropy."

Watch "2011 Year In Review" from Charity: Water.

Photo Credit: Fast Company

In 2006, Blake Mycoskie saw something that bothered him: Kids in Argentina running around without shoes to protect their feet. No shoes meant no school - not to mention the countless diseases and infections these children faced.

Blake was moved to start something that has mattered to millions of people across the world, TOMS Shoes. And now, TOMS Shoes has added TOMS eyewear to their line, helping to give sight to people in need under Blake's same "One for One" principle.

In his recent NYT best-selling book "Start Something That Matters," Blake speaks to the heart of not just the entrepreneur, but the hearts of every person looking to be significant.

Watch Blake speak on why he wrote "Start Something That Matters."

Watch the video from Blake, "Reflection on Giving."

Learn more about the collaboration between TOMS and Charity: Water here.

Visit the TOMS website here.

Read the "Start Something That Matters" blog here.

Order the book here.

As part of this initiative, Maclellan and his partners accepted online applications of U.S.-based ministries with an annual budget of $4 million or less. Giving of Life leveraged the power of social media to help promote and publicize the applicants in a contest, awarding the top three substantial cash prizes. Seventeen more winners were awarded a $2,000 boost for 2012.

The winners were announced last week, and we're delighted for all of them, including friend of The Gathering Shane Claiborne and The Simple Way. The Simple Way was the second-place winner, giving them a $20,000 grant to help in their work in Philadelphia neighborhoods.

Read more about the winners here.

Visit the Giving of Life website here.

Learn more about Dan's work with The SoulCare Project.

From President George W. Bush to Dr. Francis Collins, atheist Christopher Hitchens had many believing friends and admirers.

We were fortunate to have New York Times columnist Ross Douthat with us at The Gathering conference in September. His excellent column yesterday, "The Believer's Atheist," focused on the life and death of outspoken Hitchens and why he found favor with so many Christian leaders.

"Of the many remarkable things about Christopher Hitchens, who died on Thursday after one of the most prolific and provocative careers in modern Anglo-American letters, perhaps the most remarkable was how much religious believers liked him."

Read Ross Douthat's column here.

Read Christopher Buckley on Hitchens in The New Yorker.