The primary speakers for this conference are two of the authors of the book:
Inhabiting the Church: Biblical Wisdom for a New Monasticism:

jonathan wilson-hartgrove

Jonathan is a member of the Rutba House community in Durham, North Carolina. He is also the author of To Baghdad and Beyond: How I Got Born Again in Babylon. You can read a couple of short pieces on Jonathan and Rutba House here and here.

tim otto

Tim Otto serves as an Associate Pastor of the Church of the Sojourners in San Francisco. He is also a part-time nurse at the San Francisco county hospital, working with AIDS and cancer patients.

musicians

[ Revised April 30, as Josh Garrels had to back out... ]

On Friday evening, we will have a concert with:

The Psalters “we are the cry of the exodus. there is no home for us here. we are a nomadic tribe of psalters, walking in the footsteps of ancients past to the far corners of the present, united as one voice against the oppression within and without. one more echo in the eternal song of our First Love, our Hope, our Pillar of Fire.” psalters.org

Odon Soterias Happy celtic tunes meets majestic medieval tunes and blended with NeoGypsy fun. Odon Soterias has a bluegrass style, lots of drumming and custom made instruments. myspace.com/odonsoterias

On Friday, we will have an afternoon acoustic showcase:

Jon Felton A Potter Street Records artist; “…Think early Pedro the Lion meets later Danielson Famile, with the raw intensity of early Violent Femmes and the charming quirkiness of bands like Teen Beat's Jonny Cohen...” (Isidore Records.com) myspace.com/soulmobile

Panel Discussion on Global Poverty / Justice Issues
Annie Gill-Bloyer is a political organizer with Bread for the World.
Robert Brown is the executive director of Churches Together, which builds partnerships between churches in the US and Africa in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove has worked with the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq.
John Davis has worked with the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Hebron.
Workshop Topic: Discussion on Global Poverty / Justice Issues
The members of this panel represent a variety of ways in which churches/communities can be involved against global poverty and injustice. They will each share briefly from their experiences, and then facilitate an open discussion about global issues.

kevin rains
Kevin is a pastor of Vineyard Central (Cincinnati) and co-founder of the Sustainable Faith Retreat Center.
Workshop Topic: Daily cycles of prayer and common rhythms of life

mary bowling and debbie sluss
Mary and Debbie are the members of Englewood Christian Church (Indianapolis) who coordinate our gardening and beekeeping efforts.
Workshop Topic: The Church and Creation: Redeeming the City
How can the practices of the church in an urban landscape bear witness to the wisdom of Christ as it relates to the creation, the environment, ecology, agriculture and the health of the community? Join us for discussion / brainstorming / sharing and a tour of Englewood's attempts at living together as a part of God's creation in the city.

mike bowling
Mike is a pastor of Englewood Christian Church (Indianapolis) and treasurer of the Ekkesia Project
Workshop Topic: Sharing all things in common: Economics and God's Kingdom Reign
Materialist economics reigns supreme in most of the world as either capitalism or socialism, while Jesus' words about money are dismissed as "too idealistic" by the world (and most surprisingly, by the Church as well). Is the economics of the Kingdom sustainable? What does it look like for us to share all things in common? If our churches/communities operate businesses as part of our life together, what are the overarching economic principles that guide our operations? Let's talk!

ben and mira wright
Ben and Mira are lifetime members of New Meadow Run Community (Farmington, PA).
Workshop Topic: Commitment in Communal Life

hippydan and annika ryan
HippyDan and Annika are the founding members of the band Odon Soterias. They travel the world bearing witness to the Gospel of Christ through music and teaching.
Workshop Topic: The New Monastic Community and the Traditional Church
In this workshop, we will explore a number of the facets of the relationship between the neo-monastic community and the the more traditional church congregation. Such facets include: how do we welcome those who are drawn to our communities, but have been wounded by traditional churches? What kind of commitments do we make with one or more local congregations and why? What are the benefits and drawbacks of the community that exists as a part of a larger congregation? The community planted by a specific congregation? The independent community?

patrick murray
Patrick is a founding member of the Nehemiah Community from Springfield, Massachusetts, and is also a lawyer with 23 years experience representing people with mental illness and developmental disabilities. He and his wife, Debbie, moved to the inner city of Springfield over 4 years ago to live in intentional community. The Nehemiah Community now consists of two residences with 13 temporary and permanent members.
Workshop Topic: Prayer in Community
Community prayer is an essential practice for people experiencing the life of Jesus together. We will explore the discipline of prayer in community following the guidance provided in both Bonhoeffer's book, Life Together, and of some contemporary explorers found in the book School(s) for Conversion: 12 Marks of a New Monasticism.

maria kenney
Maria Kenney is a member of Communality in Lexington, Kentucky. She is also studying moral theology at the University of Durham, England. She lives in Lexington with her husband Billy, her daughter Miranda, and her friend John.
Workshop Topic: The Social Ethics of Hospitality
Hospitality may not sound like a dynamic, subversive Christian practice. But the Bible and church history are replete with examples of hospitality that promote justice, bring reconciliation, welcome angels, and minister to the least in Christ's name. Join us to explore this exciting, life-giving discipline, and to imagine ways for it to blossom in our lives as well.

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