Join us February 19-23, 2018 in Oak View, CA for the Bartimaeus Kinsler Institute, with a focus this year on “Digging In: Heels, Histories, Hearts.” Register for the institute by December 15, 2017 for early bird rates ($360 includes registration, accommodation, materials, and meals Monday night-Friday morning).
This institute offers an opportunity to gather with others from across the country to learn and share about strategies and leadings for living as disciples of Jesus here, now, in our particular watersheds and as a global community. Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries has hosted these institutes since 2007, encouraging Christians to go deeper in their faith through both inward and outward practice, following their motto: “Discipleship at the Intersection of Seminary and Sanctuary, Streets and Soil, Soma and Psyche.”
As we face the second year of the Trump regime, we are challenged to “dig our heels in” by deepening and broadening our resistance and resilience. To do this we must “delve into our histories,” exploring the roots of our individual and collective stories in order to animate repentance and restorative justice. And to sustain this work we need to “excavate our hearts,” recovering from our addictions and renewing our spirits for long term healing.
The current wildfires raging in California’s Ventura County bring home the importance of continued and expanded action to face the climate crisis and our local watershed realities. The Bartimaeus Kinsler Institute offers a supportive community for thinking through how to integrate social justice and the environment with Christian faith, with a recognition that social justice issues take place within a watershed context, and vice versa. Coming together to learn and build community helps sustain us for our part in the long arc of history that bends toward justice.
The institute will include:
- Morning keynote sessions with Bible study combined with social analysis
- Three-hour classes or workshops on Tuesday and Thursday, led by resource people (see below)
- One-hour workshops on Wednesday, led by resource people (see below)
- Tuesday and Thursday night guest speakers
- Time for worship and fellowship
Confirmed resource people include:
Rev. Dr. Art Cribbs, executive director of the Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity
Revs. Sue Park-Hur and Hyun Hur, founders and directors of ReconciliAsian
Grecia Lopez-Reyes, senior community organizer at LAANE (Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy)
Josh Lopez-Reyes, MA, Transformational Leadership, Azusa Pacific University
Rev. Canon Robert Two Bulls, Missioner for the Department of Indian Work and Multicultural Ministries
Rose Berger, senior associate editor, Sojourners Magazine
Sarah Amalia Holst, bioregional illustrator and theologian
Tim Nafziger, former Christian Peacemaker Teams team member and founding partner at Congruity Works
Elaine Enns, co-founder, Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries
Ched Myers, co-founder, Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries
Learn more about this year’s Bartimaeus Kinsler Institute here, and view videos about previous years below.
Watershed Discipleship 