The Gift of 2007

 
These are the beautiful gifts of relationship from the past, but the future of our relationships continues to evolve. We’ve always chosen our host cities based upon relationship, finding places that were filled with people we wanted to expose others to, people who are doing great things in the cause of the Kingdom. A year and half ago, I became intrigued with the ministry of Clint Kemp and New Providence Community Church in Nassau, Bahamas – their ability to integrate gardening into their faith learning, the national impact they were having with their art projects, and the breath of fresh air they were with an international perspective on faith. So for Soularize 07, we’ve chose to join them in their naturally inviting homeland of the Bahamas, to further the relationships and conversations of past Soularize events.

Each year, we’ve asked TheOOZE community who they would like to spend a week with on a deserted island. The overwhelming choice of late has been N. T. Wright, so we’ve asked N. T. and his wife, Maggy, to join us and they’ve accepted, as well as other friends, both old and new – Fr. Richard Rohr, Rita Nakashima Brock, and Brennan Manning. We will be hearing from and interacting with these eclectic voices, as well as other leading voices of tomorrow, who are helping shape the future of what the Church could be.

We’ve also welcomed what the island has to offer – from renting a private island for our first day, so attendees can relax and unwind, to informal conversations under a palm tree. We will be exploring the local art scene through a guided tour of local art museums and a natural sculpted art garden, called Sacred Space. We will also be joining the people of NPCC in their beach reclamation project by planting sea grapes on hurricane ravaged beach shores.

We feel that this will be unique experience, as we’ve extended both our conversation, as well as our relationship, to include more than just a three-day event in the Bahamas. Starting in January, we will be launching an online learning component. Through facilitated learning groups, message boards, and conference calls from people who are on the ground wrestling with the issues of Church transformation, we hope to journey together on this path of learning. For the first time ever, Soularize will not mere be an event, but a nine-month learning journey that will culminate with a face-to-face gathering with the people you’ve been journeying with.

I know that many people, like me, simply cannot afford the expense of being involved in some conferences, so it might appear counter to that idea that we’re doing an event in the Bahamas. However, believe it our not, this location has the potential of being one of our most affordable Soularize events ever. We’ve kept our registration low, $199 before 12.31.06, as well as taken advantage of off season airfare and hotel rates, with Hotels.com listing hotel rates as low as $69 a night and Orbitz.com quoting airfares of $342+ from Los Angeles, $248+ from Chicago, and $178+ from New York. As always, no one has ever been turned away strictly because of financial issues, so we’re in the process of developing a relational scholarship program with the local residents of NPCC in the Bahamas, so please email us for what’s available.

Hope you will consider joining the Soularize 07 experience with us!