Please note: The cost of the M25i Gathering includes speakers, lodging, six meals, happy hour and feast, workshops, and reflection exercises. The challenge is always affordability while offering excellence. The cost is heavily subsidized, so we depend on donors to offer scholarships, and we walk by faith. 

***Early Bird Price: SAVE on an already subsidized rate if you sign up by FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST!

***Group discount rate when you register 3 or more at a time; $10 off per person; discount automatically applied. Ends August 31, 2023. 

***Scholarships - Our hope is that all who desire to attend this event are able to. We know that costs can be a major hurdle, especially for practitioners. We also know that some are able to give extra to cover those to whom it would bless. If you need support, we have a section below where you can request it pending available funds. If you'd like to sponsor others on the front lines, we have that option as well.

***Support - If you need additional assistance before completing this form, please email: [email protected]

Lodging and meals are included in the price of the Gathering 2023, unless you select the option with no lodging necessary and plan to make your own arrangements.

Please note: Lodging is either single rooms or in a room with a Queen bed. If you select "double occupancy" you'll want to ensure that you and your roommate are comfortable with a single queen.

We will be providing a box lunch at the end of the conference on Wednesday. Please let us know if you would like for us to order one for you and what your preferred meal is. 

BREAKOUT SESSIONS [Limited Selection]

Read the session descriptions below and list your top three in order of preference. Use the letters "A thru K" to indicate your choice as it appears in the list. For example, "C" corresponds to the session, "The Ecosystems of Societal Injustice." 

NOTE: Several sessions have filled; we will do our best to place you in sessions you request

A) “In it for the Long Haul” Long term sustainability  
The challenges of global injustice can be overwhelming. The pain is real; the violence dark. Many well-intentioned Christians get burned out. What can you do to stay in the game? Spiritual formation can fuel our response to God's call to justice--from the inside out. What spiritual practices can be honed on the frontlines of the fight for justice--guideposts for an inward journey that can propel a disciple outward, empowering the difficult work of justice? Seeking the God of justice can be a catalyst for spiritual growth and deeper personal discipleship. Discover spiritual disciplines for the justice-seeker and renew and invigorate your own journey. 

B) Best practices for parish outreach and mission: Practical Church Strategies 
Clergy and parish staff care about loving the poor, but are often overwhelmed with all that it takes to care for all parish needs. Those doing the work through non-profits or outreach projects feel they are often on the frontlines alone and there are not enough workers for the harvest. How can parishes, clergy, practitioners, volunteers come.

C) The Pain of politics: how justice & mercy have been co-opted by politics 
How do we avoid the extremes? Opt out altogether (head in the sand) or conflating parties and identity. What does it mean to be a biblical Christian engaging social structures, policies, binary voting options that have no nuance? Reform is needed in the arenas of all M25i work; what do we do about it? What does polis/being a citizen mean as a follower of Jesus? Practical steps, not just emotional concepts.   

D) Beyond the Soup Kitchen: Offering Transformational Strategies for those Experiencing Homelessness 
How to walk alongside the chronic Homeless - work with city governance, housing first, models of ministries that might also be parish based? Those living rough on the street temporarily or for many years, are individuals who have been caught at the cross-section of many forms of poverty. Most are stuck. Most parishes feel overwhelmed by what to do besides support a non-profit in the area either financially or through volunteers. What might be a community based approach alternative that can be small, doable, and scalable? What might friendship among those experiencing homelessness look like?

E) Dynamics of culture, ethnicity, and race: How do we talk about these topics now? 
This conversation has become so fraught, but our heart is to become reconcilers and bridge-builders. What are foundational concepts that can take us quickly from 101 to 801? What are some key cultural competencies and helpful peace-making language? What practices need to be in place that offers gentleness and challenge? All of this topic will be based on biblical theological foundations

F) Welcoming the Stranger: Immigration and Refugee Care 
82.4 million men, women and children are forcibly displaced in the world. 30,600 people are newly uprooted every day. 41% are children. About half are women and girls. And this is OUR story as we a Migrant People in the kingdom of God. How can we welcome with vigorous hospitality? This workshop will give parish-based practical recommendations of how to mobilize a parish of any size. 

G) Art + Beauty + Justice 
Shalom is the biggest story of God. As we plant our feet in the midst of our world's suffering, he invites us to engage our imaginations for the sake of communicating the kingdom gospel while also nurturing our souls. A professional art therapist will lead us through an art session as a form of reflection, refreshment, and joy. This workshop offers a contemplative, prayerful experience.

Over the years, due to the generosity of others, we've been able to offer a limited number of scholarships to practitioners desiring to attend. If you are in need of a scholarship, please let us know and the circumstances. As we get closer to the event, we hope to award scholarships as funds allow.