This August 1-8, Estuaries will be gathering again in Kona, HI.
When we began this experiment five years ago, Estuaries was an attempt to host a refuge—equal parts Spirit-led, intellectually-vibrant, and emotionally-healthy—where participants could wrestle with questions about culture and the way of Christ as found in the scriptures and the history of the church. This year, we are again seeking participants who carry a love for God and his people, and who would like to re-imagine culture all through the framework of silence, solitude, and prayer.
Henri Nouwen writes about the centrality of solitude (the practice of being alone with God), silence (being slow to speak), and prayer (“To descend with the mind into the heart, and there to stand before the face of the Lord…”) in the Christian life. Though the nature of Estuaries is that its form evades delineation, these spiritual practices constitute its foundations. As Nouwen writes in his chapter on Silence:
Calling people together [...] means calling them away from the fragmenting and distracting wordiness of the dark world to that silence in which they can discover themselves, each other, and God. Thus organizing can be seen as the creation of a space where communion becomes possible and community can develop.
This is perhaps the best way to sum up the time/space Estuaries fosters. It is an environment whose purpose is to encourage people to bring their whole selves—to come to a fuller understanding of who they are in Christ. It is an environment in which we can be renewed, thereby contributing to thriving in the various communities we are a part of. Our goal is not one of productivity, but of health. It is our hope that Estuaries will continue fostering resilient followers of Christ who, individually and as a community, will naturally foment the research, writing, ideas, art, ministries, innovations, policies, and discoveries that will enable people and places to holistically thrive.
Teaching/discussion will center on developing an ecological ethos toward topics such as land, food, decolonialism, race, technology and science, gender and sexuality, justice, and the church. All of this will take place in the context of daily prayer and worship, outdoor excursions, and conversations around the dinner table.
To apply to Estuaries 2023, click here.
Details
Applications will be open until April 1, 2023.
Alumni are encouraged to apply; however, as space is limited, slight preference will be given to newcomers.
Cost: $1500 per person. This includes room and board, on-island transportation, and all course materials; it does not include travel to Kona.
Need-based scholarships are available! To inquire, please email estuaries.808@gmail.com
Dates: Arrive on August 1, depart on August 8.