Two months ago, Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries and Word & World officially launched RadicalDiscipleship.Net, a daily-updated blog designed to chronicle and animate expressions of “Movement” Christianity in North America. The two organizations have had a deep and long history, partnering in the challenge of bridging the gulf between the seminary, the sanctuary, the street and the soil.

Headquartered in the Ventura River watershed of Southern California, BCM animates and builds capacity for communities of discipleship and justice through the work of theological animation and restorative justice, drawing on the giftedness and expertise of Ched Myers & Elaine Enns, respectively. Over the past decade, BCM has been experimenting with week-long institutes (twice per year) and webinars (once-a-month), in addition to mentoring, lectures, sermons & keynotes given around the world.

Through schools, retreats, and mentoring, Word and World draws faith-based activists from various movements into a community of discipleship focused on social & cultural analysis and biblical reflection for social transformation. The goal of W&W is to encourage and strengthen disciples to become “radically biblical and biblically radical” in their work for peace and justice. Since 2001, W&W has hosted a number of schools drawing on the depth of the Civil Rights movement (photo above), liberation theology, the peace movement and faith-based feminist, womanist, mujerista, and LGBT movements.

BCM and W&W are excited for two upcoming events in 2015 that will provide participants unique opportunities to wrestle with scripture, social analysis, movement history and discipleship practices “between the seminary, the sanctuary, the streets and the soil”: Bartimaeus Cooperative Ministries’ Festival of Radical Discipleship in the Ojai Valley of California (February 16-20) and Word & World’s Land & Water School in Detroit (July 15-19).

Of course, virtually every community committed to radical discipleship finds itself, this time of year, staring wide-eyed at their dwindling budgets, asking: where will our financial resources come from this year? Indeed, to be conscience-strident is to be cash-strapped. In order to curate a truly community-and-gospel-rooted learning experience, we ask that you consider making a year-end contribution to either (or both) of these organizations. Thank you for participating in the Movement, in this blog project and for spreading the word.

In Loving Solidarity,
Lydia Wylie-Kellermann & Tommy Airey
Co-Editors, RadicalDiscipleship.Net

Click on to donate:

Bartmaeus Cooperative Ministries

Word & World