Most of our programming is offered in the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis. However, we’re willing to bring various offerings to you. And we’re happy to develop custom events based upon your needs (even if you’re local to the Twin Cities).
The Center for Prophetic Imagination exists to nurture prophetic witness. Everything we do—workshops, talks, retreats, courses, consulting—brings together a commitment to social justice and deep spirituality. If you’re group shares in that commitment, we can help you go deeper into your values.
This can take different shapes. Sometimes this looks like consultation. Sometimes we develop customized workshops or courses. Sometimes we lead retreats or facilitate group discernment.
In that spirit, we offer these guidelines for those who invite us to speak, present, facilitate or consult. Usually, these are offered by our Executive Director, Mark Van Steenwyk. But we include other colleagues from time to time.
CONTENT EXAMPLES
▶ Becoming Human: As new technologies help connect billions around the globe, people feel as disconnected as ever. And as we enter into an era of unprecedented diversity, xenophobia rages. In the midst of growing anxiety, doubt, and fear, how can we be the hospitable church God wants us to be? Drawing from 15 years of hospitality ministry, new social and neurological research in infrahumanization, and ancient teachings of Christian mystics, Mark will help you see the ways in which our society causes dehumanization and how you might begin to resist alienation in a fragmented society. And then, picking up the pieces, Mark will help you develop skills that cultivate inner peace and stronger communities.
▶ Contemplative Resistance: This is a weekend retreat we offer that draws upon the Infinity Process we’ve developed. In the retreat, participants will learn about the ways we’ve internalized imperial myths and how that constrains our own deep humanity. The retreats draws upon contemplative practices, but through the lens of internalized injustice. By naming and confronting these myths, we begin to experience inner healing.
▶ The Spirituality of Empire: A shortened version of our 8 week course, Mark has offered this as an hour-long lecture as well as a weekend retreat. Systemic oppression is empowered and enabled by legitimizing myths—social narratives that are so taken for granted that they are rarely challenged. And these myths are anchored in a sort of spirituality–an orientation towards the ultimate good–that must be challenged if we are to find liberation.
▶ Welcoming the Jubilee: We live in a society that tells us we experience abundance through hard work and poverty through laziness. We are hounded by anxieties and pressures to succeed, to measure up, and to pave our own path. And when things don’t work out like we’d hope, we suspect that it is because there is something wrong with us. As we look out into our broken world, we see people living on the streets, millions in jail, millions more in debt, and a church that seems to preach “blessed are the rich and successful” instead of “blessed are the poor.” But what if Jesus was right? What if we can experience “the year of the Lord’s favor”—the Jubilee? Mark will help you dig into ancient practices of the “gift economy” and learn from those communities that developed skills of mutual aid to shed light on Jesus’ jubilee vision. Together, Mark can help your community begin to opt out of this treacherous meritocracy and begin to create something new.
▶ Explorations in Liturgical Direct Action.
▶ The Stories We Live By: The first real step in transforming the world is transforming our way of seeing the world. And the way we see the world is shaped by the stories we believe about ourselves and our world. Unfortunately, we didn’t choose most of the “big stories” that guide our lives. Stories about who is most deserving in our society. Stories that justify injustice. Stories that make us feel like failures. Toxic stories. How can we begin to change these stories that we tell ourselves? So that we might become people of a better story … people of the Gospel?
COMPENSATION GUIDELINES
Each situation is different; we consider determining reasonable compensation a matter of dialog and discernment. Nevertheless, we offer the following guidelines showing a low-to-high range to reflect the reality that some orgs are fairly poor while others have abundance. If you represent a small organization with limited funds and even the low end feels out of reach, please reach out anyways.
If you want to invite us to consult with your organization, our standard feed is $75-150/hr. We are willing to consult over Skype, but prefer meeting in person.
If consulting begins to move into the terrain of facilitating group processes, the following guidelines apply.
If your event is within 100 miles of the Twin Cities Metro area, $400-$1000 is suggested for per day.
If your event is outside of the Twin Cities area, a $500-1200 minimum is suggested per day.
Travel, Food, and Lodging: Unless other arrangements are made, it is assumed that your organization or group will cover the costs of travel, lodging, and for meals (including food eaten during travel).
Cancellations: If you should need to cancel your arrangement, you are responsible for paying a $400/day cancellation fee unless we waive that.