What is Housemoot?
Your Housemoot ticket includes:
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Over 15 hours of new and original video lectures recorded just for this year’s Housemoot, including a keynote address by Karen Swallow Prior
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Discussion guides for each session with questions supplied by the speaker for that session
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A private link to all the sessions in advance so that you can pre-screen them yourself and choose the sessions that fit your group
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Lecture “playlists” to help you group the sessions thematically
Songs and poetry videos from artists in the Rabbit Room world made for Housemoot -
Four recipes from Glad and Golden Hours, an upcoming recipe book and memoir for Advent from Rabbit Room Press
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Three reflective essays on hospitality, community, and the modern age
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A free link to stream the Rabbit Room's theatre production of The Hiding Place during your Housemoot.
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A Housemoot EP of the new Scripture Hymnal from Rabbit Room Press + sheet music
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Sample schedules for a half-day Housemoot, a full-day Housemoot, and a multi-day Housemoot
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Files for the Rabbit Room logo and the Housemoot graphic to help you make any posters, invites, or materials you might need
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A Gathering Guide as a “how-to” with supplemental resources
Cost:
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$25 for individuals and families
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$50 for a group (10+)
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$100 for churches and large-group gatherings (50+)
Rabbit Room Members Get $10 Off!
To say thank you for supporting the works and events of the Rabbit Room, members receive a $10 discount on Housemoot tickets. You can join on the membership page if you're not already a member.
Dates:
Housemoot will be available from October 10-December 1, 2024.
We'll set the table, you bring the guests.
We would like to challenge you to use Housemoot as a gathering point for your community. In short, you can make Housemoot whatever you want it to be. You can pick a single lecture to watch and discuss with your friends over a meal. You could make a day of it, watching several videos and letting the ideas wash over your community. Or you could use Housemoot as a way to build your own weekend conference, gathering friends and neighbors around the content in an even deeper way.
If you can't make it to Hutchmoot or want to host a moot in your own community, we encourage you to register for Housemoot.
Session & Speakers
Keynote Speaker
KAREN SWALLOW PRIOR
Reading Matters: How to Read Better Words Well
Reading reflects a uniquely human capacity and way of seeing and being in the world. It's also just plain fun! But like any other skill, reading is a practice that improves with time and intention. In a world that encourages the opposite of reading well, let's explore some ways we can become better readers and, in becoming better readers, discover more of the pleasures that good books offer.
DOUG MCKELVEY & NED BUSTARD
The League of Woe
What happens when companions set out on physical pilgrimage as a means of embodying the grief journey?
Ned Bustard (Every Moment Holy illustrator) and Doug McKelvey (Every Moment Holy author) reflect on their recent, shared journey across the Highlands of Scotland to the Isle of Iona—an adventure undertaken with the intention of "walking into their sorrows."
ELISSA YUKIKO WEICHBRODT
Redeeming Vision: Looking at and Learning from Art
What does it mean to be a Christian viewer of art? Whether we're looking at a detailed floral still life or a modern abstract painting, what principles should guide our engagement and help grow our love for God and our neighbor? We need a redeeming vision that values the incarnation, is oriented in love, and anticipates transformation. This is a practical introduction to learning from, not just about, the art and images we see.
RUTH NAOMI FLOYD
The Act of Remembrance: History and Celebration of African American Spirituals
An informative lecture-performance on the historical roots and musical language of African American Spirituals. The profound body of music illustrates the tension of redemptive beauty in times of oppression, resistance and liberation. This lecture examines the lyric, composition, rhythmic pattern, and dual spiritual and social-political message in African American Spirituals.
JONATHAN ROGERS
Happiness, Goodness, and Making
Thomas Aquinas wrote, "God communicated His goodness to His creatures in such wise that one thing can communicate to another the good it has received.” To be happy is not only to receive the goods that God offers, but also to “communicate” goodness. For St. Thomas, “communication” wasn’t merely a matter of conveying a message to people, but helping the things of earth (both animate and inanimate) to fulfill their purpose. As Ellen Charry says, “The good bestowed by anyone on something else becomes shared property.” In this talk, Jonathan Rogers will discuss the ways that work, and especially creative work, increases happiness.
AMY BAIK LEE
Keepers of Lost Moments and Places: Living Homeward in Time
Many of us carry vivid memories of moments and places that have become lost and forgotten to the world over the years. “I remember,” we say, tasting both a particular goodness we once encountered and the bittersweetness of the fact that we cannot return to it. We know that God remembers these settings and experiences with us, and that He grieves with us on our mortals’ road through time. But could there be more? Retracing her steps through a country she thought she’d left behind, Amy will explore the notion that the past moments and places we hold dear have a role to play in the new creation.
DAVID MULLINS AND OTHERS
My Brother's Keeper
Rich Mullins is one of the most respected and revered songwriters in Christian music history. Why is it that so many Christ-followers and musicians are still talking about Rich’s impact 27 years after his passing? We hear multiple perspectives on the legacy of this ragamuffin from David Mullins (Rich’s brother), Jimmy Abegg (Rich’s tour mate), Cory Asbury (Dove Award-winning songwriter), and more. Produced in partnership with Dave Trout from UTR Media.
MARLITA HILL
Let's Talk FACTS: Faith, Art, and Career Thriving in Synergy
How do we integrate faith, art, and career? What is the relationship between these three aspects of artistic practice? This discussion moves beyond coordination to a new paradigm, showing how faith, art, and career can partner and flourish together in our walk with God, art-making, and career-building.
SARAH CROWLEY CHESTNUT
Imitation, Inspiration, Aspiration: Three Practices and Postures for Creative Growth
Whether you are a beginner or a veteran in your medium, imitating other artist’s work, doing your part in seeking inspiration, and clearing out space and time “congestion” are critical practices for creative growth. We will also consider the “soul work” inherent in each practice, and the postures of heart that inform (and are formed by!) the practice.
KYRA HINTON & JAMIN STILL
Writing Like a Painter: A Cross-disciplinary Exploration on the Fluidity of Creativity
Kyra Hinton and Jamin Still are known visual artists in the Rabbit Room community, but recently have both published novels. In this cross-disciplinary session, they discuss how their established art practices have shaped this “new” branch of their creative work. They invite you to ask important questions about the impacts of inspiration and individual creative wiring on how we create in any medium.
JOHN HENDRIX
Three True Outcomes: Tool, Trend, Tragedy—A Perspective on Art-making and Artificial-Intelligence
Is artificial-intelligence off-limits to those who practice illustration? The rhetoric around the rise of images made by algorithms is not particularly nuanced. The distance between those who see "AI" as a new tool that makes artistic creation easier and more accessible, and the others who believe it to be a cancer that threatens the very soul of humanity is razor thin. For practitioners, students, and faculty, what are the right kinds of questions we should ask about this new kind of art making? From ethics to ethos, this presentation will consider if image creation using artificial-intelligence is truly a brand-new category of creation or is just the latest chapter in the familiar cycle of skepticism and fear around emergent technology.
LANIER IVESTER
The Joy of Feasting: Celebration as a Means of Grace
Join Lanier Ivester for an inspiring session on the significance of feasting and celebration. Explore the reasons behind a beautifully set table, quality ingredients, and sacrificial effort, all while learning how culinary experiences can commemorate important milestones, foster connections, and create lasting memories. Whether a special occasion or an intimate family dinner, this session will arm you with the spiritual motivation and a few practical tools to help elevate any event from mere entertaining to true, Christ-centered hospitality.
NED BUSTARD
Every Moment Illustrated
"Every Moment Holy" (volumes I-III) are books of liturgies for the ordinary events of daily life written by Douglas McKelvey and illustrated/designed by Ned Bustard. The linocut illustrations in the Every Moment Holy books combine classic church art symbolism and contemporary images (and a lot of Easter eggs) to deepen the impact and meaning of the liturgies. In this session, Bustard will read excerpts from many of the liturgies and weave in explanations for the symbolism found in a number of the blockprint illustrations.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I access Housemoot?
First, buy a ticket. All ticket holders will be sent a link (and a password) to the private Housemoot 2024 site before the site opens on Thursday, October 10, 2024.
What is included with my ticket?
Housemoot includes:
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Over 15 hours of new and original video lectures recorded just for this year’s Housemoot, including a keynote address by Karen Swallow Prior
-
Discussion guides for each session with questions supplied by the speaker for that session
-
A private link to all the sessions in advance so that you can pre-screen them yourself and choose the sessions that fit your group
-
Lecture “playlists” to help you group the sessions thematically
-
Songs and poetry videos from artists in the Rabbit Room world made for Housemoot
-
Four recipes from Glad and Golden Hours, an upcoming recipe book and memoir for Advent from Rabbit Room Press
-
A free link to the Hiding Place film and discussion guide.
-
A Housemoot EP of the new Scripture Hymnal from Rabbit Room Press + sheet music.
-
Sample schedules for a half-day Housemoot, a full-day Housemoot, and a multi-day Housemoot
-
Files for the Rabbit Room logo and the Housemoot graphic to help you make any posters, invites, or materials you might need
-
A Gathering Guide as a “how-to” with supplemental resources
When does Housemoot end?
The Housemoot site will be open until Sunday, December 1.
When can I schedule my Housemoot?
We have envisioned Housemoot happening at any time during the months of October and November. Schedule your gathering whenever your community is available during that window. If no time during those months works for you, email andy@rabbitroom.com and we can help get you access to the materials for a different time.
What do I need to do to plan my Housemoot?
After you have purchased your ticket, the next steps are choosing a date and sending out invitations. Many people will create posters and flyers to help get the word out. To help with that effort, we have provided the the Rabbit Room logo and Housemoot graphic on the Housemoot page (https://rabbitroom.com/housemoot).
Next, you’ll need to plan out the schedule for your Housemoot. Will it be a half-day? Full-day? Multi-day? How many lectures will you watch? What recipes will you cook? How much time will you allot for discussion and conversation? Will you take a walk together during the gathering? Make art together? It is all up to you!
We have provided sample schedules for gatherings of different lengths in this Gathering Guide.
It sounds like you are saying that I plan the event and I invite the people?
That’s right! The Rabbit Room is supplying the content and inviting you to use it to make your own conference. If you want to think of it this way, we are providing all the ingredients, but you are making the meal and inviting the guests.
Are these sessions original for Housemoot 2024?
Yes, all of our speakers have recorded lectures specifically to share during Housemoot.
Are all of the sessions pre-recorded or is anything live?
All the sessions are pre-recorded.
Can we choose which lectures to watch or do we have to watch them all?
Think of the lineup as a menu of sessions that you are free to pick and choose from. Mix and match according to what topics are right for your community.
Are there songs and poems again this year?
Yes, we have invited over fifteen poets and songwriters to record videos for Housemoot. You’ll hear songs from Andrew Peterson, Zane Vickery, Candace Coker, Sho Baraka, Christa Wells, and others, as well as poetry from the poets of the Rabbit Room Poetry Substack (https://rabbitroompoetry.substack.com/)
Where should I fit the songs and poems into my gathering?
Some people fit them in between the lecture sessions. Others will leave them for an evening “concert” and watch them all at once.
Do we need to schedule this at the same time as Hutchmoot? Will the site be available after Hutchmoot?
Hutchmoot is the name of the Rabbit Room’s annuel in-person conference in Nashville. The Housemoot site opens on first day of Hutchmoot, but you do not have to plan your Housemoot gathering for the same weekend. The resources on the Housemoot site will be available throughout October and November.
Do I have to call it “Housemoot?”
Nope. If the name Housemoot doesn’t do it for you, we aren’t going to stop you from calling your gathering by another name. We only ask that you mention that it is associated with the Rabbit Room and we are offering the Rabbit Room logo on the Housemoot page to help with that. (https://rabbitroom.com/Housemoot)
Will we have access to the sessions before the site actually opens for planning purposes?
Yes, we will send a private link with a folder that contains all of the videos to each ticket holder in advance so that you can watch the videos you are going to show in advance in order to make sure they are right for your community.
Are there suggested discussion questions for each lecture?
There sure are. Each speaker has given us 2-5 questions for follow-up discussions. You can find those questions in the pdf linked to each lecture on the Housemoot page.
How long are the sessions?
Most of the sessions are between 30-45 minutes, with the longest lasting about an hour. The artistic interludes are much shorter, most being the length of one song or poem.
How creative can we be with customizing and personalizing our Housemoot gathering?
Yes, we will send a private link with a folder that contains all of the videos to each ticket holder in advance so that you can watch the videos you are going to show in advance in order to make sure they are right for your communnity.
Where will the videos be hosted?
The videos will be hosted on Vimeo.com and YouTube.com.
Will there be closed captions for the hearing impaired?
Yes, the session videos will be hosted in Vimeo and Youtube and both services provide automatic captions.
Will we be able to simultaneously stream videos on separate devices?
You sure can. If you want to show more than one video at once, that’s fine with us. There is no limit to how many devices you can use to access the Housemoot page.
Will we be able to download the videos to our devices?
Yes, just access the videos through Vimeo to download them. All ticket holders will be given a link to a folder on Vimeo.com. They are easily downloadable from that site.
Can we charge for tickets to our Housemoots?
Yes. We realize that hosting a Housemoot will often involve incurring expenses. Many people will use ticket sales to help cover those costs.
I love that you provide recipes, but I can’t cook! What do I do?
No worries. Just do your Housemoot potluck-style. Invite a friend to bring over a meal, a side, or a dessert. Odds are, they will appreciate the chance to get involved in that way.
How do I explain what Housemoot is?
Feel free to take any language from this guide or from the Housemoot info page.
Housemoot Discount for Rabbit Room Members
Because our Rabbit Room Members are at the heart of funding all our programs and resources, members receive $10 off any ticket option for our Housemoot.
For the rest of the year, new Rabbit Room members also get a miniature replica of the North Wind Manor stained glass window as a Christmas tree ornament.
Sponsorships
Housemoot (and Hutchmoot) sponsors share our vision for building community by drawing people together around art, music, story, and the gospel. When you or your organization supports Hutchmoot, you join the Rabbit Room in welcoming friends from near and far to experience this unique event. Community is made up, not only of individuals, but also of like-minded organizations, businesses, and institutions with the aim of ushering in the Kingdom.
We are delighted to partner with you for Housemoot 2024. Sponsorships are available in a variety of forms and can be adjusted to meet your business needs.
If you'd like to partner this year, please contact Sarah Katherine Woodhull, Director of Development at sarahkatherine@rabbitroom.com.
Housemoot 2024 Sponsors