SummerFest Theme: “Making Room at the Table”

Thursday – Sunday, July 27-30, Orcas Community Church

— from Meredith Griffith for Orcas Community Church —

Come join us for SummerFest 2017, a relational weekend event sparking the synergy of spirit, intellect, and creativity with music, art, and some great speakers. This year’s theme is “Making Room at the Table: The Sacred Space of Hospitality.” This year’s event will feature speakers Rev. Ben Patterson, Messianic Jewish rabbi Carl Kinbar, Rev. Matt Canlis & Dr. Julie Canlis, musician-in-residence John Van Deusen, community church pastor Brian Moss and musician Jeff Johnson.

“We were making preparations for this event in the wake of the most toxic presidential election I have ever known,” says Moss. “With such a low level of civil discourse, it seemed like an important time to come together as a church to discuss the foundational activity of Christian hospitality.”

SummerFest will be held at Orcas Island Community Church on Thursday through Sunday, July 27-30. Friday night will offer a screening of ‘Godspeed,’ a film by Matt Canlis that features his experience in Scotland in a small country parish, highlighting the adjustment he had to make to his American sensibilities as a pastor to serve the local community. On Saturday night, Van Deusen will be playing a concert that is open to the public at 7 p.m.

Patterson will preach at our 9:30 a.m. Sunday worship service and Kinbar will give the meditation for 5 p.m. Sunday Vespers, both open to the public.

A contributing editor at “Christianity Today” and “Leadership Journal,” Patterson has served as Campus Pastor at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California for the past 16 years. He has authored several books and served in ministry at various churches since 1975.

Kinbar came to faith in the Messiah during the Jesus movement of the 1970s, along with many other young Jewish men and women. He says he was fortunate to be discipled in a congregation that emphasized worship, serving others, and teaching. Kinbar is affiliated with the Messianic Jewish Theological Institute, where he has served in teaching, curricular design, consulting, and administrative capacities. He also directs and teaches with the online New School for Jewish Studies.

Matt Canlis is an ordained minister in the Church of Scotland, and currently serves at Trinity Church in Wenatchee after ministering in Scotland for 13 years. Matt has his M.Lit. in Theology from the University of St. Andrew’s, his M.Div. from Regent College. His wife Julie, his childhood sweetheart, stays home with their four kids. Julie earned her Ph.D. in Theology from the University of St Andrews and a Masters of Christian Studies from Regent College. Her doctoral dissertation won the Templeton Prize for Theological Promise in 2007 and the Christianity Today Award of Merit for Theology in 2011. Matt and Julie co-founded The Abbey Summer School in Edinburgh.

Van Deusen is a prolific singer/songwriter from Washington state whose songs blend insightful lyrics with simple, memorable melodies. From age 17, Van Deusen was the primary singer/songwriter for the indie-rock band The Lonely Forest (2004-2014). The band released four full length albums and toured North America regularly before taking a hiatus. Van Deusen has spent the past two years traveling, writing and recording, and plans to release a four full-length solo album series in 2017- 2018 entitled ‘(I Am) Origami’. The albums openly discuss Van Deusen’s struggles with doubt, depression and more recently his strong love and devotion to Jesus.

“SummerFest is happening in the spirit of KindlingsFest,” says Moss. “Dick Staub (via The Kindlings) sought to bring intelligent, imaginative, and hospitable explorations of ideas that matter in contemporary life. I like the idea of this gathering being a ‘hospitable exploration.’”

Registration for SummerFest is $100 per adult and $50 per student; kids 12 and under are free. You can register online at www.eventbrite.com/e/summerfest-2017-tickets-33088821556. For more information, visit www.orcaschurch.org/summerfest.