Author: Tammy Perlmutter

Tammy Perlmutter is a writer, editor, founder, and curator of The Mudroom, a collaborative blog for women, and co-founder of Deeply Rooted, an annual faith and creativity gathering for women. Tammy is a member of the Redbud Writers Guild, an urban beekeeper, and she lives and works with Jesus People USA, an intentional Christian community on the North Side of Chicago. She is also a founding member of the Uptown Garden Collective, an urban sustainability initiative.
Racial Righteousness
Faith · Workshops

Racial Righteousness

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Christine Moolo and Tiana Clark will be facilitating a workshop on Racial Righteousness.

Christine Moolo

Christine Moolo serves as Manager of Ministry Services for the Love Mercy Do Justice Mission Priority of the Evangelical Covenant Church. Previously Christine served as Project Manager for Covenant Kids Congo powered by World Vision. Christine also served with Covenant World Mission in Gemena, DR Congo as a short-term Covenant Missionary. Christine received her MA in International Development from Eastern University and her BA in Global Studies from North Park University.

Tiana Coleman

Tiana is a pastor at Jesus People USA Covenant Church in Uptown, Chicago. When she isn’t out running, baking amazing masterpieces, taking care of her two children and loving on her husband she is deeply committed to justice and reconciliation.

Workshop Change!
Art & Design · Speaker · Workshops

Workshop Change!

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There has been a change in the schedule. We’re no longer offering the block printing art workshop. Our facilitator, Suzanne Stewart, will be unexpectedly out of town this weekend.
 
Vinita Hampton Wright has graciously agreed to do a 2-session writing workshop based on her book, The Soul Tells a Story: Engaging Creativity with Spirituality in the Writing Life.

There are still tickets for lunch with the speakers and DR core team available until Wednesday, Nov 6. We’re great company and it’s always amazing. I think for some people that’s their favorite experience:) 

Don’t forget we are having a fabulous book sale! Support women writers, especially women of color, buy their books, give them to friends, recommend them to others. Books will be discounted for the conference, so bring some pocket money!

See you soon!!

One Week Till Deeply Rooted!
Faith · Workshops

One Week Till Deeply Rooted!

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Deeply rooted starts one week from today! We are busy putting the final touches on all the things. We can’t wait to see you there! We have been praying that the Lord would nudge women who need to be here, especially those feeling lonely, discouraged, stuck, or lost. Also, women who are experiencing a Holy Spirit kick inside and want to keep the flame lit. 

We’re so excited about the speaker lineup, workshops, and our first-ever bookstore! We have a number of sponsors this year, including Paraclete Press, Loyola Press, InterVarsity Press, Grrr Records, Jesus People USA, Wilson Abbey, and Everybody’s Coffee! (If you haven’t attended before, EC is connected to Wilson Abbey! We also serve their signature roast:) 

Every time we put on Deeply Rooted (this is our 5th year AND 9th Gathering) we feel moments of discouragement and defeat. We’ve had speaker cancellations, low registration, and budget challenges, as well as personal setbacks that have brought us low. 

We always remind ourselves that even if nobody shows we’ll just see it as a retreat for a small group with fantastic facilitators:) The truth is we just love to bring women together for celebration, worship, food, and fellowship and if we can be challenged and inspired along the way, even better! 

Please don’t let finances be the reason you don’t come. 

We’ve made it accessible for every budget (even NO budget!) You can stay overnight with us for free. You can come for the whole thing or just Friday or Saturday. Or for a few hours. You can pay at the door. We are totally flexible and want to make it work for whatever stage of life you’re in! Nursing babies and girls 13 and up are welcome! 

WORKSHOP TITLES!

Cultural Intelligence (CQ): How knowing your values helps you deepen intimacy in diverse friendships: Sandra Van Opstal

The Soul Tells a Story Writing Workshop (2 Sessions): Vinita Hampton Wright

Racial Righteousness: Christine Moolo & Tiana Coleman

The Power of One Faithful Woman: Wendi Kaiser

Hospitality 101: It’s Beyond Teas and Dinner Parties, Y’all: Rebekah Byrd

FREE STUFF!

We’re going to have some fabulous giveaways, including books, coffee, and CDs! Check out what our sponsors have given us for YOU!

Please pray for us as we gather, that the Lord would be powerfully present, and the Holy Spirit would be moving among us. 

We’d love for you to join us. 

Tammy & Joy

 

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Meet Sandra Van Opstal
Speaker · Workshops

Meet Sandra Van Opstal

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Saturday, November 9, 2019

Morning Session and Justice Workshop:

Cultural Intelligence (CQ): How Knowing Your Values Helps You Deepen Intimacy in Diverse Friendships

Sandra Maria Van Opstal, a second-generation Latina, pastors at Grace and Peace Community on the West Side of Chicago. She is a preacher, liturgist, and activist who is re-imagining the intersection of worship and justice.

In her fifteen years with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Sandra mobilized thousands of college students for God’s mission of reconciliation and justice in the world. Sandra served as Director of Worship for the Urbana Missions Conference, Chicago Urban Program Director, Latino National Leadership Team (LaFe), and Northwestern University Team leader (Multiethnic fellowship).

Sandra’s influence has also reached many others through her leadership and preaching on topics such as worship and formation, justice, racial identity and reconciliation, and global mission. She has been featured at Wheaton College, North Park University, The Justice Conference, Evangelical Covenant conferences, Willow Creek Association conferences, and various churches. Sandra serves as a board member for Evangelicals for Justice and the Christian Community Development Association. Sandra was also the Worship Director for the IFES World Assembly in Mexico 2015,  Lausanne Younger Leaders Gathering in Jarkarta 2016, and Global Gathering in South Africa 2018.

In addition to her ministry experience, Sandra holds a Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Illinois and has been published in multiple journals. She has authored God’s Graffiti Devotional, Still Evangelical, The Mission of Worship and The Next Worship.

 

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Students Are FREE!
Faith

Students Are FREE!

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We understand the limitations of financial straits, and luxuries like attending a women’s conference can be difficult to justify.

That’s why we have decided that students, high school and college, will be admitted for free. You can present your ID at the door or register online.

We want all women to be able to join us, regardless of their economic position!

Join us Friday, November 8 and Saturday, November 9 for worship, poetry, teaching, fellowship, and food!

Scroll down to the bottom to choose the student ticket.

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Meet Juni Felix
Speaker · Video

Meet Juni Felix

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Juni Felix spoke for us in 2016 and she’s returning!!

Juni Felix is a Woman of Prayer. A Stanford Behavior Design Lab Teaching Team Member, Behavior Designer, Author, Podcaster, Speaker, International Radio Drama Scriptwriter, C.S. Lewis Institute Fellow, and Radio Host.

With more than 17 years of Broadcasting experience, her heart beats to help others to discover the limitless pathways that are born of an intimate, growing faith in Jesus Christ. For many years she was half of the duo “Carl and Juni in the Morning” on Moody Radio. A presenting author at the 2018 Persuasive Technology Conference, she shared ideas for the “Caring, Feeling, and Understanding Cities of the Future.”

Juni also works as a lead instructor with Codeverse, a startup on a misson to “Teach a Billion Kids to Code,” as well as currently partnering with NavPress to design strategies for taking tiny steps from trauma to faith.  She lives by the truth that Kindness is a Superpower, and absolutely nothing is impossible with Christ. You can follow her ongoing global adventures at Juni Felix and listen to her podcast, The Quest for Joy on Itunes and Spotify.

Here is Juni at Deeply Rooted in November 2016 where she spoke about “The Unknown Knowns”:

 

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Meet Jasmine Sims
Faith · Poetry · Speaker

Meet Jasmine Sims

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Jasmine Sims is our spoken-word poet who will be performing on Saturday morning!

Jasmine is a writer who is passionate about sharing truth and love through storytelling. She has been writing poetry since childhood and hopes to encourage others to live boldly with their gifts and in their purpose. You can keep up with her work and future projects at www.thejasminesims.com.

Here’s a sneak peek of Jasmine!

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Meet Vinita Hampton Wright
Faith · Speaker

Meet Vinita Hampton Wright

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“A growing spiritual life leads to a growing healthy sense of self. As a Christian I grow spiritually by admitting what’s not going well with me—and also by admitting that God’s grace is already dealing with my sins and imperfections—as well as admitting that I am lovely and amazing by mere virtue of the fact that God of the universe loves me, creates me, desires me, and will never forsake me. If I am to grow spiritually, I will continue to hold all of that truth in grace-filled tension. I see the truth of myself, but that truth is complete only if it includes Divine Presence as an ongoing reality.”
~Vinita Hampton Wright, The Art of Spiritual Writing

Vinita Hampton Wright has served as senior editor at Loyola Press for 16 years and recently became managing editor of the trade books department. She has written various fiction and non-fiction books, including the novel Dwelling Places with HarperOne, Days of Deepening Friendship and The Art of Spiritual Writing for Loyola Press, The St. Teresa of Avila Prayer Book for Paraclete Press, and most recently (just last week!) Small Simple Ways: An Ignatian Daybook for Healthy Spiritual Living.

Vinita is a student and practitioner of Ignatian spirituality, and from 2009 to 2015 she blogged at Days of Deepening Friendship. For the past few years, she has co-led small groups through the 19th Annotation of the Spiritual Exercises. She lives in Chicago with her husband, three cats, and a dog. In her “spare” time these days, she is working on her next novel.

We are so blessed to have the treasure that is Vinita living in Chicago!

Vinita will be speaking Saturday, November 9, in the afternoon.

Gathering Together
Faith

Gathering Together

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Communities are truly communities when they open to others, when they remain vulnerable and humble; when the members are growing in love, in compassion, and in humility.

The fundamental attitudes of true community, where there is true belonging, are openness, welcome, and listening to God, to the universe, to each other and to other communities. Community is the breaking down of barriers to welcome difference.”

Jean Vanier, Community and Growth

Larry Crabb, in his book, Connecting: Healing Ourselves and Our Relationships, writes, “I have come to believe that the root of all our personal and emotional difficulties is a lack of togetherness, a failure to connect that keeps us from receiving life and prevents the life in us from spilling over into others.” The question then becomes, “Are we receiving life from others? Is the life in us spilling over into others?”

Our theme for November is Together.  

Let’s transform this lack of togetherness into true connection.

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Leaning into Promise
Faith · Speaker

Leaning into Promise

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It’s still cold here in Chicago. The promise of Spring is slow in coming, and teases us with random days of warmth, going from 65 degrees one day to 35 the next. The upcoming week predicts rain every day, making it difficult to imagine that new growth and brighter days are ahead.

How many of us have been there in our lives? Wondering when the clouds would part and the sun would break through?

As women of faith we cling to the hope that the Lord is our shield and our deliverer. We trust that he will rescue us when the storms threaten to overwhelm us.

We rely on the promises of God given to us through the living Word.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

At Deeply Rooted in May we will be focusing on God’s unconditional, trustworthy promises to us, his daughters. So many of us need more truth poured into us. All of us have experienced the desert, wandering around needy in the wilderness, fashioning gods with our own hands like the Israelites. God’s promises to them are the same promises for us:

Psalm 81:6–10

“I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
your hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I delivered you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
There shall be no strange god among you;
you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. (ESV)

All we have to do is open our mouths wide and he will fill them with deliverance, healing, wisdom, and comfort. Open your mouth with us on May 18th!!!

Our May gathering features spoken-word poetry, worship, a speaker, and homemade desserts:)

Meet our Speakers

We want to gather talent locally, diligently searching for women who are furthering the kingdom with their words, their art, their very presence.

Ciera Smith was so good in November 2017 that we invited her back!!

Ciera Smith at Deeply Rooted in Chicago

Ciera, a Chicago transplant from Philadelphia, has lived on the West Side for the last 5 years. She is currently working as an Academic Coordinator at Breakthrough Urban Ministries in the East Garfield Park neighborhood where she facilitates the literacy curriculum for the K-3rd grade classes and trains teachers on best teaching practices. It is there at Breakthrough where she fell in love with working with youth and investing deeply in the lives of the students.
Having received her first masters in Urban Studies and Youth Development at Eastern University in Mary 2018, Ciera is now pursuing her second masters at DePaul University in Education and School Counseling. Ciera has a firm belief that students whose mental and social emotional health is not taken care of, students will not be able to thrive in the classroom in academics. Ciera finds joy in writing, cooking, checking out new coffee shops and restaurants in the city, and spending time with friends.

Aubrey Sampson had a previous engagement she was not aware of and had to cancel, BUT we now have Catherine McNiel joining us!

Catherine Carlson McNeil

 

Catherine is a writer and speaker who seeks to open eyes to God’s creative, redemptive work in each day. Catherine is the author of All Shall Be Well: Awakening to God’s Presence in His Messy, Abundant World coming out in August and Long Days of Small Things: Motherhood as a Spiritual Discipline, which was an ECPA finalist for New Author. She’s on the lookout for wisdom, beauty, and iced coffee.
If you subscribe to her blog at Everyday Epiphanies, she will send you a free gift: a booklet called Be Still: An At-Home Meditation Guide, guided meditations and reflections ranging from 10 minutes to 30 minutes, or 90 minutes if you use them all back to back. You can even use it to do a simple at-home retreat!