PAX x MCC Creative Resistance Cityscape

Join us for PAX x MCC Creative Resistance: Art, Faith & Social Change

Start Date: Friday, March 19, 2027
End Date: Tuesday, March 23, 2027

Location: New Orleans, LA
More images below.

Cost: $450 registration

Capacity: Limited to 12 participants

Discover how creative expression fuels the imagination for peace and justice while building resilience in communities under attack.

Set in New Orleans, this transformative week-long experience explores how art emerges not in spite of struggle but because of it.

Grounded in Scripture's rich artistic tradition, from the Psalms to Jesus as creative disruptor, this program invites you to dream of something radically different and create pathways toward justice.

All travel, lodging, and meals are included in the registration cost. Applications are due December 5, 2026.

Program Information

  • Lodging is included in the Retreat payment. Each participant will share a double-occupancy room (2 full size beds) with views of the pool, palm court, or mountain.

    AMENITIES INCLUDE:

    • Private bathroom

    • Individually controlled A/C

    • Soft pillows, blankets

    • Linens and towels

    • WiFi

    • Rooms for guests with special needs vary by request and availability

  • The following meals are covered within the retreat cost and will be provided at the retreat center:

    • August 28 - Dinner

    • August 29 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

    • August 30 - Breakfast & Lunch

    Full, hot meals are served buffet-style in the Dining Room.

    Special dietary requirements may be indicated upon acceptance to the Fellowship.

    There will also be coffee, tea, and water across the Palm Court at your discretion.

    Please note that alcohol and alcohol consumption of any kind is not permitted.

  • Fellows are responsible for their own flights and ground transportation to the retreat center.

  • *Local Time

    August 28

    • 4:30 PM Arrive

    • 5:15 PM Welcome Reception

    • 6:00 PM Dinner

    • 7:00 PM Session 1

    • 8:45 PM Connection Activity

    August 29

    • 8:00 AM Breakfast

    • 9:30 - 11:00 AM Session 2

    • 12:00 PM Lunch

    • 1:30 - 3:00 PM Session 3 / Cohort Breakout

    • 3:00 - 6:00 PM Break / Free Time

    • 6:00 PM Dinner

    • 7:00 PM Session 4

    August 30

    • 8:00 AM Breakfast / Check Out

    • 9:30 - 11:00 AM Session 5

    • 12:00 PM Lunch

    • 1:00 PM Depart

  • CLOTHES

    Weather in Scottsdale, AZ in August is very hot, so dress accordingly. Shorts and short-sleeves are a good choice. All programming, lodging, and meals is indoors with air conditioning.

    • Comfortable Warm-Weather Clothes & Sandals/Shoes for sessions

    • Swimsuit for the pool during free time

    • Light jacket for the evenings

    TOILETRIES

    • Toothbrush, floss, toothpaste

    • Face wash & moisturizer

    • Body wash / shampoo / conditioner

    • Sun block

    • Hair dryer

    OTHER

    • Ear Plugs for sensitive sleepers

    • Bible + books to read for pleasure

    • Journal or notebook, pens or pencils

    • Earbuds or headphones for listening to music

    • Phone charger

    • Flashlight for evening exploration

    • Water bottle

    • Favorite snacks

    • Exploring the significance of jazz and soul food as resistance.

    • Journey significant locations showcasing art and social change: landmarks, cultural centers, and historic movement spaces

    • Hands-on creative workshops in music, poetry, and visual arts

    • Connection between theological insights and creative activism

    • Tools for integrating art into your own justice work

    • Examine art's role in social movements, past and present

    • Understand how creative expression fuels imagination for peace and justice

    • Experience art as sanctuary, resistance, and spiritual grounding

    • Develop embodied practices through hands-on artistic creation

    • Integrate creativity into justice work

CITYSCAPE LEADS

  • Drew Jackson is a poet and the author of God Speaks Through Wombs: Poems on God's Unexpected Coming; Touch the Earth: Poems on The Way; and Let Peace Reign. Previously a pastor in New York City, he currently serves as the Contemplative Instructor of PAX, and is the Director of Formation at the Center for Action and Contemplation. Drew lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Genay, and their two daughters. You can find him online at drewejackson.com

DREW JACKSON

  • Armando “Mondo” Canchola-Scott is an artist, photographer, longtime pastor, and faithful innovator aspiring to lead others toward peace, healing, and wholeness centered in Jesus. He is married to his BFF Salena and is a proud #girldad of his super dope daughter Selah. You can find him online at thechurchwehopefor.com

MONDO SCOTT

  • Leonetta Elaiho is a creative contemplative, a writer, and a public theologian that thrives at the intersection of culture, faith and justice. The arc of her work has always bent towards the margins and her desire for radical inclusion of the typically excluded. In addition to offering spiritual care services, Leonetta is also a non-profit and philanthropic consultant. Learn more about her work with organizations here.

LEONETTA ELAIHO

  • Tiffany Bluhm is a speaker, writer, and leader with more than fifteen years of experience in ministry and nonprofit leadership. She is the author of The Women We’ve Been Waiting For, Prey Tell, and other books and Bible studies. Her writing has been featured in Publishers Weekly, Sojourners, Red Letter Christians, the YouVersion Bible app, and more. Her public work is at the intersection of faith, justice, and culture. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. You can find her online at tiffanybluhm.com

TIFFANY BLUHM