The Rabbit Room Nourishes Community
Kim Roberts
2 min read ⭑
In an increasingly divided culture, even within the church, the Rabbit Room was created to build and nourish stronger Christ-centered communities by cultivating stories, music and art.
It was founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter and author Andrew Peterson after he visited Oxford, England, and was inspired by the stories of the Inklings, a group of authors including C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. They met in the “rabbit room” — the back room of a pub — to discuss and share their stories and ideas together.
Peterson, known for his music and popular Wingfeather Saga, came home with the hope of building a community similar to the Inklings, in which writers and musicians could encourage, support and strengthen one another in their calling to draw “attention to grace by showing the pinprick of light overcoming the darkness in the painting or the story or the song.”
The Rabbit Room
The Rabbit Room has seen rapid growth in the last few years, Executive Director Pete Peterson told MinistryWatch. What began as a blog to encourage and nourish a community of Christ-centered artists, authors, and musicians has since flourished into a well-known ministry.
Then, Rabbit Room Press was founded in 2008. It has published popular works of fiction and poetry by Andrew Peterson and other authors, as well as “Every Moment Holy,” a book of liturgies for everyday life.
In 2010, it began hosting the “Hutchmoot” conference in Nashville, where the Rabbit Room is located, to celebrate story, art, music, food, faith and fellowship. The last two years, it has been held online, and before the pandemic, had expanded to Oxford, England and featured speakers such as Phil Vischer, Michael Card and Sally Lloyd-Jones.
One of the Rabbit Room’s popular programs is “The Local Show.” Very much aligned with the flavor of Nashville, this in-the-round program primarily features local singers. It is held the first and third Tuesdays of the month at North Wind Manor, the ministry’s recently completed event center.
The Rabbit Room has also developed a network of 11 podcasts that “share a love for art, music, story, faith, and the myriad ways in which they intersect.” They include “The Molehill,” featuring writers reading their own stories; “The Habit,” with writers conversing about the process of writing; and “Fixed in Post,” which highlights joys and disappointments of those who love cinema and film.
After rapid growth the last few years, Peterson said the ministry is looking to slow down. “Now that we have our building completed and a solid staff, we want to focus in on our mission and purpose for long-term stability,” Peterson said.
The Rabbit Room has a nine-member board of directors, many of whom have served on the board since the ministry’s founding. It also has a staff of about 10 people.
Rabbit Room is supported by donations and membership, but membership is different from the common conception, Peterson said.
“Because it is a community, we feed into and nourish one another,” he added. “We want our members to know they are a major part of our organization.”
Anyone who gives a recurring donation of at least $25 is considered a member. Members receive no exclusive content or special perks for their consistent support of the ministry but are sent occasional thank-you gifts, often something from one of the Rabbit Room artists.
Kim Roberts is a contributing writer to outlets like MinistryWatch and Religion Unplugged. She has homeschooled her three children and is happily married to her husband of 25 years. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, gardening and coaching high school extemporaneous speaking and debate.