Your ticket to the Symposium for Goodness’ sake at Community First! Village covers the program cost and four meals (breakfast and lunch on Wednesday and Thursday, plus happy hour on Wednesday). The ticket price does not include lodging. We do have a number of great lodging options available through our onsite Community Inn, ranging from camp-style tipis to unique micro-homes and RVs. To see our options and book a unit, please visit our Community Inn website or contact our Community Inn staff at communityinn@mlf.org.

Please refer to your confirmation email and the Community Inn’s policies. If you have further questions, you can reach out to our Community Inn staff at communityinn@mlf.org.

There are a number of other lodging options within reasonable driving distance of Community First! Village, including:

There are a number of other lodging options within reasonable driving distance of Community First! Village, including:

Community First! Village is located approximately 10 miles from the Austin airport. It’s about a 20 minute drive. If you’re not renting a car, you can take advantage of one of Austin’s ride-sharing services (Uber or Lyft) or take a taxi to the Village.

The Mobile Loaves & Fishes team takes Symposium participants on a deep dive into the philosophy, approach and processes behind making such an operation work. Through interactive talks, workshops and an extensive tour, we aim to give Symposium attendees the benefit of more than two decades’ worth of experience. You’ll hear from representatives from the Village’s staff and missional community. For a more detailed list of topics and presenters, please see our sample Symposium Agenda.

Community First! Village is a wonderful place to spend a few days! To really experience the heart of the Village, we would suggest your guest sign up for some of our volunteer activities, which we offer nearly every day of the week. You can explore volunteer opportunities, register as a volunteer and sign up for available volunteer shifts on our volunteer site (advance registration and signup is required). We also have lots of beautiful spots to relax around the Village, including two chapels, a memorial garden and several spots with hammocks. You can find a playground (located behind the main gardens) for children to enjoy. Additionally, Austin is full of many attractions.

Some of our favorites include:

For more ideas of fun things to do in Austin, click here!

Only registered Symposium attendees will be provided food during the Symposium. Anyone who is visiting along with a Symposium attendee but not a registered attendee themselves must supply their own food. You can find a list of food options near CFV on the Community Inn site.

Please email replication@mlf.org with any food sensitivity and special dietary requirements. Please include “Symposium attendee — food sensitivity” in your subject line.

We recommend business casual or casual attire with comfortable walking shoes. Community First! Village is a 51-acre property, so you’ll want to have comfortable shoes to fully explore all that the Village has to offer. We highly recommend bringing sun protection (SPF lotion, sunglasses, hats) for your comfort on the Symposium tour. We also recommend bringing a jacket or sweater to keep you comfortable in the meeting room during sessions, especially if you tend to be cold-natured.

Yes, at the conclusion of the Symposium, each attendee will receive a link via email that includes all of the materials that were shared during the Symposium.

All Symposium ticket purchases are final. If you are unable to attend the Symposium, you may transfer your registration to another staff member, board member or volunteer who is involved with your organization or ministry. All transfer requests must be sent to replication@mlf.org and must be received at least one week prior to the event date.

Upcoming Symposiums

Registration for Symposiums is by email invitation only. Subscribe below to receive announcements about the 2024 Symposium dates & registration information.

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