The West Central Episcopal Mission in Spokane, Wash., is dedicated to relieving urban poverty, addressing the root of its causes, and saving the environment one step at a time. The Rev. Kris Christensen is executive director and urban missioner.

The 25-family Bartimaeus Cohousing Community at Meadow Wood opened in Bremerton, Wash., in 2006. Bartimaeus is multigenerational and based on Christian faith and practices. Media contact is John Parsons.

Mustard Seed Associates in Seattle is a network for Christians interested in cultural innovation. It is a resource for information about cohousing.

James N. Gregory is a history professor at the University of Washington and director of the Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project. Among books he has written is The Southern Diaspora: How the Great Migrations of Black and White Southerners Transformed America (The University of North Carolina Press, 2006).

A doctor’s approach to end-of-life issues through her personal eyes and those of her profession.

Mars Hill Church in Seattle uses its own social network, The City, to keep members of its several campuses connected. Mark Driscoll is pastor.

Dan Mayhew is the editor of Church@Home Newsletter and a member of Summit Fellowships, a support network of house churches in Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash. He is based in Portland, Ore., and writes a blog.

Sarah Eltantawi is a scholar of religion, with a specialty in Islamic studies. She has written widely on Islam and politics.

Ed Decker is president of Saints Alive in Jesus, an evangelical Christian mission to Mormons, Freemasons and other groups the mission considers cults. He is a former Mormon and co-author of The God Makers.