• Saturday Morning / Saturday Afternoon

• Miranda Martini, Affirming Connections

Religion at large has imposed artificial "norms" and prioritized only certain types of relationships and families, which has fractured our sense of kinship and belonging. This is especially true for 2SLGBTQ+ people and other equity seeking communities. Inclusive and affirming faith practices can be an antidote to the hateful rhetoric and discriminatory practices that seem to abound. We can be a part of the solution, and embody the deep unconditional love that grounds our faith. Understandably, this work can sometimes feel overwhelming, and we may not know where to start or who to talk to. And what's this talk about PIE?! The acronym of PIE (Public, Intentional, Explicit) embodies a guiding map and litmus test for those who want to be more tangibly affirming, whether as an individual or faith community. Whether you feel like you're just starting to dip your toes in, or you're dog paddling in the deep end, we invite you to come and explore the conversation with curiosity. We’re all in this together!

Miranda is the Program Coordinator for Affirming Connections, a Calgary-based organisation that supports ministries and people of faith working to provide spaces in which people can explore their spirituality without fear of exclusion. She is also an award-winning composer, writer, and performer with credits in theatre, film, television and beyond.

• Saturday Morning / Saturday Afternoon
  

• Chris Mah Poy and Rev. Pamela Evans
  

TLDR: Know what that means? It’s ok if you don’t or needed to use your favourite search engine. It isn’t a new phenomenon for folks to lament the things they don’t understood about those growing up (just ask the Boomers about what they said about GenX!) . There is LOTS we don’t know about the complexity and amazing capacity of our young people, GENZ and ALPHA in our lives, in our communities and in our churches. God calls us to be in relationship with young people. Come and find out what some of the research says about the younger generations and the ways we might love and serve them.

• Saturday Morning / Saturday Afternoon

• Emo Yango, and Western Intercultural Ministry Network

“What does a commitment to becoming an anti-racist denomination mean to the scope of my work?”

I am Emo Yango. One of the work pieces in my work portfolio is to coordinate an anti-racism educational training for The United Church of Canada. These are training courses for all our ministers and offering target-audience designed curriculum for lay leaders based on their racialized identities (i.e., White or Indigenous-Racialized). I also coordinate the creation of new emerging migrant/diasporic/intercultural communities of faith. Another piece of work in the United Church is to provide intercultural analysis for programs initiated from the General Council Office. My educational training is in theology and intercultural studies.

• Saturday Morning / Saturday Afternoon

• Rev. Ross Bartlett

As partially funded (part-time) ministry positions become increasingly common, what are the important considerations for clergy and communities of faith?  Are there situations that we can learn from as we navigate a new reality for many United Churches? Using insights gleaned from the most recent research, we will explore the options and open the big questions leading to a faithful, vital future.

Ross is the author of two recent books examining the realities and promise of less than full-time ministry for clergy and congregations: It’s Real Ministry, How Part-time and Bi-vocational Clergy are Challenging and Empowering the Church (2021) and   It Works For Us – Insights & Best Practices for Vital, Healthy, Sustainable Part-time Ministry (2024). Following 35+ years of congregational ministry, Ross was appointed the United Church Formation Director at Atlantic School of Theology (Halifax) in 2018. In that program he works to help students become reflective and effective practitioners. He also teaches in the areas of United Church studies, leadership, and part-time ministry. He is the coordinator of the new “Atlantic School of Discipleship@AST.” A graduate of Queen’s Theological College, he holds earned doctorates from Toronto (ThD) and Princeton (DMin).   Living in a suburb of Halifax, he is a husband, father, and grandfather.

• Saturday Morning / Saturday Afternoon

• Joel Den Haan

Communities of Faith are encountering major change in their local neighbourhoods after the COVID 19 Pandemic.  How we manage our own resources, how we work together, and how we collaborate to meet the needs and opportunities around us has never been more important. This workshop will open up horizons of community engagement and collaboration that can bring real hope amidst all the change, including a focus on:  mission and values development work to bring clarity about who we are as communities of faith offering unique ministry in our local context;  community engagement resources that can help build upon the support and energy of the community all around; and capital and facility analysis, to identify ways to work together, share space, and maintain sustainable community benefit.

Joel draws on over twenty-five years’ experience assisting faith-based, nonprofit, and for-profit groups to understand who they are in today’s environment, plan for their hopes and dreams, and implement their highest and best vision with their land and capital resource. Joel brings over a decade of education and research into how people work together, along with extensive experience as a pastor and denominational advisor, focusing these resources to identify pathways and partnerships for enhanced community impact.

• Saturday Evening

• Rev. Scott Reynolds, Growth Animator: Mountains

Sometimes it feels challenging to pursue church growth in smaller communities. "I've asked my friend to church. They said, 'No.' Now what?" In this workshop we'll identify some key practices for rural churches who are seeking to reach the people in their community who "already know the church is there".

Scott serves as the Growth Animator within the Chinook Winds and Pacific Mountain Regions. Scott recently finished serving for seven and a half years as the minister of the Irma-Viking/Kinsella Pastoral Charge in rural Alberta and before that served for two and a half years as the Minister for Youth and Young Adults at the United Churches of Langley. Scott now resides in Red Deer and is married to his amazing wife, Samantha, with whom he is raising two children, Sibylla, aged 4 and Sebastian, aged 2.

• Saturday Evening

• Rev. Pamela Evans

If you ask communities of faith what worries them the most, there list will almost always include the lack of young people who participate in the life of the congregation. The church needs young people and young people need the church. For communities who have discerned a call to serve young people, there are some markers in ministry with young people that may indicate life (or death) for churches. In 90 minutes, Pamela will endeavor to share the markers and ways that your faith community could make meaningful connections to young people around you so that they may know and feel the power of the Love of God and the Peace of Christ AND help lead God’s grace-filled work in the world. (ok, let’s be real, she will start the conversation and provide tools for you to continue…) Beware – there will be no solutions shared at this workshop, no simple fix for this journey. Instead, there will be some steps to engage folks back home in Spirit-led conversations and build community that leads to transformation.

Pamela is the First Third Ministry Team Lead for Chinook Winds and Pacific Mountain Regions of The United Church of Canada. She is inspired by the lives of young people, their brilliance, passion and curiosity. Her favourite thing to do is have biblical and/or theological conversations with youth over hot buttery popcorn mixed with sour kids. She lives in New Westminster, BC with her very patient husband, Rob, GenZ test subject, stepson, Sam and, intensely misunderstood pup, Java.

Wingate by Wyndham Lethbridge is pleased to offer Rural Ministry Conference attendees a special discounted price. As long as there are rooms available, we will continue to offer the discounted rate for those booking with RMC.

All Reservations must be made with a credit card, and upon check in a credit card, with matching ID, must approve for the charges. Upon check out you may choose to change your payment method if front desk has been pre-informed.

If you do not have a credit card, you MUST phone 72 hours before hand and talk to the Sales Manager to inform us of this, and we will do our best to work things out for you.

Please note that Debit Visa and Debit MasterCard do not work with our system.

Check In: 3pm
Check Out: 11am

Early check-ins and late check-outs CAN NOT be guaranteed. Please call day of to check availability.

Any cancellations or changes must be done 72 hours before check in. Any cancellations done after this time may result in a cancellation fee equal to room and taxes for first night’s stay.

Please Note a 10$ fee will be applied for one-night stays.