This is your invitation to a 3-day conference, working toward living and being an anti-racist church: Anti-Racism Work & Action Leadership Conference 2024

Friends,

This is a powerful First Third Ministry event in partnership with us at LeaderSHIFT, the Pacific Mountain Region Council Justice Ministry Network, the Vancouver School of Theology, and you.

Anti-Racism Work & Action
Leadership Conference 2024
April 2-4, 2024

Held at the Epiphany Chapel, on the Vancouver School of Theology UBC campus, empower yourself to engage key learnings, work, and action in a Christian community of other children and family ministry leaders who are working for an anti-racist church.

LEADERSHIFT IS THRILLED TO BE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FIRST THIRD MINISTRY!

Work, and action - in Christian community

An amazing line up of speakers, worship leaders, and hosts are already preparing to welcome, educate, and inspire.

Work, and action – in Christian community

Anti-Racism Work & Action Leadership Conference is an offering of Chinook Winds & Pacific Mountain Regional Councils First Third Ministry. First Third Ministry’s mission is to support those who work with those in the first of life’s three eras (children, youth, young adults and families) – yet, this conference is designed to resonate for leaders of any, and, all ages and generations.

For All in Leadership

Whether you’re paid or volunteering, staffing a community of faith or un-churched organization, focused on children & family ministry or serving older generations, this conference centers anti-racism principles and actions in your leadership.

You can expect

• Varied learning formats and thoughtfully chosen content to engage key learnings, focus work, and empower action in your leadership.

• A Christ-centered conference fostering connection and relationship with other leaders who are also working for an anti-racist church.

• Discovery-based questions and reflection opportunities will help you to compassionately and faithfully examine your own ministry and leadership in your specific setting.

• An introduction to the materials from the new United Church of Canada resource for children and youth, Becoming an Anti-Racist Church.

• A convergence of your personal and professional call to anti-racism, with others like you – all seeking a new way of being church.​

Event Page: FirstThirdMinistry.ca/f3-conference-anti-racism-work-and-action

Amos 5:24. Amen!

'Understanding Each Other: An Introduction to the General Council Indigenous Ministries & Justice Unit', with National Executive Minister, Rev. Murray Pruden

October 6 Update: The recording of this conversation is now on the LeaderSHIFT YouTube Channel here: https://youtu.be/FTGDqBG2tOA

The Indigenous Church within The United Church of Canada has gone through some momentous and historical progressions as faith communities and councils. For us all to work more faithfully toward right relationship we need to understand these changes and the approach of our denomination’s National Indigenous Ministries & Justice Unit as we support and strengthen Indigenous ministries. Let us explore and get some understanding of the current definitions and relational structures that The Indigenous Church functions with!

LeaderSHIFT welcomes Rev. Murray Pruden, National Executive Minister for Indigenous Ministries & Justice United Church of Canada to this September 28th conversation.

We will be introduced to the national Indigenous Council and Elders Council affiliation, learn current definitions and structures. 

We will get some understanding of history and movement in the Indigenous Church, and learn about the national work that embodies the Indigenous Ministries & Justice Unit.

We will hear about what is continuing to be developed as the Indigenous Ministries and Justice Unit continues its relational work as an autonomous structure in the United Church body.

~ Rev. Murray Pruden

Murray will help us see the potential for the future as we live out the newly emerging Indigenous Church structure and walk together on this path self-determination and equity. All are welcome, and we hope you are able to share this morning with us!

Understanding Each Other - The Indigenous Church

An Introduction to the General Council Indigenous Ministries & Justice Unit, with National Executive Minister, Rev. Murray Pruden

10-11:30am Pacific / 11am-12:30pm Mountain
Wednesday September 28, 2022

Online Only, Via Zoom

Registration is now closed.

About Murray

Rev. Murray Pruden is the current National Executive Minister for Indigenous Ministries and Justice for The United Church of Canada. 

Rev. Pruden is Nehiyaw, Cree First Nations from the Goodfish Lake and Saddle Lake First Nations. He grew up in the rural community of Smoky Lake. And his family’s history come from that area based on his ancestor Rev. Henry Bird Steinhauer. 

Rev. Pruden has studied theatre at the University of Alberta, received a theatre performance diploma from Keyano college in Fort McMurray, and an undergrad BFA from the University of Lethbridge. He completed his Master of Divinity at the Vancouver School of Theology at UBC and studies at the Sandy Saulteaux Spiritual Centre in Manitoba.  

Murray’s path to Ministry has taken him to many good uses of his talents and spiritual gifts- dramatic works on theological topics, workshop presentations on storytelling, ecumenical representation on Indigenous theology, and sermon reflections to various communities of faith across Canada. 

“My role as a leader and person of faith and spirituality has grown to a role of a storyteller and person of inspiration. This path I am taking is the foundation, the history and literature to help form a good sustenance of authority and community building for me and for our Indigenous communities. I like to think that this all leads to me being a strong voice for Indigenous people on the level of religion and spirituality and the love of our communities. And a path of self love and love for all of Creators creations.” ~ Rev. Murray K. Pruden. 

Today holds importance; may you commemorate May 5 Red Dress Day too

Friends —

The year swings round as it does. And again the witness of Red Dress Day is here, asking, demanding, reminding Canadian society that our reconciliation must be more than words and good intentions.  

We know many of you are offering leadership in your towns and villages and churches, and want to also amplify what you are doing so that we all may keep learning, and keep taking action.

Below are just some ways to honour Red Dress Day - this day. You might want to offer more.

In gratitude,  

Allison

This post was also sent via MailChimp

5pm, today May 5, 2022

"Everyone is invited to join us as we remember the lives and struggles of Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirit People lots to MMIWG2S" Amplify this invitation from Rundle Memorial United, Chinook Winds Regional Council, Urban Indigenous Circle

Elements of Truth: Before Reconciliation

LeaderSHIFT is excited to amplify the work of our colleagues at kinSHIFT who host remarkable workshops to equip allies to be active in our reconciliation. The first four online workshops help set a foundation for other more in-depth offerings. To help you access these four workshops, LeaderSHIFT will pay for half of your registration fee. kinSHIFT are now publicizing dates for later in 2022 and 2023. Use the code SHIFT50 to receive the 50% off price adjustment.

Why are there red dresses hanging outside of the church?

Amplify The Truth & Reconciliation Team of Weird Church Cumberland

In honour of MMIWG. You are never forgotten. No more stolen brothers and sisters.

Amplify this sticker template from Bevery Brown, PMRC Indigenous Ministry Council Member

"May we learn this path in our Christ-centred way to bring us into that realm of reconciliation. Amen."

Amplify Urban Indigenous Circle offering a Red Dress Day 2022 reflection, from Gloria Snow and Tony Snow, members of the Stoney Nakoda First Nation. Tony Snow is the Indigenous Minister for the Chinook Winds Region supporting the work of reconciliation and right relations in United Churches across southern Alberta. He also works to promote intercultural understanding from an Indigenous theological perspective.

 

settler words

I’m driving along highway 4, leaving Port Alberni.

It’s been a day of hearing stories – stories of pain, of trauma, of violence that still effects the Indigenous communities and individuals who attended The United Church of Canada’s Alberni Indian Residential School, or “AIRS”, as the survivors call it.

My heart is heavy.

As tempted as I am to share those stores – to shock us out of our settler complacency - I won’t repeat them. They’re not mine to tell. But I do know that if they affect me in the way that they do, I can’t even begin to imagine what it would have been to have experienced them, to have witnessed them – either firsthand, or to have felt their impacts intergenerationally.

As I drive home - out of the corner of my eye there is a flash of red.

A small dress - it would fit my pre-teen daughter - is hanging in the branches on the side of the highway. It’s a simple witness of resistance against the ongoing culture of violence – a culture that the Canadian Government and the churches conspired to set up against Indigenous Nations; and which was, and which is felt most acutely in the lives of women and girls in those communities.

Physical violence. Sexual violence. Emotional violence. Spiritual violence. Missing. Raped. Murdered. Women. Girls. Precious lives violated; marked by a quick flash of red amidst the lush green of the rainforest trees.

And, perhaps it would be easy enough to forget, to put aside, as I head back home – if I hadn’t just heard those stories of trauma. It would be easier if I didn’t have to horrifically imagine my own daughter being that much more prone to that violence if she was Indigenous or Metis.

And so, I don’t have any answers. Just more and more questions.

Like - what would it mean for every United Church in the region to have a red dress hanging outside our doors – year round - to not let us conveniently forget what we did in Jesus name?

More importantly, what would it mean for settlers, like myself, to concretely take on the work which challenges the ongoing colonial violence, perpetuated against Indigenous communities, and even more so against women and girls?

Would I work that much harder if it were my own daughter, sister, mother, grandmother?

Just questions.

Provoked by some stories - and a quick flash of red on the side of the highway.

— Rob