With All-the-Way from Whitehorse Guest Preacher: Rev. Beverly Brazier (photo and bio to come),
The Queen of Funk: Dawn Pemberton
Leaning-Into-the-Hard-Places Worship Leader: Rev. Wade Lifton,
Musical Activists and Educators: Chris Giffen and Josh McHan,
Keynote Speaker: Alice Mann – leading consultant, educator and author in the field of congregational development,
and On-the-Ground United Church Leaders from our very own communities of faith and ministries, sharing from experienced and learned ministry in small and medium-sized congregations just like yours…
The LeaderShift team and host congregations of Kamloops and Mount Paul United Churches are excited to welcome you to the Thompson-Okanagan this October!
Holy Shift! Size-mic Upgrade Conference Registration is Open!
Leader Bios
ALICE MANN
Alice is a leading consultant, educator, and author in the field of congregational development, with emphasis on creating new pathways for small and struggling churches; breaking through size plateaus; defining judicatory roles in growth and revitalization; and helping church leaders to discern and care for the “soul” of their local communities. Alice draws insight from two decades of pastoral experience, nineteen years as an Alban Institute consultant, and twelve years of intensive volunteer leadership in her local community. She engages large and small groups in practical learning and candid conversation about the choices church leaders face today. CongregationalConsulting.org
DAWN PEMBERTON
Vibrant, genuine and soulful, Dawn has deep musical roots that take her powerful voice from gospel and soul to jazz, funk and world music. She has become a staple of the Vancouver music scene and can often be found tearin’ it up as a vocalist, pianist, teacher, adjudicator, choir director and “go to girl” for live performances and studio sessions. She currently spends her time touring with her own original music project as well as with Canadian blues juggernaut,The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer. Dawn has toured extensively throughout Canada and Europe and has performed with musical greats such as Betty Levette, John Boutte, Kenny Werner, Kurt Elling, Nick Jonas, Toni Braxton, Robert Randolph &The Family Band, Randy Bachman and has opened for musical heavyweights Maceo Parker and St. Paul & The Broken Bones. Dawn is the founder and Artistic Director of Roots ‘N’ Wings Women’s Choir and teaches masterclasses and workshops all over North America. Her debut solo album, Say Somethin’, released on DoRight! Music won Best Urban Recording at the 2015 Western Canadian Music Awards and has received praise from around the globe forecasting her as “…the new queen of Canadian soul.” A passionate educator and performer, Dawn approaches music with a sense of adventure, quirkiness, and serious groove and shapes it into her own unique and dynamic package. Tight, expressive and bold, Dawn will hit you where it counts, funk you up and make you say “Go ‘head!”. DawnPemberton.ca
CHRIS GIFFEN
A composer, performer, music therapist and somatic counsellor, Chris has a private practice in which he integrates voice work, embodiment and spirituality with healing. From the late 90’s on, Chris’ musical and liturgical passion was expressed by a long and involved commitment to reshaping music ministry in The United Church of Canada. For over a decade, he played with the nationally cherished music ensemble, rEvolve, at all levels of the church, and almost every summer at Naramata since 2003. Chris worked as a youth and music minister at the congregational level, writing and directing two youth musical theatre productions and founding an intergenerational music ministry ensemble. For Chris, songwriting is multifaceted – foremost a personal spiritual practice, from which he writes and improvises songs expressly for communities to sing to them. Since 2010 Chris has studied with Buddhist scholar and systems theorist Joanna Macy, and assisted her in facilitating the ‘Work that Reconnects’, most often as a musical animator for her transformational ecological work. rEvolve bandmate, Gord Oaks Jr. followed a call to Buddhist Monasticism, evolving Chris and Josh McHan (rEvolve bassist, and best friend) to write and share music as a duo, lead communities together in song and cook up new recording projects. Chris is located in Bellingham WA, where he loves to sing with his partner Clara and improvise lullabies for their 2 year old. BodyVoicePsyche.net
JOSH MCHAN
A graduate of the McGill Jazz Performance program in Montreal, Josh now makes his home in Edmonton where he is a regular feature on the jazz scene. Josh has performed with a number of high-profile jazz artists including Tommy Banks, Brad Turner, Mike Murley, Kevin Turcotte and Mike Rudd. He is a member of several groups including The Writers’ Guild and A/B Trio, both of which have had albums nominated for Western Canadian Music Awards for Jazz Recording of the Year. Josh has performed numerous times as a guest with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra for their pops series, and is in high demand as a sideman for singer/songwriters in the folk and pop genres, performing both live and in the studio. In 2013, he received his Masters of Music degree in classical performance from the University of Alberta. Currently, Josh works as an adjunct professor at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta.
REV. WADE LIFTON
Raised and rooted in British Columbia, Wade is a playful and contemplative leader who wonders about how we stay gentle and courageous in all that life brings. He has dabbled in theatre making, international development, and pig farming, while primarily working with people of all ages in church, camp, and retreat settings. Wade lives in a cohousing community in Vancouver and is a spiritual health practitioner at a hospice and complex care centre.
HOLY SHIFT! SIZE-MIC UPGRADE
October 4-6, 2019
You can help us prepare this conference with confidence by registering yourself now. Coming with a group but those details aren’t settled yet? Brenda Wolff, LeaderShift’s administrative staff, is available to make group rate adjustments as your group forms.
