Orbiting the Calgary Conference Site - Satellite Hub Locations Are Locked In For Bold Witness, Relentless Grace!

It’s almost here —

Three days in the company of visionary leaders, finding friends new and old, being challenged and encouraged, and celebrating Christian faith in community. For the Seeker, the Wanderer, the Questioner, Bold Witness, Relentless Grace invites you to dive deeply into what boldly living Christian faith with grace can mean — and for those who can’t make it to Calgary, attending one of the Satellite Conference Locations may work for you!

Oooh, Watch Party!

LeaderSHIFT is supporting the Satellite Conferences to live-stream the entire BOLD WITNESS, RELENTLESS GRACE event to in-person gatherings outside of Southern Alberta! Imagine a book study, pub theology, or congregational pot luck — our Satellite Conferences gather folks in person to break bread, share time and story, and engage Christian practices while attending Bold Witness, Relentless Grace together.

The Satellite Conference Experience

• Hosted by communities of faith in church-spaces, by individuals in their living room, and all possibilities in between

• LIVE-STREAMS Calgary conference hours (Mountain Time) to your in-person party

• Fuels powerful reflection and connections with the conference theme

• Captures the energy and inspiration radiating from the Symons Valley stage

• Good fun, in the good company of other Seekers, Wanderers and Questioners!

Bold Leadership

Dr. Monetta Bailey, Rev. Tony Snow, Rev. Jake Van Pernis, and Keith Murray are joining Sarah Bessey on the BWRG stage. They bring Christian insights, experiences, practices of Truth and Reconciliation, calls for equity, justice and healing, and deep, deep appreciation for Jesus’ way in the world. Accompanying our presenters and participants in Worship & Song are Symons Valley United’s Lead Minister, Rev. Vicki McPhee, ‘The Naked Faith Band’ member and musician, Andrew Nicholson, and Symons Valley United Minister of Music, Donna Williams.

BOLD WITNESS, RELENTLESS GRACE is Sarah Bessey’s first in-person event in 3 years give or take pandemic limitations and life’s realities. You may not yet know of Sarah Bessey’s home-based ministry, or the authentic ways she lives her call and faithfulness, or the low-pressure way that ancient-Christian practices ever-accompany her in life’s stuff: this is her site

An inspiring, late-autumn conference —

Enjoy Keynote and Panelist presentations balanced with scheduled breaks, a longer lunch for discussion or reflection opportunities. Celebrate. Pray. Sing. Lament. Give Thanks. Sunday Worship with Symons Valley United: SARAH BESSEY, preaching; REV. VICKI McPHEE, presiding.

Dreamt into being and planned by Symons Valley United Church clergy, staff and team of volunteers. Sponsored by LeaderSHIFT who exist to support church leaders in managing change and leading faithfully through challenge. Supported by the Chinook Winds Regional Council. Attended by YOU. Let us know how to help you attend.

Blessings,

LeaderSHIFT

Friday may be a day of preparation – what are your preparing for?

The Latest 

May 20, 2022 

Good Friday all, 

Friday may be a day of preparation – what are your preparing for? 

Perhaps the start of outdoor season, a long weekend for bringing out the patio furniture and getting the tender tomatoes into the ground - 

Perhaps the anniversary on Monday of the confirmation of hundreds of indigenous children died and were buried without ceremony and without family at residential school across the country -   

Perhaps it is a combination of all these things.  Whatever it holds, may it truly prepare you and yours for what is emerging and true in community, in family, in faith.  

LeaderSHIFT has been preparing for the fall and return to in-person opportunities.  We are watching, and listening, and praying into what we can uniquely offer in the Chinook Winds, and the Pacific Mountain Regions as faithful leaders yearn to align themselves with Spirit’s intentions.   

We hear you wonder about articulating a bold public witness and theology.  We hear you give language to a vision of God’s kindom that animates and enlivens our mission and lifts us out of busy work and into faithful service and worship.  And we hear you wonder, have we lost a capacity to be swept into the Holy Spirit’s movement in and through the world? And in and through our churches? Come, Holy Spirit, Come.   

If you live in Chinook Winds region you are blessed to have the chance to bring all these wonderings and yearnings and hopes to Bold Witness, Relentless Grace in person!  Sarah Bessey together with a slate of diverse and thoughtful theme leaders will help and challenge us to engage and live the faith we profess.  This conference, offered and hosted by the Symons Valley United Church team, will be such a wonderful opportunity for connection, coffee, food trucks, conversation and prayer, song and thinking together.  If you are in the Pacific Mountain region…check out the satellite option for groups.   

We are preparing retreat for you clergy who are needing a refresh and a deep reset: Total Clergy Wellbeing at Naramata Centre.   

We are preparing an event for those of you being nudged by God to consider a vocation in leadership.   

We are preparing a deep learning for congregations with part time clergy – to embrace the model as a pathway to abundance instead of a confirmation of decline. 

We are ruminating on ongoing mental health, and faith formation, and learning about integrating virtual and in-person ministry. 

And we await what will happen as councils both regional and general continue to meet and discern together the next faithful steps for our denomination.  Watch.  The Spirit could show up too.   

Faithfully,

Allison   

SARAH BESSEY? Yeah, I'm fan-girling out JUST A BIT

LeaderShift friends - best news

Because I get to work with LeaderShift, last week I was tasked to join forces with Brad - communications, and the conference planning team member over at Symons Valley United Church (Calgary/Niitsitapi/Treaty 7/Metis Nation of AB Region 3) - to work on promo images for …. A UNITED CHURCH CONFERENCE WHERE SARAH BESSEY IS THE SPEAKER. I can’t even.

If you don’t know about Canadian-born and prairie-living Sarah Bessey, I suggest you click over here STAT, and soak up all the ways Sarah that connects and inspires from a place of deep gratitude, intention and active faith.

And then block out the weekend of November 4-6, 2022, get planning your C-Town pilgrimage.

Many more details are to come (plus a developing an option for online watch parties - but still, we aim to fill the venue) . Here’s what the team has so far. Pass it on.

Warmly,

Tressa Brotsky
LeaderShift Communications