A Weekend Retreat for Boards/Councils & Their Ministry Personnel - in Kelowna, BC

Come and be encouraged, empowered and equipped for your lay leadership, in your community of faith!

 
 

Friday, April 4 - Sunday, April 6, 2025

Central Okanagan United Church, Kelowna, BC

In-Person Only

Join Pacific Mountain Regional Ministers for workshops on recruitment, emerging models of congregational governance, best practices, Manual roles and responsibilities and more. Come gain some knowledge and skills, build relationships with other lay leaders, and reconnect to why you care about and give your time, energy and commitment to your community of faith!

Click to Register

Weekend Retreat Overview

Friday, April 4:

7:00 - 9:00pm: Worship, Community Building, Reflection

Saturday, April 5:

9:00 - 10:00am: Worship & Reflection

10:00am - 12:30pm: Morning Workshops A, B, or C (choose 1):

  • A key aspect of strategic ministry planning is knowing your context and your neighbourhood. In this workshop we will look at what data is available to your community of faith from the Canadian Census and Environics PRIZM Analysis. We’ll talk about how to access it, how to use it in your planning as well as other tools you can use to learn about your neighbourhood. with Kathy Davies

  • Did you know that there are three mandatory positions on a church board?  Ever wonder what these roles do (or are responsible for)? Great! Let's discuss what these positions can look like from the traditional to the innovative. with Shauna Getz

  • Start to unlock the power of a purpose-driven board to lead with vision and impact! In this workshop, church leaders will explore how to align ministry goals with strategic planning, ensuring that every decision supports your congregation’s purpose and call. Through practical exercises and real-world examples, you will learn how to integrate ministry planning into board operations, creating a roadmap for success that balances faith and effective governance. Whether you're seeking to refine your current practices or implement new strategies, this session will equip you with the tools to guide your church's future with purpose and intention.

    with Victoria Andrews

12:30 - 2:00pm: Lunch (provided) and Break

2:00 - 4:15pm: Afternoon Workshops D, E, or F (choose 1):

  • How do you move from Discussion to Decision? Learn about various decision-making models and how they might serve your governing body and community of faith. We’ll discuss the UCC Manual outline for decision making, Bourinot’s Rules (Canadian Parliamentary Rules), as well as alterative models such as Consensus decision-making and hybrid models. with Kathy Davies

  • Have you ever wondered: How do you recruit new board members when people lead busy lives and have limited time? What happens when a board member resigns? How do you succession plan to maintain board membership?  These are some of the questions we will discuss in this session, to prepare you to leave with tools to support board recruitment., with Shauna Getz

  • Church governance is not one-size-fits-all. This session will open the discovery of various types of boards and alternative structures that can help your congregation thrive. Learn about the key responsibilities of governing bodies, including legal obligations, accountability to the wider church, and regional oversight. This workshop will also delve into the legal responsibilities that come with leadership, providing clear guidance on how to ensure your church operates within its legal and ethical frameworks. Ideal for church leaders looking to deepen their understanding of governance structures, this session will help you shape a board that works best for your community’s unique needs. with Victoria Andrews

4:15 - 5:00pm: What Next?

Sunday, April 6:

10:00am Sunday morning worship together!

This Weekend Retreat Is About:

  • Being together in person, for lay leaders who are missing presbytery and that experience of community

  • Creating and rebuilding relationships with other lay leaders in your community of faith and nearby areas

  • Great worship and singing

  • Being reminded of why we offer our gifts to the church as a form of discipleship, of why we love our communities of faith and want to see them flourish

Workshop Leadership

Kathy Davies

Regional Minister, Pastoral Relations & Community of Faith Support (Pacific Mountain Regional Council)

Kathy is a settler living on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded tm̓xʷúlaʔxʷ (land) of the Syilx / Okanagan people in the village of Naramata (Southern Okanagan). As one of your Regional Ministers, she is dedicated to supporting vibrant communities of faith and health pastoral relationships across the Southern Interior of British Columbia, which encompasses the diverse regions of Okanagan, Kamloops, Shuswap, Columbia, and Kootenays. She has a particular interest in guiding group process and supporting communities of faith as they plan for the future - fostering ministry innovation, rejuvenation, and organizational restructuring, empowering communities of faith and ministers to thrive.

  • Leading workshops A. Who is in your neighborhood, and D. Decision Making Practices

Shauna Getz

Regional Minister, Pastoral Relations & Community of Faith Support (Pacific Mountain Regional Council)

Shauna is a newcomer to British Columbia. Still relatively new to the Regional Minister role, she is discovering a passion for supporting the relationships of Communities of Faith and ministers. Finding new and innovative ways for the church to function in today’s world.  Shauna supports the Communities of Faith of the Lower Mainland - West and continues to meet and build relationship in this area.

  • Leading workshops B. Board roles and responsibilities, and E. Recruitment and Orientation to the board

Rev. Victoria Andrews

Regional Minister, Pastoral Relations & Community of Faith Support (Pacific Mountain Regional Council)

Rev. Victoria M. Andrews has dedicated nearly two decades to church ministry and governance. A graduate of Queen’s Theological School, she has served in five conferences across the church, including ten years with PMRC. Her work supporting and resourcing non-profit boards reflects her passion for creating church systems that align with ministry goals to foster healthy, resilient communities. Victoria brings a uniquely enthusiastic and knowledgeable approach to governance. A proud Newfoundlander and governance enthusiast, she draws on her Modern Board and BoardSource Governance Consultant certifications, as well as governance and policy training at Carleton and Mount Royal universities, to support the work of many congregations, PMRC, and the UCC. She enjoys collaborating with church leaders to strategically integrate ministry and governance, building purpose-driven congregations equipped to thrive over the long-term.

  • Leading workshops C. Purpose driven boards, and F. Types of boards and alternative structures

Worship Leadership

Rev. Maggie Enwright

Maggie is a well-seasoned congregational minister, serving communities of faith in the Lower Mainland of BC, on Vancouver Island, and in Pearl Lagoon, Nicaragua. She currently serves as the Acting Regional Minister for churches on Vancouver Island, the islands and the Sunshine Coast.


rev. scott reynolds

Scott Reynolds 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.

Investment & Hospitality

Online Registration

  • This is a free offering. Advance registration is required

Registration Closes Friday March 21, 2025.

Meals

  • Saturday Lunch and refreshments are included.

Accommodation

  • Accommodation is not included.

  • We have reserved a room block at the Accent Inns Kelowna: 25 rooms with 2 queen beds @ $149 plus tax (single/double occupancy) including breakfast (extra persons are $15)

  • Group ID 8486126, Release date: March 4

  • For individual reservations:

    By phone: 1-800-663-0298 and quote GROUP ID 8486126 “United Church”

    Online: to reserve your room online click here for reservations

    All rooms must be reserved prior to March 4. There is a 2 night minimum stay. Individuals can cancel up to 72 hours prior to arrival.

Click to Register

In Partnership

with Pacific Mountain Regional Council’s Regional Ministers for Pastoral Relations & Community of Faith Support

Weekend Retreat for Boards/Councils & Their Ministry Personnel

Friday, April 4 - Sunday, April 6, 2025. Central Okanagan United Church, Kelowna BC. Click to Register. Please see our Contact page to email or call Registration Support, and to reach the LeaderSHIFT team.

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