Dear Friends,
We have 8 confirmed workshops on offer for in-person GM participants, one-day only: Friday June 2, from 2-3pm! What is God calling you to? Sign Up Sheets will be on a wall or table in the plenary (meeting) space for you to write your name on the workshop of your choice. Here is a brief overview of the offerings.
For those attending Online, Michelle will invite you into Coffee & Conversation, and/ or share a guided mindfulness walk resource for you to stretch your lungs during this hour long workshop block!
More will be shared during the General Meeting.
Workshops!
2-3pm Friday, June 2, 2023
Enjoy,
GM2023 Worship & Theme Team
Tree Time with Ingrid Brown, All Ages
- Let’s move our bodies and breathe with the trees! This all-ages time of outdoor connection with God’s glorious Creation is a chance to step outside to re-ground, re-charge, and re-member our place in the beautiful web of Love that holds all things.
Triennial Community of Faith Self-Assessments, with Kathy Davies
- As part of the Covenant between Communities of Faith and the PMRC, Communities of Faith are asked to do regular self-assessments of their ministry and send their assessments report to the Regional Council. Each Community of Faith receives the assessment questionnaire on a three year rotation. The hope is that the self-assessment process is an opportunity for a regular and intentional self-reflection and assessment of ministry and the life of your community of faith. The responses also assist the PMRC in identifying trends and patterns so that we can build better supports and provide a method of communication with PMRC and the Community of Faith Council about your ministry, what’s working, what’s challenging, and what supports would be helpful. If you want to learn more about this process, how to complete an assessment and what differences these assessments have made in developing regional supports. Join Kathy Davies, regional minister, for a 45 minute conversation. Bring your questions and your ideas.
Spiritual Practices for Engaging Your Community Context, with Gail Miller
- How do we discern our community context? How do we even begin to understand the neighbourhood outside our doors? There are many models and resources for doing so. In this 45 minutes session you will learn a few simple yet powerful spiritual practices that members of your community of faith can use to look at your community context, to begin to watch for where and how the Spirit is moving, to begin to listen to the narrative of your neighborhood. These are practices of listening, watching, and praying as a way to allow the Spirit to prepare us for connection and engagement.
Needle Felting!, with Cathy Cryder, All Ages, Group Size Limit of 12!
- Spend time creating something beautiful: a bookmark, a mug warmer, or a small decoration. You will be provided with all the materials needed to make one of these projects (including Band-Aids). Needle felting involves the use of all the senses (except taste-unless you are feeling adventurous) in a meditative, creative process of “making”.
Campus United: Outreach to a New Generation, with Daniel Martin
- The college and university years for young people are full of new experiences, out of the comfort zone moments, and deep searching for purpose and meaning. Campus United (PMRC Campus Ministry) has been evolving and growing to become this space for Gen Z. Come hear about what temporary faith community looks like, how we’re connecting with students who have never heard of the United Church, and what faithful public witness looks like in a new era.
Understanding and Communicating with GenZ, with Pamela Evans
- Younger generations can cause us anxiety as church leaders – how do we build relationships with them? Why isn’t what we’re doing working? Are there ways we can reach them to tell them about Jesus? Come hear recent research about GenZ (born 2000-2020), their thoughts on mental health and the world then how it affects our ministry with them.
Harm Reduction as Holy, with Thea Sheriden
- What does it mean for a community of faith to be a safer space? How do we live into our call to love our neighbours, all our neighbours, through supporting harm reduction and providing resources for safer use. Harm reduction is a principle rooted in dignity, affirming the dignity of all people especially people who use drugs. The criminalization and prohibition of certain drugs for certain people in Canada have caused the poisoned drug supply and accidental drug poisoning (or overdose) crisis that we have been in since 2016 when it was announced and prior. This workshop will give an overview of the crisis, relating to our context in British Columbia, give a deeper understanding of legislation like decriminalization while emphasizing the roles of our communities of faith: the practical ways to support harm reduction, supplies to have in your space, where to learn more, and how this work is rooted in our justice-seeking faith. Harm reduction is life-saving work that each of our communities is invited into and called to take on, this workshop aims to give you a place to start.
Open Space, with Rhian Walker & Mary Nichols
- Have a burning topic that you want to gather around? This is the place where the agenda is shaped by you! Reflecting on the framing question-“What are the living stones that you are seeing in your church/community or the world?” Or, phrased another way: “What is the new life that is emerging in your church/community?”, get your topic idea to Rhian or Mary or onto the flip charts in the plenary ahead of Saturday. Then see who flocks to your session and let great ideas take root!
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