Join us for insightful discussions and engaging presentations in an ecumenical setting. This event is a great opportunity to connect with church leaders and strengthen your sense of how to make church relevant in 2024. Don't miss out on this enriching experience!
Theme Speakers
The Rt. Rev. Bruce Meyers
Anglican Bishop of QuebecThe Rev. Murray Pruden
Executive Minister, Indigenous Ministries and Justice
The United Church of Canada
Workshop Leaders
Greg Smith-Young
Lynn Gardiner
Mitchell Anderson
Paul Sales
Student Discount
Theology Students are welcome to join our livestream at half price. Please enter Voucher Code STUDENT when you check out!
Conference Presenters and Topics
The Rt. Rev. Bruce Meyers
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby once observed that, “Ecumenism is not an extra that one can fit in because it’s an interesting occupation. It is the oxygen of mission and evangelism.” However, sometimes it might seem like the air of Christian unity has gotten a bit stale since the ecumenical movement’s heyday in the twentieth century. Can we pry open the church’s doors and windows and get a fresh, oxygen-rich ecumenical breeze going again? Bishop Bruce Myers will try—offering biblical and theological underpinnings, anecdotes from the church’s life and work, and practical ecumenical suggestions that can be applied right now.
Born and raised in the Ottawa Valley, Bruce Myers has been the Anglican bishop of Quebec since 2017. Before that he served as the Anglican Church of Canada’s coordinator for ecumenical and interfaith relations, and before that in congregational ministry in rural and urban contexts. Before his ordination he was a broadcast journalist.
The Rev. Murray Pruden
Executive Minister, Indigenous Ministries and Justice
The United Church of Canada
Workshop Leaders
The Rev. Greg Smith-Young
“Strengthen Invitation: The United Church’s Growth Plan”
What is the United Church’s growth initiative about? What might growth look like? How can we humbly and confidently share our faith, inviting our neighbours into the life of Christ? What might renewed and new communities of faith look like? Let’s explore together what this can mean for you and your congregation.
Greg Smith-Young is a Growth Animator serving regions in southwest Ontario. He lives in Elora Ontario.
The Rev. Lynn Gardiner
“Where everyone knows your name: Reclaiming the local congregation as a third place in the community”
Third place theory (Oldenburg, 1989) is a concept that describes places where people spend time between home and work where they can relax, socialize and build relationships. The purpose of this workshop is to explore ways in order to reclaim the local congregation as a third place in the community.
Lynne Gardiner is a deeply committed rural Ordained Minister, Called to Bethel United Church in Rideau Ferry, Ontario.
The Rev. Mitchell Anderson
“A Culture of Growth”
While many theories of church growth talk about what you should do to reach new people, St. Paul's United Church’s experience teaches that it is just as important why and how you pursue growth. Built on decades of innovation and experimentation, God has blessed St. Paul's with rapid growth through a culture that emphasizes mission results not membership privilege, an appetite for risk, and governance and culture that enable agility.
Mitchell Anderson has been lead minister at St. Paul's United Church in Saskatoon since 2020, during which time God has blessed the congregation with transformational growth. He also serves on the Executive of the General Council and as a trustee of the United Church pension plan. Outside of the church, Mitchell uses his MBA to work at the intersection of finance and social impact in governing and advising organizations working for change.
Paul Sales
"Then Let Us SING! / Ensemble, chantons! — Exploring Its Theo-Ethical Framework"
This fall, The United Church of Canada is launching its new digital music and worship resource, Then Let Us SING! / Ensemble, chantons!, which includes nearly 200 new hymns and songs along with most hymns from our current hymnals. At the outset of the project, a Theo-Ethical Framework was developed to guide the selection process. Come and sing with me as we discuss, through the lens of the Framework, the “whys” behind the selection of several of the new songs.
Paul Sales is a member of the Editorial Board and Marketing & Animation Sub-Committee of Then Let Us Sing!/Ensemble, chantons!—the United Church’s new digital music resource—and a former Music Editor of Gathering magazine.