As Jesus followers, we want to do good and make a difference, especially as it relates to working towards Truth & Reconciliation with Indigenous people. Have you ever experienced that sometimes our intentions to do good haven't always translated into the positive impact or changes we intend?

Through this 4-week series with MCC, we'll unpack what may hinder us from contributing to lasting peace and justice. We’ll examine examples and case studies in approaching the good we intend in our truth & reconciliation efforts to reveal our core assumptions, values and biases toward how transformative change should and does happen.

The goal of this series is to grow curiosity and awareness about how we are approaching truth & reconciliation efforts so that we can all do good…better and be walking a path towards accompanying Indigenous people in Truth & Reconciliation.

Learning Centre sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person

Week 1 (April 4)

Introduction to our 4 weeks together and what’s needed in order to move from reactionary towards transformative responses. Introduction to using the Asset Based Quadrant Model as a tool to move towards transformative responses. Stories and case studies on the “TO” mode of change.

Week 2 (April 11)

Deeper Dive on the “FOR” mode of change with a story and case study.

Week 3 (April 18)

Deeper Dive on the “WITH” mode of change with a story and case study.

Week 4 (April 25)

Deeper Dive on the “BY” mode of change with a story and case study.

Presenters

Whenever the church has aligned itself with worldly, coercive power, it ends up on the wrong side of important justice issues. But when the church cooperates with God's power through his presence among the least powerful, its witness for Jesus transforms the world and the church into a better place.

Join us for a 4-week book study starting in March with David Fitch and his new book “Reckoning with Power: Why the Church Fails when it’s on the wrong side of Power”

Fitch has worked carefully to create space to have a much-needed conversation around power systems at work in the church today and the well-documented abuses in Christian leadership. The church in Canada is not immune to this. This book offers theological scholarship, ecclesiological critique, and a hopeful path forward for those who desire to follow in the way of Jesus and lead with Godly power. 

New Leaf desires to be a place that catalyzes essential conversations for the church in Canada. Come ready to wrestle with this book together with like-minded leaders. 

From the publisher’s description:

In Reckoning with Power, David Fitch unpacks the difference between worldly power, or power over others, and God's power, which engages not in coercion but in love, reconciliation, grace, forgiveness, and healing.

In a world where we can see the abuses of power everywhere--in our homes, schools, governments, and churches--Fitch teaches readers how to discern power and avoid its abuses and traumas. By learning from the church's historical pitfalls, Fitch empowers Christians to relinquish worldly power and make space for God to disrupt and transform our culture for his kingdom.

Learning Centre sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person

Schedule

Week One: Introduction, Chapters 1 and 2

Week Two: Chapters 3 and 4

Week three: Chapters 5 and 6

Week Four: Reflections and Q&R live with Fitch

Facilitators

TBA

Register

There are two options to access the New Leaf Learning Centre: a monthly subscription or a one-session pass (below). For the monthly subscription, please visit here.

From the early days of Christianity, theology has been in dialogue with other areas of human knowledge as we seek to understand complex truths about God, the universe, and humanity. For most of history, philosophy was theology's primary dialogue partner; over the last century, social and neurosciences have replaced philosophy in the western world as the dominant way to understand human experience.

Join us for this Learning Centre series sessions exploring why and how we might integrate insights from social and neurosciences into our Christian reflection and ministry leadership. 

In the first week we'll look at human bodies, emotions, and how we form bonds with one another. In the second week we'll look at the systems and structures within which we live and function, and explore how power might function to create driving individuals communities ecologies.

Learning Centre sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person

Presenter

Register

There are two options to access the New Leaf Learning Centre: a monthly subscription or a one-session pass (below). For the monthly subscription, please visit here.

In the shifting context of the Canadian church, how do we talk about Evangelism? In this two session mini series we’ll look at some tools that will help gauge congregational gospel readiness and help local churches start vital conversations about faith sharing in its local context.

Join Jared Siebert, gifted evangelist, and church planter with years of experience coaching church plants as he wrestles with new ways to imagine sharing the Good News. 

Learning Centre sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person

Schedule

Week One - February 1st

Week Two - February 8th

Presenter

Register

There are two options to access the New Leaf Learning Centre: a monthly subscription or a one-session pass (below). For the monthly subscription, please visit here.

Join us in the Learning Centre starting January 11th, for a Book Club featuring the newest book published by New Leaf Press! Jon Coutts (Author and Editor), Heather Renée Morgan (Author and Editor) and Cynthia Tam (author) will be joining us to share about the overall project, their personal writing and reflections and the way in which they wrestled out our faith together with respect, love, thoughtfulness and grace.

Through a collection of essays and responses, Looking Back, Leaning Forward explores the context of a Canadian church by wrestling with the past story in light of the current realities. These academic essays offer a beautiful blend of practical and academic thinking, many written by those who are pastoring local churches. Though this book offers challenge and hope to those who find themselves in the Christian and Missionsiooary Alliance, these writings offer gifts to anyone engaged in ministry in Canada. Contributions to this book were made by Ray Aldred, Cynthia Tam, Jon Coutts, Heather Morgan, Joanne Beach, Ric Strangway, and many others, with an afterword by David Fitch.

“Canada, an increasingly secularized country in the West, is a field of mission. The writers of this book are extending the fourfold gospel of the Christian and Missionary Alliance into the changing contexts of Canada – and by so doing, they help us all discern how we might do similar work. I believe God has been at work in the Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada – the church of my heritage – for over a century. We do not simply leave all of that behind. We bring it forward into dialogue with the many challenges that the current cultures present. We take these distinctives that have shaped our lives and we extend them: We listen to the challenges of our cultures, and in an act of dialogue we seek to faithfully extend, deepen, and translate these beliefs in a way that expands them into the places we find ourselves.”

David Fitch, author of Faithful Presence, B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary.

Learning Centre sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person

Schedule

Week One - January 11th with Jon Coutts

Week Two - January 18th with Heather Morgan

Week Three - January 25th with Cynthia Tam

Presenters

Register

There are two options to access the New Leaf Learning Centre: a monthly subscription or a one-session pass (below). For the monthly subscription, please visit here.

During the Advent season, the church waits in anxious expectation for the coming Messiah. But Advent and the Christmas season can often feel overwhelming, bust and rushed. We want to offer you a gift in this season - the gift of a slowed-down place (at least for an hour or so).

Carve out time for prayer and silence on Thursday, November 30th and December 7th. Join this Advent Learning Centre space where, together with friends, we'll enter into a time of prayer, silence, and other spiritual practices to center our lives on Jesus. Skilled spiritual directions will offer a mix of ancient and modern prayer practices and postures to slow down and pay attention to the ways in which the Spirit is speaking. Come be refreshed - come and "be".

Learning Centre sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person

Week 1 (Nov 30) - with Jonathan Puddle

Week 2 (Dec 7) - with Vania Levans

The human experience includes sexuality, so in an effort to encourage holistic wellness, we are opening up space for a positive conversation about the goodness of sexuality during our Learning Centre. The largely silent approach to sexuality is not serving this topic well. We will talk honestly about how sexuality is dysfunctional in our churches and wrestle together with better ways to engage our whole being including sexuality.

Learning Centre sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person

Week 1 (Oct 26) - Let’s talk about purity culture with Val Hiebert

In this session, we will wrestle with the phenomenon of Purity Culture. Sociologist, Val Hiebert, will share the description of purity culture and the impact it is having on our churches. With the help of pop culture such as books, instructional videos, rings and event Purity Balls, purity culture has impacted the sexual understanding of a generation or more. We will open the conversation to wrestle with this influence.

Week 2 (Nov 2) - Let’s talk about porn with Val Hiebert

In this session, we wrestle with the ubiquitous presence of pornography in our culture and our churches. Taking a sociological approach to porn, Val Hiebert shares the realities of porn in society, including within the church. We will open up the conversation about the impact of porn on our whole beings.

Week 3 (Nov 9) -Let’s talk about the positive with Leah Perrault

In addition to the dysfunctions about sexuality that exist in our culture and churches, there is a significant impact from the silence about the positive experiences of sex. Author and speaker, Leah Perrault, will approach whole-person sexuality from the perspective that our sexuality is part of our spiritual formation. To say it another way, our sex lives lead us toward holiness.

Week 4 (Nov 16) - Let’s talk about patriarchy with Jared Siebert

Patriarchy’s toxic effect on the sexuality of women is well documented. Women are decades deep into this work of liberation. Sometimes overlooked is the work that men have been doing as they work to set themselves free themselves as well. In this conversation we will be taking a second look at the ways patriarchy deforms male sexuality and the good news that can be found in walking toward whole-person sexuality and holiness.

Week 5 (Nov 23) - Questions and Wrestling

After these conversations about whole-person sexuality, we want to open up the floor to the wrestling the community has been doing. Through the opportunity for anonymous questions and honest conversation, we will wrestle with real-life questions about how sexuality can be part of a healthy embodied experience.

Presenters

Join the Learning Centre for a 5-week series exploring how our own stories, both ancestral and present day, offer meaningful answers to the question many settler and white people ask when thinking about addressing systemic racism; "What is the work that I am to do?" 

This multi-modal facilitated group experience will incorporate psychoeducation, a theology of shalom, somatic exercises, ancestral family history and reflection exercises to disciple our way into healing and solidarity. 

Using materials as inspiration from Elaine Enns & Ched Meyers’ book Healing Haunted Histories, we will take a look at the storylines we walk with, the stories we walked from and in the present day and the stories that inspire and sustain us. If you are able to read this book beforehand or during, it will certainly deepen your engagement with the material but is not a pre-requisite. 

Week 1 (Sept 7) - Introduction

As a group we will familiarize ourselves with somatic tools, basic psychoeducation, and theological underpinnings to engage in cross-cultural solidarity and a discipleship of decolonization.

Week 2 (Sept 14) - Engage

We engage our senses and our understanding of your ancestral and Christian faith history within the larger story of race in Canada. We will exploring the ghosts and questions that inhabit the geographies in which our ancestors have lived.

Week 3 (Sept 21) - Explore

We will explore our unique stories of being white inherited to us as well as our current favourite false white identities. Using the concept of “Songlines” we will explore the stories that formed us and the new stories we tell ourselves

Week 4 (Sept 28) - Respond

We will engage a Bibliodrama exercise of Mark 10:17-31 through a re-narration of Indigenous Jesus and Powerful Settler Official to form a springboard of brainstorming experiments for restorative solidarity. At the end of this we will ask you to answer the question "How will you engage with the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30th in response to the learnings from this group?"

Week 5 (Oct 5) - Reflect (with Elaine Enns and Ched Myers, authors of Healing Haunted Histories)

In our final session we will be welcoming Elaine Enns and Ched Myers. We’ll make space for supportive storytelling of our learning and engagements on Sept. 30th, as well as next steps of a sustained discipleship path for allyship in cross-cultural relationships and addressing systemic racism in our specific context.

Facilitator

In June, the Learning Centre will be turning our attention to the work of NAIITS an Indigenous Learning Community (formerly the North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies). Their annual symposium opens on June 1st. In the following weeks will we explore in community and with experienced presenters what we are learning and how we can better respect, appreciate, and engage with indigenous heritage and expressions of faith.

Week 1 (June 1) - NAIITS opening evening session

The Learning Centre attendees will be attending the virtual opening session of the 2023 NAIITS Symposium

Week 2 (June 8) - Stewards of land and heritage

View the 2022 Saskatchewan documentary Custodians: A Story of Ancient Echoes. The film tells the story of a small rural community that responds in a unique way to an abundance of Indigenous heritage visible in the surround pastureland. It raises questions of what it means to pay attention to the land, to steward the land, and to work towards respectful relationships even when there are no Indigenous communities in the area.

Week 3 (June 15) - Q & A

A time for Q&A with one (or more) of the key players in the documentary Custodians: A Story of Ancient Echoes

Week 4 (June 22) - Let’s process together

During the session we will process together our experiences at NAIITs and what we have learned from the past few weeks.

Presenters

From outdoor prayer walks to small groups to churches that only meet outside, many Christians in Canada are finding renewal in their faith by heading outdoors. What gifts does getting outside give to us and how can embodied practices and a deep connection to the land revitalize our connection to God? Come and learn from pastors leading outdoor churches, storytellers with new outdoor experiments and spiritual directors using the outdoors and contemplative practice to journey towards loving themselves, others, God, and our world.

Week 1 (May 4) - Get outside and try something new

with Elle Pyke

Why are so many Christians heading outside? How can liturgies and spiritual practices that invite the natural world to participate change the way we see and understand our faith and connection to God? Using the church calendar and the rhythms of the 4 seasons, Elle will share about an experiment she's participating in connecting with the great Creator in the great outdoors! 

Week 2 (May 11) - Take off your shoes, you are standing on holy ground

with Wendy Janzen

Hear the story of the epiphany that led Wendy to start a forest church, and subsequently co-found the Wild Church Network. Forest Church/Wild Church are unique expressions of church, where we worship both in and with all creation. It is not just taking a regular worship service and moving it outdoors - it is engaging with God's imminent presence among us, recognizing we are standing on holy ground, and opening ourselves to ways that creation itself both praises God and reveals God's love, wisdom, and provision. There will be an invitation to get outside if possible for 15 minutes in the middle of our time together, then return for sharing and further conversation.

Week 3 (May 18) - The Kin_dom of God is like...

with Wendy Janzen

Let's join in a conversation about how we can tend our souls and nurture our relationship with Christ, the firstborn of all Creation, through time spent in nature. The Bible is an outdoor book, and Jesus' ministry was an outdoor ministry, and yet we are largely an indoor culture. What have we lost from so much time indoors, and what do we gain from taking spiritual practices outdoors? Wendell Berry has said, "The Bible is best read outdoors, and the further outdoors the better." There will be an invitation to get outside if possible for 15 minutes in the middle of our time together, then return for sharing and further conversation.

Week 4 (May 25) - The whole world speaks of resurrection

with Christa Hesselink

For our last session, longtime friend of the New Leaf Network and Spiritual Director Christa Hessilink will join us to lead a guided contemplative prayer session around the themes of Spring and post-resurrection. Christa will share how she uses the outdoors in her work of Spiritual Direction and coaching with her organization SoutPlay. Come and receive rest and transformation for your soul. 

Presenters

The landscape of the Canadian Church is shifting. What if that is actually a good thing? What if there are opportunities to disrupt unhealthy systems and move toward a future of increasing flourishing for leaders and congregations? 

One tool of disruption is to limit the influence of money on the ministry in Canada. Multivocational ministry allows leaders to earn a living from multiple sources while also having greater freedom to be truth-tellers in those places.

Join us to hear stories of tentmakers in Canada and think about the positive impact on the Canadian Church.

Week 1 (April 13) - Wisdom from old ways for new days

with Lea Wilkening & Amy Bratton

Join Lea and Amy, both from the New Leaf Network and the Canadian Thriving in Multivocational Ministry Project (CTMMP) as they cast a vision for multivocational ministry that contributes to thriving leaders and congregations across Canada.

Week 2 (April 20) - Out-of-the-Box ministry

with Beth Anne Fisher

Join us as we examine how serving in a system that doesn’t fit can impact your well-being. If you find yourself there, how can unconventional ministry set you free to answer the missional and vocational calling on your life.

Week 3 (April 27) - Boots on the Ground

with storytellers: 

• Gabe Wee

• Terence S

• John Vanderstoep

Is this multivocational life sustainable? Can juggling multiple vocations and paycheques contribute to greater thriving and freedom? Hear from those who have been living this life. Gabe Wee is a Pastor at Toronto Life-Spring Christian Fellowship with his wife, Karyne, and also owns several food service businesses. Terence Schilstra is a Missional Community Leader of The Table in downtown Thorold and owns a construction supply company. John Vanderstoep is the Pastor of The Bridge and owns a real estate company. 

Presenters & Storytellers

New Leaf Network has always loved sharing and learning from Canadian-specific data about religion, flourishing congregations, and the Christian faith. We know how important it is to understand Canadians and their perspectives. We're so excited to be sharing with you a first-of-its-kind international research study conducted by Barna to help church leaders understand teenagers around the world, including Canada. Together with World Vision Canada, Alpha and a trusted group of partners, Barna embarked on the largest study in its history to understand teens’ perceptions of and engagement with three crucial elements of the Christian faith: Jesus, the Bible and justice

We want to help you as leaders, pastors, planters, and parents to understand what is on the mind of today's Canadian teenagers.

Join us for a 4-week series in partnership with World Vision Canada, focusing on the latest research from Barna along with practical insights and opportunities to engage with Church Leaders from across Canada. The sessions will also feature commentary from experts and practitioners and the perspectives of teens from across the globe and in Canada. 

Everyone who signs up for this Learning Centre series will receive a copy of the Open Generation Canadian Report and the tools to host The Open Generation Challenge - a free resource created to help leaders activate teens and adults to create solutions together to impact their world for Christ.

Learning Centre sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person

Schedule

Week One: How Teens Relate to Jesus

In this first session, we'll explore teens’ perceptions of and affection for Jesus, in Canada and around the globe. The results include both encouraging tendencies to build on and some concerning gaps that Canadian churches and Christian leaders have an opportunity to address. We'll offer insights and ideas on how your organization or your ministry can meet the teens in your community where they are and invite them into a life of drawing closer to Jesus.

Week Two: How Teens Relate to the Bible

In the second session. we'll explore how teens in Canada and around the world view the Bible—paying special attention to how they engage with scripture and noting some of the factors that make Bible engagement more likely or impactful.  Together we'll learn how the Bible relates to global teens’ views of the world and how they live in it. We journey from what teens think about the Bible, to how they engage with and apply scripture, noting some of the factors that make Bible engagement more likely or impactful. 

Week Three: How Teens Can Make an Impact

In this third session, we'll explore how a famously activism-oriented generation perceives important matters of justice in the world—and how a relationship with Jesus and the Bible can impact this perspective.

Featuring a conversation between Spiritual Leader / Justice Advocate / Communicator / Peacemaker Danielle Strickland and Mikayla Nembhard (Sanctus Church, Ajax ON, Brave Global).

Week Four: The Canadian Report: How Teens in Canada Relate to Jesus, the Bible and How They – and Canadian Church Leaders – Can Make an Impact

In our fourth and final session, we'll do a deep dive into the Canadian Open Generation Report and learn how your Church or organization can host ‘The Open Generation Challenge: Bringing Students and Adults Together to Create Solutions for Gospel Impact’ - a free resource that will empower your ministry to design for the future alongside the teens in your church and community. The Open Generation Canadian Report will be provided along with additional Canadian resources at the conclusion of this session.

Expert Presenters

These days, it feels like the word “deconstruction” is everywhere. Perhaps you’ve seen it labelled online as being “trendy”. Maybe you’ve heard that it’s a dangerous and slippery slope that results in losing belief in God. Or maybe you’re not really sure what the term means at all. 

Many sincere Jesus followers who’ve entered a time of critically analyzing their faith have found it to be a liberating experience, one that helped remove the barriers to following Jesus, leading to a more meaningful, fulfilling, and positive faith.

For others, the deconstruction process has felt more like getting caught in a terrifying storm that becomes a challenging and difficult process as they discover that some of their previously held beliefs may not be entirely accurate.

But what if the deconstruction process is essential to a thriving Christ-like faith that contributes to the blessing and flourishing of all? And what if you can ask hard questions and also engage in a process that helps faith in Christ become more resilient and adaptable, better able to withstand the challenges of an ever-changing world?

Whether you're curious about the process, are walking closely with those who are deconstructing, or find yourself asking difficult questions about your faith, you’re invited to join us for a four-week book study with Canadian theologian and author, Brad Jersak as we consider his book “Out of the Embers - Faith after the Great Deconstruction” 

In "Out of the Embers," Brad delves into the topic of deconstruction, examining the ways in which our understanding of Christianity can be transformed and renewed through a process of questioning and dismantling our preconceptions, letting go of false or limiting beliefs, and encountering God in a new and transformative way.

Brad’s vulnerability and honesty in sharing his own journey of questioning and dismantling his beliefs allows readers to feel seen and understood in their own processes. He doesn't sugar-coat the challenges of deconstruction but instead offers a message of hope and resilience. Jersak's writing is both gentle and challenging, offering a safe space for readers to explore their doubts and uncertainties while also encouraging them to dig deeper and seek truth. The book is filled with wisdom, insight, and practical tools for navigating the complexities of faith and spirituality. 

Brad will be joining us for the first session, helping us start off our journey, and will join us for a Q&A on the last week. Weeks two and three, we will be in community together, sharing our stories, wrestling with the book, and our own journeys of deconstruction.

Learning Centre sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person

Schedule

Week One

• Opening session with Brad

• Suggested to have read Part One

Week Two

• Suggested to have read Part Two 

Week Three

• Suggested to have read Part Three 

Week Four

• Final session and Q&A with Brad 

About the author

Register

There are two options to access the New Leaf Learning Centre: a monthly subscription or a one-session pass (below). For the monthly subscription, please visit here.

In communities all across Canada, we see a startling increase in visible homelessness. Supportive housing, that’s also truly affordable, is generally accepted as the foundation for all other recovery: health (mental and physical), financial, relational, etc. Many churches in Canada are exploring involvement with affordable housing for a variety of reasons including having surplus land, growing or shrinking ministry.

Join us for this four-part practical equipping series with Indwell, a Christian affordable supportive housing charity. Together, we'll share stories, explore practical examples and draw on Indwell's varied experiences in working with churches to create and operate over 1,000 homes in southern and southwestern Ontario.

Learning Centre sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person

Schedule

January 12 - Let's reclaim the church’s mandate:  care for the least of these with Jeff Neven

This week, Jeff will walk through the complex problem of homelessness afflicting too many of our neighbours.  What is driving the recent increase of unhoused people living in almost every Canadian community?  What has been the historic role of the church, and can we reclaim some of that today?

January 19 - Our church is discerning our role with the least:  but how can we be meaningfully involved? with Dallas Friesen

Churches are comprised of compassionate people that want to make a difference.  How can a church community collaboratively discern next steps and then take those next steps?  We will explore how to actively identify and remove barriers that might keep us from making a meaningful impact. 

January 26 - Social costs and benefits of creating supportive housing in proximity to a church with Jess Brand

Social determinants of health are the sometimes un-noticed factors on our, and our community's, health and wellness.  They can also influence decisions churches make on how to function and with whom.  Using a tool she developed in training new Indwell staff, Jess will illustrate how we can consider our role as churches and as Jesus followers in the wellness of our communities.

February 2 -From vision to reality:  the nuts and bolts of creating affordable housing with Graham Cubitt

Drawing from his nearly 20-years experience with Indwell, Graham will share four (or more) case studies demonstrating how churches have been partnering to create hope and supportive homes. 

Expert Presenters

Slow down, take time, and pay attention to the mystery of this season.

Join us in the Learning Centre as we make room for connection and contemplative practice over these Advent weeks.

Learning Centre sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person

Schedule

December 8

Though we long to slow and savour the Advent season, often we are caught up in the hustle and bustle of our schedules. Join us as we enter into an Advent contemplative exercise and time of quiet reflection engaging a small piece of The Work of the People’s new film “Adventus”.

December 15

Join us for an imaginative exploration of Mary's Advent journey. Amy Bratton will lead us with a guided meditation that will give us a chance to reflect on the mysterious events of incarnation from the perspective of Jesus' mother.

Register

Join us in the Learning Centre for free over these two Advent sessions. Use the code ADVENT at checkout.

Newspaper headlines regularly report the disturbing realities of climate change and biodiversity loss - the ecological crises of our time.  But how are Christ followers to respond?  How is the care of creation related to discipleship?  And what does the church have to contribute in the face of ecological degradation and the anxiety it generates amongst our parishioners and our neighbours?  

Join us as we explore this overlooked cornerstone and opportunity for Christian mission in Canada.

Learning Centre sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person

Schedule

November 10 - “For God so loved the kosmos …”: Why Christians should care for creation

The Bible describes God’s love for people.  But does God really care about the earth, too?  How relevant is creation care for the Christian life?  Vital?  Optional?  A distraction?  

This session will explore the biblical basis for the claim that human creatures are called to not only worship God and love other people but to care for God’s creation.

November 17 - Giving voice to the voiceless: The interconnected health of people, creatures, and the earth

For many years we have been aware of the tremendous suffering of sisters and brothers, at home and around the world, due to poverty.  These days headlines also frequently highlight the dangers of climate change, especially for the marginalized.  Far more overlooked is the threat of biodiversity loss - the fraying of the web of life on this planet.  The reality is that the health of people, other creatures, and the planet are inherently interwoven, so much so that any effective response to one must address the other two.

This session will explore how good news for creatures and the planet is good news for people.  And the reverse is also true.  How might a better understanding of this “triple emergency” inform Christian mission today?

November 24 - “What gives you hope?” Discipleship in an age of ecological angst

The big picture message from the data is clear: the “vital signs” for nature and the planet are deteriorating at a frightening pace.  In this context how do we engage issues like biodiversity loss and climate change while maintaining hope?  What is the difference between hope and optimism?  What do Christ’s followers have to contribute in a world where so many, especially young people, are desperate and despairing?

This session will consider the ultimate source of Christian hope and the opportunity we have, as followers of Christ’s, to contribute to a world where so many people, especially young adults, are desperate and despairing.

December 1 - How do we start? Practical tools for earthkeeping at church and at home

I want to respond to God’s invitation to join the Spirit in bringing life to all God’s creation but where should I begin?  How might local congregations incorporate the care of creation into congregational life?

Interspersed with real life examples, this session will suggest ideas and identify resources that can help us on the creation care journey.

The church is the body of Christ and should comprise many different members. Yet many people living with disabilities have trouble finding belonging in the church. The difficulties they experience go beyond physical accessibility. People with disabilities are often not chosen as friends and not invited into the fabric of community life. They face barriers to participation in rituals such as baptism and communion, and are frequently barred from exercising their spiritual gifts. The challenges they face reveal the underlying issues of relationships we have as a community, urge us to revisit the concept of belonging as a family of God, and reconsider how our community life is an embodied gospel for the world. 

We invite you to join us this October for a 4-part New Leaf Learning Centre series in partnership with the Church Network for Disability Support. Guided by the expertise of the presenters, together we will learn what the church can do to live as one body with our siblings who live with disabilities.

Learning Centre sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person

Schedule

October 13 - Overview

In this introductory session we will discuss the complexity embedded in the term “disability” and how different ways of understanding disability convey underlying assumptions that affect our relationships with people with disabilities. The hope is to explore together why it is important for the church to receive one another as gifts of God for the community.

October 20 - Belonging in the Body

In this session Heather will look at the concept of belonging - what creates and sustains belonging - and the way cultivating belonging across diverse abilities is crucial to the health of all those who are part of the Body of Christ. Lynne will share from her experiences what it means to belong to a church community, how their church has supported her daughter, Elizabeth, in becoming a member of the church, and their struggles and joy on that journey.

October 27 - Communities of Care: God’s Call to Love One Another

Mutual care keeps our communities living and vibrant, and is God’s call to the church. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2, NIV) How might Christians live into the Kingdom-calling of caregiving and receiving care? In this session, Keith will speak to the theology of care and the way it transforms our conception of what it means to be human. Stella will share from her personal caregiving experience and spiritual formation work to address the need for the church to be a community of care.

November 3 - Opening a Space for Mental Health in the Body

What does theology offer for the days when I struggle to get out of bed, eat cereal for all my meals, send another email apologizing for missing a deadline and ask for another three days? What does theology have to say about the toll my loved one’s mental health crisis has taken on me as a person and on our relationship? How do we make spiritual sense of the way that brain chemicals affect our experiences of ourselves, the world around us, the Divine?

When theological questions come from a place of lived experience and profound suffering, they demand something more than theories in response. These questions require a community of people who feel the weight of suffering and despair and anxiety and panic, who wonder where God is in all of it, and also continue to show up, to encounter, to be curious.

Join Jayden and Beth Anne for a conversation about the intersection of spirituality and mental health, to hear stories of struggle, hope, and God’s presence in the midst of mental health struggles and diagnoses.

Join us in the Learning Centre for our next Book Club as we walk through an exciting new book

Overlooked: The Forgotten Origin Stories of Canadian Christianity

We’ll be joined by the author, Dr. James Robertson, and other New Leaf Neighbours as we dive into this honest assessment of the spiritual ground we inhabit as Canadians.

Learning Centre sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person

Schedule

April 21: Author Talk with Dr. James Tyler Robertson

April 28: Introduction, Chapters 1 & 2

May 5: Chapter 3 & 4

May 12: Chapter 5 & 6

May 19: Chapter 7 & Conclusion

Purchase the book: Limited Edition signed copies direct from New Leaf

If you pre-order the Limited Edition of the book, we are more than happy to get you a digital copy so you can read along with the book club.

Available in Kindle edition and paperback from Amazon.

Join the conversation online with #CanadaOverlooked

About the author

Register

What is Canadian Political Theology? Join hosts Jon Coutts and Ryan Turnbull as they and other expert presenters tackle various approaches to political theology and ask what, if anything, is distinctive about Canadian approaches to this tradition. New Leaf is excited to be offering this session of the Learning Centre in collaboration with Ambrose University.

Learning Centre sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person

Schedule

March 18

What is Political Theology in Canada? - Dr. Jane Barter

March 25

Multicultural Secularity - Ryan Turnbull

April 1

Decolonization and Reconciliation - Dr. Niigaanwewidam Sinclair

April 8

Social and Ecological Justice - Dr. Monetta Bailey and Dr. Timothy Harvie

Expert Presenters

Register

Women and men leading together in churches have both a long history as well as recent developments. While women have always been involved in churches, recognition of their leadership varies across history and denominations. Join us as we celebrate International Women's Day (March 8) together by exploring what Women in Leadership looks like in two Canadian denominations that are researching the question.

Learning Centre sessions are recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person

March 3

We’ll be joined by Amy Bratton and Cynthia Tam. Amy Bratton was part of the Women in Leadership Task Force in the Free Methodist Church in Canada. This task force conducted research in 2018-2020 with lay and ordained women leading in the church through surveys and interviews. Cynthia Tam is part of the Women in Leadership Collective for the Alliance Canada. They are currently conducting research across Canada with surveys and focus groups.

March 10

We’ll be in conversation with Joy Schroeder and Marion Ann Taylor, authors of Voices Long Silenced: Women Biblical Interpreters Through the Centuries. In their book, Schroeder and Taylor introduce readers to the notable contributions of female commentators through the centuries. They unearth fascinating accounts of Jewish and Christian women from diverse communities—rabbinic experts, nuns, mothers, mystics, preachers, teachers, suffragists, and household managers—who interpreted Scripture through their writings.

Expert Presenters

Register

During Black History Month, we want to honour, celebrate and learn from the legacy and stories of Black Canadians and their communities. Join us for a month-long listening series as hear stories from across Canada about the history of the Canadian underground railway and the unique experiences of Black Canadians.

Whether you are a pastor, planter, ministry or lay leader you are invited to join us for these conversations and connect with other like-minded Jesus followers from all across Canada.

***

If you are interested in French translation, please email admin@newleafnetwork.ca.

***

If you aren’t able to log in to these sessions live, they will be recorded and made available afterward to those who sign up.

Please note the session on February 10th will NOT be recorded.

***

Presenters

Register

Christian leaders across Canada continue to struggle navigating increasingly polarized conversations with their congregations, families and friends.

How do we as Jesus followers converse with divergent viewpoints and engage in active listening with a Christlike posture? What skills do we as leaders need to acquire to tackle tough conversations? What parts of our inner lives as leaders do we need to acknowledge and address?

Conflict is inevitable. But rather than approaching conflicts as threats or problems to be solved, what if we could see our disagreements as opportunities for personal growth? Could our differences push us toward developing healthier relationships and communities?

Join us for a 4 week live and interactive book club experience we'll read and discuss the book In The Space Between Us, by facilitator and mediator Betty Pries. Betty will join us January 27th, 2022 for a live Q&A session.

Rooted in Christian practices of mindfulness, connecting with our most authentic selves, and deep listening to uncover new possibilities, this book offers new ways forward in the face of interpersonal and organizational conflicts.

***

If you are interested in French translation, please email admin@newleafnetwork.ca.

***

If you aren’t able to log in to these sessions live, they will be recorded and made available afterward to those who sign up.

***

Register

During the Advent season, the church waits in anxious expectation for the coming Messiah. But often, Advent and the Christmas season can feel overwhelming, rushed and moving at a hurried pace. We want to offer you a gift in this season - the gift of a slowed-down place (at least for an hour or so).

Carve out time for prayer and silence, on Thursday, December 9th and 16th. Join this Advent Learning Centre space where together with friends, we'll enter into a time of prayer, silence, and other spiritual practices to center our lives on Jesus. Skilled spiritual directions will offer a mix of ancient and modern prayer practices and postures to slow down and pay attention to the ways in which the Spirit is speaking. Come be refreshed - come and simply "be".

***

If you are interested in French translation, please email admin@newleafnetwork.ca.

***

If you aren’t able to log in to these sessions live, they will be recorded and made available afterward to those who sign up.

***

Expert Presenters

Register

As leaders in this season, even as we battle exhaustion and weariness, we desire deep transformational change for our own inner emotional health and for the communities we lead and love. The tradition of Contemplative Christianity, and the practical exercises it offers, can help us deeply experience personal and spiritual transformation as we pursue a Christ-like life.

Join us for a two-week series with Simon Lasair, where he will offer practical equipping and guide us in spiritual exercises designed to help us deeply embody God’s presence. Drawing upon the teachings of Contemplative Christianity as well as his own academic research in spirituality and spiritual health, Simon's life work and academic findings will invite us to reflect on our own souls, with the goal of seeing our lives rooted deeply in the living Christ.

***

If you are interested in French translation, please email admin@newleafnetwork.ca.

***

If you aren’t able to log in to these sessions live, they will be recorded and made available afterward to those who sign up.

***

Expert Presenter

Register

Everyone has been talking about it, so why not talk about it with us?

"The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill" podcast rose to the #1 spot in Religious podcasts this past summer, not just in America but here in Canada as well. As Canadians, we’re sometimes guilty of looking over the border, imagining ourselves to be far removed from the scandals, spiritual abuses and celebrity status our Christian brothers and sisters to the south grapple with - but are we immune? As those who desire to lead in the way of Jesus, what can we learn from this story?

Join us for a three-week, interactive live conversation with Canadian academics Jamie Robertson and Marilyn Draper. Together, we'll discover takeaways from this complicated narrative and tackle questions like: why do we, as Canadians, care so much about the stories that emerge from American Evangelicalism? Are we that different? Do stories like these offer opportunities for healthy introspection and personal transformation as we lead faith communities? What can we learn from both toxic leadership and toxic church cultures? How can that inform us as we seek to create or contribute to building communities of goodness and peace? Can stories like this invoke substantive change in evangelical church culture and practices?

Whether you are a pastor, planter, ministry or lay leader you are invited to join us for this conversation and connect with other like-minded Jesus followers from all across Canada.

***

If you are interested in French translation, please email admin@newleafnetwork.ca.

***

If you aren’t able to log in to these sessions live, they will be recorded and made available afterward to those who sign up.

***

Schedule

November 4th with Dr. James Robertson

November 11th with Dr. Marilyn Draper

November 18th - a facilitated discussion

Register

As pastors and lay leaders, we're always investigating different forms, models and programs for our life together as the church. As we steward congregations, seeking to follow and be formed by Jesus, are we willing to critique our desire for models in the first place?

This 4 week series features Canadian thought and practice leaders, Jesse Sudirgo, Rachel Tulloch and Steve MacDouell. Together we'll reflect on the mechanization of the church, community and missional movement here in Canada. How have modern techniques shaped our assumptions around models, templates and the desire for multiplication in our churches? What is the consequence of our embedded modern values of efficiency, scaling, and disembodied influence? What does it look like to consider a more present, immediate and local expression as the way forward for the church in Canada?

Join other like-minded pastors, ministry leaders and Jesus followers from across Canada in this brave, relational space to process together in community. If you can't make the live sessions, not to worry. You'll receive access to all the Learning Centre recordings for a refresher or for your own continued learning and development.

***

If you are interested in French translation, please email admin@newleafnetwork.ca.

***

If you aren’t able to log in to these sessions live, they will be recorded and made available afterward to those who sign up.

***

Schedule

Session 1 October 7th: Efficiency - with Jesse Sudirgo

In this session we'll discuss the subtle but powerful preoccupation we as Jesus followers and leaders can have with efficiency. We'll uncover the underlying modern assumptions of scaling, multiplication and objectivity found in the way ministry is often carried out. Our hope is to explore together what the church can be when it isn’t being utilized as a tool for our own lofty ambitions.

Session 2 October 14th: Presence - with Jesse Sudirgo

As those called to lead in the way of Jesus, how do we prepare and strategize for ministry? In this session, we'll be examining the impact of invisible-arm processes in the way we understand church and mission in Canada. How do templates and predetermined outlines impact the way we are led by the Spirit? How do universal and generic training packages impact the contextualization process and leadership development in our ministries?

Session 3 October 21st: Embodiment - with Rachel Tulloch

In this session, we will discuss “Church as Sanctuary” and how to discern the body of Christ at the intersection of worship, community, witness, and poverty. What does it means to embody the gospel by prioritizing those who are materially poor and socially excluded in the local church rather than relegating their care to professional service-providing organizations? How does this affect the identity of the church and the shape of its life together? What tensions emerge when encountering people's deep needs in a non-professional context?

Session 4 October 28th: Scale - with Steve MacDouell

Scale matters. It can shape the way we interact with the built environment; it can impact our approach to being good neighbours; and it can position us for more sustainable, place-based work over time. Together, we'll explore the importance of scale as it relates to the church—in particular, how it goes about becoming a more attentive, faithful presence in the neighbourhood.

Expert Presenters

Register

The Learning Centre is back for the Fall season and we're kicking things off with the Canadian Asian Missional Podcast Learning Centre takeover!

Chinese diaspora peoples have been in Canada since the late 19th century. The product of missionary movements in that time period, there are now more than 400 Chinese diaspora churches in Canada and have continued to grow in size and influence. There is much we can learn about from the Chinese diaspora churches, whether it is in navigating multicultural and multilingual contexts or the ongoing conversation of raising up the next generation. Join us for a four week deep dive into the stories of the Chinese diaspora church in Canada and engage with 4 incredible Canadian thought leaders and pastors: Xenia Chan, Bernard Tam, Shu-Ling Lee and Jon Nip. They will introduce us to the Chinese church in Canada, help us explore the experiences of growing up in the Chinese diaspora, the reality for women in ministry in the Chinese church and what the future of the Chinese church in Canada will look like.

Join other like-minded pastors, ministry leaders and Jesus followers from across Canada in this brave, relational space to process together in community, the implications and learning opportunities the Chinese church in Canada can offer to us.

***

If you are interested in French translation, please email admin@newleafnetwork.ca.

***

If you aren’t able to log in to these sessions live, they will be recorded and made available afterward to those who sign up.

***

Schedule

Session 1 September 9th: Introducing the Chinese Church in Canada

The story of the Chinese diaspora church in Canada is rich and complex. In our first session, we’ll be exploring a bit of the history of the missions movement, the CAMP hosts' experiences of growing up in the Chinese diaspora church, and how CAMP got started.

Session 2 September 16th: The 1.5/2nd Generation Experience

The Canadian Multicultural reality is not just the story of immigrants, but it is also the story of the children of immigrants and what happens to their cultural identity when they are raised or born here in Canada. In this session we'll learn about the experiences of growing up in the Chinese diaspora church in Canada, we'll unpack the generational dynamics and explore the different cultures and languages that co-exist together. We'll consider these realities together as we reflect multi-ethnic and multi-generational ministry here in Canada.

Session 3 September 23rd: Women in Ministry/Leadership in the Chinese Church

Like some other parts of the evangelical narrative, women’s stories have been sorely neglected. We’ll explore the stories of some influential Chinese missionaries/ministers, as well as the common experiences of women in ministry/leadership are currently like in the Chinese diaspora context.

Session 4 September 30th: The Future of the Chinese Church in Canada

In our last session together, we'll discover the intersections of Missional Theology in the Chinese church, The Nones/Almost Dones/Dones in the Canadian Chinese church context and learn about where Xenia, Bernard, Shu and Jon think the future of the Chinese Church in Canada is headed.

Expert Presenters

Register