Shared Way, Shared Witness runs from dinner time on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 (registration begins at 4pm) to lunch time on Friday, May 22, 2026. The program is designed to create space for meaningful conversation, honest reflection, and shared learning.
Each full day will feature a lead speaker who will frame our conversations and offer material for shared reflection. We are also assembling a strong group of workshop leaders who will explore how they are re‑imagining church and ministry in their own contexts. Plenary panels will help us respond, connect, and deepen the learning together.
There will also be generous unstructured time to meet and talk informally—on the retreat centre grounds, along the trails of Cap Saint‑Jacques Nature Park, or over meals.
Looking for the full schedule?
Program
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Our first full day focuses on the question of church: what we believe the church is called to be in this time of deep change in Canada and the obstacles we face in living into that vision.
Lead Speaker: The Rev. Dr. Kayko Driedger Hesslein
is William Hordern Professor of Theology at Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon. She has taught and researched in postcolonial systematic theology, queer and feminist theologies, and inclusive pedagogy, and brings both pastoral and academic experience to her work. She has also held leadership roles in church and educational settings, contributing to scholarship and formation in theological education.
Wednesday Workshops:
Shawn Sandford Beck, Saskatoon
GreenSpirit and Grosvenor: a mixed-ecology ecclesial partnership
Jesse Zink, Principal, Montreal Dio
Everything you never knew you wanted to know about Roland Allen
Emo Yango, the United Church of Canada
Collaborative Ministry in Emerging Communities of Faith
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Our second full day turns to the question of ministry: what kind of ministry is needed now, and how we draw fully on the gifts of all God’s people, lay and ordained.
Lead Speaker: Steve Godfrey
Canon to the Ordinary at the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan in Marquette, Steve previously served as a Diocesan Minister in North Dakota and held leadership roles across several dioceses and parishes. He also brings experience from academia and the corporate sector, including Harvard, IBM, and Lotus Development.
Lead Speaker: Sue Ray
As a member of a Ministry Support Team at Trinity Church in Gladstone, Michigan, for the past 39 years, Sue has served as a catechist, preacher and ordained person, sharing in the sacramental care of the community. As a Missioner in the Diocese of Northern Michigan, Sue partnered with other churches, sharing resources, providing sacramental care, and walking with them on their journey as ministering communities. She has served for the past 35 years as a Registered Nurse in a variety of settings and as a Nurse Educator at Bay College in Escanaba, Michigan.
Thursday Workshops:
Janet Gear, Ministry Vocations, the United Church of Canada
Navigating Landscapes of Living Faith: Reading Ministry Directions from within a Community of Faith
Maggie Dieter, Keeper of the Learning Circle, Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre
Indigenous Approaches to Collaboration
Elizabeth Cunningham and Andrew Richardson
New Forms of Collaborative Ministry in the United Church of Canada
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On the final morning, we’ll come together in the spirit of community organizing to imagine next steps—how we can support one another and carry this vision more widely into the church.