The Gathering (Regent College, Vancouver, June 2–3) is for all church leaders, both pastors and laity, from a variety of denominational traditions, who desire to nourish missional churches.
Through worship, prayer, preaching, dialogue, and recreation, we will attend to soul care amidst the beautiful city and warm beaches of Vancouver. Details: rgnt.net/the-gathering
Our theme for 2023 is pastoral health. The heavily publicized “falls” of high-profile leaders demonstrate what we all know too well: that while church ministry can be exciting and creative, it can also be deeply draining. If we are not engaging in healthy practices, pastoral ministry can wear us down. As the years grind on, we can become unhealthy and lead from a place of ill-health.
We hope that the Gathering is a part of the answer to this malaise. Author and theologian Tremper Longman III will reflect on God’s call to a wise and healthy life from the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. Psychologist Danielle Vriend Fluit will explore the inner landscapes of leaders, helping us to reflect on our own emotional health and its interaction with pastoral ministry.
Participants can choose from a variety of roundtable workshops in which we will dialogue on themes such as holistic health, prayer, physical health, sexual health, and healthy systems for church governance.
- Refresh and re-vision at The Gathering, an annual event for church leaders who seek to lead their communities in God’s mission.
- The Gathering is a convening of pastoral leaders that puts a high value on relationships. It is a place for receiving input and fostering friendships that support resilient and healthy pastoral ministry.
- Alongside keynote presentations from Dr. Tremper Longman III and Dr. Danielle Vriend Fluit on health in ministry, attendees will learn from the wisdom and experience of one another in roundtable dialogues. We will fellowship as peers, share a barbecue at a beach near Regent College, and play beach volleyball!
At The Gathering, we will practice what we preach! While there will be plenty of information to receive, we will also make time for healing practices: time for play, for prayer, for mutual learning, and for exercise. This will be a place for making friends for the long term and possibly for life. We will take time to pray with one another and discern what practices God is calling us to.
ABOUT THE GATHERING
This inaugural convening of The Gathering will become an annual event hosted by Regent College. Our prayer is to be a place where friendships with other Christian leaders are formed for the long haul. Friendships like these fill us and keep us healthy for the journey of church ministry.
While the Gathering will focus on a different theme each year, the two themes of pastoral health and the witness of the church in our local neighbourhoods will remain key values into the years.
Come join us for friendship, for worship, for learning together, and to discern new invitations from the Spirit. Join us this year and into the years to come! Details: rgnt.net/the-gathering
This article is sponsored by Regent College, Vancouver, an interdenominational, evangelical graduate school of theology. Its global mission: Regent College cultivates intelligent, rigorous, and joyful commitment to Jesus Christ, His Christ, and His world.