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The Great Outdoors: Finding Faith in the Fields and Forests


The Great Outdoors: Finding Faith in the Fields and Forests

Thursdays: May 4, 11, 18 & 25
1:30 - 3pm ET

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

Featured
Elle Pyke

Elle Pyke is the Director of Programs & Innovation for the New Leaf Network. Elle has served on the board of a number of organizations such as Women Powering Technology Global, TEDxWaterlooWomen and The Christian Entrepreneurial Leaders Organization. She is currently pursuing her MA in Theology and Culture from the Institute for Religion, Peace and Justice at St Stephen's University. She loves spending time with friends and family, the great outdoors and all things New Leaf.

Christa Hesselink

Christa Hesselink has been guiding individuals and groups as they dig deeper into their spiritual life for her entire twenty-five-year career, working in higher education, non-profit development, and church ministry. She is the founder of SoulPlay, and is a well-respected keynote speaker, workshop facilitator and retreat leader. Her focus content includes: transformation & vulnerability, the inner-life of an effective leader, contemplative spirituality, grief & loss, and soul care. Christa is known for her strategic and collaborative approach to working with individuals and teams and her greatest satisfaction comes when designing compelling experiences for people to slow down so they can wake up to their own soul. She holds a Master’s of Leadership and a Master’s of Theology degree and has been named a “Hero of Children” from World Vision Canada. She is the Canadian best-selling author of Life’s Great Dare and the founder of the Love2Love Project which supports vulnerable children in multiple countries around the world. Christa is a certified coach and certified spiritual director with the Haden Institute. She has also completed the intensive Enneagram coach training program with the Narrative Tradition. Rooted in the Christian tradition, Christa has found deep meaning and hope, and enjoys companioning others who endeavour to deepen their connection to God – to Spirit, Source and Soul.

Wendy Janzen

(Rev) Wendy Janzen is planter and pastor of Burning Bush Forest Church, a worshiping community that has been going outdoors for monthly worship gatherings in parks and wild spaces in Kitchener-Waterloo, ON for over seven years. She also serves part-time as Eco-Minister with Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, is a spiritual director, and writes wild liturgies and eco-spiritual practices. Her passion is for inviting people to ground themselves within God's beloved community of creation, and moving from ego-centric (and anthropocentric) understandings of Christianity to eco-centric experiences of faith and discipleship. She lives with her husband, Chip and their two teenage sons, in Kitchener, Ontario.

 

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.

 

The suggested amount is $40 ($10/week); simply choose your amount in the drop-down menu and “sign up now”.

We would like for you to join us, so if you can’t afford the registration at this time, please reach out to us and we will make sure you are able to participate: admin@newleafnetwork.ca

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Later Event: June 1
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