For many ministry leaders, pastors, and practitioners, the spring season is often full and fast-paced. What would it look like to slow down this season and pay a little more attention to how the Spirit speaks through creation and through our senses? Phenology is the practice of tracking the first signs of seasonal change. The first bird back in the yard, the first green pushing up through cold ground, the fresh buds on the trees. It's an ancient form of attention, and it turns out it's also a spiritual practice for those of us following in the way of Jesus. This three-part Learning Centre series invites us to slow down and pay attention differently, using spring's small arrivals as entry points into embodied reflection, contemplative practice and prayer.

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

Presenters (more to be announced):

Register

There are two options to access the New Leaf Learning Centre: a monthly subscription or a one-series pass (below). For the monthly subscription, please visit here. This series is available for free. Please complete the registration to receive online access to this series.

Note: Please visit your “cart” in the top menu bar to complete your registration if you are not automatically forwarded to the payment screen.

What does it mean to belong to one another? Not in theory, but in practice, together at the table.

This series gathers disabled and non-disabled Christians to ask what discipleship looks like when we actually learn from each other. Not parallel ministries. Not accommodation as an afterthought. Shared tables, mutual welcome, and communities shaped by every gift in the room.

Over four weeks, we'll move through theology, access, relationships, and lived experience, drawing on the work of A Deeper Communion, a multi-denominational Canadian network connecting ministry leaders, practitioners, and academics at the intersection of disability and faith.

The questions we're sitting with: Where is the Canadian church getting this right? Where does something need to change? And what does it look like when welcome isn't a program but a practice?

This Learning Centre series is a taste of something bigger. The Banquet of Belonging Conference from A Deeper Communion is gathering in person in Toronto, Calgary, Winnipeg, and Langley, and online on May 7th, 2026. Come to the Learning Centre series to go deeper into the conversation, and bring your appetite for what's ahead.

Schedule:

April 9 – John Van Sloten

Experiencing God Through Disability

This session will explore the theological worldview that has led John Van Sloten to write a book about how God is uniquely revealed through the life of his son Edward, who has Down syndrome.

April 16 – Dr. Ty Ragan with Rev. Dr. Cynthia Tam

Do We Truly Want Sacred Communities of Sacred Connection? The Comfortable Pew of Ableism

What if the church isn’t called to fix disabled bodies—but to transform the systems that exclude them? This powerful learning session confronts ableism in theology, worship, and community life, drawing on lived disability experience and Gospel stories that challenge comfort, control, and silence. Come wrestle with what real accessibility, dignity, and belonging demand of our sacred spaces.

Cynthia Tam joins at the end of the session to talk about her work: 

Flourishing Together Around God’s Table of Love

Drawing from Luke 14, this paper argues that when a church community embodies God’s inclusive love—particularly toward people living with disabilities—it flourishes as a whole. To clarify what it means for a community to flourish, I draw on Miroslav Volf’s concept of flourishing as a life that is well led, goes well, and feels as it should, with wellness defined by love experienced by all gathered at God’s table.

April 23 – Dr. Jon Coutts & Amy White

Charismatic Communion: Deliverance from the Great Man Model of Leadership

In anticipation of Jon’s Deeper Communion talk on the Superman- and Barbie-fication of the Image of God, this Learning Centre will explore how the church has been implicated in these modern distortions of humanity, yet offers a witness against it. Leaning on the Disability Theologies of Deborah Beth Creamer and Brian Brock, this session will present the theological reboot that still needs to take hold in the evangelical church that was so possessed by the Church Growth Movement.

April 30 – Erik Freiburger

Cracks In The Mirror: Language, Disability, and Reimagining Our Humanity

What if the way we talk about disability is quietly or subconsciously shaping the way we see all of human worth and dignity? In this reflective and thought-provoking presentation, we’ll explore how language can distort, diminish, or redeem our understanding of ourselves and one another. Through story, theology, and lived experience, you’ll be invited to reimagine disability not as a problem to solve or accommodate for—but as a space where deeper meaning and belonging are revealed. Come ready to question the mirrors you have trusted for so long—and discover a more expansive vision and revelation of what it means to be fully human.

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

Presesnters:

Register

There are two options to access the New Leaf Learning Centre: a monthly subscription or a one-series pass (below). For the monthly subscription, please visit here. This series is available for free. Please complete the registration to receive online access to this series.

Note: Please visit your “cart” in the top menu bar to complete your registration if you are not automatically forwarded to the payment screen.

What does it mean to follow Jesus faithfully as a Settler in Canada? What responsibilities do we carry, personally, communally, theologically, in the ongoing work of right relationship, decolonization, and justice with Indigenous neighbours?

These aren't easy questions, but they are gospel questions, and they are ones that the New Leaf community is well-suited to wrestle with together.

Join us for this three-part series with Mike Hogeterp, drawing on years of research, relationship, and his own journey of sacred unsettlement. Rooted in the story of Hearts Exchanged, a decolonization and right relationship learning journey within the Christian Reformed Churches in Canada, this series opens that story to the broader Canadian church. It invites Settler followers of Jesus into honest reflection, community storytelling, and the hard, beautiful work of walking with integrity toward justice and right relationship with Indigenous kin.

This is not just a series. It is, as Ojibwe scholar Shawn Wilson might say, a ceremony. One that bridges distances, honours truth, and serves community.

Session 1: Introducing the Question

We begin with the core question: What are the responsibilities of Settler followers of Jesus in the journey of right relationship, decolonization, and justice with Indigenous peoples?

Mike will introduce key research themes (listening and humility; responsibility, power and kenosis; decolonization as deconstruction; syncretism and mission; treaty and covenant) and share stories from his own heart learning as a Settler. This session sets the foundation and invites participants into the ongoing ceremony of this work.

This Learning Centre session will be recorded and made available afterwards for those who sign up but cannot attend in person.

Session 2: Storytelling on Settler Responsibility and Unsettlement

Drawing on the circle dialogue approach of Hearts Exchanged, this session centres the stories of participants. With the help of guiding questions, we'll create space for honest, honoured sharing about our own experiences of unsettlement, right relationship, and the journey of decolonization. A group of 7 to 12 participants is ideal for this session. Please join us for the interaction session for this session.

Session 3: Return to Community (at a later date)

After Session 2, Mike will move the stories gathered through a qualitative research process (coding, theme identification, analysis) and bring findings back to the group. In this final session, we'll review what emerged, invite feedback, and let that feedback shape the ongoing writing. This is community accountability in action.

Presenter:

Register

There are two options to access the New Leaf Learning Centre: a monthly subscription or a one-series pass (below). For the monthly subscription, please visit here. This series is available for free. Please complete the registration to receive online access to this series.

What does it mean to observe Lent in a world that feels like it's on fire? How can local churches use this season well, not as religious obligation, but as genuine formation? And what might Lent offer to ordinary Jesus followers right now, in this moment, in this country?

These are the questions we're bringing to the Learning Centre over the next two Thursdays. Together we'll explore what it means to discover, rediscover, or deepen a Lenten practice here in Canada. Joining us are Robyn Elliot and James Sholl, two Canadian pastors with beautifully different backgrounds (one Baptist, one Anglican) and very different journeys to Lent. They'll share openly, prime the conversation, and then open the floor to all of us. Where does Lent fall on your map this season? What have you left behind, and what might be waiting for you in the ancient rhythms of the church? What does it look like to walk through this season faithfully when the world feels heavy?

Each week includes open community conversation, time for honest reflection, and space for prayer together. Whether you grew up with ashes on your forehead or have never followed the Lent season at all we’d love to have you join this mini series. 

Week 1, March 5: The Journey to Lent Two pastors share what brought them to Lent, and we open the floor. Where did Lent fall on your radar growing up? What shifted? Community conversation follows.

Week 2, March 12: Lent in Real Life How do we actually observe Lent when the world feels like it's on fire? How can churches and individual Jesus followers use this season well, right now, in this country? Conversation, reflection, and prayer together.

Presenters:

Register

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

Plurality in the Pulpit is a three-week online Learning Centre series for pastors, ministry leaders, and lay people, with or without theological training, who feel drawn to preaching in today’s post-Christian context. It’s shaped by decades of pastoral practice, team-based teaching, and lived faith, and it treats preaching not as a skill you master once, but as a craft learned slowly, over time, in community.

This series is based on the book, From Where We Stand: a handbook for preaching together by Randy Hein. Available for purchase here.

This series begins with a simple conviction: the church in Canada is healthiest when many voices help tell the story.

In a moment when preaching has too often harmed, manipulated, or alienated people, we’re invited to imagine something different. Not preaching as domination, but as hospitality. Not performance, but encounter. Not certainty for its own sake, but faithful witness. Preaching, at its best, tells an alternative story, one rooted in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus amid the many competing narratives shaping our identities and imaginations here in Canada. 

Grounded in the Canadian context and attentive to realities like deconstruction, declining trust in institutions, collective grief, and cultural fatigue, Plurality in the Pulpit invites both pastors and lay preachers to rediscover preaching as shared, hopeful work.

Together we will learn to:

• Understand preaching as a communal responsibility

• Engage Scripture with honesty, imagination, and humility

• Respond to our cultural moment without defensiveness or fear

• Develop sermons that invite encounter, healing, and participation

This series assumes preaching is never perfected, only practiced, and that formation happens best when we learn together.

Who This Series Is For

• Pastors exploring team preaching or shared teaching models

• Lay leaders discerning a call to preach

• People who love Scripture but feel unsure about preaching today

• Those navigating faith in post-Christian, deconstructing, or questioning spaces

Week 1: Why Preach? Telling an Alternative Story with a Plurality of Voices
Week 2: Preaching Together - Plural Voices, Shared Authority
Week 3: Preaching Forward - Practice, Craft, and Hope

Week One: Telling an Alternative Story with a Plurality of Voices

Preaching begins with a question: Why does this still matter?

In a world saturated with competing narratives of consumerism, fear, nationalism, and individualism, preaching dares to tell an alternative story.

Increasingly, this story is told not by a single voice, but by preaching teams - pastors and lay leaders, shaped by different lives and callings - whose shared witness reflects the richness and complexity of the church itself.

Drawing on the idea that transformation comes not through domination but through story and the need for it to come through a diversity of voices, together we'll explore preaching as an act of witness: naming the world as it is under the reign of Jesus and inviting the church in Canada to re-orient its life around that story. Together, we’ll reflect on preaching as a lifelong practice, shaped not only by study but by everyday life, grief and joy, work and play, worship and community. We will explore the biblical drama as an unfolding story and consider the preacher’s role in helping the church locate itself within it.

Week 2 -  Preaching Together - Plural Voices, Shared Authority

The church in Canada doesn’t need fewer preachers. It needs more voices.

Together, we’ll explore preaching as a communal practice rather than a solo performance. 

Drawing on the conviction that the Spirit speaks through a diversity of people, we’ll consider how pastors, tradespeople, caregivers, students, artists, and retirees each bring essential insight to the shared work of proclamation.

We’ll look at models of team preaching and teaching, the shifting nature of authority in a post-trust context, and the role of humility and discernment when preaching is shared. The focus is on cultivating responsibility together - rooted in Scripture, grounded in community, and shaped by trust rather than position.

Week 3 -  Preaching Forward - Practice, Craft, and Hope

Preaching is a lifelong practice. Not something you master. Not something you ever quite finish learning.

In this final session, we turn toward how preachers and preaching teams keep growing - with confidence, humility, and room for the Spirit. Building on the earlier weeks, we’ll explore preaching as faithful improvisation within God’s ongoing story: attentive to Scripture, responsive to real communities, and open to what unfolds.

We’ll spend time with the craft of preaching, not to professionalize it, but to make it more accessible. Together we’ll demystify practices like exegesis, hermeneutics, and homiletics, and ask how they serve encounter rather than information. These disciplines aren’t about getting it right, they’re ways of listening more carefully: to the text, to the Spirit, and to one another.

We’ll also reflect on sustainable rhythms of preparation, feedback, and shared discernment, resisting both performance pressure and rigid formulas. Preaching is framed here as shared, hopeful work, rooted in Scripture, shaped by the Canadian and local context and trusting that the Spirit is still at work among us.

Presenters:

Register

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

BONUS WEEK

Prayer for Justice

Challenged and inspired by our Jesus and Justice book club, we’ve sensed the collective call to set aside this Thursday to pray together during our Learning Centre time. 

Prayer, as Jesus teaches it, isn’t meant to stay private or abstract. It has always been meant to shape us for engagement on behalf of our marginalized neighbours. As Joash's work reminded us, at the centre of this is the Lord’s Prayer, a prayer that forms our imaginations, aligns our hearts with God’s justice, and draws us into God’s liberating work in the world. 

As we pray for one another, our churches, our neighbourhoods, Canada and our world, we trust that fear and apathy are slowly transformed into empathy and love. It is our hope that this time of prayer together can become the ground from which faithful action grows, not action for its own sake, but action that reflects the heart of God.

In a world where “thoughts and prayers” are too often offered instead of presence or engagement, The Justice of Jesus reminds us that prayer was never meant to be an escape from action. It’s meant to form people who actually move toward their neighbours - with care, humility, and compassion.

Join us Thursday, February 5th, for a time of prayer, reflection and a space to hold grief, gratitude, hope and lament together as we pray together. 

This January in the Learning Centre, we’re launching a new book club exploring The Justice of Jesus, a book by first-time Canadian author Joash Thomas. The book asks an honest question: What if the way many of us were taught to follow Jesus is missing something essential? What if there is more to the gospel, something deeply rooted in Scripture and profoundly lived out through care for the vulnerable, solidarity with our neighbours, and hope-filled action in our communities?

Public theologian, Joash Thomas, draws on his global ministry experience to show that justice is not a political add-on to Christian faith; it is central to the way of Jesus. Through real stories, practical steps, and accessible discipleship practices, he helps us imagine how ordinary people and local churches can become tangible signs of healing and hope.

If you’re longing for a deeper, more grounded vision of discipleship, one that shapes how we pray, serve, organize, and love here in Canada, this book club is for you. Together, we’ll explore how the justice of Jesus can take root in our own contexts and inspire meaningful change right where we live. Grab your book over the holidays and start reading! 

Join us on Thursday, Jan 8, 15, 22, 29, 2026. 1:30-3:00 pm (Eastern) online.

Schedule:

January 8th

Part 1: Cheap justice versus the justice of Jesus
1. Why Justice seems antithetical to the Western church
2. The cost of just discipleship
3. How churches today are prioritizing Justice

January 15th  - Live conversation and author hang with author, Joash Thomas

January 22nd

Part 2: Decolonizing the Western Church

4. Decolonizing our theology
5. Decolonizing our communities
6. Decolonizing our budget

January 29th

Part 3: Your local church can prioritize the Justice of Jesus

7. Prayer
8. Advocacy
9. Partnership

February 5th

Prayer for Justice

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-series pass (below). For the monthly subscription, please visit here.

Despite our best efforts, Advent and the Christmas season can often feel overwhelming, busy 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, stillness and silence on Thursday, December 4th and December 11th. Join this Advent Learning Centre space where, together, we'll enter into a time of prayer, silence, and other spiritual practices to make room for what is to come. God’s gaze is always waiting for us, especially in this time of Advent, so we want to slow down and pay attention to the Spirit in our midst. Come be refreshed - come and "be" this Advent season.

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

Presenters:

Register

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

Join us for a chance to read Mend: An Invitation from Jesus to Return to Land-Based Repair together with others from across Canada. We will hear from author, Jodi Spargur and dig into the book together.

About Mend:

Are you searching for a meaningful way to respond to the challenges of colonization? Mend: An Invitation from Jesus to Return to Land-Based Repair offers a hands-on pathway for Christians in Canada and beyond to pursue a path of repairing right relations. Centred around the story of Zacchaeus from the Gospel of Luke (Luke 19:1–27), this book serves as a guide, recovering repair as central to discipleship and the restoration of communities to health. Let Mend invite you into a journey of hope, transformation and even joy—discover practical steps to embrace repair and experience the life-changing impact of following Jesus to repair the damage of the colonial project.

November 6, 2025 - Reading Introduction, Prologue & chapters 1 together.

November 13, 2025 - Reading chapters 2 - 4 together.

November 20, 2025 - Reading chapters 5-7 & conclusion together.

November 27, 2025 -  Hear from Jodi Spargur about the book and what prompted her to write.

For information on where to pick up a copy of the book, visit newleafnetwork.ca/mend

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-series pass (below). For the monthly subscription, please visit here.

What does it look like for Canadian churches to move beyond the sidelines and step into faithful presence in the everyday life of their neighbourhoods with wisdom and care? Too often, churches either retreat from community engagement, outsourcing “good neighbouring” to nonprofits and government or rush in with well-meaning passion that, without discernment, can cause harm. 

Neighbour Up! is a four-week Learning Centre series inspired by CareImpact’s newly released small group discipleship resource launching across Canada this October. It is designed for community-minded pastors and leaders who long to see their congregations and communities rooted more deeply in place. This isn’t about adding more programs to an already full church calendar or trying to “fix” neighbourhoods. It’s about activating the whole church to recover the lost art of neighbouring as a way of following Jesus. Take this 4-week journey with us, where together we will explore how the pain points churches often face can be transformed into pathways of discipleship, deeper community, faithful presence, and renewed witness in Canada.

Join us as we learn practical, relational ways to grow in spiritual formation and connect more authentically with the communities God has called us to love.

October 9: Relational Fitness 

Healthy communities start with healthy relationships. We’ll uncover what drives us and what holds us back from building strong, trust-filled connections. Together we’ll explore how strengthening our “relational muscles” in the Church leads to more authentic and resilient communities.

October 16: Holy Disruption

Comfort, packed schedules, and old patterns can keep Christians from following Jesus. We’ll explore how to help churches welcome disruption as an invitation to loosen our grip on our agendas in order to make room for what really matters.

October 23: Rethinking Poverty

Poverty touches all of us in different ways. In this session, we’ll uncover the mindsets and cycles that shape how the Church sees poverty, and explore why addressing them is key to creating space for empathy, dignity, and mutuality with our neighbours.

October 30: Radical Presence

Trauma is all around us, often hidden in plain sight. We’ll explore how to make trauma care accessible for everyday believers who might otherwise shrink back or cause unintended harm in their church or community. Together, we’ll discuss valuable ways to create felt safety in the Church and in the community.

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-series pass (below). For the monthly subscription, please visit here.

Are you unsure how to talk about mental health in your Church and Ministry? When anxiety, depression, or emotional struggles affect your church or team, do you feel prepared to respond with care and confidence? What role does mental wellbeing play in helping your faith community truly flourish? 

In this Learning Centre series we will discuss the “What?”, “Why?”, and "How?” of understanding and cultivating mental wellbeing in Church and Ministry. We will explore together some practical, proven strategies for supporting mental wellbeing, not just reactively but proactively, to invest in a flourishing community. By the end of this four-part series, you’ll gain a clearer vision of what flourishing mental wellbeing looks like in Church and in Ministry—and walk away with practical tools to help you cultivate it with confidence and care.

September 11, 2025 - What is "Mental Wellbeing" and how do we see it impacting our Church and Ministries here in Canada? with Tom Jantzi, MA, RP, Director of Counselling Assistance Plan and Clergy Care at Shalem Mental Health Network 

September 18, 2025 - An exploration of practical strategies and mental health tools for supporting mental wellbeing in Church and Ministry with Tom Jantzi, MA, RP, Director of Counselling Assistance Plan and Clergy Care at Shalem Mental Health Network

September 25, 2025 - Supporting Mental and Relational Wellbeing Through Circle Processes with Anne Martin, PhD, Director of Restorative Practices at Shalem Mental Health Network

Mental and relational wellbeing are deeply connected and relational well-being comes with practice.  This session will explore an approach to develop relational well-being through explicit and intentional circle processes.  Participants will learn the “why” of circles and  the basics of how to facilitate circles. Participants will also consider ways to introduce circle processes to their communities.

October 2, 2025 - Effective Decision-Making: Supporting Mental Wellbeing and Community Building Through Fair Process with Anne Martin, PhD, Director of Restorative Practices at Shalem Mental Health Network

Poor decision-making frequently leads to conflict in faith communities. This session will introduce the concept of Fair Process, i.e., that Individuals are most likely to trust and co-operate freely with systems whether they themselves win or lose by those systems when fair process is observed. (Kim & Mauborgne, 1997, 2003) Participants will consider the impact of the lack of Fair Process and ways Fair Process builds community. Participants will also consider ways they can introduce Fair Process to their communities.

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

Presenters:

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

Since the beginning, New Leaf has advocated for and valued unapologetic Canadian Christian conversations with people from diverse backgrounds, traditions, and locations to help us discern the on-the-ground issues and opportunities facing Canadian church leaders. It seems no better time to celebrate "made in Canada" creativity and faithfulness in Christian ministry.

Across the country, pastors, neighbourhood catalysts, and local practitioners are responding to unique challenges and opportunities with fresh ideas and hopeful action. From coast to coast, these "made in Canada" stories are inspiring, practical, and deeply rooted in place.

Join us each week as we highlight pastors, practitioners and leaders who are reimagining ministry, leadership, and resources in beautiful, courageous, and uniquely Canadian ways. Be encouraged, challenged and inspired. Hear the good news—close to home.

May 1 “Out of Bounds by Design: A Question-driven Coddiwomple”

7 years ago, Jay embarked on a journey, moving out from his lifelong career in pastoral leadership, seeking what he knew not. Today, this stepping into the unknown has turned into a full-blown coddiwomple – a journey with an unclear destination, but crystal clear intentions and driving questions. In this upcoming Learning Centre, join Jay as he shares his specific perspective on the deconstruction/reconstruction journey, the questions that drive him, and some of the surprising twists these questions have generated.

Jay Mowchenko is the founder of Shalom Leadership, sharing his 35 years of non-profit and academic leadership experience by coaching, training and teaching leaders and organizations to bring sustainable flourishing to every aspect of their life and work. He lives in Saskatoon on Treaty 6 Territory with his spouse, Marilou.

May 8 - Jesus cares deeply for kids and, as the Church - the body of Christ! - we can, too! Together, we'll consider how we can joyfully welcome and disciple kids in today’s church, we'll look at some incredible Canadian-made resources, and we'll celebrate the deep impact kids' ministry can (and has!) had in the world around us! Join in for an excellent conversation as well as some helpful resources for your kids' ministry!

Natalie Frisk has worked in ministry for over 15 years. She has a master’s in theological study (biblical studies) and is pursuing a doctorate in practical theology with an emphasis on the spiritual experience of children (slowly!). While she was the curriculum pastor for a multisite church, Natalie published Raising Disciples: How to Make Faith Matter for Our Kids (Herald Press, 2019). She is now director of curriculum for RaiseUpFaith and the Interim children's ministry director for a rural Canadian church.

May 15 - Research shows that the support of a caring adult contributes to the positive growth and development of youth (at-risk and not). Knowing that they are seen, heard, valued and supported as an individual can change the trajectory of their lives.  This is GOOD NEWS.  And somewhere out there, must be research around how meaningful and loving engagement with at-risk youth positively changes the trajectory of the adult's life.  Catherine spends much of her pastoral work week intersecting with the children, youth and families in the Chandler Mowat community, a community marked by low-income, food insecurity, at-risk youth, addiction and single-parent families AND children and youth who long to flourish, make a difference and be counted.  

Catherine will he sharing stories about how being present as a faith community with an egg, a snack pack, a listening ear and partnerships leads to a picture in Isaiah 35 where strength is given to weary hands and courage to knees for the stumbling.  Together we'll explore creative ways of building up the lives of those on the margins through love, relationship and community opportunities.

Catherine Gitzel has been the lead pastor at The Gathering Church in Kitchener, ON for the last 2.5 years, after serving as Associate Pastor for 15 years. The Gathering Church worships at the Chandler Mowat Community Centre and seeks to form meaningful relationships filled with love, resources and community-building opportunities with those living on the margins.  Catherine deeply values time building into young lives, letting them know that they are seen, heard and valued.  She sees her role as pastor as building up the community of God so that they will go and be the community of God. Catherine loves to learn, engage in meaningful conversations, laugh till it hurts and give and receive hugs.  Times by (in!) Lake Huron at "her" beloved Sauble Beach refreshes her soul. 

May 22 - Many years ago, Greg Elford and the team at New Heights Church asked the question together: what would it look like for us to become incarnational and move our community downtown, becoming a catalyst for good in Mission, BC? Come and hear the inspiring story of New Heights Church, Hougen Block Project and The Penny and how their community-focused faithfulness and presence have made a difference in Mission.

Greg Elford is a community-focused entrepreneur and lifelong student of change. Married to his wife Erin for 20 years, they’re raising three kids, which they consider both their greatest joy and their daily workout. With a Master’s in theology and ministry and a background in philosophy, religion, and cross-cultural studies, Greg has spent years initiating projects and guiding communities through change — whether in spiritual settings, business, working with marginalized groups, or community development in Thailand.

He is the lead pastor at New Heights Church and also the founder of the Penny Coffee House in Mission, BC, where he leads a team of 10 baristas in running a café that doubles as a social enterprise. Greg also leads the Hougen Block Project, which uses property management to fund and facilitate charitable initiatives across Mission. 

June 12th - Xenia Chan and Amy Bratton: Engaging Scripture Contextually and Responsibly. Join Professor Xenia Chan and Amy Bratton for a conversation about the practice of Collaborative Preaching that takes place at Riversdale Neighbours church in Saskatoon. Together, they will offer insight into how to respect the original context and historical interpretations, as well as, the current applications when approaching Biblical texts in group conversation.

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

Presenters

Register

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

As Canadians watch and come to terms with significant political shifts in the United States, the phrase "Christian nationalism" is being discussed by politicians, preachers, scholars, and pundits. Some Evangelical Christians are proud to wear the label, while others quickly denounce it.

Many of us who find community and connection at The New Leaf Network have been asking questions about the intersection of faith, power, and politics and the effects of growing Christian nationalism, specifically for us here on Canadian soil committed to following the way of Jesus

Rather than offering a set of predetermined answers and conclusions, we offer this 5-week series to engage these questions together. In humility, let's converse and wrestle with this timely topic alongside Canadian academics, pastors, and practitioners to discuss these questions in community:

- What is Christian nationalism?

- What can we learn about Christian nationalism from both Canadian and German history?

- Is this theology and political movement only alive and well in the United States, or is it already present in Canada's conservative evangelical churches, political movements, and academic institutions?

- How can we decipher the difference between unhealthy nationalism and the healthy self-regard of cultural preservation that Indigenous peoples have so valiantly exemplified against all odds?

- If Christian nationalism is present here in Canada, what shape, flavour, and accent does it have?

- What do scripture and the Jesus path offer us on this topic as pastors and lay leaders? What does Jesus-shaped discipleship look like in this current cultural moment? How can we lead ourselves and others with courage and humility?

Presenter schedule:

March 6th: What is the Difference between Patriotism & Nationalism: what wisdom can we learn from the Confessing Church in Germany? with Jon Coutts, Ambrose University
March 13th: What can Indigenous wisdom offer us in this moment in Canada? with Ray Aldred, Vancouver School of Theology
March 20th: The Myth of Dominion: what wisdom does Canadian history offer us? with James T. Robertson, Tyndale Seminary
March 27th: Christian Symbolism in the Convoy, with Christine Mitchell, Knox College
April 3rd: Discerning a Way Forward Together: what does the Jesus way offer
us in this moment? with Elle Pyke, New Leaf Network

**Bonus week, April 10th: How Then Shall We Live: Sifting through What We Have Learned Together facilitated by Elle Pyke, New Leaf Network
The conversation and learning have been so rich these last few weeks. Some of these sessions have gone on for hours! We've uncovered so much and people want to talk! Join us for a bonus session. In light of everything we've learned or unlearned, how now shall we live? We want to look forward and brainstorm solutions and next steps together.

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

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.

Join us on February 6th for Stories and relationships: NAIITS' dreams and visions for a different approach to theological formation and the early story of CLC. 

And on February 13th, The ‘d’ word - a fun-serious response time for those questions on decolonization and right relationship that you’ve been afraid to ask. 

On February 20th we’ll be processing together.  After two full weeks of learning and content from NAIITS, we will process together as settlers, deepening our collective learning and insights. We will offer spacious time for conversation together 

And on February  27th: next steps. Our commitment at New Leaf is to take our learning and move it into action steps. Together we will draw out next steps individually in our own discipleship and for our churches, in light of learnings from NAIITS and the broader community.or a different approach to theological formation and the early story of CLC.

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

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.

Join us in the Learning Centre starting Thursday, January 9th, for an online Book Club featuring the newest book published by New Leaf Press "Blessed are the Undone: Testimonies of the Quiet Deconstruction of Faith in Canada"

Canadian Christians frustrated with the Church have come ‘Undone’ and are leaving politely, almost apologetically, in what "Blessed are the Undone" calls a Quiet Deconstruction. We will wrestle together to answer the questions the book raises for us as leaders and participants in the Canadian church: what aspects of faith are being questioned, why and what?

Weaving in church history, cultural analysis and personal stories, the authors Angela Bick and Peter Schuurman use canoe camping to illustrate the twists and turns of the spiritual journey. Whether you feel like you’re up the creek without a paddle when it comes to faith or if people you love have lost their bearings, this book and book study community is for you.

From the publisher’s description:

Canadian Christians frustrated with the Church have come ‘Undone’ and are leaving politely, almost apologetically, in what this book dubs a Quiet Deconstruction. Blessed are the Undone asks: what aspects of faith are being questioned, and why?

Weaving in church history, cultural analysis and their personal stories, Bick and Schuurman use canoe camping to illustrate the twists and turns of the spiritual journey. Whether you feel like you’re up the creek without a paddle when it comes to faith, or if people you love have lost their bearings, this book is for you.

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

Schedule

Week 1 (Jan 9): pages xiii to 54

Week 2 (Jan 16): pages 55-116

Week 3 (Jan 23): pages 117-176

Week 4 (Jan 30): pages 177-243 with co-author Angela Reitsma Bick

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.

During Advent, many of us practice annual rhythms and traditions as we await the arrival of Jesus at Christmas. Despite our best efforts, Advent and Christmas can often feel overwhelming, busy 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, stillness and silence on Thursday, December 5th and December 12th. Join this Advent Learning Centre space where, together with friends, we'll enter into a time of prayer, silence, and other spiritual practices to make room for what is to come. We will offer a mix of ancient and modern prayer practices and postures to slow down and pay attention to the Spirit in our midst. Come be refreshed - come and "be" this Advent season.

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

Facilitators

Is preaching relevant today, or is it an ineffective, antiquated, and (frankly) dull form of communication? Do you find yourself simply enduring sermons as a part of church gatherings? If your answer is "yes", you are not alone. What has shifted in our collective consciousness that demands a shift in the way we approach ‘bearing witness to the text’? What assumptions can no longer be taken for granted? What needs to be tossed … but maybe also recovered? 

Join us (Jared and Randy) as we reflect on this liturgical practice, both theologically and as practitioners who have wrestled within post-evangelical communities.

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

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

Week 1 (Oct 24)

We’ll be joined by Leah Reesor-Keller, author of Tending Tomorrow: Courageous Change for People and Planet, on tending the embers of hope: conversations about climate anxiety, fighting despair and living in hope in a time of upheaval. 

Week 2 (Oct 31)

On the 31st we’ll engage with Leah Reesor-Keller and her colleague, Beth Lorimer, on church as movement: why congregations and people of faith have a unique role to play in the climate justice movement, and practical ideas for responding faithfully to a world in crisis. 

Week 3 & 4 (Nov 7 & 14)

Week 3: Recently A Rocha Canada and Tearfund Canada teamed up to survey young Canadian Christians about their views on biodiversity loss, climate change, and faith. We will discuss the findings and the implications for the credibility and potential of churches.

Week 4: The world is facing enormous ecological problems. In the final week we will explore a question for churches living in the midst of these challenges: How, and who, are we to be?

Many Christians and faith communities across Canada desire deeply to meet the Calls to Action developed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Final Report. But sometimes knowing where to start is a difficult task. 

Join us for a three week series, in preparation for September 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We'll learn how "unsettling" worship can prepare us to engage in the work of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and how one church practices right relations in their context. Come and learn, be inspired and "unsettled" in this timely Learning Centre series. 

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

Weeks 1 & 2 (Sept 12 & 19)

We’ll be joined by Rev. Dr. Sarah Travis, Associate Professor, Ewart Chair in the Practice of Ministry and Faith Formation at Knox College, Toronto.

Week 3 (Sept 26)

In this session we will hear the story of how Lakeview Church has explored what it means to participate well in acts of Truth and Reconciliation. This church does not have everything figured out, nor have they arrived at some final destination. However, they have a beautiful story of listening to Indigenous voices, building friendships with a nearby First Nation, and humbly following the Spirit towards new experiences. Their story offers inspiration and tangible invitations for other Christians to step into the work of Truth and Reconciliation.

Spring has fully bloomed across Canada, awakening us to a symphony of blooming wildflowers, vibrant green trees, and new life in the warming sun. We love to celebrate these new beginnings and fresh hope as they manifest within the life of the church. Join us for a three-week series from pastors and ministry leaders who are planting seeds and seeing new life emerge here on Canadian soil. Allow these inspiring stories to ignite and encourage your creative missional endeavours within your local context.

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

Week 1 (June 6)

This week in the Learning Centre, we are joined by Michael Garner, an Anglican priest and chaplain at the University of Ottawa. 

During this session, we will learn from Michael about how his church in Ottawa addressed significant challenges facing their neighbourhood. Their story will encourage and inspire, reminding us that the local church can break inertia and find solutions around an issue when we approach God prayerfully and with open hands.

Week 2 (June 13)

This week in the Learning Centre we are joined by Alicia Wilson and Siobhan Koch, co-creators of IMBY - In My Backyard. An innovative Christian non profit focused on addressing the affordable housing crisis and loneliness epidemic. 

During this session we will learn how IMBY came to life, how they created their first build, and their dreams for what comes next. IMBY is truly worth celebrating - a made in Canada, good news story of what can happen when Jesus followers pray, dream and collaborate to meet the needs of their neighbours 

Week 3 (June 20)

During this session, we will learn from Jared about how his new church plant in Saskatoon addresses the challenges of deconstruction in Canada. We will spend time wrestling with some early reports from this fledgling congregation at the crossroads of faith and the arts. 

The sacred art of storytelling is present in every aspect of human life and faith. Stories can heal us. Stories can illuminate our limitations and failures. Stories can encourage us and bring us hope. They can draw us into deeper ways of following Jesus. 

Come and learn from academics and practitioners in a Learning Centre series about the power of story and the way it intersects with repentance, evangelism, formation and community building. 

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

Week 1 (May 9)

As more and more stories are shared about oppressive, marginalizing practices within the church, it can leave us feeling defenseless, downhearted, and just plain angry. What do we do in the face of spiritual abuse, church hurt, and religious trauma? How do we move forward together? Andrea shares her research into spiritual abuse, and creating healthy church cultures by learning from our past to move into our future.

Week 2 (May 16)

Week 3 (May 23)

Recent trends in theology, neurobiology, and human geographies give attention to the emergent qualities of life through shared experiences, everyday routines, embodied movements, and what might otherwise be viewed as "unexceptional interactions" with people and places comprising our lives. Attention to these everyday encounters helps draw us away from the 'framing' and 'fixing' of people and places that closes us to the unique possibilities and full potential emerging among them. In short, while everyday experiences and "unexceptional encounters" offer only small hints of what becomes of them, they are nevertheless the very soil in which life and its possibilities emerge. Ethnographic research - including autoethnographies and storytelling - offer helpful insights into such "unexceptional encounters" by allowing the formative elements of one's experiences, rhythms, movements, and places to be seen, heard, and known for what they truly are. This move toward non-representational thinking is a necessary component to research and relationality as it acknowledges the self-evident uniqueness of human lives and opens us to new possibilities of knowing and living together in authentic community. 

Week 4 (May 30)

Tim Bratton is the playwright and performer of the show, My Little Plastic Jesus. Join Tim at the Learning Centre to hear about how telling his own story, through the story-rich medium of theatre helped to address big ideas and complex situations with grace and laughter. The show is described as "a solo living room show, where Tim Bratton finds hilarity and heartache as he unpacks his upbringing in evangelical pop culture, examining its folly and redeeming its faith. Experience an insider’s quest to unravel his own existential crisis by deconstructing the culture he grew up in, with both satire and love."

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.