For centuries, the church had created solutions for poverty, food insecurity and housing when their community suffered. This will be a workshop and discussion about the current mental health challenges in our churches and the steps congregations can take to address these needs. We'll discuss what is working and what's still needed. We'll also learn about Shalem's programs supporting Churches in Canada, alongside other great mental health resources available to faith communities needing support.

Jennifer has served Shalem Mental Health Network as Executive Director since 2021. Before this role, she led its counselling program for 12 years and has loved her time growing and supporting Shalem’s staff in its mission to restore Hope. Before Shalem, she worked for 20 years in the field of marriage and family therapy as a psychotherapist, consultant and trainer in both faith-based and secular agencies. She brings a passion for team building, visioning and community partnerships and loves walking alongside organizations in their pursuit of better health and wellbeing. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto, studying psychology and religion, was active in leadership in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and completed a Master of Divinity in Marriage and Family Counselling at Tyndale Seminary. When not working, you can find her enjoying time with her two children, pouring over a novel, and likely brewing some tea.

Discipleship is something of a buzzword these days. But what exactly does it mean, and why does it matter? We will look at the basic concept of being an apprentice of Jesus and how that works out in practice for individuals and churches, particularly in the True City network. We will share our own thoughts and experience, and hope you will come prepared to do the same.

John is emeritus professor of evangelism at Wycliffe College, Toronto. His most recent book is The Unfolding Gospel: How the Good News Makes Sense of Discipleship, Church, Mission, and Everything Else (Fortress 2021). He is a member of St. John the Evangelist parish in Hamilton.

Matt has lived and pastored in downtown Hamilton. He now spends his days homeschooling his son and works part-time supporting pastors and church planters.

What can churches do to care for creation? How might churches incorporate caring for God’s world into their congregational life and mission? Can we be hopeful and alarmed about the state of the natural environment at the same time? This workshop will explore ways to get started and ways to make more of a difference in this critical missional frontier. We’ll share examples, practical steps, and new ideas.

Anthony serves as the Director of A Rocha Ontario, a Christian nature conservation organization. He previously worked as a pastor, theology prof, farm hand and wilderness adventure guide.

Join Micah House and Open Homes as we listen to and share stories about how churches in our city are welcoming refugees. Together we’ll reflect on what we’re learning and what questions come up as we explore next steps for churches on the continued journey of extending welcome and hospitality to our new neighbours.

Stephanie started as the Executive Director at Micah House in 2022. She comes to Micah House with experience working in international development and refugee resettlement, having worked in Canada, Ghana, Kenya and Burkina Faso. Stephanie studied social work at Redeemer University and has a Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Waterloo.

Danielle is the Team Leader of Open Homes Hamilton, a ministry that supports refugee claimants by offering home-based hospitality. Danielle is a settler of Dutch-Canadian heritage, often playing the complicated role of welcomer to lands on which she is fundamentally a guest of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples. She is part of New Hope Church and lives in the Rosedale neighbourhood with her husband Dan, their sweet baby Theo, their housemate Idrissa, and their dog Roo(or Roocifer).

Prayer is an essential practice in the Christian Life. It is central to knowing God and following Christ. Paul exhorts us to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). John Wesley boldly asserted that ‘God does nothing but in response to prayer.’ Yet, we often find prayer to be challenging, dry and/or difficult to sustain.

Through teaching, discussion and, of course, prayer (we’ll try out three prayer practices), this workshop will explore some ways for individuals and congregations to take some steps forward in prayer.

Andy (M. Div) wears many hats: Husband, father, Executive Director of Greater Ontario House of Prayer (GOHOP), spiritual director, furniture restorer and small-business owner. As a “contemplative-charismacademic,” Andy is a student of rich diversity of Christian traditions and has grown and benefited from a diversity of teachers and mentors in the school of prayer. Andy and his family live in the Sherman neighbourhood and attend St. Clair Community Church.

What does it look like to seek the welfare of the city together with those who are marginalized, overlooked and often relegated to being the subjects of service or “welfare”? When we read in James 2 that God has chosen the poor in the world to be heirs of the kingdom, what does that mean for how we relate to the “homeless” among us? How can we as the church be welcoming to the stranger, even the stranger we may fear, not just by serving them, but by opening ourselves up to being God’s family together?

Alice is privileged to have been welcomed into the friendship community at Helping Hands Street Mission since 2018 - first as neighbour and volunteer and then as Executive Director. Prior to finding home at Helping Hands, she regularly engaged with community members all around the city but at times found herself vulnerable and fearful. Helping Hands gave her opportunity to connect with a diversity of people in a safe space, where everyone cares for each other in community. Since then, she has been blessed to meet Jesus alive in folks who are hungry, thirsty, strange, in need of clothing, sick and incarcerated, and privileged to grow in God’s family together with them.

What is it that we long for in our youth? What is "the gospel" to which we are wanting our youth to be held? I imagine you have questions. In a world that presents endless content, an ambiguous landscape for virtue and future plans, and a vision of limitlessness as true freedom, how do we walk with our youth in a way that offers hope, deep roots and a call (and some practices) to engage with courage and humility in this wild world? Come for a conversation among peers who are (probably) asking similar questions.

Jon comes to this conversation with various experiences that lead to wonderings, questions and perhaps some helpful framework and practices. With a background of camp ministry and high school teaching and his current context in directing Act Five, Jon does not see himself as an expert in this field but as one who has the privilege of keeping key questions around youth engagement and faith formation active in his life and work.