Calls to the Church: Listening to the Wisdom of the Elders
The Pacific Mountain Regional Council of The United Church of Canada presents a four part series to explore the Calls to the Church.
June 1 – 4, 2021
6:30 -7:30 pm PT / 7:30 -8:30 pm MT
Workshop is free. Registration is required.
The Calls to the Church document articulates the Indigenous Church’s vision for the ongoing development of Indigenous Peoples’ mission and ministry and communities of faith within The United Church of Canada. It outlines pathways for the whole church to continue to walk in the Spirit of Christ toward justice, healing, and reconciliation.
The Calls to the Church emerged from a process of discernment by the Indigenous church as The United Church of Canada discerned a way forward, following the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, and as a part of a comprehensive review within the United Church.
Session themes
Each session will include teaching from our Indigenous Ministers, and time for discussion in groups.
June 1 – – Indigenous Ministry Orientation, Reconciliation Programming, Sharing Circle
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an overview of ways of being Indigenous Ministry in PM and CW Regions, and where we can share our work as Communities of Faith.
June 2 – Apology, TRC, UNDRIP, Calls to the Church
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A review of our work as a church with the recent calls to the church by the Indigenous Elders and discussion of implementation of the calls in communities of faith what they are discerning and what actions each are taking.
June 3 – Meaningful Observation and Advocacy (Red Dress Day, Indigenous Month, Treaty Day, Orange Shirt Day, Sisters in Spirit Day)
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Implementation of the work incorporating what has been learned from the Apology, TRC, UNDRIP and the United Church Elders Calls to the Church.
June 4 – What is your path? Living into the Calls to the Church
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What is our workplan, considering past Moderator Jordan Cantwell’s request to implement the Calls to the Church as our United Church Workplan.
Leadership
Rev. John Snow Jr.
John is a direct descendant of Treaty 7 signatories and a member of the Stoney Tribe; he is a sun-dancer and pipe-holder in the Nakoda Tradition. John was educated in Canada, the United States and London, England. He holds an M.A. in Political Science in Public Policy, Law and Administration from the University of Calgary. John is a seasoned speaker, instructor and negotiator for technical oil and gas. He has worked with provincial and federal governments to advise on policy, guided by the Treaties, the TRC, and UNDRIP. John has been able to provide insight on Indigenous ways and history by giving presentations and instructing Indigenous courses for youth to post-graduate, and for the United Church and the Morley Ecumenical Conference. John has served the United Church of Canada as a student minister in Maskwacis, as a member of the Permanent Committee on Finance, Chinook Winds Regional Executive, and the National Indigenous Council. A recent graduate of the Sandy Saulteaux Spiritual Center Indigenous Ministry Program, John was ordained September 2020, in The United Church of Canada, M. Div.. John’ s ministry is grounded in community, and walking in faith together to build a vision for the future.
Tony Snow
Coordinator for Indigenous Right Relations, Chinook Winds Regional Council