MICRO SCHEDULE
The Day at a Glance
- 9:00 – Opening Plenary
- 9:45 – Featured Conversation (Lifelong Faith)
- 10:45 – Morning Workshops
- 12:30 – Featured Conversation (Racial Healing & The Church)
- 1:30 – Afternoon Workshops
- 2:45 – Featured Conversation (Spirit Runner)
- 3:30 – Closing Plenary
9:45 – Featured Conversation
Lifelong Faith: Formation for All Ages and Generations
John Roberto has spent a lifetime working in Christian faith formation—teaching, writing, researching, consulting, and developing program resources. His latest book has just been published: Lifelong Faith: Formation for All Ages and Generations (2022). Learn more about his work, gain access to a wide range of faith formation workshops, and sign up for his free weekly newsletter at the Lifelong Faith website.
Wendy Claire Barrie is the author of Faith at Home: A Handbook for Cautiously Christian Parents, and is finishing up her second book, The Church Post-Sunday School: How to Be Intergenerational and Why it Matters. She was recently named Canon for Intergenerational Ministries at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, Seattle.
10:30 – Break
15-minute break
Workshops – Session 1
Personal Faith
Personal Faith
10:45 – Spiritual Direction: An Invitation to Deeper Discovery and Connection
Carla Orlando and Tom Cashman
Spiritual Directors Carla Orlando and Tom Cashman will provide an introduction to Spiritual Direction for all who seek a deeper, personal connection to Spirit. They will also introduce two modes of Spiritual Direction, model a session from each mode, and provide resources for those seeking Spiritual Direction.
Self-Care
Self-Care
Exhausted? Feeling like you are simultaneously doing way too much and not nearly enough? You’re in good company. Come and gain some practical tools for releasing stuck stress, addressing your stressors, and being kind to yourself. We’ll draw on wisdom from our own experience as well as the books Burnout: Unlocking the Stress Cycle, by Emily and Amelia Nagoski and The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn’t, and Get Stuff Done by Kendra Adachi.
Children & Families / Intergenerational
Children & Families / Intergenerational
Looking for a memorable and impactful way to reach children and adults, join Hanna for an overview of her passion and vocation: Picture Book Theology. Combining her love of children’s literature, scripture, and teaching, PBT encourages the use of picture books in ministry for all ages. On her website www.picturebooktheology.com, 800 plus picture books (mostly secular) are described, connected to scripture, and explored for potential spiritual riches. Hanna will demonstrate how you can use these rich resources in planning programs for all ages.
Liturgy & Creativity
Liturgy & Creativity
10:45 – Beyond Sunday: Creating Meaningful Worship & Devotions
The Rev. Dianne Andrews
During this workshop we will be exploring ideas for crafting meaningful events of worship and devotions for a variety of occasions that are geared towards intergenerational worship gatherings. We will draw upon our beautiful Episcopal tradition as we consider questions such as: “What makes worship meaningful?” “From start to finish: how do we shape worship?” “What is the language of worship?” “What are the basic components?” “What does the occasion call for?” “Who will be gathered?” “Where do we begin?”
11:45 – Lunch Break
45-minute break for lunch.
Optional Drop-In Session
Optional Drop-In Session
12:00–12:25 – Talk books with Sue Tait, Diocesan Resource Center Director
Looking for something intriguing for yourself or your next program or event? Join Sue “in the library” to talk books, curriculum, and resources including Equipped for Ministry (EfM) and more.
12:30 – Featured Conversation
Racial Healing & The Church
Iyabo Onipede: After last year’s presentation at Better Together, Iyabo led a 10-part series on Racial Healing in the Diocese of Olympia, reaching participants from more than 30 churches with her trademark wit, vulnerability, and tough love. Now she’s back to check-in on what’s been happening here around racial justice and what still needs to be done.
Daniel W. Jones, Sylvia Sepulveda & The Rev. Nat Johnson representing Ethnic Ministries Circles of Color & Circles Allies: Ministry leaders in the Diocese of Olympia—both lay and ordained—created Circles of Color to provide regular opportunities for people of color and those dedicated to allyship to come together to experience support, develop networks across our diocese and communities, and consider the significant social issues that affect us.
1:15 – Break
1:30 – Afternoon Workshops
Creation Care & Climate Justice
Creation Care & Climate Justice
1:30 – Becoming People of Refugia: Adapting Our Faith for the Age of Climate Crisis: Roundtable with Young Adults
Dr. Debra Rienstra with Lindsay Bell, Josh deLacy, Emily Meeks, & Justin Shelley
In this roundtable conversation, we’ll consider how young people especially can move the church toward greater engagement as healers of the whole community of creation. In biology, “refugia” are places of shelter where biodiversity persists amid crisis. In this era of ecological devastation, how can Christians become people of refugia? How can we find and nurture space for growth and rebirth, not only on the planet, but also in the church and in our spiritual lives?
Youth / Intergenerational
Youth / Intergenerational
1:30 – Letting Go of Bad Theology In A New World: Theodicy For Teens
Bryan Bliss
Teenagers know there’s something wrong. They know that — despite our attempts at helping them live into good theology — there are certain questions about God that come with tension. How do we square the idea of a good God with all the bad things? And how might we answer these questions now, in the midst of a pandemic? This workshop will offer practical and theological tips on how people who work (or live!) with youth and children can honor questions, validate experiences, and (of course!) not freak out when a kid comes up and says, “Something’s not right.”
Social Justice & Film
Social Justice & Film
1:30 – Gathering Community and Growing Relationship through Meaningful Movies
The Rev. Kay Flores, Anne Miller, Sylvia Sepulveda, & Hayley Stockwell
Learn about how the Episcopal Church is bringing Meaningful Movies to western Washington and how you too can use documentary film to gather your community around a compelling topic. Panelists will discuss how to bring a meaningful movie to a virtual or live setting; how to set up a screening and follow-up conversation; and how to publicize. We’ll hear from St. Timothy, Chehalis, who identified an issue of concern in their parish and community and then sought to provide education and connection through film. This outreach process enhances the church connection with the community and establishes it as a place where even controversial or challenging topics can be examined with respect and understanding, thanks to the grounding of our baptismal covenant, “to seek Christ in all persons.”
Church Culture
Church Culture
1:30 – Sacred Hospitality: Setting the Table for Transformation at Retreats and in Churches
Alida Garcia, Dan Oberg, and Ashley Graham-Wilcox
Join the Diocese of Olympia’s own: Executive Directors Alida Garcia of Camp Huston and Dan Oberg of St. Andrew’s House to look at what it means to set the table and serve, so that guests might have their own encounter with the Sacred. Alida and Dan will share about their own formative experiences and journeys in camp and conference center settings. Then they will highlight opportunities to get involved, upcoming programs and projects, best practices for planning your next retreat, and creative ways to foster ministry partnerships as we embark together into the “new normal.”
2:30 – Break
2:45 – Featured Conversation
Spirit Runner
Noé Álvarez is the author of the 2021 inspirational book Spirit Run: A 6,000 Mile Marathon Through North America’s Stolen Land, published to broad acclaim and selected as a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice. Noé was born to Mexican immigrant parents and raised working-class in Yakima, Washington. He holds degrees in philosophy and creative writing from Whitman College and Emerson College, respectively.
The Rev. Rich Weyls is Rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Seattle. He is also a board-certified chaplain with expertise in palliative care as well as a spiritual care educator, researcher, and writer. He and Noé are family friends.
3:30 – Closing Plenary with Bishop Greg Rickel
A simple service with music and poetry to send you back into the world, refreshed and ready to take on faith formation in 2022!