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Epiphany Explorations 2010
Journey in the Wintertime
Epiphany Explorations will be held January 21-25, 2010
"Epiphany, radical, transformative change – that is what this event has been for me."
"It is a joy to gather..., to listen and learn, laugh and sing, to be one in a large family. It is a mountain-top experience."
"Thanks for your continued to commitment to offering this event. It is a gift for the church and I hope for the wider world."
These are just a few of the comments received after Epiphany Explorations 2009 held January 22 to 26, featuring such speakers as Stephen Lewis, Rita Nakashima Brock, Tom Long, Marty Haugen, Raheel Raza, Nancy Reeves and others.
Raheel Raza offering a workshop on Spiritual Practices of Islam
at Epiphany Explorations 2009
Plans for 2010 are now well underway and will feature speakers:
Come renew friendships and refresh your soul in beautiful Victoria this coming January! Join us for five days of spiritual nurture, continuing education and music!
Conference organizers are now taking a well-deserved rest. Return to this page August 15 for more information and to register. In the meantime,
Here are some of the presenters for the 2010 conference:
 Robert Bateman has become one of the world's greatest artists depicting the natural world. Bateman's art reflects his commitment to ecology and preservation. He has become a spokesman for many environmental and preservation issues and has used his artwork and limited edition prints in fund-raising efforts which have provided millions of dollars for these worthy causes. Bateman received the Order of Canada, and has been the subject of three films and several video productions. Bob has dedicated his life to preserving the diversity of the natural world and says, "Variety is not just the spice of life, it is the essence of life." Read his essays at www.batemanideas.com.
 David G. Benner is an internationally known clinical psychologist, author, lecturer, and spiritual retreat leader. He has authored or edited more than 20 books and has held numerous clinical and academic appointments in Canada, the United States and abroad. He has also served as visiting lecturer at universities in Prague, South Africa , Singapore, Manila, Hong Kong, Slovak Republic, and Wales. Dr. Benner was the founding Director of the Institute for Psycho-spiritual Health (Toronto, Ontario). He currently is Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Spirituality at Psychological Studies Institute, Richmont Graduate University (Atlanta, Georgia) and Associate Fellow (Psychology and Spirituality) at The Centre for Studies in Religion and Society, University of Victoria.
 Juliet Benner's use of religious art as a resource in Christian contemplation and spiritual formation is at the core of her writing, retreat work and spiritual direction. She has worked as a teacher, a teaching leader with Bible Study Fellowship International, and a calligrapher. Her primary training in spiritual direction was at St. Joseph's Centre for Spirituality (Hamilton). She served as a Consultant in Art and Spirituality for Tao Fong Shan Christian Centre (Hong Kong) where she has also provided spiritual direction and led retreats. Juliet is in demand internationally as a retreat and workshop leader. In Atlanta, she lectures and offers spiritual direction and leads retreats at Psychological Studies Institute. A member of Spiritual Directors International, she is a Consulting Editor and contributor to Conversations: A Forum for Authentic Transformation.
 Reginald Bibby is a sociology professor at the University of Lethbridge, Order of Canada recipient and a researcher who has surveyed the beliefs and attitudes of Canadian teens and adults for over 30 years.
Trained in theology, he has written extensively about the religious and spiritual beliefs of today's society and how churches could experience a renaissance. His research in Canada and the United States for many denominations give him a unique perspective on the similarities in social trends affecting religion and spirituality in these two countries and the differences He is the author of five books that focus on religion – Fragmented Gods (1987), Unknown Gods (1993), There's Got to Be More! (1995), Restless Gods (2002), and Restless Churches (2004).
Three other books focus on youth, - the first two co-authored with Don Posterski – The Emerging Generation (1984), Teen Trends (1992), and, Canada's Teen's: Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow (2001).
His two latest books focus on the boomer generation (The Boomer Factor: What Canada's Most Famous Generation is Leaving Behind) and on what the emerging generation of teenagers looks like (Emerging Millennials: How Canada's Newest Generation is Responding to Change and Choice.)
 Michael Blair serves as Executive Minister of the Intercultural & Diverse Communities in Ministry Unit of The United Church of Canada. He is the former director of the Toronto Christian Resource Centre (CRC), which serves the homeless and marginalized housed in Toronto's eastern downtown area. Previously, Michael served as a congregational minister of a number of Baptist churches in Toronto and St. Catharines, Ontario, and as a community chaplain with the Ontario Multifaith Council's Reintegration Program, working with individuals leaving the provincial jail system. He has been speaking and preaching extensively about intercultural ministries, and offers prophetic wisdom and keen insights in becoming an intercultural church.
 Paul Bramadat is the Director of the Centre of Studies in Religion and Society, University of Victoria. He is an active member of the Metropolis Project, an international network for comparative public policy research on migration, diversity and immigrant integration in urban centres, and of the Canadian Ethnic Studies Association, where he serves as vice-president. Other academic interests include fundamentalism and evangelicalism; secularization; and religion, literature and popular culture in North America.
He is currently working on an edited volume with Matthias Koenig titled International Migration and the Governance of Religious Diversity. In addition to his directorship, Paul holds teaching appointments in the UVic Department of History and the Religious Studies Minor Program.
 Linnea Good is widely known in Canada and abroad for her songs expressing a contemporary, thoughtful spirituality. The latest of her numerous CDs, Swimmin' Like a Bird, was nominated for major Canadian awards as Outstanding Children's Album of the Year. Good's previous eight CDs have reflected a spiritual voyage both personal and profound, one that has seen her achieve recognition at home and abroad as a hymn-writer. Five of her hymns are included in the United Church of Canada's newest hymnal. Linnea tours much of the year in her trio, Good Company, giving concerts and workshops. Her professional travels that have taken her to Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East.
 Adele Halliday is the Program Coordinator for Intercultural Engagement & Education in the Intercultural & Diverse Communities in Ministries Unit of The United Church of Canada. Adele has taught students and developed curricula in the greater Toronto area, Kenya, and Belize. She recently completed a Master of Education in Comparative, International, and Development Education, and with a focus on anti-racist education, equity, and social justice. She has led several workshops in the area of intercultural ministries, and offered many presentations on inter-culturalism. She has also developed educational resources and written several articles for the intercultural church. Adele is the staff resource for the Task Group on Intercultural Ministries, and co-staff to organize "Behold! One Another: An Intercultural Conference", the United Church's first conference on intercultural ministries.
 Bruce Harding is a congregational song leader at Royal Heights United Church in North Delta, B.C., and a passionate advocate of exploring music from around the world in our congregations.
He was managing editor for More Voices, and he travels regularly across Canada leading singing with gatherings large and small. Bruce was the worship/music leader at "Behold! One Another: An Intercultural Conference."
Bruce loves leading culturally diverse music and rhythms.
 Danielle Ayana James is in ministry at the Fort Saskatchewan Pastoral Charge near Edmonton. Currently, Danielle serves as a General Council Commissioner and was co-chair of "Sounding the Bamboo", a conference for racial/ethnic minority women and First Nations women.
Having worked with Christian cultural groups in Central, South American and European nations she brings a broad perspective to the intercultural dialogue. Danielle preached at the closing worship service for the "Behold!" conference, and loves creating intercultural worship spaces.
 Chung Hyun Kyung is Professor of Ecumenical Studies at Union TheologicaL Seminary, New York a charismatic speaker and a lay theologian of the Presbyterian Church of Korea. In 1991, international attention resulted from her now-famous speech – a feminist/Asian/ Third World interpretation of the Holy Spirit – at the World Council of Churches. She defines herself as a "salimist" (Korean Eco-feminist) from the Korean word "salim," which means "making things alive." Her books include Struggling to be the Sun Again: Introducing Asian Women's Theology and Hyun Kyung and Alice's Fabulous Love Affair with God, co-authored with American novelist, Alice Walker. Prof. Chung's recently concluded interviews with Muslim women involved in peacemaking work in 16 different Islamic countries are the basis for her upcoming book.
 Voted "One of the 50 Most Influential Christians in America" (2006, 2007), Leonard Sweet is a historian of North American culture; a futurist who "sees things the rest of us do not see, and dreams possibilities that are beyond most of our imagining;" and a preacher and writer who communicates the gospel powerfully to a postmodem age. Currently the E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Drew University, Madison, NJ and a Visiting Distinguished Professor at George Fox University, Portland, Oregon, Len has held leadership positions within the United Methodist Church and was chosen to speak at the World Methodist Congress in Rio de Janeiro.
 Rod and Lois Tomlinson currently lead programs and offer training in Couplehood as a Spiritual Path, a group education program for couples developed by Harville Hendrix and his wife Helen Hunt. The method is informed by their widely respected Imago Relationship Therapy method and was developed by them at the Riverside Church of New York City. Rod is a retired Professor of Social Work Practice and certified Imago Relationship Therapist, with teaching and practice areas in family, marriage and group leadership. Lois is a retired nurse specialized in the area in the area of mental health and small group leadership. She is also a Certified Canadian Family Educator.
 Ann Weems is one of the great theological poets of our time and known as the Poet Laureate of the Presbyterian Church USA. She is a writer, keynote speaker, liturgist and workshop leader. Her books include Kneeling in Bethlehem, Reaching for Rainbows, Family Faith Stories, Searching for Shalom, Kneeling in Jerusalem, and Putting the Amazing Back in Grace. Her son Todd died less than an hour after his 21st birthday. In the years following that loss, she gave voice to her continuing grief, rage, and faith in a series of harrowing and beautiful psalms of lament. We look forward to a new work of hers being published this year.
 Steve Willey is the Program Coordinator for Education and Leadership Development in the Intercultural & Diverse Communities in Ministries Unit of The United Church of Canada. Steve has served as Conference Personnel Minister, mission strategist for York Presbytery, and interim minister of Centennial-Japanese United Church.
He has offered several workshops for ethnic majority churches that are seeking to become intercultural, and works with presbytery pastoral relations committees in helping seek ways of becoming intercultural churches. Steve was co-staff to organize "Behold! One Another: An Intercultural Conference."
Hear past presentations from Epiphany Explorations
Audio recordings from past conferences (PDF) can be ordered by mail or phone or purchased at the Epiphany Explorations event.
Program details from past years are archived. Follow the links, below.
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