Workshops
WORKSHOP A – Friday, 1:30 – 2:45 pm
Embodied Justice in Community: Finding our Feet – Eric Van Giessen & Becca Sawyer
Justice is a term that is widely used in both secular and religious circles. Yet, while we often find situations of injustice easy to identify, it can be difficult to articulate what communities and relationships marked by justice might look like. In this dialogue-based introductory workshop, we’ll consider the different factors that have influenced our conceptions of justice/injustice, examine and deconstruct current terminology used in social justice conversations, imagine what just friendships and communities might look like, and identify questions we’d like to explore about how to better embody justice in our lives.
Eric Van Giessen is the Manager of Operations at Generous Space Ministries. Read more about him here!
Becca Sawyer calls herself an ambivert, is an enneagram 2, and a humanitarian in the making. She is a recent graduate from Wycliffe College at UofT with a Masters in Urban and International Development. Her thesis focused on home building with refugees and the narratives we tell about home. Becca is the Events Manager at Generous Space Ministries. She a queer woman who loves to travel, play her ukulele (Cecilia), and hang out with her dog (Presley) and fianceee (Mary). You can find her quoting Gilmore Girls, making up alternative lyrics to songs, and eating peanut butter cups on the regular.
Ask Anything – LGBTQ+ Christian 101 – Beth Carlson-Malena & Caro Ibrahim
This workshop is great for people who are new to the LGBTQ+ conversation, or who feel like they’re playing “catch up” when it comes to all the vocabulary, scripture passages, ideas about sexuality and gender, and queer culture. This includes straight/cisgender allies and people who are just coming out and joining the community. Have you ever wanted to ask a LGBTQ+ Christian a question, but you weren’t sure if it was appropriate, or if it would make you sound ignorant or prying? Maybe you’re confused by the word “cisgender” from two sentences ago – that’s okay – we all have to start somewhere! We’ll open a safe space to ask all kinds of questions in a low-barrier/anonymous way; we’ll assume your best intentions and will not shame you for “incorrect” language or mistaken assumptions. Bring your best question – whether it’s “What’s Paul rambling about in Romans 1?” or “Are pansexuals attracted to pans?” or “How do lesbians have sex?” or “Who’s this RuPaul person I keep hearing about?”, and we’ll do our best to respond with love, honesty, and hopefully plenty of humour!
Beth Carlson-Malena is the Director of Community at Generous Space Ministries. Read more about her here!
Caro Ibrahim identifies as a Born-again Christian, Queer, Arab, Migrant, Trans-man. He was born and mostly raised in Egypt, and have been living as a settler on this land (Turtle Island) for the last 15 years. Caro identifies with queerness as a representation of what is outside the normative systemic structure; it is a political identity rather than a sexual one for him. Caro is an Architect, Photographer and Filmmaker. Caro is currently undertaking his Masters degree in Pastoral Studies-Psychotherapy Stream and is the Media Manager at Generous Space Ministries. His work is committed to social justice, human rights, equity, anti-violence and anti-oppression. Caro believes that all God’s creation is whole, holy, unconditionally loved, cherished and saved by God and his/her/their son Jesus Christ.
New Wineskins: Cultivating Radical Hospitality in Faith Communities – Wendy Vanderwal Gritter
The Generous Space community has had the gift of co-creating with God an experience of faith community from the ground up. Join us for a conversation about the practices, postures, commitments and process of communal formation that are enabling us to love across difference and welcome a wide diversity of Beloved ones.
Dr. Wendy Vanderwal Gritter is the Executive Director at Generous Space Ministries. Read more about her here!
How Science and Christian History Moved Me Toward Being Affirming – Cal Malena
I have been a Baptist pastor and before that a Chemical Engineer. In the last 10 years I moved from a traditional non-affirming conviction to an affirming position on LGBTQ+ realities. The areas of consideration that informed this transformation included 1.) testimonial evidence from gay and trans folks, 2.) scientific evidence that suggests sexual orientation is innate and immutable, 3.) the record of Christian history on social/justice issues, 4.) the interpretation of the relevant biblical material and 5.) the overall theological perspectives of Christianity. In this workshop I will share aspects of my journey in the two areas of Science and Christian History – and hopefully stimulate some lively and meaningful discussion.
Cal Malena was a Baptist pastor for 36 years until he retired two years ago. He is presently the Pastor Emeritus and an elder at First Baptist Church in Prince George, BC. He has defended an affirming position, including full inclusion and marriage equality, in his local church and in his denomination (at considerable cost to his career). Recently, he has offered workshops for church leadership teams on his journey to an affirming position. Cal and Joanne have four children (two gay and two straight) and they are extremely proud of them all. For fun in retirement he teaches a robotics course to kids.
Queer Celebration – Charlie Lake
Most LGBTQ2 folks in Christian communities have not spent a lot of time actively celebrating their queerness with other Christians. That is exactly what this workshop is about! Come excited to share and rejoice in the beautiful, unique aspects of being queer. (Note: This workshop is for folks who identify on the LGBTQ+ spectrum.)
Loving the life she’s been given and fully leaning into what is next is how Charlie Lake aims to live her life. She is passionate about loving people, fighting for justice, protecting the ocean, discovering new music, reading good books, and laughter. When she’s not working three jobs, you can find her doing two school programs while planning her next overseas adventure. (Oh and if you haven’t guessed she’s a seven on the Enneagram.)
WORKSHOP B – Saturday, 11:15 am – 12:30 pm
Sex Ethics Stream – Workshop I – Wendy Vanderwal Gritter (& friends!)
Many in the Generous Space community find themselves needing to reflect, revisit, and potentially reconstruct their sexual ethics in light of coming out, theological shifts, or evolving expressions of faith. This year, we will dedicate two workshop spaces to this important work.
In this first workshop, we’ll consider different factors that have influenced our understanding, convictions, and beliefs. With time for both individual reflection and collaborative learning, we’ll map where we’ve been and what continues to influence our discernment.
(FYI – There is a follow-up workshop in the next slot… In the second workshop, we’ll focus on the values that energize our current decision-making. We’ll also do the work of integrating scripture, spiritual attentiveness, and desired outcomes.)
Dr. Wendy Vanderwal Gritter is the Executive Director at Generous Space Ministries. Read more about her here!
Enneagram for Newbs and Nerds – Danice Carlson-Malena
Plus the Powerpoint is lit.
Danice Carlson-Malena is most famous in GS circles for being “on staff” back in the day, and for being married to the cute redhead in charge. In her past life she worked in youth ministry with the Baptists, and although she still gets a kick out of teenagers growing into themselves, her current passion is sharing great music and discussing the ways we are differently motivated through the wisdom-full lens of the Enneagram.
Experiencing Grief – Mary Pepper & Eric Van Giessen
Grief… sigh…it sucks. We have all had run-ins with grief. Maybe grief has been brief and circumstantial for you, or maybe it’s been hanging around for a while like a heavy dark cloud. What does grief mean to you? How have you been shaped by grief? What have you lost? What grief work are you currently doing? How has being LGBTQ+ enlightened your understanding of grief or added to your grief? These are some of the questions we will explore together in this workshop. We will come together in a low-key space to reflect on and talk about how we have come to know and experience grief. This workshop will be a space to bring our unsure selves, tired selves, and confused selves and join in friendship to understand grief in the context of community.
Mary Pepper lives in Toronto, ON with her dog that she hopes her fiancée Becca will let her get if she talks about it enough. She experiences her gender and sexuality in all sorts of queer ways and uses she and they pronouns. After finally finishing her Diploma in Community Services and Addictions Work, Mary is wondering what she wants to do with her life. Grief has become a lens that Mary has used to make sense of her 20s as she experienced mental illness, journeyed through coming-out, and faced the death of her mother in 2017. Mary is a self-proclaimed badass at doing self-care and happily calls herself an introvert. When she’s not doing boring adult stuff, Mary checks in on her Instagram-famous dog fam, and makes good use of her Netflix subscription.
Eric Van Giessen is the Manager of Operations at Generous Space Ministries. Read more about him here!
BisexualiTEA PARTY: Non-monosexuality, hot beverages, and you! – Jaina Wiebe & Anna Redekop
All identities and hot beverage choices welcome!* Join us for a chill collaborative conversation of sharing, learning, and community, including clarifying definitions and crushing stereotypes, because what better way to do this than listening to others’ stories? Those of us with non-monosexual identities (bisexual, queer, pansexual, etc.) can sometimes struggle to claim our place in LGBTQ+ spaces, despite making up over half of LGBTQ+ individuals. This can often be due to stereotypes around non-monosexuality. Those of you that identify as being attracted to more than one gender, we want to hear your story, as much or as little as you’d be willing to share! Those that identify as monosexual (attracted to one gender, i.e. gay, straight, etc.), we would love for you to come willing to listen, ask questions, and learn!
*coffee and tea will be provided!
Jaina Wiebe is an eternal student, going into her sixth year of a four-year counselling program while working towards getting certified in the enneagram (4w5 for her fellow enneanerds!). Besides her enthusiasm for learning, she has many other fervent interests, including Dungeons & Dragons, video games, indie music, and, as a result of living in northern Alberta this year, camping! Jaina identifies as bisexual/queer and a Hufflepuff, and she has a strong passion for hearing peoples’ stories and learning to be a better ally and advocate.
Anna Redekop is a Saskatchewanian currently living in Prince Albert, where she is completing her residency in family medicine. She identifies as bisexual/queer and a Gryffindor who loves to travel and hang out with her pupper, Watson. When she’s not saving lives one hypertensive diabetic at a time, she enjoys landscape photography, playing guitar, sipping tea, and reading/writing fantasy novels. She has a passion for northern rural medicine and LGBTQ+ health and hopes to incorporate these into her future practice as a family physician.
Expanding the Conversation: Exploring Prayers I Never Learned to Pray – Becca Sawyer
I grew up believing that there were limits to what could be called prayer. It had to look a certain way, involve certain words, and be contained within certain parameters to be “effective”. When I began to learn about contemplative forms of prayer, it expanded not only my definition but my practice of prayer. In this workshop, we will explore alternative forms of prayer that may open up a new type of conversation for those of us who don’t seem to have anything left to say. There will be space to practice and engage with forms of prayer including using prayer beads, praying the Psalms, art as prayer, centring prayer, and imaginative prayer. It won’t get weird, I promise. I’m hoping our conversation will open us up to trying something new even if we’ve given up on prayer.
Becca Sawyer calls herself an ambivert, is an enneagram 2, and a humanitarian in the making. She is a recent graduate from Wycliffe College at UofT with a Masters in Urban and International Development. Her thesis focused on home building with refugees and the narratives we tell about home. Becca is the Events Manager at Generous Space Ministries. She a queer woman who loves to travel, play her ukulele (Cecilia), and hang out with her dog (Presley) and fianceee (Mary). You can find her quoting Gilmore Girls, making up alternative lyrics to songs, and eating peanut butter cups on the regular.
WORKSHOP C – Saturday, 1:30 – 2:45 pm
Sex Ethics Stream – Workshop II – Wendy Vanderwal Gritter
Many in the Generous Space community find themselves needing to reflect, revisit, and potentially reconstruct their sexual ethics in light of coming out, theological shifts, or evolving expressions of faith. This year, we’ve dedicated two workshop spaces to this important work. In this second workshop, we’ll focus on the values that energize our current decision-making. We’ll also do the work of integrating scripture, spiritual attentiveness, and desired outcomes.
Dr. Wendy Vanderwal Gritter is the Executive Director at Generous Space Ministries. Read more about her here!
Enneagram: The Sequel – Danice Carlson-Malena
Now that you know your type, what are you going to do with it? If you’ve taken the “Enneagram for Newbs and Nerds” workshop in Workshop Slot 2 (this year or last year), OR you already have some prior knowledge of the Enneagram, come hang out with Danice and Stephen! They’ll go one step further to explore the relationships between the types. This will be a more conversational workshop where we look into the connections between the numbers, how we can intentionally harness the powers of the nine archetypes, and break out of our tired patterns.
Danice Carlson-Malena is most famous in GS circles for being “on staff” back in the day, and for being married to the cute redhead in charge. In her past life she worked in youth ministry with the Baptists, and although she still gets a kick out of teenagers growing into themselves, her current passion is sharing great music and discussing the ways we are differently motivated through the wisdom-full lens of the Enneagram.
All in the Family: LGBTQ+ Child-Parent Dialogue – Beth Carlson-Malena (along with her parents & in-laws!)
In this workshop, we’ll try to facilitate intentional space for sharing between LGBTQ+ retreat participants and retreaters who are parents of LGBTQ+ children. We’ll discuss what the “coming out” process has been like for all of us, the highs and the lows, how our families have changed, and how our faith has changed. We’ll talk about what’s happened, what we wish would have happened, what we hope will still happen, and ways we can better understand each other and our roles along the way. We’ll also reflect on the key things we’ve always wanted to communicate to our parents or children (whether or not they’re present at the retreat!). Expect plenty of laughter, some tears, and more than a few offers of “mom hugs” and “dad hugs!”
Beth Carlson-Malenais the Director of Community at Generous Space Ministries. Read more about her here!
Transgender and Christian: A New Look at Gender in the Bible – Shylo Rosborough
This workshop will take you on a journey from creation all the way to the first Church. Shylo will tell his story of how he came to reconcile his gender identity and faith in Christ. Through this, he will break down biblical gender in three sections. In the first section, Shylo will talk about the gender of God and Adam. The second section, Biblical Others, will explore information on eunuchs throughout biblical history and the ways they were treated. Lastly, this workshop will look at alternative interpretations of problem texts that are sometimes used by Christians to exclude transgender and gender non-conforming people.
Shylo Rosborough, after coming out as transgender, chose to follow his passion for the bible. He is now a fourth-year theology student at King’s University in Edmonton, Alberta. He is one of the facilitators for Edmonton’s Generous Space group, a Spiritual Director for an LGBTQ+ summer camp, and president of his university’s GSA. He hopes that with the experience of having various positions in the queer community that he can become a teacher and help bridge the gap between the queer and Christian community.
The Vulnerable Writer – Jamie Arpin-Ricci
Writer Red Smith was once asked if writing was difficult, to which he said “You simply sit down at the typewriter, open your veins, and bleed.” While being vulnerable is a significant challenge for most people, it can be the source of great creativity and inspiration for writers. In this workshop, we’ll talk about ways to utilize vulnerability in your writing, while still protecting your well being in the process. There will also be time general Q&A about writing, publishing, etc.
Jamie Arpin-Ricci is a pastor, LGBTQ+ advocate, and writer with multiple books to his name, both fiction and non-fiction. Raised in a family of journalists, writing has always been one of his primary tools to effect change. While his coming out as bisexual cost him most of his career in Christian publishing, he has continued to find new ways to share his work and help other aspiring authors to do the same.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS & PREACHERS
Jamie Arpin-Ricci is a bisexual Christian author, pastor, and community leader who lives & serves at the intersection of faith, sexuality, and community renewal. He lives in inner-city Winnipeg with his Aussie wife, Kim, their Ethiopian son, Micah and their daughter, Finley. He is a pastoral leader at Little Flowers Community, a small Mennonite faith community in Winnipeg’s downtown West End. He is also the author of several books, including “Vulnerable Faith: Missional Living in the Radical Way of St. Patrick“, which includes a foreword by award winning author Jean Vanier, and “The Cost of Community: Jesus, St. Francis & Life in the Kingdom.” Jamie volunteers as one of the co-facilitators of our Winnipeg Generous Space Group. Jamie will be speaking on Friday morning.
Wendy VanderWal Gritter is a passionate advocate for those who have been hurt or marginalized by the church. She believes that the church is impoverished if any voices are missing from the conversation. Wendy is grateful to have learned so much from the courage, capacity for grace, and tenacious faith of the many LGBTQ+ Christians she has come to know. Wendy is an internationally recognized contributor in the conversations around faith and sexuality. As an avid student of the church, she is committed to equipping the local congregation to nurture radical hospitality. Wendy has served as the Executive Director of Generous Space Ministries (formerly, New Direction) since 2002. She is the author of “Generous Spaciousness: Responding to Gay Christians in the Church,” and the e-book “Cultivating Generous Space.” Wendy will be speaking on Saturday morning.
Becca Sawyer calls herself an ambivert, is an enneagram 2, and a humanitarian in the making. She is a recent graduate from Wycliffe College at UofT with a Masters in Urban and International Development. Her thesis focused on home building with refugees and the narratives we tell about home. Becca is the Events Manager at Generous Space Ministries. She a queer woman who loves to travel, play her ukulele (Cecilia), and hang out with her dog (Presley) and fianceee (Mary). You can find her quoting Gilmore Girls, making up alternative lyrics to songs, and eating peanut butter cups on the regular. Becca will be preaching on Sunday morning.