This Learning Hub course will be located in Kelowna, BC. Accommodation, and some meals, will be provided through the Lilly Endowment Pathways Project support of this course. Travel subsidies will also be available. The usual VST course registration fee will apply. Auditors are welcome but are not eligible for the travel or accommodation subsidies. In …
View course details “Where Theology Meets the Soil: Experiential Learning in the Okanagan”

“Ubuntu” is an African proverb: I am because we are; and because we are, I am.  This way of seeing human identity invites us to deepen our awareness of what it means to be created and to be human. Ubuntu teaches us that we are different so that we can know our need of one …
View course details “Ubuntu: I in You and You in Me: Practising God’s Compassion”

The experience of forest bathing, or forest therapy, is inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin Yoku, (literal translation to ‘Forest Bathing’), which started in the early 1980s. It is a practice of deep nature connection, of slowing down, being present to the moment and experiencing the natural world through one’s senses. As participants open …
View course details “Forest Bathing Retreat”

This course is an exploration of Indigenous ways of knowing and being. The course foci include Indigenous identity, Indigenous ways of teaching, ceremony, and their implication for the practice of theological reflection. The course focuses primarily upon Indigenous groups from North America and Hawaii, through dialogue, media, and assigned reading. Students will complete weekly assignments …
View course details “Indigenous Theologies & Epistemologies”

Taking its title from Romans 8:22, this class will explore the biblical, theological, and moral bases for Christian solidarity with the various movements for a sustainable future. Using novels and films, alongside scientific and theological writings, we will discuss the different social and natural systems that are accelerating climate change and what kinds of possibilities …
View course details “The Whole Creation Groans: Preaching Good News in the Age of Climate Change”

A day to slow down and reflect upon the images and invitations of Summer. A lovely opportunity to pause and reconnect with oneself, like-minded souls, God’s Spirit, and the Earth’s rhythms. Summer is a time of flourishing and like a feast for the senses, it nourishes us with abundance, beauty, and inspiration. During our day …
View course details “FLOURISH – Summer Day Retreat”

From outdoor prayer walks to small groups to churches that only meet outside, many Christians in Canada are finding renewal in their faith by heading outdoors. What gifts does getting outside give to us and how can embodied practices and a deep connection to the land revitalize our connection to God? Come and learn from …
View course details “The Great Outdoors: Finding Faith in the Fields and Forests”

The medicine wheel is a symbol of the universe and teaches us about reality and how all things are connected. It guides us through a wholistic understanding of our connectedness; for the gifts humanity has been given which are rooted in our ancient world cultures. Collectively we can no longer ignore environmental dis-ease, our mental, …
View course details “The Sacred Circle: Studies in the Medicine Wheel”

5 Inspirational Day Hikes in BC’s Shuswap region with Phil McIntyre-Paul “Walk as if your life depended on it . . . .” ~ Barbara Brown Taylor Now a 23-year tradition at Sorrento Centre! Five day hikes—five little pilgrimages—draw wisdom from naturalists, poets, rascals, and saints as we consider our relationship within the natural world …
View course details “21st Century Pilgrims: Walking on Holy Ground”