Do we have a festival for you! We are thrilled to present to you ….drum roll please…….our 2024 online festival of biblical telling: Sustained by the Story: Biblical Telling for Times Like These. Mark the dates: Feb 2-4, 2024
This year, we are asking: Why is it so important to have a Story – a sacred Story – at the centre of a faith community? How does that shape and strengthen its people? Who will carry the Story into the next generation? Who shapes the Story Teller?
Rabbi Elyse Goldstein has reflected on the role of Story a great deal during her years of leadership in the Jewish community. Serving as spiritual leader of Toronto’s City Shul synagogue, she is a charismatic educator, a community activist, a writer, columnist and theologian. She has been a guest lecturer at universities and Jewish and Christian organizations throughout North America, Israel, and Great Britain, including numerous radio and T.V. appearances. She is one of seven women featured in the Canadian National Film Board documentary, “Half the Kingdom.”
To open the whole event, we are honoured to have Steve Bell as the first keynote presenter. A member of the Order of Manitoba and the Order of Canada and a proud Winnipegger, Steve is a Canadian treasure – a Christian singer-songwriter, theological reflector and storyteller. Steve joined us at our 2021 and 2022 Festivals, where his presentations were heart-full and Spirit-led. He will reflect on this same theme: the role of story in the community of faith.
Already it’s a stunning event and we haven’t even told you about our workshops, worships, featured Concert Artist and Epic Telling!
This ecumenical festival is a 2 ½ day series of keynotes and wide-ranging workshops such as: biblical telling 101, vocal care, telling your own story, biblical telling as spiritual practice, preaching, prison ministry, Godly Play, drawing the Word, the impact of our word choices in describing the holy, Indigenous wisdom. There will be our traditional Epic (tag-team) Telling of selected texts, this time from the stories of Deuteronomy, and Indigenous comedienne Sharon Shorty, our featured performer.
The weekend will be uplifted in worship and devotion, with paperless singing led by Paul Vasile of Music That Makes Community.
We are all storytellers of some kind, finding growth and connection in the sharing of our personal stories, and sustenance in the sharing of holy Word. This festival will offer an experience of the practice of biblical telling that will change, challenge and re-chart the way you experience the Good News. With its incredible selection of learning opportunities, it will be a blessing to biblical tellers, worship leaders, speakers, scripture readers, Christian educators, and seekers of all kinds.