Welcome to Spirit River Community - A Retreat Centre Without Walls
The South Saskatchewan River flows through the Canadian prairies, bringing life and beauty. In a similar way, the Spirit flows through our lives, bringing curiosity, hope, comfort, and creativity.
Welcome to the SRC website. Thank you for your interest as a 'retreat centre without walls' continues to take shape. To learn more about the initial concept for this retreat centre, please click on the 'About SRC' page above. I'm convinced that with the guidance of thoughtful and prayerful facilitators, meaningful connections can be formed and nurtured online. I invite you to subscribe to the Spirit River Community e-newsletter to be informed about our upcoming presenters – please see the bottom of this webpage to subscribe.
Currently all presentations are only being offered on Zoom. A Zoom link will be emailed to you following your registration for a program. If the presentation is recorded, a copy of this recording will be sent to you to watch/review following the event.
Almost all of our past workshops have been recorded, and access to these presentations can be purchased by visiting the 'Shop' page on this website. Many have been discounted - enjoy!
See you soon - peace to you,
Sarah Donnelly, M.Div.
Upcoming Events
Three Seeds of Ecological Spirituality
Shawn Sanford Beck, M.Div.
Tuesday, October 21
10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. MDT
9:00 PDT / 10:00 MDT (includes SK) / 11:00 CDT / 12:00 EDT / 1:00 ADT
Come for a time of shared reflection and gentle spiritual practice, as GreenSpirit Chaplain Shawn Sanford Beck offers us the “three seeds” of Christian Animism, Green Priestcraft, and the Rune of Sophia. For many, these will be entirely new concepts and forms of spirituality ... (learn more)
Please note: limited to 10 participants; this workshop will not be recorded REGISTRATION FULL!
Paul the Dynamic Disciple: From Tribal Zealot to Global Missionary
Sr. Teresita Kambeitz OSU
Saturdays, September 27, October 25, November 22
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. MDT
(note: 10:00 a.m. start for folks living in SK for Sept. and Oct.
- 11:00 a.m. start for Nov.)
9:00 PDT / 10:00 MDT / 11:00 CDT / 12:00 EDT / 1:00 ADT
In this scripture series we will follow Paul’s story as he grows from intolerant religiosity to all-embracing faith in Christ Jesus where “there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female” (Gal. 3:28). Where are we on this path? ... (learn more)
The Moral Imagination: A Two-Part Journey into Sacred Possibility
Kalyn Falk, M.A.
Tuesday, November 4 & 11
2:00 - 4:00 p.m. CST
12:00 PST / 1:00 MST / 2:00 CST (includes SK) / 3:00 EST / 4:00 AST
What if the path to healing our world began with the soul’s capacity to imagine what does not yet exist?
This two-part workshop invites spiritually grounded seekers into a creative, contemplative exploration of how we hold tension, navigate complexity, and stay rooted in love amidst a broken world. Through story, silence, and sacred imagination, we’ll explore four spiritual postures that open the way to transformation ... (learn more)
Inspired by the work of John Paul Lederach
Kything: Communion with the More-Than-Human World
Shawn Sanford Beck, M.Div.
Tuesday, November 18
10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CST
8:00 PST / 9:00 MST / 10:00 CST (includes SK) / 11:00 EST / 12:00 AST
Kything is a "psycho-spiritual technology" inspired by the fiction of Madeleine L'Engle and developed by the priest and psychologist team of Louis M. Savary and Patricia H. Berne almost 40 years ago. In this new revision of the technique by GreenSpirit Chaplain Shawn Sanford Beck ... (learn more)
Please note: limited to 10 participants; this workshop will not be recorded. Registration open to those who have taken Three Seeds of Ecological Spirituality, being offered on October 21 or at a past time.
Whole Care for Health Professionals, Part 1:
Nurturing Body, Mind, Heart, & Spirit in Chaotic Times
Karen Scott Barss, M.A., RPN
Tuesday, November 18
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. CST
11:00 PST / 12:00 MST / 1:00 CST (includes SK) / 2:00 EST / 3:00 AST
These online mini-retreats support health professionals in holistically caring for themselves, their colleagues, and those they serve. Part 1 prioritizes wellness practices ... (learn more)
Photo credit: Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
Whole Care for Health Professionals, Part 2:
Nurturing Our Relationships & Communities in Daily Practice
Karen Scott Barss, M.A., RPN
Tuesday, November 25
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. CST
11:00 PST / 12:00 MST / 1:00 CST (includes SK) / 2:00 EST / 3:00 AST
These online mini-retreats support health professionals in holistically caring for themselves, their colleagues, and those they serve. Part 2 explores practical ways to foster workplace and team wellness, despite current systemic barriers and challenges ... (learn more)
Photo credit: Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
Tending Fear: The Guardian of the Unknown
Janelle Schneider
Wednesday, November 26
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. CST
9:00 PST / 10:00 MST / 11:00 CST (includes SK) / 12:00 EST / 1:00 AST
Fear rises in us any time we are facing the unfamiliar. When we feel its presence, we tend to create a story about what dangers and discomforts lie ahead. As we learn to relate to it as simply... (learn more)
The Tent of Blessing
Margi Hollingshead, MSW, PhD, OblSB
Wednesday, December 3
1:00 - 3:30 p.m. CST
11:00 PST / 12:00 MST / 1:00 CST (includes SK) / 2:00 EST / 3:00 AST
Often overlooked in discussions of aging is the reality that our physical bodies and minds are wearing out, even as we are growing in wisdom and can play a critical role in affirming, nurturing and blessing the younger generations. How does that work if you can’t hear, or pick up your feet, or remember where you parked your car? ... (learn more)
Holding Tension:
Living Between the Now
and the Not Yet
Kalyn Falk, M.A.
Tuesday, December 9
2:00 - 4:00 p.m. CST
12:00 PST / 1:00 MST / 2:00 CST (includes SK) / 3:00 EST / 4:00 AST
Advent invites us to live in the tension between the now and the not yet—a sacred time of waiting and hope. Some tensions in life are not problems to be solved but polarities to be held—dynamic forces that invite wisdom rather than resolution ... (learn more)
Praying in Colour:
An Advent Creative Retreat
Kathy Berken, M.A.
Tuesday, December 16
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. CST
9:00 PST / 10:00 MST / 11:00 CST (includes SK) / 12:00 EST / 1:00 AST
Maybe you love color. Maybe you are a visual or kinesthetic learner, a distractible or impatient soul, or a word-weary pray-er. Perhaps you struggle with a short attention span, a restless body, or a tendency to live in your head. Maybe your prayers feel more like a list for Santa Claus than a love letter to God... (learn more)
Down the River...
The following presentations will be offered in the coming months - mark your calendars!
'Kindle in Us the Fire of Your Love' - The Holy Spirit as Hope, Peace, and Unrest - Don Schweitzer, PhD
Thursdays, January 22, 29, February 5 & 12, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. CST on Zoom
In the Spirit of Healing Part 1: Supporting Health Professionals to Explore Colonization and Privilege - Karen Scott Barss
Tuesday, January 27, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. CST on Zoom
In the Spirit of Healing Part 2: Supporting Health Professionals in Allyship and Decolonization - Karen Scott Barss
Tuesday, February 3, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. CST on Zoom
Workshops being offered by Kalyn Falk: https://kalynfalk.com/
October 14 - Let's Talk About Sex
November 4 & 11 - The Moral Imagination: A Two-Part Journey into Sacred Possibility
December 9 - Holding Tension: Living Between the Now and the Not Yet
January 13 - Living with an Expansive Faith (back by popular demand!)
February 10 - The Journey of Forgiveness: Walking the Long Road
March 10, 17 & 24 - Coming Home to the Body
April 14 - Desert Spirituality and the Call to Remember
May 12 & 19 - Living the Virtues: Reclaiming Wholeness from What Distorts Us
Workshops being offered by Janelle Schneider: https://www.janelle-schneider.com/