Breakout Workshops

Oasis Breakout workshops provide practical skills, knowledge, and resources for you to enhance your personal and ministry life. The OASIS Breakout workshops this year are part of four general categories:

• Ministry tools
• Education
• Spiritual formation
• Social networking

Registration for workshops will occur during general Oasis Registration. Each will be offered only once, with a limited number of spaces for each. You will need to choose two workshops.

Friday

Ministry Tools

Education

Understanding Your Plan: Canadian Baptist Pension Plan

Loyda Sinanan & Karen Gunn

Presented by Loyda Sinanan, Pension and Benefits Manager for CBBenefits. Designed specifically for Canadian Baptist Pension Plan members, this session will offer clarity on plan operation and the advantages of investing and retiring within the Canadian Baptist Family. Whether you’re just beginning your journey or nearing retirement, this seminar will give you valuable insights to help you make informed decisions about your financial future.

Association Revival in the Modern Age

Connor Kehoe, Jackson Dunn, Alex McMorine

After a year of research into association and its purpose in our current world, we three have created a project to assist in association revitalization. Come and see how we created this, and how you can run your own for your association.

Create and Cultivate Space for the Next Generation

Dan Pyke

Youth workers from across our Canadian Baptist churches have identified the need to create four spaces in our churches where our young people can encounter Christ and abide with him. In this session, we’ll explore those four spaces and consider trends and applications in our ministry. As we consider the future of youth ministry in Atlantic Canada, it’s vital that we create and cultivate these spaces.

God’s Mission in a Changing World 

Jennifer Lau & CBM Team

For the past 150 years, Canadian Baptist Ministries has partnered with Atlantic Baptist churches in global mission. In this session, Executive Director Jennifer Lau and the CBM team will share how global trends are affecting our ever-changing world and the practical ways that your church can respond so your congregation is equipped to live as global disciples.

Spiritual Formation

OASIS Prayer Meeting

Harry Gardner

Together, we will lift up our Praise, Petitions and Intercession to the One Who graciously has led us in these days. Come and join with one another in praying for the Lord to grant us His guidance in our life and mission together. Whether you pray silently or audibly, please join us as we humbly look to our God in dependence on Him.

A Soul Care Experience: Experiencing God’s Presence

Cheryl Ann Beals

We will explore and practice soul care together. It is a facilitated time of spiritual practice and reflection led by Cheryl Ann Beals and the Sozo Centre for Soul Care. 

Social Networking

Young Leaders Meetup

Jeremy Vincent, Caleb Archibald & others

Come grab a coffee and connect with Jeremy Vincent, Caleb Archibald and other young leaders in their early thirties and younger. We hope to foster connection and meaningful discussion around the unique experience of being a young leader in the church, both the successes and the challenges. We will also have the opportunity to connect and chat with Renée MacVicar, Executive Minister of the CBAC. We invite you into this space with the hope of creating a community of encouragement and support with others in ministry.

Called to Ordination and over 35?

Garth Williams

If you are over 35 and feeling called by God to serve in the CBAC as an Ordained pastor, you may have questions about what that can look like. Come along and join this conversation as Garth brings along some of his friends who have walk this road already. This will be a safe place to ask question, explore your fears and learn what your next steps may look like.

Saturday

Ministry tools

(FULL) Navigating the Future with Faith and Wisdom

Joel Murphy & Jodi Porter

Are you eager to understand and engage with the shifts that are shaping the future of the church today and tomorrow? Come join Joel Murphy and Jodi Porter from the Acadia Divinity College Futuring Lab as they introduce the biblical and theologically grounded Theo-Futures approach, reflect on possible scenarios of the future church, and engage in practical exercises that will help support you to faithfully navigate, anticipate, and lead your congregation today and tomorrow.

Leading a Season of Prayer at Your Church

Danny Smith

This seminar will help equip you to lead a prayer campaign in your church. Many churches begin the new year with a month of prayer and fasting, or use the season of Lent as a way to lead their congregation in the practice of prayer. This seminar will help you lead a yearly intensive season of prayer in your church. 

Preaching Roundtable

Hosted by Jarvis Lepper

Join with a number of seasoned preachers as they have a round table discussion on the practice of preaching.

Education

Les Camaraderies Chrétiennes: Francophone Missional Communities

Oliver Locke & Maxime Cauchon

Are there francophones in your church? How might our churches empower them to reach francophones dispersed throughout our region? In this ministry tool workshop, you’ll learn about a new initiative of l’Union des Églises Baptiste Francophone du Canada and how you and your church might be involved!

One Church, Many Journeys: Distilling 37 Years of Pastoral Lessons Learned

Dave Morehouse

Dave Morehouse faithfully and excellently led the Journey Church for 37 years. He retired in 2023.  Join Dave as he reflects back on 37 years of ministry and seeks to distill from his experience best practices and lessons learned.

(FULL) Churches Engaging with New Canadians

Garth Williams

In the last two years Canada has welcomed just under 500,000 newcomers per year, with that number projected to remain the same for the foreseeable future the Atlantic Canadian culture continues to grow in its beauty and diversity. Statistics indicate that 60 % of newcomers have a Christian faith background and as a result many of our churches have seen their gatherings grow in this diversity. With all good things come some struggles, come and join the conversation where we will learn from one another sharing best practices, what are the joys and challenges we are discovering as we respond to what God is doing as He brings the nations to our region.

Mental Health in the Christian Context

Sarah Fletcher

All people have mental health. Can you be a Christian and struggle with mental health? How should the church respond to the mental health crisis? In this workshop, we will be exploring these questions and more as we take a look at mental health through a Christian lens.

Spiritual Formation

Contemplative Walk

Stephen Dempster

Join Dr. Dempster in Mapleton Park, just up the road from Crandall University, for a contemplative journey filled with Psalms, prayer, and reflection as you journey your way through this beautiful park. 

Social NEtworking

Small Churches – Big Opportunities

Greg Jones

Within the CBAC, the largest grouping of our churches is those that have 40 or less at worship on a typical Sunday morning. I am absolutely convinced any church can make an impact in its context, regardless of its size. In this roundtable discussion we will explore the challenges (admittedly, there are many!), opportunities, and possible ways forward for such congregations.

Women in Ministry Connection Event

Hosted by Kim Butler and Harry Gardner 

Are you a woman serving in local church ministry on a paid or volunteer basis? Join us for an informal time of connecting with other women in ministry. You may come for part or all of the scheduled time. This event is co-sponsored by the Atlantic Society for Biblical Equality.