Workshops & Conferences

Are you excited about following Christ and caring for creation?  The Earthkeeping Institutes are a chance to learn more and go deeper!  Join us for a weekend of biblical teaching, discussion, sharing meals, and hands-on environmental stewardship.  Bring home a new perspective and new practices to care for creation in your own backyard.

Food and Faith: Eating as Earthkeeping

July 6 – 9, 2012

This summer’s Earthkeeping Institute offers four full days of exploring diverse ways in which food links us to Creation and to the life of faith. Theory and praxis will come together as we go from morning bible studies into the garden to get our hands dirty and into the kitchen to prepare meals together. Participants will engage with all aspects of ‘food’ during the course – growing, weeding, harvesting, preparing, cooking, and most vitally – enjoying! We will explore not only the theological and practical but also the social, cultural, historical, and agricultural dimensions of food. Join us as we learn to live more faithfully as good stewards of our food.

Costs

(Includes 3 nights of accommodation, 4 days of garden-fresh meals, teaching, hands on activities, time for reflection, and an unforgettable experience)

Guest House: $450 (for shared accommodation in the guesthouse – space is limited)
Camping: $375 (participants will provide their own camping equipment)
Commuter: $300 (does not include accommodation)

Location

A Rocha’s Brooksdale Environmental Centre is a beautiful heritage estate made up of pasture, gardens, and trails alongside the Little Campbell River. It’s a unique setting that makes for a restorative and unforgettable experience. For information and photos please browse our website and Click here for address and map.

REGISTER NOW

Click here to be taken to a registration page.  Online payment should be made upon registration online or call 604.542.9022 to pay by phone or email us if you are mailing in a cheque.

All God’s Creatures: Biodiversity, Species at Risk, and Care for Creation

October 26 – 28, 2012

Our Fall Earthkeeping Institute will highlight some of the ongoing work of A Rocha in the Little Campbell River Watershed to protect species at risk within the wider framework of global biodiversity. We are called to care for the diversity of our local ecology within the context of a biblical framework of God’s love and care for all creation. Participants will spend the weekend in our guesthouse participating in morning bible studies, spending afternoons exploring the watershed and enjoying community meals in between.

Costs

Includes 2 nights of accommodation, garden-fresh meals, teaching, hands on activities, time for reflection, and a great experience

Guest House: $350 (for shared accommodation)
Commuter: $250

Location

A Rocha’s Brooksdale Environmental Centre is a beautiful heritage estate made up of pasture, gardens, and trails alongside the Little Campbell River. It’s a unique setting that makes for a restorative and unforgettable experience. For information and photos please browse our website and Click here for address and map.

REGISTER NOW

Click here to be taken to a registration page.  Online payment should be made upon registration online or call 604.542.9022 to pay by phone or email us if you are mailing in a cheque.

On Saturday April 14th, we want to gather Community Gardeners (new & experienced) in the GTA to kick-off the growing season together. It will be from 1-3pm at CICS, 2330 Midland Avenue, Toronto. The location is also nearby Missions Fest happening April 12-14 at Global Kingdom Ministries located in Scarborough at 1250 Markham Road (south of Hwy.401, north of Ellesmere Road on the west side of Markham Rd.)

Let us know you’re coming, we’ll provide snacks and tea!

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Begin, or continue your quest toward a more “whole” involvement with food. This workshop will cover one aspect of the many ways to incorporate hands-on food initiatives.

Along with Tiina Hildebrand, we are embarking on A Rocha’s 4th Cheese making workshop…

An afternoon of creative whey’s with Milk: a.k.a. Cheesy business!

Saturday afternoon, April 21st, 12:30 to 5:30 pm.

We will make: ROMANO CHEESE, WHEY RICOTTA, COTTAGE CHEESE, QUESO BLANCO, BUTTER

*** Coffee, Tea and an afternoon snack will be provided. Suggested Donation: $40.00

Interested in starting a community garden this year? Learn about how your garden will address food insecurity in our city. Registration Form here.

Our ‘The Plot Thickens’ Community Gardening Workshop will give you a good start! It will be given by A Rocha Canada’s experienced gardening friends, partners and trained community organizers. Vancouver ‘Plot Thickens’ Poster, May 5th 2012

Our workshop covers: gathering your garden team, generating excitement about a community project, managing plots, gardening how-tos, facing challenges and more. Participants will receive a community gardening manual, monthly gardening emails, an online space to connect and a webpage for profiling your new community garden. Our goal is to partner with you and your Christian community as you develop a garden to support local food production and facilitate community outreach.

Organizational Partner:

City Gate Leadership Forum as the main Coordinator of the Christian Food Security Network in Metro Vancouver wants to help you connect your garden to local organizations who could benefit from sharing your produce harvests.

City Gate Leadership Forum exists to inform, equip, and coordinate organizations and leaders for the spiritual and social renewal of Metro Vancouver, envisioning a future where the church is a valued leader in fostering vibrant, sustainable cities.

Contact:  T 604 484 8629, office@cglf.ca

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Interested in starting a community garden this spring?

The Plot Thickens community gardening workshop will give you a good start! It will be given by A Rocha Canada’s experienced gardening friends, partners and trained community organizers.

Our workshop covers: gathering your garden team, generating excitement about a community project, managing plots, gardening how-tos, facing challenges and more. Participants will receive a community gardening manual, monthly gardening emails, an online space to connect and a webpage for profiling your new community garden. Our goal is to partner with you and your Christian community as you develop a garden to support local food production and facilitate community outreach.

Details

Location: Crossroads MB Church, 231 Kitson Street, Winnipeg MB (Corner of Kitson and Traverse)
Date/Time: Fri. Mar. 23rd 6:00pm – 9:00pm & Sat., Mar. 24th 9:00am – 3:30pm
Food: Meals & refreshments provided. Please let us know about specific food needs.
Cost: $30 for single, or 2 for $50.  Includes garden manual and food (subsidies available)

Presenters: Jen Kornelsen (A Rocha’s Community Organizer) and Kristine (Farmer at Fort Whyte Farms)

Register here online!

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Title: Caring for God’s World with Prophetic Hope

Presenter: Rick Faw
Seminar Type: Adult Seminar

Description: All over the globe environmental challenges are rising steadily. How can Christians engage these serious issues with hope rather than despair? How might churches respond in ways that are practical and prophetic? This seminar will briefly outline the Scriptural warrant for creation care while illustrating how urgently communities everywhere need this neglected aspect of Christian mission.

Date/Time: Saturday January 28th, 2012–12:30 PM
Room Number: Room 09, room Capacity: 90

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Title: A God Filled Life: The Kingdom of God in Everything

Presenter: David and Shauna Anderson
Seminar Type: Adult Seminar

Description: The story is too often told, the presence of God in people’s passions and callings pushed aside in order to ‘put God first’ through mission work, later through painful experience (and bitterness) missions is set aside. This seminar focuses on preparing for mission through understanding the scope of God’s kingdom, which is as large as life itself.

Date/time: Saturday Jan. 28, 2012–12:30 PM
Room Number: Room 10 Room Capacity: 105

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Title: Opening Windows to God’s Wonderful World

Presenter: Ruth DesCotes
Seminar Type: Grades 4/5

Description: Engaging children directly in the world around them is basic to awareness of global needs. This workshop provides experiential learning where children encounter God in His creation and catch His vision to care for children living on the margins. Through a hands-on interactive program, they will learn how to make a difference and contribute to the well-being of people in other parts of the world.

Presenter’s Bio: Ruth has over twenty-five years experience in the area of children’s education as a teacher, early childhood educator, and Christian education co-coordinator. She also has a background in camping, wilderness canoetripping and outdoor education. Ruth is working to create children’s programs for camps, churches and other communities. She lives at the A Rocha Brooksdale Environmental Centre in South Surrey with her husband Rob.

Date/time: 10:15 – 12:00 noon
Room Number:  Hall A, level 1

As you likely know, with help from friends, A Rocha Canada is putting on The Plot Thickens: Community Gardening Workshop this Saturday, November 5 at Yonge Street Mission (YSM). One of these friends is YSM’s New Hope Fellowship (see http://www.ysm.ca/programs-ministries/community-services/adult-programs/), who is kindly offering us a great space for the event and volunteers to help make the workshop run smoothly. New Hope Fellowship runs a community kitchen on Fridays.

We invite you to join us for an informal meeting (“fellowship”) with New Hope Fellowship, where we’ll: (1), assist them with making their weekly lunch, eat with them and help clean-up; and (2), follow the meal time with our watching and discussing the documentary movie, The Garden (see http://www.thegardenmovie.com/).

This will also be a great opportunity to meet Queenie Bei, A Rocha Canada’s Community Garden Network Coordinator. Queenie works out of our national office in Surrey, British Columbia and is visiting the GTA over the next two weeks to connect with Christian communities and others involved in (or wanting to be involved in) community gardening, starting with The Plot Thickens: Community Gardening Workshop.

This is an informal event; however, if you plan to join us (especially for lunch), please RSVP by no later than 10:20 AM on the day of the event so that New Hope Fellowship can plan to have enough food.

**Please note: participation is limited to people 16-years-old and older.**

If you have questions, please call Paul Abell, Stewardship Coordinator, at 647-969-0259 or send Queenie an email at community.gardens@arocha.ca.

Interested in starting a community garden next spring?

The Plot Thickens community gardening workshop will give you a good start! It will be given by A Rocha Canada’s experienced gardening friends, partners and trained community organizers. The first component is a one-day comprehensive workshop covering: gathering your garden team, generating excitement about a community project, managing plots, gardening how-tos, facing challenges and more. For the second component (the ongoing part) participants will receive: a community gardening manual, monthly gardening emails, an online space to connect and a webpage for profiling your new community garden. Our goal is to partner with you and your Christian community as you develop a garden to support local food production and facilitate community outreach.

Details

Location: Yonge Street Mission, 306 Gerrard Street East (at Parliament St.), Toronto
Date/Time: Saturday November 5th, 9am-5pm
Food: Vegetarian lunch and refreshments included
Cost: $20 for single, or 2 for $30. Includes garden manual and lunch (subsidies available)

Presenters: Paul Abell (A Rocha Canada’s GTA Stewardship Coordinator), Angela ElzingaCheng (FoodShare’s Community Food Program Manager), Vanja Krajina (former FoodShare Intern), Natassja Harris (Good Soil Community Garden Coordinator at St. David’s Anglican Church).

Register Today!

Please click here to register and pay below (otherwise call 604.542.9022 to pay by phone). Cost: $20 for single, or 2 for $30. Includes garden manual and lunch (subsidies available)

Price Options

1 Participant $20.00 2 Participants $30.00

Details

The Plot Thickens is a training course with A Rocha Canada’s experienced gardening partners and community organizers. This full-day comprehensive workshop covers: gathering your garden team, generating excitement about a community project, managing plots, gardening how-to’s, facing challenges and more.

Location

St. Barnabus Anglican Church

1407 – 7 Avenue, Calgary Alberta T2N 0Z3

Check out there community garden! http://stbarnabasgarden.org/

Time: Fri. 6:00pm – 9:00pm & Sat. 9:00am – 3:30pm

Cost: $30 for individual and $50 for groups (meals and manual included)

Register & Pay Today!

Please click here to register.

Payment Options

Individual $30.00 CAD Group of 2 $50.00 CAD