From January 11-13, 2022, President Das Sydney was pleased to facilitate the Council’s annual Christian Church Leaders Retreat. This event offers leaders of the Council’s member churches the opportunity to gather for a time of prayer, learning, and mutual support around issues are of pressing concern to church leaders and member churches. The event was convened digitally in the wake of public health concerns.
In anticipation of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan 18-25, 2022), the retreat placed special emphasis on Christian Unity and incorporated resources from the 2022 WPCU into its Bible Study, faith sharing, and prayer time. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is traditionally held between January 18th (the Feast of the Confession of Saint Peter) and January 25th (the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul). The church leaders retreat helps set the tone and draws attention to local celebrations of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity along with the Cross Canada Christian unity services held around the Pentecost season.
The Council is grateful for the work of those in leadership positions in churches across Canada and is particularly mindful of the risk of exhaustion and burnout as we enter another year of the pandemic era. It’s our sincere hope that through this retreat and beyond, God grants them all the wisdom, nourishment, and support they need to shepherd their flocks through 2022.