395 Lakeshore Dr., North Bay, ON, P1A 2C5 | Phone: 1-833-236-0281 Ext. 1 csrc@united-church.ca
Select Page
Minister wellness logo and tag line
Minister wellness logo and tag line

Ministry Personnel Retreat

“Toward 2035 – Can We Perceive the New Thing God is Doing?”

Wednesday, June 3 to Friday, June 5, 2026
at Willowgrove United Church in Sault Ste. Marie

Quick links to sections on this page
Guest Speakers  |  Location  |  Regional Meeting Webpage  |  Registration

Join Us!

You’re invited! Ministry personnel from across the Canadian Shield Regional Council are warmly invited to gather in person for a meaningful retreat ahead of our Regional Council meeting in Sault Ste. Marie.

Hosted at Willowgrove United Church, this special time together offers an opportunity to pause, reconnect, and be renewed. Join colleagues from across the region for a retreat centred on rest, reflection, and deepening collegial relationships. All ministry personnel are welcome—including those who are retired.

During our time together, we will reflect on the United Church’s vision of Toward 2035 and consider what it means for our ministry today. Together we will explore questions such as:

  • What kind of leaders are we called to be as we live into the church’s vision of Toward 2035?

  • How does this vision connect with our own call and capacity in ministry?

  • Toward 2035 is rooted in trust that God is “doing a new thing.” How connected do we feel to that God right now?

This retreat is designed as a spiritually nourishing and collegial space—a time to listen for God’s movement among us, share wisdom, and strengthen the relationships that sustain our ministry.

The retreat will begin on Wednesday at 4 p.m. (we will share supper at 6 p.m.) and end with a shared lunch on Friday. The retreat will be hosted by Willowgrove United Church, conveniently located across the street from the Quattro Hotel, where the Canadian Shield Regional Council Meeting will be held. See below for details about accommodations and meals. Ministry personnel attending both the retreat and the regional council meeting will only need to fill out one registration form for both events, please see the form below.

The Region will book and cover your hotel room at the Quattro for Wednesday and Thursday night with meals (except for breakfast) will be provided by Willowgrove United Church. If you stay to attend the regional meeting, your hotel room will still be booked but you will be responsible for your hotel costs and own meals for Friday onward. We recommend signing up for the the regional meeting meal plan when you register below. If you do not wish to stay at the Quattro Hotel,

Come early, take a breath, and join your colleagues for a time of renewal, reflection, and community before the work of the Regional Council begins.

Our Guest Speakers

 

Cam Fraser, Growth Animation Lead

Cam Fraser

Director of Growth and Ministry
The United Church of Canada

Cam Fraser has served as Director of Growth and Ministry Development for the General Council Offices of The United Church of Canada since the summer of 2023. Prior to this role, he spent 14 years in local ministry, beginning in youth ministry and contemporary worship and later focusing on church planting and fresh expressions through The Annex in Milton, Ontario. During this time, he also served as Camp Director at Ryerson United Church Camp on Lake Erie.

In 2014, Cam moved to Regina, Saskatchewan (Treaty 4 Territory) to serve at Knox-Metropolitan United Church, where his ministry centred on public witness, community engagement, outreach, and new ministry development in the heart of the city. He also directed Lumsden Beach United Church Camp for four summers and later led its Leadership Development Program.

Cam lives in Regina’s Cathedral Neighbourhood with his partner Cheryl and their children, Lily, Isla, and Oliver. The family worships at a United Church just 200 metres from their home.

headshot of Melody Duncanson-Hales

Melody Duncanson-Hales

Stewardship Support for Canadian Shield and Shining Waters Regional Councils
The United Church of Canada

Rev. Melody Duncanson-Hales provides stewardship support to Communities of Faith in Canadian Shield and Shining Waters regions of the United Church. After serving almost a decade in rural congregational ministry, Melody returned to her home conference of Manitou to offer program support as the Mission and Stewardship Animator in 2008.

She’s a cheerleader – listening, encouraging, sharing your stories of gratitude and generosity wherever and whenever she can. She loves worship, teaching, exploring, planning and meeting the challenge of being the church today.

Melody spends time with her husband Chris and family in both Sudbury and Manitoulin Island.

 

 

exterior of quattro conference centre in Sault Ste. Marie

Ministry Personnel Retreat Accommodation

People who are attending both the Ministry Personnel Retreat AND the Regional Council Meeting will HAVE THEIR HOTEL ROOM BOOKED FOR THEM (from Wednesday to Sunday); your hotel rooms for Wednesday and Thursday are being paid for by the region and you are responsible for paying for Friday and Saturday night.  Staff will book your room for you and send you the confirmation number by email. Check in Wednesday afternoon and you will stay in the same hotel room all weekend! All your meals on Thursday (except for the free breakfast at the hotel) will be provided by Willowgrove United Church. We recommend signing up for the the regional meeting meal plan when you register below.

 

Accommodations List

If you would rather not stay at Quattro, here is the accommodation list of other hotels available in Sault Ste. Marie. Canadian Shield Regional Council will reimburse you up to $350 for your accommodation, simply submit your hotel receipt to us at csrc-finance@united-church.ca

 

Staff Support for this event:

Robert Smith

Robert Smith

Communities of Faith and Pastoral Relations Minister

Phone: 249-489-1015 | 1-833-236-0281 Ext. 3
Email: rsmith@united-church.ca

Serves in: Canadian Shield and Shining Waters Regional Councils

Location: Teleworks from his home.

Role: Rob encourages and supports ministry personnel toward health, joy, and excellence in ministry practice.

Contact Rob about: Conflict Resolution; Finding A New Minister; Licensed Lay Worship Leaders; Licenses To Administer Sacraments; Pastoral Relationships Policy; Resources for Transition Times; Retirement; Sabbaticals; Sick Leave; Short Term Supply Ministers; Visiting Minister Options.

More about Rob...

 

REGISTRATION

If you are planning on attending the Ministry Personnel retreat as well as the regional council meeting, you will only need to register ONCE. Simply fill out the registration form below. We look forward to seeing you in June!

2026 CSRC Regional Meeting and Ministry Personnel Retreat Registration Form

Name(Required)
Please indicate your pronouns (for example: she/her, he/him, they/them)

Contact Information

Please ensure that your contact information and role has been updated in ChurchHub, either by yourself if you are ministry personnel, or by your community of faith administrator if you are an Elected Lay Representative. We use the information found in ChurchHub to check if you have voting privileges for this meeting. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Consent(Required)
Canadian Shield Regional Council protects your personal information by adhering to all legislative requirements with respect to privacy. The collection of information on this registration form is for the purposes of Canadian Shield Regional Council only. Please be aware that photography and videotaping will occur at the regional meeting. Photos or videos of participants may, or may not, be taken during the event/activities. In turn these images may be published in print or posted online on our website, YouTube channel, photo galleries or used at the discretion of Canadian Shield Regional Council. By submitting this registration form you are indicating your consent to the collection and use of your information and photo and/or video for the use of Canadian Shield Regional Council.
Connection to Region(Required)
Please select your connection to the region.

If applicable, please let us know what community of faith you are affiliated with and include a general location, such as Grace UC, Sudbury.
Name of Emergency Contact(Required)
Please list the name of who we should contact in the event of an emergency.
Accommodations(Required)
Please note that you are responsible for booking your accommodation with the hotel, the region will pay for the Wednesday and Thursday nights. Meals will be provided on those days except breakfast.

Please let us know if you have any accessibility needs we should be aware of.
Please let us know if you have any food allergies or dietary concerns that we should pass along to our caterer.
Regional Meeting Meal Plan - Pay by Cheque Option
If you wish to pay for your Delegate or Guest Meal Plan by cheque, please make it payable to 'Canadian Shield Regional Council' and mail it to: Meranda MacKenzie, PO Box 625, Barrie, PO Main, ON, L4M 4V1

Meal Plan – E-Transfer Option

Participants may pay for the Regional Meeting meal plan by e-transfer. Please send your payment to csrc-finance@united-church.ca and include the following in the message section of the transfer:

- Your name

- A note indicating “Regional Meeting Meal Plan”

If your bank requires a password for the e-transfer, please use “26RegionalMeal” and note the password in the message section of the transfer.

Once your e-transfer has been received, our finance office will record your payment. If you have any questions regarding payment, please contact us at csrc-finance@united-church.ca.

Regional Meeting Meal Plan - Pay by E-Transfer Option

Regional Meeting Meal Plan - Pay by Credit Card Option If you wish to pay for your meal plan, please use our secure payment option below.

Issues

If you have any issues with paying online please contact Susan Whitehead at swhitehead@united-church.ca

The meal plan for the Regional Council Meeting includes buffet dinner on Friday and a buffet lunch and a sit down served supper on Saturday. Please indicate that you would like to purchage the meal plan by putting a "1" in the guantity box beside the price.
Price: $ 50.00 CAD
If you are a guest attending the regional meeting, please note that this meal plan is not subsidized by the region and therefore is a higher amount. Please indicate that you would like to purchase the meal plan by putting a "1" in the quantity box beside the price. If you DO NOT want to do the meal plan, please leave the quantity box blank.
Price: $ 150.00 CAD

Thank you so much for registering for our 2026 Canadian Shield Regional Meeting and Ministry Personnel Retreat. Please hit submit to complete your registration. A confirmation email will be sent to you shortly. Blessings!