Staff Retreat 2023

Staff Retreat 2023

At the end of September, the staff of the Centre for Christian Studies had a two-day retreat to get to know each other better, plan for the year ahead, and dream about the future of CCS. Program staff member Marcie Gibson was in town, having just wrapped up the fall Integration learning circle, making it the perfect time to spend some intentional time in each other’s company. (Sadly Cheryl wasn’t feeling well on the second day, so stayed home rather than risk spreading germs.)

The first day of the retreat was held at CCS. Each staff member was invited to talk about their unique role at the Centre – sharing “What my job description says I do,” “What other people think I do,” and “What my real secret mission is”. On the second day we went to the Light of the Prairies retreat centre, about 40 minutes out of Winnipeg. In those peaceful surroundings, we charted out our calendar for the year, learning where the crunch times are and where there is space for breath. In the afternoon we talked about where we see CCS going in the future, unpacked issues of culture and ethos, and placed our work in the context of a long diaconal timeline. And we ate together.

The John Robertson Trust Fund was created by past interim Principal Ken DeLisle to help with CCS staff development, program evaluation, and innovation. “Rested and creative staff help open doors to wisdom, faith, and new understandings and gifts,” says Ken. This fund will be available to assist with the costs of future staff teambuilding. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the John Robertson Fund.