Shownotes
Join us for Decadent Care, November 8-9 in Winnipeg, MB:
Description
In this special episode of "Journey With Care," hosts Johan Heinrichs and Wendi Park are joined by guests Kathy Boschmann, Heather Nolan, and Tim Smith to share their enriching experiences from the recent CarePortal Conference in Kansas City. As the only Canadian contingent, they discuss the significance of physically coming together as a team and representing Canada.
Highlights include engaging in meaningful church discussions, attending the "Possum Trot" movie premiere, and reflecting on the influence of faith in community care. Throughout the episode, anecdotes from thrift shopping to deep conversations about trauma-informed care showcase the team's commitment to growing and nurturing connections both within and beyond their geographical borders. This episode not only celebrates their journey but also underscores the importance of networking and building relationships in the impactful work done by CareImpact and CarePortal.
Time Stamps
[04:32] Traveling to Kansas City, connecting with team.
[08:32] Conference theme: Connection changes everything, church's role
[10:04] Redefining authority and vulnerability for meaningful action.
[15:17] Even as little guys, we pull weight.
[19:08] Inspirational message about faith and growth.
[22:04] Youth leader discusses unity and practical needs.
[24:05] Visited Calgary, attended conference on church engagement.
[26:38] Supporting Christian leaders, fostering meaningful connections.
Possum Trot Movie: https://www.angel.com/movies/possum-trot
Episode with Zach Mantai: https://www.careimpact.ca/post/s03e06
Episode with Nikayla Reize: https://journey-with-care.captivate.fm/episode/the-joyful-alternative-out-of-sync-christmas
Other Links
Reach out to us! https://journeywithcare.ca/podcast
Email: podcast@careimpact.ca
Listen To Journey With Prayer - A prayer journey corresponding to this episode: https://journeywithprayer.captivate.fm/listen
or get both podcasts on the same RSS feed! https://feeds.captivate.fm/n/careimpact-podcast
CareImpact: careimpact.ca
About the CarePortal: careimpact.ca/careportal
DONATE! Help connect and equip more churches across Canada to effectively journey well in community with children and families: careimpact.ca/donate
Editing and production by Johan Heinrichs: arkpodcasts.ca
Mentioned in this episode:
See the gift-giving catalogue!
https://careimpactchristmas.com
Transcripts
Hello, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of Journey With Care podcast.
Speaker:I'm Johan, and I wanna kick things off by extending my
Speaker:heartfelt thank you to all of you tuning in, our listeners,
Speaker:your engagement, whether it's sharing episodes, firing off emails,
Speaker:or sparking up conversations when we run into you. It's been incredible.
Speaker:It's been so helpful. You're the heartbeat of this community, and
Speaker:I sincerely appreciate every bit of interaction that you give
Speaker:us. Today's gonna be a little bit like our most recent episodes that Wendi
Speaker:and I did where we stray from what you might be used to, what you
Speaker:might expect from a normal episode from us, but stick
Speaker:with us. We have some stimulating and thought provoking new
Speaker:series coming up on the horizon, and you don't wanna miss those.
Speaker:And what makes this episode a little bit more special is that it features
Speaker:the largest lineup of guests that we've ever hosted on a single
Speaker:episode. So a group of us took a road trip down to Kansas City this
Speaker:past week to the CarePortal Conference, and we're gonna talk a little bit about
Speaker:that and a few other things happening in Canada. This isn't just about
Speaker:our trip, it's a dive into some of the connections we forged, some of the
Speaker:insights we've gained. You'll hear from every member that made the trip. We'll share
Speaker:some funny moments and some powerful insights that we got into some of the conference
Speaker:gatherings and networking that we did. Anyway, we're all
Speaker:together sharing some of these experiences and we just wanted to let you
Speaker:know on what's happening in this caring space
Speaker:in Canada and in the US from our perspective
Speaker:going to the s We were the only Canadians down there. So settle
Speaker:in. Let's explore some of these reflections together. I have a feeling you're gonna get
Speaker:some real gems from the richness of our team's shared experiences. So
Speaker:let's get this journey started. What does loving
Speaker:your neighbor actually look like? This
Speaker:is Journey with Care, where curious Canadians get inspired to
Speaker:love others well through real life stories and honest
Speaker:conversations.
Speaker:Alright. We have a special episode here where I don't
Speaker:think we've ever had this many people on our podcast before. I'm counting how
Speaker:many heads in front of me. 1, 2, 3, 4,
Speaker:5 people on the podcast at once. We actually just came back
Speaker:from a trip down in Kansas City. We were attending the
Speaker:CarePortal Conference, as a CareImpact team.
Speaker:So we wanted to use this episode to give some highlights of that trip
Speaker:and also 2 other trips that 2 other members
Speaker:of this team went on at the end of that conference flying to 2 different
Speaker:cities. So we wanna share what's happening in the care portal space,
Speaker:what's happening in the caring space in Canada, What's happening
Speaker:across Canada in kind of some of these things that we are involved
Speaker:in as CareImpact. And obviously a lot of the same topics that
Speaker:journey with care covers. So we just wanna make our listeners aware.
Speaker:Wendi, you have anything to add to that? That's right. There there was 5 of
Speaker:us in a vehicle in Kansas City driving together to this
Speaker:conference, Wendi what a conference that was. And, we all came flying in, driving in,
Speaker:but we met each other there, the 5 of us, and what a great time.
Speaker:And so, I'm just
Speaker:curious. I'm gonna put it out to people always hear you and me
Speaker:talk. So let's let's put the mic on to Tim, Kathy,
Speaker:Heather. Tell us a little bit about your experience at Kansas
Speaker:City. I was very happy when we finally all got together
Speaker:because I'd gone down early, and then 3 of you drove
Speaker:down, and then Tim got there afterwards. And,
Speaker:actually, being together in one space was really great, having breakfast before
Speaker:we headed out just to be in one space together because
Speaker:we work virtually. For me, that was a real highlight of our time together.
Speaker:Yeah. We really could have lots of conversations around the table, watching
Speaker:Jets game in the evenings too. We got we got to cheer on our our
Speaker:hockey team. And, Heather, you and I work in the city together, but
Speaker:we don't always work in the same place together. So that was really neat to
Speaker:have you there. What was it like for you to be, in a house
Speaker:full of other coworkers? No. That was really
Speaker:great because, like Kathy said, working remotely, it can feel
Speaker:a little bit like an island sometimes. So being all together and getting to know
Speaker:Tim better and then just Johan, the comedy piece, so that's always
Speaker:good, but it was good to be together. All the dad jokes.
Speaker:Right? And, Tim, you flew in, and that
Speaker:wasn't an easy trek to make it to Kansas City, but
Speaker:you made it by God's grace. What was it like to be with us
Speaker:crazy people? Well, I took a couple airplanes and then a couple
Speaker:tickets, an extra ticket last minute when one airplane decided not to let
Speaker:me, let me go. But we did make it to Kansas City. It was
Speaker:a beautiful thing to be able to be together with the team when we work
Speaker:in this space of wanting to see communities connected and see the church
Speaker:connected. Connecting as a team is such a high value for us. And, for
Speaker:me, it's always such a gift to come from way over on the East Coast,
Speaker:and meet the the rest of the team who we got to spend that time,
Speaker:that special time, the CarePortal conference together. So,
Speaker:Airbnb with you guys is always a treat. I don't think I had
Speaker:to pull up the sensor button too much on this trip, so I I behaved
Speaker:myself okay. I think there are We had to censor you, Johan.
Speaker:You were the driver though. How was it like, driving us around
Speaker:everywhere? Well, because you guys are more involved in the care portal
Speaker:space. So it was kind of my job to be the taxi
Speaker:driver a little bit for getting you guys where you need to go, maybe medical
Speaker:clinics and getting other things running errands,
Speaker:maybe a few thrift stores here and there, and got to try on a few
Speaker:good thrift store clothing that you made fun of
Speaker:me. And, Let let's go there for a little bit, Johan,
Speaker:because we had a little bit of fun together. Just so you know, we are
Speaker:humans that do a lot of serious stuff, but when we're together, we can
Speaker:also have fun. What we learned what I learned about our group is that
Speaker:we like to thrift together, and leading
Speaker:us in this, would be Heather. Heather, can you tell us that
Speaker:experience of thrifting with Johan? What was that like? And me, my
Speaker:She's like the queen of thrifting as well. Like, my goodness. She is. She's really
Speaker:good. She inspires me to shop. I don't even like shopping, but with Heather, I
Speaker:find cool things. To be clear, I don't like shopping, but I like
Speaker:thrifting You're good at it. Because it's like therapy for me. But
Speaker:doing it with Johan and Wendi, who are willing to put on leopard skin
Speaker:and all sorts of clothing items, that was We have pictures approved, but we'll
Speaker:show it. One day. Alright. Do we wanna get into some
Speaker:highlights for the the CarePortal Conference in Kansas City? Yeah. What
Speaker:what would you say would be things that stood out to you
Speaker:at the conference? We were the only Canadians in a sea of, I don't
Speaker:know, maybe 600 people. We were the Canadians representing,
Speaker:because we are bringing CarePortal across Canada, behind the scenes,
Speaker:still working heavily in how to scale it across Canada, but we
Speaker:were with a lot of other people. And I'm curious
Speaker:from others in our team here, what were some of the things you've had a
Speaker:few days to reflect on this now. What were some things that you think
Speaker:are staying with you and that you're bringing back to Canada?
Speaker:I'll share a couple of things. It was in a couple of breakout sessions, and
Speaker:they're they're comments that I'm still sitting with and sorting through.
Speaker:But one of the big ones for me was that Christians
Speaker:blame individuals for their poverty more than any other group of people. Wow.
Speaker:And I thought that was pretty impacting. And, the other
Speaker:comment was that our gatherings and our actions move at the speed
Speaker:of relationship, which we've heard that statement before,
Speaker:but both of those, I've kinda took it as my homework to bring home and
Speaker:to really sit with and let those kinda marinate and see where
Speaker:I sit or where I fit in those statements and
Speaker:then to really be honest with myself about, do I really let
Speaker:things move at the speed of relationship? Do I just try and push forward because
Speaker:it got an agenda or we have the right thing to do? And with the
Speaker:other comment about Christians blaming individuals for their
Speaker:poverty, just seeing where I sit in that and then seeing
Speaker:for both of those, I feel like what's my action
Speaker:personally on those, and then how do I
Speaker:share an action with people around me for us all to see these statements
Speaker:and to really be able to see the truth in them and where we sit?
Speaker:So I think those two things, I don't have answers for, but they are
Speaker:what I am intentionally sitting with to figure out for myself.
Speaker:Yeah. And and the theme for this conference was connection
Speaker:changes everything, and I think that really comes out with the
Speaker:statements that you said, Heather. I I would agree with you in the
Speaker:the the challenge in that statement of often Christians are to to
Speaker:point to the individual rather than the systemic oppression and
Speaker:the poverty that maybe hits closer to home because the church
Speaker:is part of this system. And how do we contend with that? How do we
Speaker:look into our own baggage, so to speak, so that we're not
Speaker:contributing to that poverty? For myself,
Speaker:to what you were just saying, I was really challenged by Andy
Speaker:Crouch, who is one of the speakers, the one of the keynote, and looking at
Speaker:our role as charities, our role as churches, and and
Speaker:recognizing the inherent power where we sometime come in with
Speaker:finances and just as an institution
Speaker:or with education or even if we have a house, there's an inherent
Speaker:power that comes within that. And if we're not careful, if we don't become
Speaker:vulnerable ourselves, it can be very oppressive and
Speaker:toxic and and exploitative. Like, it could become
Speaker:an industry of helping people, and we don't want to contribute to
Speaker:that as CareImpact. We wanna help the church flourish. We wanna help
Speaker:the the most vulnerable flourish. And so I was also
Speaker:challenged. And again, same with you, Heather. I I didn't come back with full answers,
Speaker:but maybe a context that I wanna sit with for a while
Speaker:to say, how do we help the church care in a healthy way?
Speaker:How do we help ourselves journey in a good way? Yeah.
Speaker:That's great, Wendi. I, really appreciated the definitions that
Speaker:Andy Crouch gave when he spoke of authority and vulnerability. He
Speaker:said that authority is capacity for meaningful action. I
Speaker:think we often think of as authority as something we kinda towed around, but the
Speaker:reality is it's our ability to to do something. And
Speaker:when we think about it that way coupled with this idea that vulnerability,
Speaker:as Andy Kreusch defined it, is exposure to meaningful risk. So we
Speaker:actually are allowing ourselves intentionally to experience
Speaker:risk where those of us who have some kind of authority, like you say, even
Speaker:systemically, we're given this ability to tote some
Speaker:kind of power, some kind of resource that we might have by actually
Speaker:allowing ourselves to be exposed to risk, to vulnerability,
Speaker:we can actually serve people, in a totally different way. So I
Speaker:just really love that invitation to a different kind of posture by
Speaker:defining those words in, to me, a unique way. And I think
Speaker:that is a value that, CareImpact we've talked about in previous
Speaker:episodes that we wanna be risk takers, calculated risk takers. We wanna
Speaker:be inquisitive. And for me, it gave me,
Speaker:a sense of encouragement that
Speaker:it's okay to risk things for the kingdom of God.
Speaker:It's okay to try things differently because in that space,
Speaker:we don't come out guns blazing thinking we've got the answers. We're like, what
Speaker:if we tried it this way? And that we are looking for
Speaker:ways to engage and create meaningful change within our country,
Speaker:meaningful engagement for our churches, it will require risks.
Speaker:So I'm excited about our team that we are risk takers,
Speaker:and I guess that's just an encouragement to to never take it
Speaker:easy or or ride in having control of we've got the
Speaker:answers, we've got the way. We can stay curious. Cathy, I'm
Speaker:curious. What what were some takeaways? I know you were also missing
Speaker:during that session because you were dealing with a medical issue,
Speaker:which by god's grace, we you you got taken care of. But
Speaker:what were some things that you were picking up on? Because you had some meaningful
Speaker:engagements. You sat in some some meaningful workshops. What are some
Speaker:things that were highlights for you? Definitely one
Speaker:of the pieces that really stuck up for me was the connection piece
Speaker:with other leaders in this space, to be
Speaker:able to engage with those I've met at previous care portal
Speaker:leadership intensives and also to glean some
Speaker:really interesting strategies that other
Speaker:leaders are taking in their communities, especially with church engagement.
Speaker:And those 2 of the workshops, they just really were blowing my mind
Speaker:with some of the strategies they've taken on, but I also had the opportunity
Speaker:to sit down after the conference with other area directors
Speaker:to really wrestle through what it means to
Speaker:engage churches using CarePortal and to new markets
Speaker:to find new churches and to bring them to onboard them
Speaker:well. And, yes, it was really good time that way
Speaker:where I was able to participate. I really appreciated
Speaker:it. Do we have any other highlights? Yes. I have
Speaker:another highlight. We had a banquet on the
Speaker:second evening, and I had the privilege of
Speaker:introducing Wendi as the award winner for a,
Speaker:really special award for excellence in connection. And,
Speaker:it was a little bit nervous, you know, having to speak to
Speaker:600 people, but it was certainly a privilege to be able to be part
Speaker:of that, to see Wendi honored for all that she does
Speaker:and who she is and what she brings to the table here in our
Speaker:nation. And to see a large group of Americans to
Speaker:honor her and choose her to receive that award was, very
Speaker:special. Was absolutely shocked. I wouldn't have expected in a 1000000
Speaker:years, honestly. And I'm like, what, Kathy? What are you doing on stage there? But
Speaker:I'm like, okay. She's she's a helpful person. She likes to help people. And and
Speaker:then they introduced me for it and, absolutely shocked.
Speaker:Because when I look across the audience there, there's
Speaker:34 states represented, and they're doing things by the 1,000
Speaker:and and helping churches and and children and and so many
Speaker:things, statewide agreements, and they're just going gangbuster in the US. And
Speaker:and and then I'm sitting there not feeling sorry for ourselves. I I'm very proud
Speaker:of our team and exactly where we are is where we need to be. Very
Speaker:confident in that, but realizing we're still very small scale.
Speaker:We hardly began, and we're just tilling the ground. And
Speaker:to be recognized for connection when we're just really behind
Speaker:the scenes yet and barely started. It was very humbling to
Speaker:be honored with that, and I'm just so grateful. I guess I
Speaker:do love connecting. I realized that's that if I had to sum up
Speaker:Kansas City and and the the other travels that we'll talk about now,
Speaker:networking is my favorite thing. So it's it's weird they'd create a an award for
Speaker:Loving to Network. That seems a little odd to me, but, I'm
Speaker:grateful for it, and I thank god for it. And our our good team that
Speaker:we we get to do this together. Wendi, you you do have a lot of
Speaker:favor there. Like, we walk into any room, any venue
Speaker:at these conferences and everybody's like, oh, Wendi. And they'll run up to you
Speaker:and give you a hug. So, and we're the little guys.
Speaker:Like Yeah. We are the little guys, but we still get thrown in,
Speaker:in the ring, and I guess we we pull our weight. You know? And
Speaker:even though we are the little guys, and I say we because I I don't
Speaker:go in there by myself. You guys have been sending me down to these meetings
Speaker:and giving me permission as you do the work here in Canada, giving me
Speaker:permission to sit at these tables, having these deeper discussions, having these
Speaker:harder discussions on how do we actually grow with church engagement
Speaker:and not not being colonizers in that. And and so some of my my
Speaker:challenging 8 comes out. And so I've gotten to know a lot of people there,
Speaker:and I really feel like they are our brothers and sisters. And,
Speaker:really good to see that there are people rooting for us
Speaker:in what we're doing here in Canada. Be amiss to not mention the
Speaker:movie premiere that we all got to attend on that first evening. That was
Speaker:pretty fantastic. The movie comes out July
Speaker:4th, I think. It's called Possum Trot. Really
Speaker:well done. And the ones that the movie was about, like, they were actually
Speaker:there at the conference. Right? And is a little bit of the birthing
Speaker:of Care portal as well, like that storyline. Right?
Speaker:And and the one of the main characters, bishop, w c Martin
Speaker:and his wife, I met him. I've met him numerous times,
Speaker:but one time I was in a meeting with him. This is a couple years
Speaker:back in in Kansas City, and I came to a prayer meeting, and he
Speaker:singled me out in this group and really just started
Speaker:praying for Canada. And, man, when that guy prays, the whole earth
Speaker:shakes. And and he continues to pray for Canada, and he's invited us
Speaker:actually into that community. Sometime we'll have to do a little field trip there. But
Speaker:when you know the people behind this story, they are just people
Speaker:of faith. So if anybody gets a chance to watch this movie,
Speaker:know that that main character is praying for Canada. And
Speaker:and one of the things that he told me and it sticks with me, he
Speaker:gave me, Psalm 91 that I'm supposed to read it every day and it still
Speaker:ruminates within me. But he said, when you go out and speak,
Speaker:don't say, I think the Lord is telling me this. Just say it in
Speaker:boldness. God is calling the church to rise up and just say it with
Speaker:boldness. And so I often, hear his voice in the background.
Speaker:It was a very powerful experience. And it's helped me have
Speaker:confidence in the things we're supposed to do. So if that movie finds its way
Speaker:into Canadian theaters, I don't I don't know if it will, but if it does,
Speaker:listeners should all go see it. Go to the website though, possumtrotdot
Speaker:com, I think it is, or dotorg. Possumetrotmovie, I think it is.
Speaker:Yeah. We'll throw that in the show notes. So, Tim had
Speaker:quite, time getting to the conference. He was
Speaker:supposed to come to Winnipeg and then drive down south with us,
Speaker:but the Lord wanted to have mercy on him and not put me
Speaker:in a vehicle with him for 12 hours. So with some
Speaker:canceled flights and some challenges. Anyway,
Speaker:he did make it down. Thank goodness. But he actually flew back out to
Speaker:Ottawa, like, a little bit early so that he can attend another conference
Speaker:here. Tim, you wanna tell us a little bit about what's happening there in Ottawa
Speaker:in the conference you attended? Absolutely, Johan. That's,
Speaker:been an exciting week, a very full week. Haven't really
Speaker:landed, much rest yet, but looking forward to that in a day
Speaker:or 2. It's just been an amazing week watching
Speaker:what God is doing at the, Capitaliz Conference, they call it here
Speaker:in Ottawa. It was a gathering of leaders, marketplace leaders, and
Speaker:church leaders really looking at collaborative
Speaker:action and the idea of unity walked out
Speaker:in a very practical way in a city or in a community. And,
Speaker:it was for Ottawa, and there was leaders from around the nation, that
Speaker:came in from the west and the east. And really neat
Speaker:to listen into the god stories. There was a comment
Speaker:from one individual who'd come up to speak, who is a leader
Speaker:in the states. It's a theme here. We have
Speaker:awesome inspiration coming up from the states, but he said his sense is
Speaker:that Aslan is on the move, pulling from CS Lewis, of course. But I
Speaker:think a lot of us at the conference felt that, and I felt it in
Speaker:a very unique way having spent first half of the week down in the states
Speaker:with the care portal team. 600 people from all over the states watching
Speaker:what God is doing, like Wendi they said, you know, even statewide in some
Speaker:states. And then coming here, and like we've just mentioned, it seems so
Speaker:little, you know, what we're experiencing, and yet it's it's
Speaker:not because seeds are very small, but they grow the biggest things.
Speaker:And, the slowest growing things are the strongest and the
Speaker:longest living. Just got to go see
Speaker:at the back of our property. My dad said, you know what? We're gonna leave
Speaker:that. And, at the back of our property. My dad said, you know what? We're
Speaker:gonna leave that. And I took care of it. I remember
Speaker:trimming it. My mother sold the house a few years ago, and it's turned over
Speaker:to somebody who's developed it. The place feels very different, but there's that oak tree
Speaker:a good foot wide now and the strongest
Speaker:tree you could imagine in the backyard. So just imagining what God is doing here,
Speaker:what he has been doing for years. So, yeah, tapping into that conference here
Speaker:was just such a interesting segue for me coming from the states
Speaker:where it feels like there's a lot of things that have been growing a long
Speaker:time and seem really big. And coming back here and just knowing that god is
Speaker:doing the same thing here in our soil. Different soil a little bit,
Speaker:maybe a little different DNA of the tree, but god is really growing some
Speaker:some powerful things. I'm just so glad that you were
Speaker:able to go back to your home city, where you grew up, and
Speaker:that the the conference was hosted there. And, there's
Speaker:some significant things that are happening in the East Coast
Speaker:that you get to be part of. Some of the networking, that is happening
Speaker:through Erin Ministries, Serve Nova Scotia that is emerging. You're on the front
Speaker:lines with that behind the scenes, really, but we are having these
Speaker:meaningful discussions with how could CarePortal be
Speaker:helpful as a tool and of connection for the
Speaker:initiative that's really being birthed out of there. We're not doing it, but we gotta
Speaker:be part of. Can you talk a little bit did you have discussions, or
Speaker:did you find some connection by what you were hearing from Kansas
Speaker:City to around the tables, with other Canadian
Speaker:leaders. Did it stretch your imagination for what could happen
Speaker:in Atlantic Canada? Absolutely. Yeah. Atlantic Canada, and then
Speaker:like said, there was leaders from across the nation. And so I had just some
Speaker:amazing moments as you can imagine might happen at a conference, but sometimes
Speaker:it feels like a conference just sort of a, you know, pump up session and
Speaker:get all excited, and it's really cool. But for me, the power was really
Speaker:in the individual conversations. Having conversations with individuals that said
Speaker:things like, we've been waiting and praying for this for 6 years. Very
Speaker:specifically, that was an individual who I was speaking with in
Speaker:context of the training that we do in understanding trauma. She said, we've been
Speaker:waiting for this for 6 years. I talked to another individual who we ended up
Speaker:spending a couple hours together with, and, she said, I'm a youth leader in
Speaker:the city and a youth leader of youth leaders. And she said, there are 75
Speaker:youth leaders that I'm leading. And we said, god,
Speaker:2024 is the year that we get trauma informed care training for all of
Speaker:us. And so just sensing that some of the things that god has
Speaker:entrusted us with and and guided us into as a CareImpact team
Speaker:are exactly what he's been speaking to the church about. And in
Speaker:terms of, you know, the care portal itself and the the conference,
Speaker:Capitalize, was really looking at engaging the
Speaker:church in unity to meet practical needs in the community, stories coming
Speaker:out from across the nation about things that God is doing
Speaker:already and realizing what we have been entrusted with with the
Speaker:care portal is going to fuel that. So there were a number of conversations
Speaker:from across the nation, and, of course, I already know what's happening in my province
Speaker:in Nova Scotia. And, there were a couple leaders from Nova Scotia that joined
Speaker:me at the conference, and we were able to be in
Speaker:similar conversations and spaces imagining what is
Speaker:God showing us and what is God connecting us with to be able
Speaker:to take that home to Nova Scotia. And CareImpact in conversation
Speaker:with several local ministries to Nova Scotia already about this, but really
Speaker:just need to see that in a space that was so dedicated to
Speaker:activating unity as the church. And and like Heather said, we
Speaker:grow at the the pace of relationships. Right? And so
Speaker:you taking the time, it's more than just conference information in,
Speaker:information out, and a good coffee together. It's
Speaker:building those relationships and growing at that speed. I I think
Speaker:that's beautiful. So thanks so much for representing and
Speaker:continuing the work you're doing in Ottawa and as you head back to the
Speaker:Atlantic Canada. Lots happening on the East Coast. We're excited about
Speaker:what the Lord is gonna do through CareImpact and CarePortal on the East
Speaker:Coast. I think there's more to come. So, Wendi, you also flew out
Speaker:from Kansas City I did. Little bit early. I went to
Speaker:Calgary. You you have to hop around the continent, but I went
Speaker:through Dallas and then and landed in, Calgary
Speaker:and jumped right into a conference that was about to start there.
Speaker:It was the one conference put on by our friends, Global Leadership Network
Speaker:Canada, with Rob and Lois, Warren, Wendi
Speaker:of of CareImpact. They invited me to do a workshop
Speaker:along with Center Street Church, which is a big church in
Speaker:Calgary. They're doing some amazing things, so I got to meet their their pastoral
Speaker:staff, their new center that they had just opened, a brand new facility,
Speaker:saw the neat things that are happening in Calgary. And
Speaker:yeah. So I did a workshop with them on care and
Speaker:compassion in community and how do we help churches engage in
Speaker:community. And so, as you know, this is a topic that's very
Speaker:a big passion of mine. So, yeah, we got to interact with
Speaker:leaders from across Canada. So the one conference was was
Speaker:also happened to be the same time as Ottawa. I was getting FOMO. I wanted
Speaker:to be in Ottawa at the same time, but I was so grateful that
Speaker:Tim could be there, And we were gathering also with leaders from
Speaker:across Canada and having some really meaningful
Speaker:conversations on how can the church have
Speaker:meaningful impact in their communities and just listening
Speaker:to what God is doing. I I made so many connection. I know
Speaker:it's shocking. Right? Had so many connections there, and that would probably be my
Speaker:highlight of the time there are the connections and the
Speaker:conversations that I could continue to have. So there's a lot happening
Speaker:across Canada, across North America, and lots happening with
Speaker:CareImpact and CarePortal and what's going on. And we're excited that our
Speaker:listeners get to be a part of that journey kinda on the ground floor because
Speaker:we're so small. And someday they'll be able to say, hey, we were there when
Speaker:they were tiny. And now the look what the Lord's done. So
Speaker:really excited about what the Lord's doing. Networking's a big part of
Speaker:that. I think you got to connect with a few former guests while you're in
Speaker:Calgary. You wanna tell us a little bit about that?
Speaker:Yeah. I, again, I I just love the networking piece. If
Speaker:you recall in previous episodes, we've had Zach
Speaker:Mantai and also Nikkayla Reese. She was in our our Christmas
Speaker:series and Zach in our APEST, Leaving
Speaker:Differently Together. I gotta meet up with them and have a good long
Speaker:conversation. Man, is it good to connect with other leaders who are in the
Speaker:trenches, are doing hard stuff, doing brave things, and just having those
Speaker:conversations, encouraging one another. And they're just brothers and sisters
Speaker:in Christ. They're not just podcast guests. Just shout out to them.
Speaker:They are brothers and sisters in Christ doing some amazing things,
Speaker:and we just wanna continue to uplift them. I also connected
Speaker:with Tendayla Swan, who is the executive director for
Speaker:Ameris, which is a a Christian adoption agency, a
Speaker:family support organization doing amazing things in the the whole
Speaker:wide province of Alberta, and she is
Speaker:just another friend and ally of CareImpact,
Speaker:and we just had some really deep conversations. I also need to mention that I
Speaker:was staying with Amber and Ben who have actually supported our
Speaker:podcast and our our ministry. They provided this camper
Speaker:couple years back, and I got to stay with them and have some just meaningful
Speaker:conversations. There's a couple who are entrepreneurial, and they ask good
Speaker:questions. They're doing some amazing things from a marketplace perspective, but
Speaker:also in a a faith based. They love God and just were
Speaker:able to help shape and help me process some of the developments that we're
Speaker:doing. And they're like, how do we bring this to Calgary? And, so
Speaker:who knows? There's there's a lot of those conversations happening across the country, a
Speaker:lot of seeds planted. And I imagine over the next coming years,
Speaker:months years, we're gonna keep those conversations going. There's a lot of
Speaker:demand for training, that I imagine we're gonna keep Tim busy
Speaker:with, but we're gonna grow at the speed of relationship, and we are
Speaker:just praying that our our team will grow accordingly. But,
Speaker:what an amazing time. I just got back last night from
Speaker:Calgary, and, I'm I'm looking forward to going to the NAITZ
Speaker:Symposium coming up next in Sioux Falls where I get to hang out with a
Speaker:bunch of indigenous brothers and sisters and, sit and learn.
Speaker:So I wanna thank all our guests for coming on. Kathy, Heather, Tim,
Speaker:Wendi, you're not a guest, but yeah.
Speaker:It was fun. Yep. Thanks a lot. Great having a conversation with
Speaker:you guys. Love it. Alright. I'm sure we'll have you guys on more even
Speaker:if Heather protests that. But Don't say
Speaker:that. You do I will. Some
Speaker:people don't like the mic, but those are usually the ones that have the
Speaker:most important things to say. Exactly. So
Speaker:remember to stay curious and tune in next week. We got some
Speaker:exciting things coming up. It's great to give you an update on what's happening around
Speaker:Canada and whole lot more to come.
Speaker:Thank you for joining another conversation on Journey with Care, where
Speaker:we inspire curious Canadians on their path of faith and
Speaker:living life with purpose in community. Journey with Care is an
Speaker:initiative of CareImpact, a Canadian charity dedicated to
Speaker:connecting and equipping the whole church to journey well in
Speaker:community. You can visit their website at CareImpact dotca or visit
Speaker:journey with care dotca to get more information on weekly episodes,
Speaker:Journey with Prayer, and details about our upcoming events and meetups.
Speaker:You can also leave us a message, share your thoughts, and connect with like
Speaker:minded individuals who are on their own journeys of faith and purpose.
Speaker:Thank you for sharing this podcast and helping these stories reach the
Speaker:community. Together, we can explore ways to journey in a good
Speaker:way. And always remember to stay curious.
