Hosted by The Good Table
Companions on the Way: Ancient Wisdom for the Road Ahead
Wednesday, October 28th
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Crieff Hills Retreat Centre (Puslinch, Ontario)
About the Day
For many pastors, ministry leaders, and followers of Jesus across Canada, recent years have brought a heavy mix of disillusionment, burnout, and complex questions around injustice, inclusion, and reconciliation. Yet in the midst of these realities, so many of us have found profound moments of grace, beauty, joy, and the unmistakable living presence of Christ among us. Holding this both/and reality with open hands is at the heart of what it means to be followers of the Way of Jesus in the Canadian context.
For four years, our network of companions at the Good Table has walked by a simple grounding conviction: "we make the road by walking." Following Jesus, as we’ve come to learn, is not a static destination, but an unhurried, grace-filled, ongoing journey of listening, unlearning, repentance, and re-rooting in the sustaining and nourishing soil of God's love.
You’re invited to join us at Crieff Hills Retreat Centre for a public day dedicated to listening, learning, unlearning, contemplative practice, spaciousness and and seeking ancient wisdom for the road ahead. It is our hope that you leave this one day retreat having met new like-minded and like-hearted fellow companions for the road ahead, a profound sense of God’s love and some ancient wisdom for the learning and unlearning in the days ahead.
Schedule
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9:00 AM
Keynote with Dr. Bradley JersakDetails coming soon.
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TBA
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12:00PM
Shared meal (included with registration) and space to rest, walk the trails, and connect on the quiet grounds of Crieff Hills. -
1:30pm
Ancient Faith for Fractured Times
Fr. Joash Thomas—
Details coming soon.
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1:30PM
Reclaiming Ancestral Light & Unifying Theology
w/ Fr. Joash Thomas—
As a member of The Good Table Board, author and liberation theologian Fr. Joash Thomas joins us to connect his lived journey and theological work directly into our shared, four-year posture of walking together.
Drawing from his experience as a former political consultant turned liberation theologian, as well as themes from his book The Justice of Jesus, Fr. Joash leads an integrated afternoon session that bridges pastoral devotion and contextual theology.
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Part I: Reconciling Ancestral Light (You Are The Light Of The World)
Rooted in ancient Celtic Christian spirituality, Father Joash will invite us to recognize and reconcile with the divine light present in our physical and spiritual ancestors—offering insights for personal renewal and sabbath rest for leaders carrying burnout, grief, or institutional hurt.
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Part II: Unifying Theology Across Fractures (Heretics of Empire)The Good Table affirms that Canada’s broad history of Christian traditions holds unique riches that are better together. Drawing on precolonial, creedal roots—such as the St. Thomas Indian Christians of the East and Celtic Christians of the West—Fr. Joash explores how Jesus’ unifying, anti-imperial way transcends systems of division to offer a path toward peacemaking, power-sharing, and trauma-informed healing.
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4:15 PM
Reflection & Sending
w/ The Good Table Board
A guided communal response, prayer, and blessing to close our time together.
Our Speakers
Dr. Bradley Jersak
Keynote Speaker
Fr. Joash Thomas
Keynote Speaker
Registration now open!*
Join us Wednesday, October 28 at Crieff Hills in Puslinch, Ontario for a public day of teaching, prayer, and connection. Morning teaching with Bradley Jersak, afternoon teaching with Father Joash Thomas, and reflection led by members of The Good Table Board. (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Lunch included).
*Registration closes Wednesday, October 14, 2026.