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)

A dirt trail winding through a dense forest with tall evergreen trees and patches of sunlight on the ground.
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About the Day / Schedule / Speakers

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 enchantment, grace, beauty 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 current 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 learning, contemplative practice and seeking ancient wisdom for the road ahead. It is our hope that you leave this one day retreat with:

  • like-minded and like-hearted fellow companions for the road ahead

  • a profound sense of God’s grounding yet expansive love

  • the gifts of new learning and unlearning

  • a chance to exhale

A quick note on registering: clicking Register adds your spot to a cart, the same way an online store does. To complete your registration, click the cart icon at the top of the page and choose Checkout. You'll get a confirmation email when you're done — that email is your proof you've registered!

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About the Day / Schedule / Speakers

Schedule

    • Registration

    • Worship, liturgy, embodied prayer, and contemplative practice

    • Keynote with Dr. Bradley Jersak

    • Reclaiming Ancestral Light & Unifying Theology
      with 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.

      —

      Part I: Reconciling Ancestral Light (You Are The Light Of The World)

      Rooted in ancient Celtic Christian spirituality, Fr 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.

  • 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
    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.

  • 4:15 PM
    Reflection & Sending
    with The Good Table Board

    A guided communal response, prayer, and blessing to close our time together.

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About the Day / Schedule / Speakers

Our Speakers

A man with a gray cap and a black shirt smiling outdoors on a sunny day.

Dr. Bradley Jersak

Keynote Speaker

A man with long hair in a bun and a beard sits on a black park bench, reading a book outdoors near a historical stone building with Gothic architecture. He wears a black shirt, a gray vest, and a cross necklace, smiling at the camera.

Fr. Joash Thomas

Keynote Speaker + Good Table Board Member

A woman in a denim jacket and a straw hat smiling, standing outdoors near a lake with trees, on a cloudy day.

Pastor Melissa Burke

A man with glasses and a black jacket smiling in front of a colorful, textured mural with pink, orange, and blue sections.

Keynote Speaker

Adrian Jacobs

Keynote Speaker

A woman with light brown hair and blue eyes taking a selfie on a rooftop during sunset, wearing a floral patterned top and a necklace with a small pendant, with city buildings and water in the background.

Elle Pyke

Host + ED of The Good Table

About the Day / Schedule / Speakers

Register

Registration now open!*

Companions on the Way: Ancient Wisdom for the Road Ahead Companions on the Way: Ancient Wisdom for the Road Ahead
Companions on the Way: Ancient Wisdom for the Road Ahead
$75.00

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.