Welcome to Spirit River Community - A Retreat Centre Without Walls
The South Saskatchewan River flows through the Canadian prairies, bringing life and beauty. In a similar way, the Spirit flows through our lives, bringing curiosity, hope, comfort, and creativity.
Welcome to the SRC website. Thank you for your interest as a 'retreat centre without walls' continues to take shape. To learn more about the initial concept for this retreat centre, please click on the 'About SRC' page above. I'm convinced that with the guidance of thoughtful and prayerful facilitators, meaningful connections can be formed and nurtured online. I invite you to subscribe to the Spirit River Community e-newsletter to be informed about our upcoming presenters – please see the bottom of this webpage to subscribe.
Currently, with the exception of an in-person option being offered by Sacred Journey, all presentations are only being offered on Zoom. A Zoom link will be emailed to you following your registration for a program. If the presentation is recorded, a copy of this recording will be sent to you to watch/review following the event.
Almost all of our past workshops have been recorded, and access to these presentations can be purchased by visiting the 'Shop' page on this website. Many have been discounted - enjoy!
See you soon - peace to you,
Sarah Donnelly, M.Div.
Upcoming Events
Befriending Shame: How to be Present to the Feeling We Most Want to Avoid
Janelle Schneider
Wednesday, September 10
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. MDT
9:00 PDT / 10:00 MDT (includes SK) / 11:00 CDT / 12:00 EDT / 1:00 ADT
Shame is an emotion we all encounter in our human experience. Yet, by its very nature, it is one of the most difficult emotions to be present to. Our instinctive response to shame is to hide... (learn more)
Paul the Dynamic Disciple: From Tribal Zealot to Global Missionary
Sr. Teresita Kambeitz OSU
Saturdays, September 27, October 25, November 22
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. MDT
(note: 10:00 a.m. start for folks living in SK for Sept. and Oct.
- 11:00 a.m. start for Nov.)
9:00 PDT / 10:00 MDT / 11:00 CDT / 12:00 EDT / 1:00 ADT
In this scripture series we will follow Paul’s story as he grows from intolerant religiosity to all-embracing faith in Christ Jesus where “there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female” (Gal. 3:28). Where are we on this path? ... (learn more)
Nourishing Inner Stillness: Psychospiritual Resilience in Times of Change
Allie Kochert, MA, LPC, CSD
Wednesday, October 1
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. MDT
9:00 PDT / 10:00 MDT (includes SK) / 11:00 CDT / 12:00 EDT / 1:00 ADT
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Resilience is the ability to rebound from adversity - and when we have connection to our psychospiritual wellness, we can feel more hopeful and strong as we face the challenges of fear, worry, and anger. In this workshop, we'll have a time of poetry for presence and guided mindfulness meditation as we re-orient ourselves to our roots and restore connection to the inner compass ... (learn more)
Sacred Journey: The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Daily Life
Dianne Mantyka, DMin
Two Options:
On Zoom: 14 Sunday Evenings
October 5, 2025 to May 3, 2026
In Saskatoon/In-Person: 14 Monday Evenings
October 6, 2025 to May 4, 2026
The Spiritual Exercises are a compilation of meditations, prayers, and contemplative practices developed by St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) to help people deepen their relationship with God. The 19th Annotation of St. Ignatius Loyola's Spiritual Exercises is a modified form of the traditional 30-day retreat, allowing individuals to experience the exercises while continuing their daily lives.
In Saskatoon/In-Person (learn more)
Each group is limited to 15 participants - register soon. Registration deadline: September 8
Let's Talk About Sex
Kalyn Falk, M.A.
Tuesday, October 14,
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. MDT
12:00 PDT / 1:00 MDT (includes SK) / 2:00 CDT / 3:00 EDT / 4:00 ADT
Have you ever wanted to have a meaningful conversation with someone but have worried that you might use incorrect language, or be confused about specific terms and what they mean? This workshop is a chance to have an honest, open conversation about something that touches every part of our lives—our bodies, our identities, our relationships, and our spirituality. It’s a space to learn, reflect, and ask questions without fear of judgment or debate ... (learn more)
A Tapestry of Sacred Stories: Yours, Mine, God’s
A Retreat with Faith Nostbakken, PhD, DMin
Thursday, October 16, 1:00 - 4:30 p.m. MDT
12:00 PDT / 1:00 MDT (includes SK) / 2:00 CDT / 3:00 EDT / 4:00 ADT
Friday, October 17, 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. MDT
9:00 PDT / 10:00 MDT (includes SK) / 11:00 CDT / 12:00 EDT / 1:00 ADT
Storytelling is at the heart of who we are as human beings. We might say that this is because we are created in the image of a storytelling God, for our Scriptures are predominantly a collection of stories narrating God’s relationship to God’s people. This retreat will engage us in story-sharing, a process by which we not only discover or name significant patterns of meaning and purpose in our own lives but also foster community and relationship as we tell our stories to one another ... (learn more)
Three Seeds of Ecological Spirituality
Shawn Sanford Beck, M.Div.
Tuesday, October 21
10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. MDT
9:00 PDT / 10:00 MDT (includes SK) / 11:00 CDT / 12:00 EDT / 1:00 ADT
Come for a time of shared reflection and gentle spiritual practice, as GreenSpirit Chaplain Shawn Sanford Beck offers us the “three seeds” of Christian Animism, Green Priestcraft, and the Rune of Sophia. For many, these will be entirely new concepts and forms of spirituality ... (learn more)
Please note: limited to 10 participants; this workshop will not be recorded
Cultivating Soil of the Soul
Allie Kochert, MA, LPC, CSD
Wednesdays, October 22, 29, November 5
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. MT
9:00 PT / 10:00 MT / 11:00 CT / 12:00 ET / 1:00 AT
(start times for SK: Oct. 22 & 29, 10:00 a.m. Nov. 5, 11:00 a.m.)
Week 1 - Root: Resourcing and Burnout Care
Week 2 - Grow: Claiming Resilience and Regeneration
Week 3 - Thrive: The Posture and Process of Embodiment
This is a 3-part series that cultivates our spiritual connection in light of burnout and moral fatigue. Sessions will include guided mindfulness and embodiment exercises for centering and grounding the nervous system ... (learn more) Photo credit: Photo by Rajesh Rajput on Unsplash
The Moral Imagination: A Two-Part Journey into Sacred Possibility
Kalyn Falk, M.A.
Tuesday, November 4 & 11
2:00 - 4:00 p.m. CST
12:00 PST / 1:00 MST / 2:00 CST (includes SK) / 3:00 EST / 4:00 AST
What if the path to healing our world began with the soul’s capacity to imagine what does not yet exist?
This two-part workshop invites spiritually grounded seekers into a creative, contemplative exploration of how we hold tension, navigate complexity, and stay rooted in love amidst a broken world. Through story, silence, and sacred imagination, we’ll explore four spiritual postures that open the way to transformation ... (learn more)
Inspired by the work of John Paul Lederach
Kything: Communion with the More-Than-Human World
Shawn Sanford Beck, M.Div.
Tuesday, November 18
10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. CST
8:00 PST / 9:00 MST / 10:00 CST (includes SK) / 11:00 EST / 12:00 AST
Kything is a "psycho-spiritual technology" inspired by the fiction of Madeleine L'Engle and developed by the priest and psychologist team of Louis M. Savary and Patricia H. Berne almost 40 years ago. In this new revision of the technique by GreenSpirit Chaplain Shawn Sanford Beck ... (learn more)
Please note: limited to 10 participants; this workshop will not be recorded. Registration open to those who have taken Three Seeds of Ecological Spirituality, being offered on October 21.
Whole Care for Health Professionals, Part 1:
Nurturing Body, Mind, Heart, & Spirit in Chaotic Times
Karen Scott Barss, M.A., RPN
Tuesday, November 18
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. CST
11:00 PST / 12:00 MST / 1:00 CST (includes SK) / 2:00 EST / 3:00 AST
These online mini-retreats support health professionals in holistically caring for themselves, their colleagues, and those they serve. Part 1 prioritizes wellness practices ... (learn more)
Photo credit: Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
Befriending Winter: Practices for Cultivating Delight
Rev. Caroline Penhale Lukacs, M.Div.
Thursday, November 20
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. CST
11:00 PST / 12:00 MST / 1:00 CST (includes SK) / 2:00 EST / 3:00 AST
This workshop invites you to learn how to lean into winter rather than resisting it! With others, you will identify comforting practices and rituals for the coming winter days... (learn more)
Photo credit: Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash
Whole Care for Health Professionals, Part 2:
Nurturing Our Relationships & Communities in Daily Practice
Karen Scott Barss, M.A., RPN
Tuesday, November 25
1:00 - 3:00 p.m. CST
11:00 PST / 12:00 MST / 1:00 CST (includes SK) / 2:00 EST / 3:00 AST
These online mini-retreats support health professionals in holistically caring for themselves, their colleagues, and those they serve. Part 2 explores practical ways to foster workplace and team wellness, despite current systemic barriers and challenges ... (learn more)
Photo credit: Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash
Tending Fear: The Guardian of the Unknown
Janelle Schneider
Wednesday, November 26
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. CST
9:00 PST / 10:00 MST / 11:00 CST (includes SK) / 12:00 EST / 1:00 AST
Fear rises in us any time we are facing the unfamiliar. When we feel its presence, we tend to create a story about what dangers and discomforts lie ahead. As we learn to relate to it as simply... (learn more)
Holding Tension:
Living Between the Now
and the Not Yet
Kalyn Falk, M.A.
Tuesday, December 9
2:00 - 4:00 p.m. CST
12:00 PST / 1:00 MST / 2:00 CST (includes SK) / 3:00 EST / 4:00 AST
Advent invites us to live in the tension between the now and the not yet—a sacred time of waiting and hope. Some tensions in life are not problems to be solved but polarities to be held—dynamic forces that invite wisdom rather than resolution ... (learn more)
Praying in Colour:
An Advent Creative Retreat
Kathy Berken, M.A.
Tuesday, December 16
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. CST
9:00 PST / 10:00 MST / 11:00 CST (includes SK) / 12:00 EST / 1:00 AST
Maybe you love color. Maybe you are a visual or kinesthetic learner, a distractible or impatient soul, or a word-weary pray-er. Perhaps you struggle with a short attention span, a restless body, or a tendency to live in your head. Maybe your prayers feel more like a list for Santa Claus than a love letter to God... (learn more)
Down the River...
The following presentations will be offered in the coming months - mark your calendars!
Workshops being offered by Kalyn Falk: https://kalynfalk.com/
October 14 - Let's Talk About Sex
November 4 & 11 - The Moral Imagination: A Two-Part Journey into Sacred Possibility
December 9 - Holding Tension: Living Between the Now and the Not Yet
January 13 - Living with an Expansive Faith (back by popular demand!)
February 10 - The Journey of Forgiveness: Walking the Long Road
March 10, 17 & 24 - Coming Home to the Body
April 14 - Desert Spirituality and the Call to Remember
May 12 & 19 - Living the Virtues: Reclaiming Wholeness from What Distorts Us
Workshops being offered by Janelle Schneider: https://www.janelle-schneider.com/
Befriending Shame: How to Be Present to the Feeling We Most Want to Avoid - Wednesday, September 10, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. MDT
Tending Fear: The Guardian of the Unknown - Wednesday, November 26, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. CST
Honouring Anger: The Protector of Our Essence - Wednesday, February 18, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. CST
Putting the Inner Critic in Its Place: Discovering the Boundaries that Turn the Inner Critic into an Ally - Wednesday, April 29, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. MDT
In the Spirit of Racial Healing Part 1: Supporting Health Professionals to Explore Colonization and Privilege - Karen Scott Barss
Tuesday, January 27, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. CST on Zoom
'Kindle in Us the Fire of Your Love' - The Holy Spirit as Hope, Peace, and Unrest - Don Schweitzer, PhD
Thursdays, January 22, 29, February 5 & 12, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. CST on Zoom
In the Spirit of Racial Healing Part 2: Supporting Health Professionals in Allyship and Decolonization - Karen Scott Barss
Tuesday, February 3, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. CST on Zoom