Event Schedule

Assembly 2025

Thursday, June 5 - Saturday, June 7

Wednesday
June 4, 2025

1:00 PM – 1:30 PM

Welcome Orientation

Get settled into university life! Register and reconnect with your fellow pastors.

Wednesday
June 4, 2025

1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

Session with Sam Reimer

“The Modern Zeitgeist: How Western culture is changing spirituality and the church.”

Wednesday
June 4, 2025

2:15 PM – 2:25 PM

10-minute Break

“The Modern Zeitgeist: How Western culture is changing spirituality and the church.”

Wednesday
June 4, 2025

2:25 PM – 3:00 PM

Session with Sam Reimer

“The Symptoms: Changing Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy”

Wednesday
June 4, 2025

3:00 PM – 3:15 PM

Q&A with Sam Reimer

Wednesday
June 4, 2025

3:15 PM – 4:15 PM

“How can we discern the voice of God?“

What does discerning look like?

Resources and tools for discerning

Wednesday
June 4, 2025

4:15 PM – 7:00 PM

Dinner

Enjoy a meal in the campus cafeteria, perfect for meeting new faces and connecting with fellow pastors over a meal. Who doesn’t love an all-you-can-eat buffet!

Wednesday
June 4, 2025

7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Leading Edge Development

What is “Leading Edge?”

Pastors Day Continued

Thursday
June 5, 2025

7:45 AM – 9:00 AM

Breakfast

Start your day with a hearty breakfast in the university’s cafeteria.

Thursday
June 5, 2025

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM

Welcome, Worship and Devotional

Kicking off Day Two of Pastors Day!

Thursday
June 5, 2025

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Introductions

“Why this Day Matters”
+ an icebreaker!

Thursday
June 5, 2025

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

“Understanding Third Space“

Intro to Bridging Spaces
What are the barriers to creating bridging spaces?
Stories of Bridging Spaces (Panel)

Thursday
June 5, 2025

11:00 AM – 11:05 AM

Break

Thursday
June 5, 2025

11:05 AM – 11:50 AM

Group Work

Collaborate together on what you’ve learned and offer some feedback!

Thursday
June 5, 2025

11:50 AM – 12:00 PM

Grants

Learn more about our Grants Program!

Thursday
June 5, 2025

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Lunch

Take a break in the cafeteria and enjoy a delicious lunch.

Thursday,
June 5, 2025

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Registration Opens

Thursday,
June 5, 2025

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Welcome Reception

Kick off the main Assembly with our welcome reception. Get to know fellow attendees.

Thursday,
June 5, 2025

2:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Worship

Engage in a time of worship to centre our hearts as we prepare for the sessions ahead.

Thursday,
June 5, 2025

2:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Elective Learning and Engagement

Choose from:

Q&A Session for AGM
This session will be focused on the Annual General Meeting, providing a space for members to ask questions and engage with the Board.
Spiritual Support
Book a session with a Spiritual Director who will meet you on site, or arrange for a meeting with one of our volunteers who will be serving for prayer support.
Workshop with Sam Reimer: “What Happens Now?” – Learning What Changing Culture Means for Engaging the Next Generation in our Churches
We have all experienced the painful reality of seeing younger generations pull away from our churches. As we consider the cultural current in which we find ourselves, Dr. Reimer will help us consider what thes societal shifts mean for us to help younger generations connect and stay engaged with our faith communities.

Thursday,
June 5, 2025

5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Dinner / Break

A chance to refuel with dinner and relax before evening sessions.

Thursday,
June 5, 2025

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Plenary Session 1

“We Need Some Sharpening”

For our opening plenary session, we will join in worship and praise as a family, as we listen to stories of God at work in our CBOQ churches. Sam Reimer will serve as guest speaker to point to the realities of changing spirituality in the Canadian culture; to help us consider the ways we will need to “sharpen” our ministries as we look to the future.

Thursday,
June 5, 2025

9:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Study Break

Mingle with us after the plenary in our exhibitor’s hall or in one of the courtyards on the beautiful grounds of Brock University.

Friday
June 6, 2025

7:00 AM – 8:30 AM

Breakfast

Begin the day with breakfast, connecting with others and preparing for a full day of learning and growth.

Friday
June 6, 2025

8:00 AM – 8:45 AM

Bible Study – Habakkuk and the Church Today

Instructor: Yadi Hu, Hebrew Instructor, McMaster Divinity College

Join us for a focused Bible study session, diving deep into our theme Scripture to guide our reflections for the day.

Friday
June 6, 2025

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM

Worship and Prayer

A time of worship and prayer to start the morning, centering our hearts on God’s mission for CBOQ.

Friday
June 6, 2025

9:30 AM – 12:00 PM

AGM – Part 1

The first part of the Annual General Meeting where business will be discussed, and key decisions will be made. We will hear stories from our CBOQ family that we celebrate from the last year and learn about ongoing ministries around our two provinces.

Friday
June 6, 2025

12:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Lunch

Enjoy a relaxing lunch in the cafeteria and take time to fellowship with other delegates.

Friday
June 6, 2025

12:30 – 2:00 pm

Retirees + Over 40 Luncheon

If you are a Retired Pastor or part of our over 40 years of service club you are invited to register for our luncheon.

Friday
June 6, 2025

12:30 – 2:00 pm

Kids and Family Ministry Luncheon

Connect with CBOQ Next Gen staff and other leaders in children’s and family ministry. (Registration is required.)

Friday
June 6, 2025

2:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Electives

Not all courses are compulsory! Choose from one of our electives to enhance your learning and experience of Assembly.

Art
- Workshop: Sharpen Your Pencils Paint Class Experience
- Leader: Tina Rae
- Description: Join artist and pastor Tina Rae for a “paint night” experience – in the day. Participants will be led through a guided experience to create their own meaningful art piece based on this year’s theme, which they will be able to take home. Space is limited.
- Cost: $20/person to cover materials.
Physical Education
Did you love gym class? We have some options for you!
- Pickle Ball
- Workout in the gym
Anthropology
- Workshop: “Who We Are, Really: Understanding our Identity in a Changing Cultural Climate”
- Leader: Rick Hiemstra, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada
- Description: We are hearing many ideas about how we define ourselves. In this workshop, we will consider how to understand our identity from a biblical point of view, and how this impacts our ministry and message to others in our current cultural climate. The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada is a partner of CBOQ and conducts and consolidates up to date research to help churches understand important issues facing our communities.
Ethics
- Leader: Kelvin Mutter, DTh, is a Registered Psychotherapist.
- Description: We have all been saddened to read of ministry scandals in churches around the globe. How do we protect our churches from going down these roads? How do we set boundaries for ourselves as pastors and leaders that will help us lead with integrity and avoid moral failing? What do churches need to know as they hire pastors, create systems and set up boundaries to ensure safe church environments for all? Kelvin Mutter, Registered Psychotherapist and ordained pastor, will lead a session on church and professional ethics that will be beneficial to anyone who is eager to protect their church from potential harm.
Homeroom Connection: Church Life and Leadership Team
- Description: Do you have questions about how to help your church move forward in this changing cultural landscape? Join this interactive session led by your Regional Associates to gather practical tools and insights for ministry in your context, while also having a chance to dialogue and brainstorm about your church’s specific needs.
Homeroom Connection: NextGen Team
- Description: Are you eager to build, grow, enhance or start ministry that is meaningful for the next generation? Join our NextGen staff for a chance to learn what effective ministries to children, youth and young adults can look like in our changing world. This will be an interactive session where you can ask questions specific to your context and brainstorm ideas together.
Field Trip: Niagara Falls
- Departure: 2:30
- Description: Who wants to come all the way to St. Catherines and miss the chance to see Niagara Falls up the road? Sign up for this “field trip” where a guide will take you on a tour of Niagara Falls on a comfortable coach bus. Avoid the cost of parking and the struggle of driving around the busy falls, sit back, relax and take in one of the spectacular sites in God’s gracious, all while a knowledgable tour guide teaches you about the region.
- Cost: Round trip-$79.
Guidance Counsellor Appointments
- Okay, we don’t have guidance counsellors, but we do have spiritual directors and prayer support people. During this time, you can also make an appointment to meet with a spiritual director or prayer support person on site.
Discerning the Future: Theo-Futures Thinking for Church Leaders
- Leader: Joel Murphy, Facilitator of Trend Research Analysis, Acadia Divinity College
- Description: In a time of rapid change, how can churches faithfully navigate the future while staying rooted in God’s call? This workshop introduces Theo-Futures Thinking, a practical approach that combines theological reflection with strategic foresight. Through guided exercises, participants will explore how to discern potential futures for their congregations, considering both cultural trends and God’s ongoing work. Attendees will leave equipped with a practical, rigorous, and adaptable tool they can use in their home churches to foster faithful and informed conversations about the road ahead.

Friday
June 6, 2025

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

CBOQ Dinner

A special dinner where we will gather together as one family to share a meal and reflect on the day’s experiences.

Friday
June 6, 2025

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Plenary Session 2

“Sharp and Ready”

After learning about the challenges facing us as the Church, we need to answer: “What next?” We will come together in worship and joy as we celebrate the hope we have that God is continuing to lead in CBOQ, hearing from a variety of CBOQ leaders about where God is leading us and how our pencils are “sharp and ready” to swim in the current together!

Saturday
June 7, 2025

7:00 AM – 8:30 AM

Breakfast

Enjoy your final breakfast at the university before the final sessions of the Assembly.

Saturday
June 7, 2025

8:00 AM – 8:45 AM

Bible Study

Instructor: Dr. Paul Evans, Professor of Old Testament, McMaster Divinity College

Join us for further reflections on our theme Scripture in Habakuk. Whether or not you attended the first session, you can join in this study.

Saturday
June 7, 2025

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM

Worship

Gather together for a final time of worship as we reflect on everything we’ve learned and experienced throughout the week.

Saturday
June 7, 2025

9:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Closing Plenary Session

AGM – Part 2 and Commissioning and Sending

We will complete our business items together, and continue to learn about plans for ministry into the future of CBOQ. Our session will end with the confirmation of our new Board and committee members, and the commissioning of our new President who will share his New President’s Address with us, before we are commissioned to head out in ministry ourselves.

Assembly 2025

Brock University, St. Catharines

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