EVENTS

Hold Steady:

The Power of Deep Church

in Turbulent Times

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A Half-Day Retreat for Congregational Leaders

Arlington Street Church, Downtown Boston

Saturday, May 3, 8:30 to Noon

 

When everything feels uncertain, the temptation is to chase the new, the urgent, the reactive.

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But the surprising truth?

 

The strongest communities don’t scramble forward—they root down.

 

In times of upheaval, resilience is found not in frantic innovation but in ancient practices, deep traditions, and the powerful collective habits that have sustained faith communities for generations.

 

Join Jake Morrill and Parisa Parsa for a half-day retreat exploring how the paradox of “Deep Church” can steady your congregation and strengthen your mission for the road ahead.

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Are you…

• Feeling like the ground beneath your congregation keeps shifting, and there’s no solid place to stand?

• Worn thin by division, disconnection, and the relentless weight of uncertainty?

• Watching familiar patterns of faith and community life unravel, unsure what will hold people together?

• Exhausted from leading with courage while anxiety, outrage, and despair pull people apart?

• Struggling to help your congregation stay centered when fear and urgency demand constant reaction?

• Wondering if the deep well of your tradition still holds water for times like these?

• Longing for a way to lead that is steady, faithful, and sustaining—not just for your people, but for you?

 

After this retreat, you will…

• Stand firmer, knowing that ancient wisdom is not outdated—it is precisely what these times demand.

• Lead with greater clarity, anchored in practices that have steadied communities through storm and struggle.

• Shift from reacting to every crisis to responding from a place of deep-rooted strength.

• Find surprising resilience in sacred rhythms, spiritual habits, and the collective wisdom of your tradition. 

• Guide your congregation by reclaiming what endures rather than by chasing what’s fleeting,

• Feel strengthened by the company of fellow leaders committed to holding steady.

• Leave renewed, not with more to do, but with a clearer way to be—leading from faith, not fear.

 

Cost

For Half-Day Learning, Coffee & Snacks, and Take-Home Ready-to-Use Materials

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Individual: $125

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Congregational Team of at Least 5: $95/each

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Presenter Bios

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Parisa Parsa is a skilled facilitator and former executive director of Essential Partners, helping communities engage in deep listening and collective resilience. A seasoned minister, intercultural skills educator, and leadership guide, she helps faith communities rediscover their deepest strengths in challenging times.

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Jake Morrill is a leadership coach and minister, steeped in Bowen Family Systems Theory, promoting steady leadership amid uncertainty. A dynamic teacher, he equips congregations to cultivate resilience, embrace deep tradition, and lead with clarity and confidence.