Rendez-vous Reimagined

Rendez-vous 2020 will be going ahead 11-14 August 2020 – just in a different way.

2020 is turning out to be a year of the unexpected and that means Rendez-vous 2020 will be a Rendez-vous unlike any other. Due to the ongoing health crisis, we won’t be able to hold a large gathering in Calgary this summer. It’s up to us to dream together what it means to be a community of faith, even if we can’t all be in the same (physical) space.

Through real-time online events, recordings, and DIY workshop kits, we will celebrate bold faith, brave space and brazen grace. Here’s what you can expect:

  • Inspiring speakers, powerful worship and singing your favorite songs
  • Fun, engaging and interactive workshops and activities
  • New friends from across the country and around the world
  • Awesome t-shirts (yep, it will be a Rendez-vous to remember!)

While we get everything ready behind the scenes, here are some things we want you to think about.

  • How can we celebrate the bold faith of The United Church of Canada, even when love for our neighbours means we can’t all be together? How can we share our faith with each other and the world even as we care for each other – from a distance?
  • What does it mean to create brave space when the barriers to participation – health, geography, finance, and just plain internet access – are more significant than ever? How can we include everyone to celebrate our faith gone wild when we cannot gather?
  • What does it mean to accept brazen grace when we are living with so much anxiety? How can we transform fear and uncertainty into love and hope – for ourselves and for the world? How can we sit with those feelings when they can’t always be transformed?

We don’t have all the answers and we are going to need your help to reimagine Rendez-vous 2020. Even if we have to rethink where and how we will gather, we want you to remember that this is your church, your event, and your chance to change how we relate to each other across the differences that keep us apart. This is not just Rendez-vous reimagined, but church reimagined. And we want you to be a part of it.

Statement on Indigenous Participation

We honour

At Rendez-Vous 2020, we honour the Indigenous communities, past and present, who have shaped and continue to shape the identity and mission of The United Church of Canada. We recognize Indigenous communities of faith as equal partners in The United Church of Canada.

We celebrate

We celebrate the important contributions of the distinctive cultures, languages and spiritual traditions of Indigenous peoples to witness and ministry of the church. We affirm the important role of young Indigenous people in leading the church towards respect, understanding and justice for all peoples and communities sharing the land.

Statement on Inclusion and Diversity

We Affirm

Rendez-Vous 2020 recognizes the contribution of many peoples and cultures in the body of Christ. We affirm that all are welcome to participate in witness and celebration of the ministry of Jesus Christ, regardless of race, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, family status, genetic characteristics, and ability.

We recognize

We recognize the gifts and contributions of all in constituting the body of Christ. We recognize the courage of those who seek to join with us in celebration, and we commit to creating inclusive, accessible spaces that respect, welcome and reflect the cultural, ethnic, linguistic and gender diversity of The United Church of Canada.