Spiritual Emphasis Week – Fall 2022
What is Spiritual Emphasis Week?
Rockway recognizes that students, faculty and staff benefit from opportunities to explore important conversations, and particularly ones that relate to students’ spirituality and personal journey. This is what inspires Rockway’s annual Spiritual Emphasis Week – a week where students are challenged to dig more deeply into a relevant topic, through a guest chapel speaker, discussions, and reflection. This year, the conversation continues with our focus on Compassion.
“
Very Good” and other Compassionate Truths
This year’s speaker is Sara Erb, Pastor of Faith Formation at Steinmann Mennonite Church. From October 4-6, 2022, Sara will lead students, faculty and staff in a 3-part chapel series, visit students in classes and host an evening session for Rockway families and the broader community.
Student Chapels:
- Tuesday, October 4: Loved by a Compassionate God – You are very good!
- Wednesday, October 5: Seen by a Compassionate God – Not as lost as you think you are!
- Thursday, October 6: Transformed by a Compassionate God – Asking Good questions!
Evening Session:
- Wednesday, October 5, 2022 at 7 pm: Compassion: Exploring a Trauma-Informed Approach
Meet our Guest Speaker
Sara Erb is the Pastor of Faith Formation at Steinmann Mennonite Church in Baden, ON, where she loves exploring complicated questions of faith with all ages – especially teenagers and young adults. She is currently working with a group of volunteers who are striving to create a Sunday School curriculum inspired by the quote: “I want to pass along a faith my kid doesn’t have to heal from.” (Meredith Anne Miller). Asking questions about the Bible stories we choose to highlight for kids at various developmental stages and the character of God we are sharing along the way.
Sara spends her free time with several kids in her life (and their adults), playing music, working on a craft, or renovating her little house which she shares with a stubborn yet adorable cat. Until recently, she always kept a hammock in her car in case she came across a great hammock spot to pull out a young adult fiction or fantasy novel, or the occasional nerdy theology book. Her day is never complete without savouring a good cup of tea.
A note from Sara about Trauma-Informed Approach:
A few years ago, I came across the term “Trauma-Informed” and it grabbed a hold of me. Since then I have been eagerly seeking out books, workshops, conferences, and particularly asking questions around what it means to be Trauma-Informed in our world today. Especially, how does this play out in our congregations, biblical studies and interpretations, and in our everyday lives. I am still very much a novice pilgrim on this journey and am by no means an expert. I continue to eagerly welcome discussion, input, resources, and opportunities to explore and grow in this area further. I look forward to bringing a trauma-informed lens to Rockway’s Spiritual Emphasis Week – both subtly and overtly at times, as we explore the theme of compassion together and encounter God’s never ending love along the way.
