This fall and winter, CCST Vancouver hosted several seminars and workshops called the Pastoral Monday series, a rhythm of gatherings designed to help pastors find rest, practice deep listening, reflect prayerfully, enjoy fellowship with fellow ministers, and regain strength for the journey ahead.
The first session featured the talk, Walking the Path of Trauma. Drawing on trauma studies, theology, and lived experience, the speaker explored trauma as a profound rupture that affects the body, memory, relationships, and faith, and described healing as a gradual process of moving from brokenness toward restored meaning. Emphasizing trauma-informed pastoral care, the talk highlighted the importance of attending to bodily awareness, honoring silence, and gently reconnecting life stories with dignity and hope. Pastors were invited to consider how God meets people amid suffering, how identity and boundaries can be reimagined in Christ, and how churches can become safe spaces where wounded stories are held with compassion, patience, and trust in God’s faithful presence.
The second session, Meeting Jesus in Prayer, invited participants to explore a deeper experience of God’s presence in prayer. Pastor Yim led the group beyond familiar verbal prayer into a more contemplative practice of soulful prayer using a painting of the disciples hiding in a small room after Jesus was crucified. Through guided silence and attentive listening, participants were encouraged to slow down and become more aware of God’s presence, creating space to encounter Jesus anew. Many found the time meaningful as they allowed God to meet them at a deeper level, experiencing moments of renewal, restoration, and inner re-centering as they reflected quietly before the Lord.
The final workshop, Let go, Embrace Change and Walk in Grace, addressed the heavy burdens often carried by participants, whether shaped by past trauma or by the ongoing demands of leadership and caregiving. It created a reflective space where participants were invited to set aside fear, control, and the pressure to “hold everything together,” and to open themselves to God’s healing grace—experienced not through striving for perfection, but through surrender and trust. Using pour painting as a creative practice, participants engaged physically and visually in the act of “letting go,” releasing control as they allowed the paint to flow freely and embracing the unexpected outcomes of the process. The experience was followed by guided reflection and small-group sharing, which helped participants integrate the artistic activity into a deeper spiritual journey marked by trust, surrender, and renewal.