OCC 2024 Gathering — Our Common Calling

Join Us at the OCC 2024 Gathering

Many Canadian Christians feel isolated, disconnected and discouraged. In 2021 only 39% of Canadian adults indicated that the church is important to society, down from 46% in 2019. Over the same period, the percentage of those indicating that the church is a detriment to society increased from 26% to 34% (Barna, The Connected Generation, 2021). Many of us are struggling to know what it means to follow Jesus in the world today.

The OCC 2024 Gathering will bring together 150 leaders and influencers from across Canada to listen to God, learn from each other and explore ways to collaborate as we follow Jesus in the world.

We must slow down and listen to a generation that is too often talked at and talked about…They are desperately in need of a wise, compassionate, listening ear—and we are desperately in need of their partnership as we look to the Church’s future.

David Kinnaman, The Connected Generation, Barna, 2021

The OCC 2024 Gathering is a by-invitation-only consultation with delegates selected for regional, generational and ethnic diversity with care taken to ensure equal gender representation. The Planning Committee (see below) is working towards 40% of those attending being under 40, and to ensure that the voices of the Assembly, the Agency, the Academy and the Agora are equally heard. Our conversations will lean into the intersections between the gospel, church and culture, asking how we are to follow Jesus in these spaces. If you are interested in attending or would like to nominate someone to attend, please complete this nomination form. Selected delegates will receive an invitation and instructions on how to register. (our Pre-Gathering Online Forums are open to anyone with or without nomination)

Gathering 2024 Nomination Form

OCC Gatherings have no headline speakers and no long presentations. Those invited are the speakers, and the learning takes place in facilitated conversations in curated groups designed to build new relationships and maximize new learning (for more on OCC Gatherings, please see our Values Statement).

We will meet face-to-face at Ambrose University (Calgary) and Redeemer University (Hamilton) with sessions coordinated live between the two venues. The consultation will start with dinner Thursday evening and end with dinner Saturday evening.

Delegates will be asked to contribute a registration fee of $150 and to cover their travel and accommodation costs. OCC will cover the additional costs for the venue, meals and related consultation expenses. Subsidies are available by application.

OCC 2024 Gathering Planning Committee

Bernard Tam (Assembly)

Bernard Tam is a coffee enthusiast, neighbourhood connector and one of the pastors at The Living Room Church in Midtown, Toronto. Regularly you can find Bernard at local specialty coffee shops learning to be present in the neighbourhood while enjoying every sip of locally roasted coffee. He is also one of the cohosts of the Canadian Asian Missional Podcast—a conversation that engages with the movements of the Canadian Asian Church.

Abigail Stearns (Agora)

Abigail is a creative, an entrepreneur, and BAM Canada's Community Specialist. She recently graduated from Redeemer University with an honours BBA in Marketing and Media. During her time there, she enjoyed leading a team of reporters and designers as the Editor-in-Chief of the school's newspaper and supporting the campus’ community while serving on Student Senate. Abigail is passionate about genuine relationships, innovation, and discovering what it looks like to be a co-creator with God. Currently, Abigail lives in Langley, BC, with her husband, Ray. Together, they enjoy hosting friends and family in their home, hiking mountains, playing board games, and making good food.

Khevna Dave (Agency)

Khevna Dave is currently the Missions Hub Director in Toronto where she gets to engage and disciple students and young graduates into missions, alongside building and catalyzing partnerships amongst campus groups, missions agencies and churches. As an outgoing individual who has high energy levels for getting multiple tasks done, she loves the ways God is able to use her cross-cultural experiences at the Missions Hub to continue making spaces for valuable collaboration and community for the glory of God and the good of the world.

Colin Kubinec (Academy)

Colin Kubinec is the Athletic Director at Ambrose University in Calgary, AB and married to his beautiful wife, Carly. With a passion for faith, sport, education, unity, and seeing Christ known and loved in every sphere of life, he is very grateful to be a part of Our Common Calling and to bring people together that are serving in various spheres of kingdom work.

At the end of an OCC Gathering, you will have heard new stories,

found new friends and discovered new ways to follow Jesus in the world.

We will walk together with Jesus on the Emmaus Road, asking him to open our eyes to see him at work.

Aileen van Ginkel (Gathering Facilitator)

Aileen has been executive director since 2020 at Christian Higher Education Canada (CHEC)—an association of 33 Christian colleges, universities and seminaries across Canada. Her earlier work with The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (1989-2020) also featured the development of platforms for exploring and forming partnerships. Her DMin degree focused on developing prayer-based, Scripture-focused practices of communal discernment. Aileen lives in King City, Ontario and has five adult children, two of whom married into the family in recent years. She greatly enjoys being “Oma” to her two granddaughters.

Jon Fuller (Gathering Facilitator)

Jon is the Resident Missiologist for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC), and Executive Director for Our Common Calling. As a missiologist, he spends time connecting to church, agency, academy and marketplace leaders around the intersection of church, gospel and culture. That intersection includes Melrose and Avenue Road in Midtown Toronto where Jon serves as Lead Pastor of Melrose Community Church. Jon is passionate about investing in the next generation, helping them become everything God has called them to be.