Formation Leadership Summit 2026

Formation Leadership Summit 2026

Cumbre de Liderazgo en Formación

November 19-21, 2026

Camp Allen

19–21 de noviembre de 2026

Exploring the Spiritual Imagination

Explorando la imaginación espiritual

The spiritual imagination is an expression of the soul that reveals to us the Big Dream of God.

It is this movement of God’s Spirit that weaves our story into the Big Story of God, and it is the spiritual imagination of the soul that teaches us new and different ways to follow the Way of Jesus and become practitioners of his life and teachings.

We hope you will join us as we explore different ways to disciple together and to invite the soul to come alive through play, improvisation, and storytelling.

Guest Speakers and Leaders

Conferencistas y líderes

Kelley McRae

Area Missioner, Missional Community Organizer, Skilled Facilitator, Singer/Songwriter

Dr. Kathy Culmer

Author, Professional Storyteller, Christian Educator, Speaker, Teacher, Retreat Leader

Thanh Montes

Worship and Music Formation Leader, Singer/Songwriter

The Rev. Will Parker

Workshop and Retreat Leader, Musical and Theatrical Improv Leader, Curate, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Houston

Christine Havens

Freelance Writer, Designer of Wholly Foolishness: Play as Spiritual Care, Licensed Minister of Worship and Preaching, Communications Director, St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, Austin


Wholly Foolishness – Christine Havens

Christine loves using creativity and spirituality to generate safe spaces in which people might let go of their fears and connect with each other through the Holy Spirit. She is a graduate of SSW’s MAR program and is passionate about small batch creative spirituality and bringing ancient spiritual practices forward through out of the box thinking.

Insensatez Sagrada — Christine Havens

Christine le encanta utilizar la creatividad y la espiritualidad para generar espacios seguros en los que las personas puedan liberarse del peso del miedo y conectarse entre sí a través del Espíritu Santo. Es egresada del programa MAR de Seminary of the Southwest y le apasiona la espiritualidad creativa a pequeña escala, así como traer prácticas espirituales antiguas al presente mediante un pensamiento innovador y fuera de lo convencional.

Musical Improv & Spirituality – The Rev. Will Parker

Will leads workshops and retreats exploring the intersection of spirituality with musical and theatrical improvisation. He helps groups explore the overlapping elements of improv and the art of loving in a low-stakes environment that enables trust, courage, and vulnerability.

Biblical Storytelling – Kathy Culmer

Kathy helps people connect with scripture in a personal – and in some cases transformative way – through hearing, learning, telling, and making personal connections to Biblical stories.

Songwriting & Storytelling – Kelley McRae

As a songwriting teacher and gathering maker, Kelley facilitates spaces where people reconnect to and share their sacred stories in order to create communities of compassion and courage.

Improvisación Musical y Espiritualidad — El Rvdo. Will Parker

Will dirige talleres y retiros que exploran la intersección entre la espiritualidad y la improvisación musical y teatral. Ayuda a los grupos a descubrir los elementos compartidos entre la improvisación y el arte de amar en un entorno de bajo riesgo que fomenta la confianza, el coraje y la vulnerabilidad.

Narración Bíblica — Kathy Culmer

Kathy ayuda a las personas a conectarse con las Escrituras de una manera personal —y, en algunos casos, transformadora— a través de escuchar, aprender, narrar y establecer vínculos personales con las historias bíblicas.

Composición de Canciones y Narración — Kelley McRae

Como profesora de composición de canciones y creadora de espacios de encuentro, Kelley McRae facilita espacios donde las personas se reconectan con sus historias sagradas y las comparten, con el fin de crear comunidades de compasión y valentía.


In our efforts as formation leaders, we often conflate Christian formation with Christian education, but historically, formation is understood as soul work in community. There is a long tradition of formation as care of the soul in a way that emphasizes both pastoral care and creativity.

Formation is a midwifing of the soul along its journey of the stages of faith that we all traverse. It is this soul care that requires consistency over time as well as the skills to cultivate, facilitate, nurture, and create spaces where the soul feels welcome to arrive and come alive.

Whatever ministry you lead and whatever age group that you work with, come and join us at the Formation Leadership Summit to learn models and practices that will allow you to facilitate exploring the spiritual imagination in your context. Every ministry context—whether a parish, school, camp, diocesan office, or community-based setting—will learn the skills needed to create spaces for the soul to arrive and express its spiritual imagination.


Tentative Schedule of Events

Thursday

3-5pm – Check In

5pm – Social

6pm – Dinner

7pm – Gathering

8:30pm – Contemplative Practice

Friday

8am – Breakfast

9am – Contemplative Practice

9:30am – Gathering

10:30am – Break

10:45am – Gathering

12:15pm – Lunch

1pm – Rest and Reflection Time

4pm – Gathering and Workshop

6pm – Dinner

7pm – Gathering

8:30pm – Contemplative Practice

Saturday

8am – Breakfast

9am – Contemplative Practice

9:30am – Group Reflection and Workshop

11am – Wrap Up

12pm – Lunch