Queer Family Retreat (August 26-30)
With Rev. LeAnn Blackert, Katherine Brittain, Eric Hamlyn, Nichole (Niki) Angela Karmali and Rev. Curt Allison
August 26 - 30, 2024
Welcome to a fun-filled week of joy in the glorious Okanagan Valley, celebrating queer Christian community with friends and family of all ages and life stages! We will gather at Naramata Centre to connect with one another, Creator, the Land and with ourselves, living into our values of belonging, justice and love. We’ll find time to rest, sing, run wild, play, and create!
Anyone you consider family is invited to join us – birth, chosen, found, immediate, extended, church, or otherwise. All expressions of faith are welcome, even as we draw on the Christian practices of prayer, story, and times of worship. From birth to elder years, this retreat is for all ages and stages and is led by experienced facilitators from the queer and ally community.
$100 for people 18+ – kids and youth are FREE!
About the Program Leaders
Rev. LeAnn Blackert
Rev. LeAnn Blackert is in ministry with Wild Church plants in Kamloops, Sorrento and the Okanagan area. When she’s not out wandering the land or sitting under a favourite tree, she can be found at her home in Kelowna, on the unceded, ancestral lands of the Syilx Nation. She serves as a member of the steering […]
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Katherine Brittain
Katherine currently lives, works and ministers in the Cowichan Valley of Vancouver Island. She is passionate about creating engaging and experiential ways of encountering the Spirit, exploring rituals and experiencing the Divine in the everyday. She delights in creating community and exploring the "something more" of life, especially in cross-generational communities. Katherine is an alum […]
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Eric Hamlyn
Eric lives in West Vancouver with his partner Thomas, and is the Minister of Faith & Families at Lynn Valley United Church in North Vancouver. Eric loves road trips, coffee, sushi, and long walks on the seawall! He has a gift for hospitality which he credits to his Newfoundland upbringing and loves to create brave, […]
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Nichole (Niki) Angela Karmali
Nichole (Niki) Angela Karmali: Niki was born in London, England and grew up traveling with her nomadic father and family, first around England, then to New Zealand before finally settling in Vancouver as a registered nurse at BC’s Children’s Hospital. Throughout her travels, Niki found her peace and solace on her yoga mat, which was […]
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Rev. Curt Allison
Rev. Curt Allison is the Minister of 2SLGBTQ+ Ministries at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church in Vancouver. In addition to leading The Word Is OUT!! 2SLGBTQ+ spirituality group, he also directs the church's Gospel Choir, and participates in worship leadership. His passion for music and inclusive church communities has also led him to serve the greater […]
Learn more about Rev. Curt AllisonCategories : Community Life, Summer Individual Programs, Summer Lunches