The Prairie Thistle

“Sara is a gifted and intentional speaker whose deep curiosity and authentic presence shine through in every topic she addresses. Her thoughtful exploration of her own faith and spirituality makes her uniquely qualified to tackle complex and nuanced discussions in these areas. With years of experience as an entrepreneur, journalist, and marketing professional, she also brings valuable insights to business, politics, and social issues. Sara’s diverse interests and expertise combine to create a rich and nuanced perspective. I highly recommend her as a speaker or facilitator for any audience, from church groups to business meetings. She is exceptional at both leading discussions and creating a welcoming space for dialogue!” – Krista dela Rosa, Leadership Coordinator at Good News Fellowship

Community and connection have always motivated me and I have a passion for bringing complicated ideas across simply and kindly. During my time in the Evangelical church, I worked in both a professional and volunteer capacity to use my leadership skills to facilitate groups and advocate for others. At the same time, I was cultivating over 20 years of experience in the communications industry working with educators, public servants, news media, small businesses and charitable organizations.

These experiences give me a well-rounded perspective on the world we live in and an appreciation for all the different people that fill it. After a few years out of mainstream church, I realized I am now uniquely equipped to bring a position from “outside the tent” of the religious institution. My approach is less preach, less teach – and more let’s be curious and explore together.

Group Leadership & Speaking – Then

My husband and I became local missionaries through our work with Youth for Christ and Providence College respectively and before leaving religious work we accumulated over 15 years of experience in roles directly associated with recruitment, youth and young adult mentorship, as well as event planning, fundraising and public relations. After staying home with children in 2008, I began working with a local chapter of Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) a not-for-profit aimed at providing community for women and addressing issues such as post partum wellness and social isolation. Later I became a founding member of All Women of Landmark (AWOL), a social advocacy group for women in Taché, Manitoba. As a group leader with these two organizations, I wrote multiple successful Healthy Living grant applications, networked with other not-for-profits, chaired committee meetings, recruited and directed volunteers, organized group events and more. As a community leader, I spoke regularly at events and preached at churches on topics like personal growth, community, prayer, vulnerability, friendships and relationships, parenting, home finance, and more.

In 2020, I began to use my writing to explore themes of generational trauma, community, and advocacy on behalf of victims of religious trauma and abuse, advocating for a healthier and inclusive approach to spirituality on a regular blog called The Prairie Thistle. I also began to collaborate with a local soil analyst to propagate indigenous prairie plant species and promote environmental practices such as no-mow lawn re-wilding and food forestry.

I received training to deepen my understanding of these issues and the interconnectedness of spirituality and environmental and social justice, and in 2023 I was certified as a Spiritual Director with Shekinah: Centre for Deep Listening. An interfaith organization rooted in the Christian-Benedictine tradition of spiritual guidance, Shekinah trains people to create spaces where we can learn and practice processes of deep listening in order to become more fully ourselves, transform our relations, and restore our connection to the Sacred. During the two-year program, I practiced in a small group how to hold space for those with vastly different lived experiences than me, while co-creating opportunities for authentic connection and participating in a nonhierarchical model of shared group leadership. We learned and practiced trauma-informed listening, the Quaker model of discernment, group-sharing and the function of co-leadership in group participation models.

Group Leadership & Speaking – Now

After navigating an intense period of deconstruction and community disenfranchisement, I discovered a new passion for communicating with people enduring complex grief and disillusionment with religion, greater society, and life in general. Through my recent education and work as a spiritual director, I’ve discovered new ways to find and create meaning from a spiritual, but non religious point of view. Stemming from my familiarity with Evangelical Christianity, I am able to speak on topics spanning the branches of deconstruction, contemplative Christianity, gender and sexuality, feminism and the church, generational trauma, environmental theology, and other issues of systemic change facing Canadian culture and the Western church. Samples of topics suitable for small group exploration include:

Change From Within – The existing Western church is uniquely positioned to elevate marginalized groups in North America and contribute to a platform that reduces suffering for humans around the world. But how can such a large institution embrace Spirit-led change? How can the church change if God never does? Explore different approaches to Christianity in the 21st Century and the rapidly changing landscape of Evangelical Christianity in the west.

Contemplative Christianity – Contemplative practices have the affect of leading us toward greater understanding of ourselves in the context of God. From ancient practitioners like the desert father and mothers, to St. Benedict, Keating, Merton, Rohr, and more, learn more about the history of Christian mysticism as well as many modern day Christian contemplation practices.

Reconstruction – Do deconstruction and destruction go hand in hand? In the Christian community, those who ask difficult questions are often perceived as being difficult, causing problems, doubting and sowing seeds of doubt. But deconstruction doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Aimed at those desiring to understand their personal deconstruction – or what is happening in the Western church at large – this talk is geared for groups experiencing complex questions about destruction, what it is, and what comes next.

Social Media and Spirituality – Online communication continues to change and shape western culture at breakneck speed. What happens when we use social media as a platform for our personal beliefs? What is the difference between misinformation and disinformation? What is confirmation bias and how do social media algorithms shape what we see online?

Discernment – How can you know for sure what is right for you? The challenge of making important choices can become particularly intense when you’ve chosen to step away from traditionally hierarchical models of leadership. When we remove a literal interpretation of the Bible and stop using it as a rigid rulebook, what else is there? Explore different approaches to Spirit-led discernment that allow our entire selves to be fully present in decision-making. (Developed for individuals or groups, learn to move from asking permission to recognizing freedom.)

What Even Is God? – From the foundation of our worldview and values, to the hundreds of choices we make everyday, we bring our conceptions of God/dess with us into everything we say and do. If you were a Christian from the cradle or are discovering your spiritual side later in life, deconstructing what makes up your idea of God can help you feel a sense of connection to your deepest self and your purpose here on earth. After all, what even is it that we are praying to? Explore the individual concepts of the Divine you have been handed by your culture, place and time.

Unfundamentalism – For those already embracing faith deconstruction, this feature speech presents a the history of how fundamentalist evangelicalism developed in North America. From early human communication and storytelling to dissecting Biblical idolatry and literalism, explore how humans navigate and incorporate both individual and collective identity. How does this inform our beliefs in today’s culture, place and time? And where does God/dess factor into all of this? Based on my three-part blog series entitled (un)Biblical Fundamentalism and Literalism.

And more! Contact me to request a specific topic.