how to participate

How To Get Started

Thank you for your interest in Reconciliation Through Relationships (RTR). This initiative is designed to foster friendships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Christians. The entire process is Indigenous-led and is guided by carefully chosen facilitators and video learning meant to protect your boundaries and create a safe, positive environment for everyone involved.

Have questions about participating as an Indigenous person? Find out more information here.

Have questions about participating as a non-Indigenous person? Find out more information here.

The Steps

1. Sign up for our email newsletter
2. You’ll be asked to fill out a participant profile so we can offer suggestions for your learning journey
3. You can either be paired with a conversation partner and join a cohort of learning pairs or receive suggested resources to engage in further learning
4. If you’re selected to join a cohort, you will receive access to learning materials and information about full cohort meetings
5. You’ll meet with the full cohort of pairs for an informal Zoom gathering to learn more about the process and meet one another
6. You’ll meet with your conversation partner (online or in person) at minimum three times
7. You’ll gather again with the whole group two more times, once to check in half-way through the process and again at the end to share learnings and celebrate growing friendships

The Time Commitment

The facilitated RTR initiative involves a minimum time commitment of six one-hour meetings over four months (three meetings with the other pairs, and three meetings with the person you are paired with). These meetings are scheduled based on the availability of the individual pairs.

The program includes access to resources on Indigenous history in Canada that can serve as a jumping-off point for conversations with your partner. This includes five short videos where previous participants reflect on their learnings. You and your conversation partner can choose between watching a series or film (such as First Contact by Aboriginal Peoples Television Network) or reading Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Métis, & Inuit Issues in Canada by Chelsea Vowel.

If you engage with the learning resources on this site, the amount of time you spend could vary from a few hours to several weeks of study and self-reflection.