Creative Conversations

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Creative Conversations Institute for Creative Conversation

“Fostering narrative practices & stories of meaning”

We are a collective of professional and passionate colleagues who work towards creating connection and collaboration in the South African context - rich in diverse cultures, communities, religions and traditions. We believe in the rights of each person we encounter, whether through training, workshops or counselling conversations to dignity, acceptance, hospitality, respect and to be listened to. Central to who we are and the way we work is an exploration of ways to weave narrative practices and pastoral theology into a meaningful ‘Narrative of Care’. This invites us, in the words of Trevor Hudson, co-founder of the Institute for Creative Conversation, a “personal encounter with the pain of our shattered and fragmented community” (1999)

Who are your hosts?The Pastoral Conference 2026: Stories that Shape Us, Care that Holds Us is being co-convened by four ...
12/10/2026

Who are your hosts?

The Pastoral Conference 2026: Stories that Shape Us, Care that Holds Us is being co-convened by four communities who share a commitment to thoughtful, ethical and life-giving pastoral care:

The Centre for Faith & Community at University of Pretoria, the Department of Practical Theology and Mission Studies - University of Pretoria, Creative Conversations and Northfield Methodist Church.

Each brings something distinctive to the conversation — the worlds of pastoral and narrative practice, theological reflection and research, and the everyday life of faith communities. Together, we wanted to create a conference where these worlds could meet.

And perhaps that is what makes this gathering a little different.

This is not simply a conference where you come to sit and listen. Across the two days there will be keynote conversations, research papers, experiential workshops, creative practices, small-group reflections and opportunities for genuine conversation and connection.

At the heart of it all is one important question:
What stories are shaping the way we care?

Whether you are a pastoral caregiver, counsellor, minister, chaplain, theologian, researcher, educator, student, community practitioner, or simply someone who cares deeply about how we accompany people through their lives — we would love to welcome you.

📅 29–30 October 2026
📍 Northfield Methodist Church, Benoni

Come and spend two days thinking, listening, learning and imagining with us.
Your hosts are ready. The conversations are waiting. And there is a place for you at the table.

World Mental Health Day | 10 OctoberA person is always more than the problem they are facing.This is one of the ideas I ...
10/10/2026

World Mental Health Day | 10 October

A person is always more than the problem they are facing.

This is one of the ideas I value most from narrative practice, and perhaps an important one to remember on World Mental Health Day.

When someone is living with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, burnout or another form of distress, the difficulty can begin to dominate the story. Sometimes even the language we use reduces people to diagnoses, symptoms or problems.

But there is always more to a person's story.

There are stories of courage and resistance.
Of relationships that sustain us.
Of values we continue to hold onto.
Of small acts of agency.
Of survival, faith, doubt, tenderness and hope.

And perhaps this is also where pastoral care matters.

Not because pastoral carers have all the answers, but because we can learn to create spaces where people are listened to without being hurried, judged or fixed — spaces where suffering can be acknowledged while dignity and possibility are not lost.

This is one of the conversations we hope to continue at the Pastoral Conference 2026.

We will gather as counsellors, pastoral carers, faith leaders, practitioners, educators, students and others who care about people and their stories, to ask:
How do we listen well?
How do we hold difficult stories with care?
How do we notice the person beyond the problem?
And how might our practices contribute to dignity, connection and hope?

On World Mental Health Day, perhaps a good place to begin is simply this:
Listen. Stay curious. And remember that no person's life can ever be adequately described by the problem they are facing.

PASTORAL CONFERENCE 2026
Stories that Shape Us, Care that Holds Us
📅 29–30 October 2026
📍 Northfield Methodist Church, Benoni
🌿 R750 | CPD points available

Have you registered yet?We'd love you to join the conversation.Visit our website to book or email Nicky on info@creative...
09/10/2026

Have you registered yet?

We'd love you to join the conversation.

Visit our website to book or email Nicky on [email protected]

Pastoral care matters because people need places where their stories can be heard without being hurried, judged or fixed...
06/10/2026

Pastoral care matters because people need places where their stories can be heard without being hurried, judged or fixed.

We are living in a time when many people are carrying grief, anxiety, uncertainty, loneliness, trauma and questions about meaning and belonging. Often what is needed first is not an answer, but someone willing to stay, listen and take their experience seriously.

Meaningful pastoral care creates that kind of space.

It honours dignity.
It listens for what matters.
It notices strength alongside struggle.
It respects people's agency rather than taking over.
It makes room for faith, doubt, lament and hope.
And sometimes, it simply reminds someone: you do not have to carry this moment alone.

This is one of the reasons we are gathering for the Pastoral Conference 2026.

To think together about the stories shaping the way we care — and about what it means to offer care that is compassionate, ethical, thoughtful and deeply human.

This Conference will be hosted by: Centre for Faith & Community at University of Pretoria, Department of Practical Theology and Mission Studies - University of Pretoria, Creative Conversations and Northfield Methodist Church

Because caring is important. Learning how to care well matters too.

📅 29 & 30 October 2026
📍 Northfield Methodist Church, Benoni

Visit our website to register or contact [email protected]

5 Days to register for the early bird rate for the Pastoral Conference!
05/10/2026

5 Days to register for the early bird rate for the Pastoral Conference!

What makes the Pastoral Conference different to other conferences?We've deliberately designed the Pastoral Conference 20...
01/10/2026

What makes the Pastoral Conference different to other conferences?

We've deliberately designed the Pastoral Conference 2026 differently.
Yes, there will be papers.
Yes, there will be keynote addresses.

But there will also be:
🟠 Workshops where you can explore ideas in greater depth
🟠 Experiential sessions where you can participate rather than simply listen
🟠 Reflection spaces to pause and make meaning of what you're hearing
🟠 Conversations where questions and different perspectives are welcome
🟠 Connection spaces where you can meet others who share your interest in pastoral care

Because learning doesn't only happen when someone is standing at the front of the room.
Sometimes it happens around a table.
Sometimes in a conversation.
Sometimes in a moment of reflection.
And sometimes when something surprises us.

Visit the Events section on www.creativeconvo.org for more info or to register for the early bird special!

Come and experience a different kind of pastoral conference.

What if loving ourselves is not about becoming more self-focused, but about noticing and honouring the ways in which our...
30/09/2026

What if loving ourselves is not about becoming more self-focused, but about noticing and honouring the ways in which our lives already carry God’s love?

Scripture invites us into a different story about ourselves — one grounded in dignity, belovedness and grace. Yet the stories we carry about our worth can sometimes become crowded by criticism, comparison and expectations.

Join Heather and Anne for a reflective conversation as we become curious about these stories, listen for the traces of God’s grace within them, and explore what it might mean to live from a story of belovedness rather than one of inadequacy.

Please contact Anne directly to register - [email protected]

One month to go! 🎉In just one month, the Pastoral Conference 2026 begins.Nine months of conversations, planning, invitat...
29/09/2026

One month to go! 🎉

In just one month, the Pastoral Conference 2026 begins.

Nine months of conversations, planning, invitations, programme development, emails, ideas, decisions and behind-the-scenes work have brought us to this point.
And now it’s almost time to gather.

What makes this conference different is the variety of ways we will engage with pastoral care and counselling.

There will be:
🟠 Keynote addresses
🟠 Paper presentations
🟠 Interactive workshops
🟠 Experiential sessions
🟠 Opportunities for reflection
🟠 Space for conversation and connection

We’ll explore questions of mental health, trauma, spirituality, identity, resilience, burnout, community, grief and the many ways we accompany people through the complexities of life.

But perhaps most importantly, this conference is about people meeting people — listening to different perspectives, sharing experience, asking questions and discovering new possibilities for pastoral care.

So, if you've been thinking about joining us…
Now is the time to register. Early bird price of R650.00 (includes lunches and teas). R400.00 for students and groups.

📅 Pastoral Conference 2026
🗓️ 29 & 30 October 2026
📍 Northfield Methodist Church, Benoni
🎟️ www.creativeconvo.org/event-list

One month. One gathering. Many voices. Many stories.

We’d love to see you there.

What if a conference could feel less like a conference?We’re inviting you to join us in October for the Pastoral Confere...
21/09/2026

What if a conference could feel less like a conference?

We’re inviting you to join us in October for the Pastoral Conference — a gathering that brings together people who care deeply about people, stories, faith and the practice of pastoral care.

This is not simply a programme of speakers sitting behind a podium.

Expect keynotes, presentations, conversations, workshops, experiential sessions, creative engagement and opportunities to reflect and connect.

There will be different voices.
Different perspectives.
Different ways of learning.

Whether you are a pastoral counsellor, counsellor, chaplain, minister, student, educator, supervisor, researcher or someone interested in the care of people, there is a place for you in this conversation.

Come to learn.
Come to listen.
Come to ask questions.
Come to meet others who share your passion.

Come and experience a different kind of pastoral conference.

📅 29 and 30 October
📍 Northfield Methodist Church, Benoni
🎟️ Registration is now open! Visit https://www.creativeconvo.org/event-details/pastoral-conference

Contact Nicky on [email protected] for all your queries or for more info

We’d love to have you with us.

Address

Brentwood Park

Opening Hours

Tuesday 08:00 - 16:30
Thursday 08:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+27834070763

Website

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