Reflection on the 2026 CCCM Conference in Vancouver
by Erika Toffelmire, St. Jerome’s University
This year’s CCCM conference was spiritually nourishing, deeply encouraging, and filled with joy and laughter. It had been 8 years since I last attended a CCCM gathering- interrupted by parental leaves and COVID- and I underestimated how consoling it would be to gather again with colleagues across the country. I was heartened to feel connected once again to colleagues I hadn’t seen in years, and excited to meet new colleagues and to hear their stories of the joys and challenges of their ministries.
Our theme was synodality and specifically the call to enlarge our tents and to accompany young people with deep listening and vocational support. This focus would not be new to anyone ministering in the church today. Yet this topic felt fresh and alive with the help of conversations in the spirit, deeply thoughtful presentations from guests, partners, and campus ministers, and genuine collegiality and fellowship. Synodality became something we were living rather than merely discussing over our conference period.
Our final evening was filled with joy and laughter through the sharing of humour and music. What an encouragement it was to be reminded that our connection to God, the church and one another is not merely a somber experience, but one of fun and delight. This was a reminder to me of the importance of naming and welcoming the hopefulness that comes with social connection and laughter as fruits of the Holy Spirit’s work.
I’m immensely grateful for our gathering in 2026 and look forward to hosting fellow campus ministers and partners at St. Jerome’s University in Waterloo, Ontario in 2027!
