Cluster groups are regional gatherings throughout Ontario and western Canada. Each fall, at the September Pastors Staff Meeting, cluster groups are reorganized and each pastor is assigned to a regional group.

The purpose of the cluster groups is mutual support and encouragement for BIC pastors. As stated in The Pastoral Way vision, we believe that it important that our pastors move forward together as isolation weakens each of us and, considering the high challenge of pastoring a church, mutual support and camaraderie is important if we expect to last over the long-term. Therefore, the fellowship of the meal together is just as important as the learning component that is part of each gathering. Each gathering has a learning discussion that is based on assigned articles and readings. Articles and reading used for each cluster discussion will be posted below prior to the gathering and each pastor is expected to have read the material prior to the cluster gathering.

GOALS

Our first goal for 2026-2027 is to increase the theological and practical conversation for our groups as we move into the future. Each year, we will pick a particular focus for those discussions and this year, the theme will be the changing realities of evangelism in Canada. I am hoping that our conversations will cover areas that are deeply theological (e.g., the nature of the atonement and the gospel) but also very practical too. As you will hear at our Pastors Staff Meeting, the denomination is considering ways to help you with costs of strengthening your evangelistic endeavours. More to come on those new funding initiatives.

Our second goal is to strengthen our value of the community hermeneutic. As discussions happen, your cluster leader will curate the ideas expressed from their cluster gatherings and bring those findings back to share with the other cluster leaders and the BIC leadership team.

It is our intention that from those curated ideas, we will create a positional paper on how we view evangelism in the BIC. This paper is something we can share with new pastors, new members and others in our church family who would benefit from our denominational  ‘pastoral perspective.’

We will provide you with an article or podcast for each gathering related to some aspect of evangelism. As your commitment to our value of mutual support, please take time to reflect on the article or podcast or reading and come prepared to contribute to the conversation. 

SCHEDULE

Each cluster group meets five times during the year. Each local cluster plans their meeting time and place but follows the general schedule of meeting in September, November, January, March, and May. Your cluster leader will be in contact with you about your local meeting details.