July 2nd - 5th, 2026
Whitehorse, Yukon
Join us in the Yukon for a four-day immersive gathering designed to heal and inspire. A partnership of the Anglican, Lutheran, and United Church traditions, this practice-forward retreat offers a restorative balance of deep contemplation and vibrant, embodied worship.
META. NOIA. Go Beyond Your Mind
Step to the threshold of new understanding. Our presenters engage current scholarship to unveil an expansive, deeply biblical theology.
POI. ESIS. Bring the Word to Life
Immerse yourself in a variety of worship modalities that breathe new life into ancient patterns, guided by some of Canada’s most respected liturgists and artists.
Renew your Spirit. Refine your Craft.
The Setting
Nestled high in the boreal forest, Canada’s “Wilderness City” has long attracted those seeking a pause from the noise of the world. Here, where the mountains meet the
Yukon River, the air is clearer and the silence is deeper.
Our festival is rooted in the city's
walkable downtown core,
creating a "village" of worship.
Festival events are shared between three historic sites:
Christ Church Cathedral, Trinity Lutheran Church, and our central hub, Whitehorse United Church.
Whether you are exploring local shops or joining a daily excursion into the woods, you will quickly find that the line between "city" and "sanctuary" is beautifully thin here!
Whitehorse, Yukon Territory
The Worship
Whitehorse Worship Arts Festival is grounded in the concept of Ecclesia, the gathering, and using it as a framework for exploring familiar and fresh ways to pray.
Guided by some of Canada’s most respected liturgists and musicians, and supported by a professional festival choir and orchestra, you will experience a spectrum of daily worship offerings that range from the grounding rhythms of the Daily Office and the raw beauty of Wild Church, to the intimacy of dinner church and sacred healing rites.
Return home refreshed in spirit, and equipped with a variety of adaptable worship modalities for the emerging church—practices designed to flourish in communities moving beyond the building.
Ancient Patterns, New Life
The Workshops
Our presenters invite you to the threshold of new understanding, moving beyond safe abstractions to explore a theology of the whole.
From rediscovering the Divine Feminine within the text to engaging the prophetic imagination, you will be inspired to reimagine the Holy through a lens that is both intellectually rigorous and creatively liberating.
Crucially, each concept will be grounded in practice. Together, explore how to bring these themes to life in your own context through biblical storytelling, digital visual artistry, and the dramatic arts.
Expansive, Expressive & Embodied
Learn how these creative intersections meet the
deep yearnings of those left at the margins, equipping you
to lead with confidence in the church that is becoming.