Today the talking circles got into some big questions: “What makes an effective church?”, “What does an educational model that works for Indigenous ministry look like? How are we equipping our people for ministry?”

One memory keeper observed that these were important questions that showed how Indigenous Peoples are evolving beyond just organizing themselves. Now people are focusing on building up communities.

The second question inspired more conversation among the memory keepers. They compared notes from their own experiences of theological education—from a Masters of Divinity that integrated Indigenous spirituality to another Masters of Divinity that was disconnected from Indigenous experiences.

“But Sacred Circle is the real deal,” said a memory keeper. “You come here and you meet real people with real issues. Sacred Circle is like getting a Native Studies education.”