Breaking Ground Building Foundations CONFERENCE

Wednesday 18 March 2026

Welcome to our 2026 Conference – Breaking ground, Building Foundations!

In 2024 we Reflected Forward with Michael Paterson.

In 2025 we explored sustainable spiritual care for the long term with Jim Schirmer

In 2026 we will be Breaking Ground and Building Foundations.

This Conference will help us dig deep – exploring the foundations of our work and practice. For some of us it will mean exploring our spiritual and theological convictions, for others it will be reimagining our worldview or philosophy for others it will be about connecting to our core values and moral and ethical frameworks. We will have a look at some fundamentals of spiritual are practice and consider the philosophy, shape and model of our current pastoral practice.

We will be exploring the ministry of presence that underlies so much of effective Spiritual Care – unpacking what that means and why it’s important as well as providing an opportunity to explore our convictions that underpin our ministries.

 

Venue: Campbell Town Recreation Complex, 57 High St, Campbell Town, Tasmania

Yes – we’re returning having taken on board feedback from 2025. We’re going to create more space! more physical space for plenary sessions, more networking space for collegial conversations and more space for catering and morning tea and lunch! We’ve addressed heating and environmental considerations in those spaces (So the elective spaces won’t be freezing again!) 

We’ve also taken on board that engaging the faith based convictions for some Chaplains is really important as that is the ground and foundation of their ministry. So we’ll have dedicated workshops in that space. 

We still love the idea of meeting in a regional setting in a light and bright space. We have a great program with an interstate keynote speaker; some excellent workshops, great food options and a bright, open venue!

This conference will be again a One-day conference in Campbell Town – the plan is that we’ll hold a larger Multi-Day conference with an international speaker in a larger conference facility in 2027! We couldn’t do that in 2026 because we’re also hosting the ANZACPE conference in August 2026! 

 

Registrations via Humanitix click below to register.

TASPE have generously subsidised this conference and have priced tickets to make this conference as affordable as possible. If you are still struggling to attend due to financial concerns please email info@taspe.com.au.

Conference Fees

Employed Delegates: $110 (+2.5% Humanitix fee)

Volunteer Delegates: $75 (+2.5% Humanitix fee)

 

REGISTRATIONS CLOSE: 9am – Monday 9th March, 2026  

REGISTER HERE

 

 

 

Breaking Ground – Building Foundations

THEME

Spiritual Care continues to be a vital part of any organisation that cares for and about people. Chaplains and Spiritual Carers provide invaluable support and care for others, every day. We give of ourselves to provide holistic care for others. The work of Spiritual Carers is very often unrecognised, unsupported and frequently not acknowledged.

This Conference will help us dig deep – exploring the foundations of our work and practice. For some of us it will mean exploring our spiritual and theological convictions, for others it will be reimagining our worldview or philosophy for others it will be about connecting to our core values and moral and ethical frameworks. We will have a look at some fundamentals of spiritual are practice and consider the philosophy, shape and model of our current pastoral practice.

We hope this conference will create new networks and strengthen existing ones, provide support and encouragement to those who are struggling in their roles, a space to reflect on the things that are foundational and the things that sustain and keep us going in our work. We hope it will also be a great opportunity to explore new opportunities and talk to others working in spiritual care.  I hope it will help you imagine how you might engage in the work of Spiritual Care.

It will be an opportunity to raise awareness of the vital work of Chaplains and Spiritual Carers and the work that we do.

If you’re working as a sole practitioner in the field of Chaplaincy/ Spiritual Care then this conference is especially for you. Come along, be refreshed, be empowered, find connection, find a place to belong amongst your people and be a part of an experience that will provide both the groundwork and foundations for your Spiritual Care.

If you’re currently involved in Spiritual Care or would like to be, then register now!

 

Program

WEDNESDAY 18th March

0830 Conference doors Open

0900 Conference begins – Welcome

0910 Keynote 1 – “Good Seed – Breaking Ground”

1015 Morning Tea

1045 Keynote 2 – “There’s a crack in everything, that’s where the light gets in”

1200 Lunch (CPE Information Session – Meeting Room 2)

1300 Workshops

1: Greg & Meryem Brown – Hiding Behind Faith (Main Conference Room)

2: Grant Buchanan – Supervision in Spiritual Care (Meeting Room 2)

1415 – 10 Min Break

1425 – Workshops

3: Br Damien Price – Discussion & Dialogue (Main Conference Room)

4: Mary Blake – Trauma Informed Practice (Meeting Room 2)

1540 – Conference Q&A and wrap up

1600 – Conference Close

 

Keynote

Keynote Speaker – Br Damien Price

“Damien Price is a Christian Brother of the Oceania Province. A native of Proserpine in North Queensland Damien has worked in schools and youth ministry for many years.

Damien has a Masters degree in Counselling and a Masters degree in Pastoral Guidance and his Doctoral thesis examined the meaning making that was occurring as young adults worked with people living on the streets. Currently Damien works in the area of Professional Development for the staff of schools and other areas of ministry in the area of spirituality as well as a facilitator of process. Damien has presented papers at numerous conferences linked to youth spirituality, pastoral care in schools and hospitals, service learning and campus ministry. Recently Damien published his new book, ‘Encounter a lost art’! Damien’s passion is the power of story to bridge the dualistic divide that so polarises our world. Damien lives in a Brothers’ community in Brisbane

 

Keynote 1: “Good Seed – Breaking Ground”

“What is the ‘good seed’ that our world so longs for? Everywhere there is a hunger for meaning, for purpose, for a sense of being ‘at home’ in the heart. All around us we see seed strangled by weeds or seeking root and sustenance among rocks or wasted on paths too often trod.

Br Damien Price, will break open a heart centred spirituality that speaks to our pastoral ministry. Based upon the prophetic work of Henri Nouwen – Damien will introduce a simply incarnational spirituality that will help frame the sacred ground of encounter that is at the core of all that we do and seek to be. Beginning with the call to ‘come as a guest’ to all the encounters of our day and the choice to be deeply present to the innate dignity of the other, this simple spiritual framing will provide a guide for the sacred ground of encounter.

The apparent paradox of ministry, of love centred encounter – with its breaking ground to allow the seed to die and so gift all in abundance will be broken open. As we come as guest and choose to be deeply present, our hearts will naturally open wide in compassion”

Keynote 2: “There is a crack in everything – that’s where the light gets in“

“These words from Leonard Cohen reflect the power of brokenness. This brokenness is not to be feared but is the entry point to true life and meaning. In the second keynote presentation, Br Damien Price will introduce us to the work of the South African Dominican priest, Fr Albert Nolan OP and his work on the Upside-Down Messiah. On every page of the Gospel, Jesus deliberately chooses to go to the edge, to the liminal space and there encounter the lost ones – the Anawin of Yahweh. It was the former Governor General of Australia, Sir William Dean, who constantly quoted Gandhi who said, “You can tell the strength of any community by how it treats its weakness members!”

 

Electives

Electives Session A

1: Hiding behind faith: identifying and attending to the toxic ground of spiritual bypassing  – Meryem & Greg Brown

“The spiritual care of others requires wrestling with paradox for caregivers. On the one hand, we seek to provide unconditional acceptance and wholehearted presence. Bare feet on sacred ground. Alongside this, however, we often encounter what appear to be toxins within the soil of our care-recipients’ core beliefs and spiritual practices. Toxins which, if left unattended, can seriously undermine wellbeing. In this workshop we will focus specifically on the toxic practice of spiritual bypassing (SP). Psychotherapist John Welwood…He described SP as a tendency to use spiritual ideas or beliefs to avoid the pain of facing what is difficult, painful, or unpleasant… The main forms of this avoidance and denial will be explored in our workshop. Together we will see how, rather than faith building resources for coping and comfort in order to face life’s trials, SP results in stuckness, stunted growth and compromised wellbeing….SP raises critical questions for chaplains and spiritual carers about the abuse of power, duty of care, collusion, avoidance, truth-seeking and truth-telling. However, spiritual care requires that we keep wrestling with these tensions.” 

Meryem & Greg both hold registration as Senior Accredited Pastoral Supervisors with APSE. Meryem retired at the end of 2026 from over 30 years in private practice as a psychologist and pastoral/professional supervisor to focus on research, writing and training/speaking. Greg is a Certified Practising Counsellor (PACFA) and continues to provide counselling and pastoral supervision in his private practice. Over the past 40 years, the Browns have specialised in the care of caregivers, including spiritual leaders, chaplains, health and welfare workers, educators, and intercultural workers. Their mission has been to foster healthy integration: of individual and teams; of individuals and organisations; of self and role; social sciences and faith; truth and grace; persona and shadow; sacrificial living and boundaries

 

2: Supervision in Spiritual Care – Grant Buchanan

My aim is to not only highlight the value of Professional Supervision in Spiritual Care, but to do so from the perspective of Soul, Role, Context.

• The Soul represents the whole person of the practitioner who shows up in the role of Spiritual Care

• The Role involves both the vocational call that represents the passion and call that draws the Carer to their work, as well as the actual job they are doing — the situations vacant they inhabit.

• The Context is every one and the organisations they interact with in their role.

My aim is to provide a practical workshop that assists the attendees to identify who they are and where any clunk may be happening, and then consider the mis-alignments and potential fragmentations that may or have occurred in the outworking of their role and how supervision supports a disentanglement, defragging and realignment of their Soul, in their Role and in their Contexts.

 

Rev Dr Grant Buchanan is a professional supervisor and heads up the Supervision space for ACC VIC. He is also a trained counsellor, biblical scholar, and pastor. Grant is currently lecturing with Alphacrucis on topics of theology, bible, counselling and supervision, and is the Program Director the Graduate Certificate in Supervision 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Electives Session B

3: Discussion & Dialogue on Br Damien’s keynote talks – Br Damien

Br Damien’s workshop will be more of a dialogue and discussion, breaking open the points made in his two keynotes and seeing if and where what he shared bounces off or speaks to participants experience in ministry

 

 

 

4: Trauma-informed practice in Spiritual Care – Mary Blake

“This workshop will explore what trauma is, the impacts of trauma and broken attachments, and how this impacts our body, brain, the way we relate to others, and if we see the world as a safe or unsafe place. We will do some practical activities exploring how our own body and brain react to different situations to encourage empathy, compassion, and understanding. It will then look at how to come alongside people with trauma or tricky behaviours so we can see beyond their behaviours and understand how they may be seeing the world…An understanding of trauma and attachment will assist chaplains to see a whole person and where there is a need for support. It assists people see under the behaviours and understand what has happened to the person and what they need to heal and grow.

Mary is the Executive Officer of Fostering Hope and mum to five boys, including three who entered her home through foster care. Through her own journey of understanding the impacts of trauma and broken attachments with her sons and walking alongside foster and kinship carers, she’s learnt a lot about the impacts of unsafe beginnings. Mary developed a free online trauma awareness training course for people volunteering with children and young people, delivers trauma awareness training to schools, churches, and community groups, and recently developed a trauma informed church training package. Mary attends C3 church with her boys and is actively involved in her local community and boys activities

 

 

Registration

 

 

 

Venue

Campbell Town Recreation Complex, 57 High St, Campbell Town, Tasmania