Hearts Exchanged Enters Its Fifth Year

The Hearts Exchanged learning and reconciliation experience is continuing its impactful journey, with new cohorts forming for 2025-2026. For participants who prefer the flexibility of meeting online, there will be both an East and West virtual cohort starting in October. For those who prefer the direct engagement of in-person gatherings, CRC staff can equip churches to host an in-person cohort in their local community.

Hearts Exchanged is an opportunity to deepen your understanding of Indigenous-settler relationships and actively engage in reconciliation. Since its pilot project in 2020, which started with two cohorts and 30 participants, Hearts Exchanged has seen significant growth. To date, over 650 people have participated in 50 cohorts representing more than 100 churches.

Wynanda Polman, a participant this year, praised Hearts Exchanged as a “well-vetted and -researched source of Canadian content,” that powerfully illustrates “both the origins of oppression and the ongoing injustices to Indigenous people(s) in Canada.” 

The program’s diverse presentation styles—using various media and encouraging shared learning—ensure that everyone can engage, Polman continued. This comprehensive approach moves participants from acknowledging and lamenting past and present harms to discovering real potential for connection and tangible efforts toward repaired relationships.

Many participants said they have found the Hearts Exchanged journey profoundly transformative. Susan Foster, another participant this year, called it “a huge blessing,” seeing divine guidance in her growing understanding of Indigenous history and the significance of land acknowledgments.

Anita Plat-Kuiken, a cohort facilitator, summed up the experience as “unsettling, life changing, and highly recommended.” These testimonials underscore the program's powerful and lasting impact, making clear that Hearts Exchanged is more than just learning; it's about action and fostering belonging.

To help the learning and impact continue, the Canadian Justice Ministries are also establishing Hearts Exchanged: Communities of Practice –  an opportunity for participants who want to continue their reconciliation journey within their congregations. These communities of practice will run for extended periods of 1-2 years,  feature coaching conversations with Indigenous Ministry staff, and include support for actions that each community wants to take to build relationships with local Indigenous neighbors. The communities of practice will also include learning and exchange experiences with peer-congregations to share best practices, ideas, and resources. Grants will be available to help cover some opportunities and projects, such as book studies, hosting Indigenous speakers, and visits to local Indigenous events, that communities of practice may wish to engage in.

The underlying goal is for participants to bring learning to their local churches, fostering more dialogue and action, and ultimately transforming CRC congregations into communities of reconciliation and belonging.

For more information and to begin planning with your congregation, email [email protected] or visit crcna.org/hearts-exchanged.