7 Powerful Reasons to Host a Workshop with a Pilgrimage Speaker
A few years ago, hosting a pilgrimage speaker was not on most church leaders’ to-do lists. Today, it is becoming one of the most important ways a leader can address one of the biggest questions pastors and ministry networks everywhere are asking:
How do we move people from participation to transformation?
The answer is not in another sermon series. It is not another event that fills a calendar and is then forgotten. The answer lies in giving people the opportunity to connect more deeply with God.
That is why more churches are rediscovering the power of pilgrimage. Pilgrimage helps leaders foster a sense of belonging, making their communities feel more connected and supported.
At Wonder Voyage, we have spent more than two decades guiding sacred journeys around the globe. We have seen what happens when people step into intentional travel with spiritual purpose.
Lives shift. Relationships deepen. Faith comes alive.
Now that same vision is coming directly to churches and ministry networks through Christian pilgrimage workshops led by Shawn Small, Executive Director of Wonder Voyage.
This is not a sales pitch.
This is an invitation to explore how hosting a Christian pilgrimage workshop can transform your ministry within your church, network, and community.
Who Should Host a Pilgrimage Speaker?
If any of the following describe your role, this conversation is for you:
- Senior pastors
- Spiritual formation directors
- Youth, student, and adult ministry leaders
- Denominational and diocesan leaders
- Conference, retreat, and event planners
- Regional or multi-church network coordinators
- Administrators in charge of private schools looking for a different kind of educational enrichment
If you are responsible for developing leaders or cultivating a healthy Christian community, hosting a workshop with a pilgrimage speaker provides a tool that goes far beyond inspiration.
What is a Pilgrimage Speaker?
A pilgrimage speaker does not simply talk about faith. They guide people into a deeper way of experiencing it.
Pilgrimage is a sacred journey that includes movement, story, reflection, and encounter. When well led, pilgrimage becomes a powerful framework for spiritual formation, leadership development, and community building.
A pilgrimage speaker helps leaders understand how to use this type of sacred journey, both in their own neighborhoods and around the globe, to shape identity and cultivate spiritual depth.
Shawn Small brings this framework to life through storytelling, lived experience, and practical application. His workshops are not lectures. They are invitations into a different way of forming people.
There are seven powerful ways that hosting a pilgrimage speaker like Shawn Small can greatly impact your faith community’s growth and unity.
1. Pilgrimage Creates Belonging in a Fragmented World
People today are lonely, even in churches.
Pilgrimage brings people together in a shared experience. When people travel, reflect, and walk a sacred journey side by side, walls come down. Stories open up. Trust forms.
A pilgrimage speaker helps leaders see how this ancient practice can restore connection in modern communities.
This is especially powerful for multi-church networks where relationships often feel thin. Hosting a shared workshop gives leaders a common language and a shared vision.
2. It Gives Leaders a Framework They Can Actually Use
Inspiration is easy to forget, but tools provide something tangible to work with.
A pilgrimage speaker provides practical frameworks that pastors, youth leaders, and spiritual directors can use immediately.
In a workshop with Shawn, for example, Wonder Voyage provides multiple free pilgrimage resources that leaders can take home and apply. These tools include:
- The Way of Wonder pilgrimage curriculum helps teams spiritually prepare before departure.
- Free email support from the Wonder Voyage staff is available as you progress through your planning process.
- A free e-newsletter that guides participants through planning a pilgrimage piece by piece.
There is nothing to buy. There is no hard salespitch. We provide these tools at no cost because we believe pilgrimage changes lives, and we don’t want any faith community to feel priced out of that experience.
3. Workshops Strengthen Multi-Church and Regional Networks
Research consistently shows that churches working together have greater community impact and healthier leaders. Lifeway Research has highlighted how collaboration increases effectiveness and reduces isolation.
When you host a pilgrimage speaker for a regional gathering, you create a shared experience that bonds leaders across denominations and traditions.
Organizations like Better Together have shown that when leaders gather around meaningful formation, trust grows and partnerships flourish.
By hosting a workshop, you can drive growth across your entire network.
This is not just good theology.
It is good leadership.
4. Hosting a Pilgrimage Speaker Positions Your Region as a Center for Spiritual Formation
When you host a pilgrimage speaker, you are not just offering an event. You are offering a gift to your entire ministry ecosystem.
You become the place where leaders come to be refreshed, equipped, and inspired in a way that lasts. You become the person who connects people with the resources to do ministry well.
That kind of reputation builds momentum.
It builds trust.
It builds long-term influence.
5. Christian Workshops Help Leaders Move from Busy to Meaningful
Most pastors and ministry leaders are tired. They are spread too thin across multiple areas, and nothing ever receives their full attention for very long. They are doing more than ever, yet often feel they are accomplishing less.
A pilgrimage speaker offers a different kind of path. One that values depth over noise and formation over frenzy. We provide a fresh voice of hope to an overwhelmed community.
Shawn Small’s workshops help leaders see how pilgrimage slows us down so God can meet us in the journey.
6. Hosting a Pilgrimage Speaker Creates Shared Language and Vision
One of the hidden challenges in ministry networks is misalignment. Everyone uses a different language, but we are really talking about the same things: discipleship, faith, and encountering God.
A pilgrimage speaker gives leaders a shared framework and vocabulary. Pilgrimage becomes a common story they can return to again and again.
That shared language builds unity and clarity.
7. It Multiplies Impact Beyond a Single Event
The best workshops do not end when the room empties. They are the starting point for this small group of leaders to work together toward a common goal: reconnecting more people with wonder through pilgrimage. This community can continue to meet regularly and grow together.
That is how lasting change happens.
What Happens in a Christian Pilgrimage Workshop?
A typical workshop led by Shawn Small includes:
- A story-driven opening that connects pilgrimage to everyday life
- Guided reflection that helps leaders see their own spiritual journey
- A practical framework for using pilgrimage in ministry
- Small group conversation and shared insight
- Take home resources from Wonder Voyage that can be used right away
It feels less like a seminar and more like a sacred pause.
Why Shawn Small and Wonder Voyage?
Shawn has spent his life walking sacred paths around the world and helping others do the same. As the Executive Director of Wonder Voyage, he has led pilgrimages that have shaped students, pastors, and entire communities.
Wonder Voyage is known for something simple and rare. We plan with intention and flexibility. We create clear schedules. We also build strong contingency plans. We work with churches to meet them where they are.
That same posture shapes every pilgrimage speaker workshop we offer.
Learn more about Shawn and his storytelling on his author website.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hosting a Pilgrimage Speaker
What is a pilgrimage speaker, and what do they provide?
A pilgrimage speaker teaches and facilitates sacred journeys to support spiritual formation, leadership development, and community building.
Is this only for one denomination?
No. Pilgrimage is rooted in Christian tradition and works across Catholic, Protestant, and ecumenical contexts. Wonder Voyage has over 25 years of expertise working with different denominations and belief systems. We can customize the workshop to fit your group’s specific needs.
How long is a workshop?
Workshops can range from an evening gathering to a half-day to a full-day, depending on your needs.
Can a regional or multi-church network host a pilgrimage speaker?
Yes. These workshops are especially powerful when hosted for pastors and leaders from multiple congregations.
Do participants receive resources?
Yes. Wonder Voyage provides free frameworks and tools that leaders can take home and use in their own ministries.
Is a workshop just a long sales pitch?
No. The goal of these workshops is to equip you to understand the value of pilgrimage and how it can benefit your group. We will provide you with the tools to plan a pilgrimage, whether or not you choose to hire Wonder Voyage as your partner. No strings attached.
A Simple Next Step
A pilgrimage speaker offers more than a talk. They offer a way forward.
In a season when Christians are hungry for depth and meaningful formation, pilgrimage offers a language through which people can communicate effectively. These workshops invite leaders to slow down, walk together, and discover what God is already doing among them.
Shawn Small and Wonder Voyage provide that vision with humility, wisdom, and decades of lived experience. The stories he tells are not just about faraway places. They are about the sacred ground we stand on right now.
If your church or ministry network is ready for something more than another event, hosting a pilgrimage speaker may be the beginning of a journey that reshapes how your community sees faith, belonging, and one another.
Contact us today to learn how to get started.
Want to Learn More About the Wonder Voyage Philosophy?
Check out some of our past blog posts.
Jamie has been involved with Wonder Voyage for over 15 years. She is our Communications Director and Legacy Co-Director.
on Hope For Peru: Legacy Voyages Brings Entrepreneur Training To LimaLove how Legacy is making a difference, thanks Jamie and Brent for your leadership.- You have describe John perfectly. Thank you for helping me to remember the wonder that he is. Happy birthday to...
- I love how you told Shawn's story. You described it Beautifully Molly. Shawn, what an amazing experience to share with...
