Gatherings and Events

We’re excited to have you join us at Confluence! Our gatherings are informed by the seasons of the natural world, the Christian liturgical calendar, and what is happening in the world around us.

We gather year-round on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Missoula, MT (830 S. Ave W.).

We meet at 3pm November-March, and we meet at 5pm April-October.

During the summer months of June-September, we host social gatherings on the 1st Sunday of the month at different locations.

We also occasionally host seasonal retreats throughout the year.

Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for the most current information for these special summer events.

We look forward to welcoming you at an upcoming gathering!

  • We meet in the sanctuary at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 830 S. Ave W, Missoula, MT. Parking is found on the north side of the church. To enter the church, enter the double doors on the right. You will then find the entrance to the sanctuary directly to your right through the “Hemgren Room.”

  • Parking: A number of parking spots for those with disabilities are reserved at Immanuel Lutheran, including parking spots with accessible aisles.

    Building: Immanuel Lutheran is a wheelchair accessible building. Leading up to the entrance, you will need to cross an asphalt parking lot and a concrete sidewalk. These are flat surfaces, with no significant cracks or ledges. There are no steps or steep ledges to enter the building from the parking lot. There are buttons to push to open the doors. There is plenty of room to move from the entrance to the sanctuary in a wheelchair. There is an elevator available to navigate the rest of the building, but we typically meet outside of the sanctuary at the church.

    Lighting: We use soft, dimmable, and low overhead lighting and/or natural light that enters the sanctuary at our gatherings at Immanuel Lutheran. We do not use florescent lighting while meeting at the church.

    Bathrooms: There are single-stall bathrooms on each floor. Each bathroom has a grab rail next to the toilet.

    Seating: Sturdy, wide, comfortable chairs with bottom and back cushioning are provided at our gatherings. We have chairs with arms and without arms. Space for scooter or wheelchair users is available. Participants may choose to stand, sit, or lie on the floor, if preferred.

    Sound amplification & ASL: We do not currently use any sound amplification at our gatherings. We do not have ASL interpretation available for our gatherings.

    Visual materials: We typically provide a print out of our programming and gathering structure at each regular gathering. These programs are on white paper with 14-point black font.

    Food options: We may sometimes engage in communion at our gatherings. We provide both gluten and gluten-free bread options, as well as wine and non-alcoholic grape juice.

    Do you have more questions regarding accessibility at Confluence? Send us an email, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!

  • We tend to use the same format and structure for our regular gatherings. There may be slight changes depending on the gathering, but we tend to follow the format below. Our gatherings last for 1-1.5 hours.

    Before the gathering begins:

    A leader is stationed near the door to greet you when you come in. The gathering space is set up in a circle with an altar in the middle. Soft mood music may be playing and the lighting in the room is comfortably dim. You may arrive in silence, or engage in conversation with other attendees.

    Opening:

    A leader will welcome everyone, and invite the group to center in contemplative silence. You may be invited to light a candle as part of this opening, if you wish.

    Following the time of centering silence, a leader will lead the group in our opening water ritual to honor life, the land, water, Spirit, and each other.

    Music will be played. You may sing along, or choose to listen instead.

    Lament and naming:

    A time to name any burdens or concerns you may be carrying. These may be related to your personal life, your/our local community, the world, etc.

    Story/Gathering Topic:
    The gathering topic is usually introduced during this time. We may engage in reading of poetry, scripture, or something else. A meditation on the reading, prepared by a leader, may follow. Active reflection through small or large group conversation, creating art, movement, etc. may also occur.

    Closing & Sending:

    This is where we announce other events or engagement opportunities. Music may be played or sung. While music is playing, a leader carries the bowl of water from the beginning ritual outside. Words are offered, and the water, stories we came with, and the experience of the gathering is returned to the earth, honoring the moment of meeting and our movement forward. A prayer is said, and we part ways.

    You may linger in the space after the event to converse with other attendees, if desired.