A Conversation Group for Everyone
Estuary is a small, regular gathering where people from all walks of life come together for honest, respectful conversation. The name comes from the place where a river meets the ocean — where fresh water and salt water mix, creating one of the most fertile ecosystems on earth. In the same way, an Estuary group is a place where different streams of thought, experience, and belief flow together. Something new and life-giving can grow there.
This is not a Bible study. It is not a debate club. It is not a class, and nobody is trying to convince you of anything. It is simply a space to be heard, to listen well, and to explore the big questions of life alongside other people who are doing the same.
Estuary is open to everyone — people of faith, people with no faith, people who are figuring it out, and people who have given up figuring it out. You do not need to believe anything in particular to participate. You just need to be willing to listen and to share.
Who Shows Up?
People come to Estuary for all kinds of reasons. You might find:
- People from churches who have bigger questions than the average Sunday service can hold
- People who have left organized religion but still want real community
- People drawn to intellectual conversation through podcasts, books, or thinkers like Jordan Peterson, Jonathan Pageau, or John Vervaeke
- People who are simply curious and tired of shallow interaction
What they have in common is a desire for depth and connection.
Why Bother?
We live in a moment when real conversation is rare. Most of our exchanges are shallow, performative, or adversarial. Estuary exists because people are hungry for something different — a place where you can speak honestly without being attacked, where you can listen without having to agree, and where you can be known by name.
What participants often discover is that the meaning doesn’t only come from the topics discussed. It comes from the experience itself: being heard, being taken seriously, discovering that your questions are shared by others, and watching real friendships form over time.
How It Works
Meetings follow a simple format that requires no preparation, no homework, and no expertise:
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Introductions — Everyone sits in a circle and briefly introduces themselves.
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What’s on your mind? — Going around the circle, each person shares something they’ve been thinking about: a book or podcast that caught their attention, something happening in the world, something personal, or a reflection on the group itself. Anyone may pass.
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What do we want to talk about? — The group goes around again, and each person says which topic they found most interesting. The topic that draws the most interest becomes the focus.
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Conversation — The discussion opens up naturally. No more going around the circle — it’s a real conversation.
The Ground Rules
- Listen, Learn, Love, Respect. Come with the intention to hear, not to win.
- No recruiting. This is not a space for campaigning or converting.
- Confidentiality. What is shared in the group stays in the group.
- Everyone has a voice. No one dominates. Rank, age, and tenure don’t matter here.
When and Where
Estuary meets in Saint Francis Hall at St. Luke’s Anglican Church after Sunday worship. Food and drink are provided.
For meeting dates and times, see our Events page or contact us.
Learn More
Estuary is part of a growing international movement of conversation groups. To learn more about the broader Estuary network, visit estuaryhub.com.
Come to listen. Come to learn. Come with the intention to love and respect each person present.