On June 12, the church is invited to “Boldly Venture,” a worldwide worship. This gathering will be the official start of our journey to 2023 World Conference.
The worship will be streamed in English, French, and Spanish on Facebook and YouTube at 4:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. CDT allowing for live participation in the chat and comments. New for this event, congregations or groups can gain early access to the worship video to use it during their regular gathering on June 12 or anytime afterward. Details about downloading will be coming soon. The worship includes three segments—Gather, Center, and Bless. Participants of various ages from nations spanning the globe will share in music, testimony, readings, and prayer. Listen to President Steve Veazey’s message and hear music from Jan Kraybill, Daniel Harmon, Beyond the Walls Choir, French Polynesia, and Africa. Please make plans to join us live or download the worship to share it with your congregation or group! Looking for volunteers that would like to spend a day or a weekend outdoors, enjoying the sun, the trees and the magnificent sunset over the lake! You will have time to reconnect with friends and family. Hills of Peace (HOP) needs help with cleaning cabins, dorms, bathrooms, main chapel and the kitchen. Enjoy conversation over a 5 star lunch, dinner and breakfast. There will be a lot of support and assistance and all cleaning products (eco friendly) provided. When: Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12
Where: Hills of Peace Please contact Eileen Johnstone, at 587 566 6446 or at [email protected] if willing to help. Where are you? Last week in the column we looked at Psalm 139, at God’s ability to hold us in knowledge and love. We do not have that same insight as Mission Centre Presidents! As we prepare for voting at Mission Centre Conference, we received a question about where each of you have membership, whether it’s in a congregation or as a non-resident. This is a great time to reflect – do you know where your membership is? Would you like to update it? Any of us would be glad to hear from you if you would like our help in that process! This is also a great time to reflect, where does my ‘membership’ lie in other areas of my life? Has COVID disrupted the ties that usually hold me? Have my relationships floated out beyond my reach? No matter how introverted we may feel in our heart of hearts, part of our life here in this beautiful creation seems to be making and fostering connections. Where are you? Right here, in a specific space. I invite you to find a spot outdoors that speaks to you – a tree, a flower bed, a bend in a river, and really see what is there. Perhaps it’s new life, perhaps it’s a mossy boulder, perhaps it’s a tiny ecosystem full of activity. Let yourself love this particular place and see if you can build a habit to return to it as days and seasons pass. Just like the elements of your special spot, you also have a place, a relationship with what is, an invitation to full engagement with life. -Registration Closed- We hope you’ll join us this weekend for the Nature and Nurture Retreat at Samish Island. It’s time to get back to in-person experiences and there’s no better place to do that than at Samish Island Retreat Centre. Join us for a Nurturing weekend with lots of outdoor Nature time, and plenty of time for socializing. For those of you who have attended our retreats in the past, you'll notice something different this time. We've hired people to do the end of camp cleanup so you'll only be responsible for cleaning your own cabin when the camp ends. For those of you who are concerned about crossing the border, we can tell you that several Canadians crossed the border to help at Samish Work Week ,and had no issues at the border. The cost is $250 CAD per person, one person or family per cabin. Should you have any questions, contact [email protected]
Starting April 1, 2022, David Lloyd became the Director of the Center for Innovation in Ministry and Mission at the Community of Christ Seminary. All Ministry and Priesthood classes will soon be hosted via the Graceland University eLearning site along with many of the programs you’ve enjoyed through Developmetrics.
NOTE: Rescheduled MEADS Spring Session 2022 "Living Grace and Generosity" Due to low registration, this course is rescheduled for a later date this fall. Watch Developmetrics for further details on how this course will be offered. Sundays BC Community of Christ Online Gathering Hosted by the Vancouver Congregation Sunday mornings 9:30am Pacific Time - Visiting and gathering 10am Pacific Time - Service Contact Chris Phelps at [email protected] for Zoom links. Inclusive Church Hosted by Beyond the Walls Community and Toronto Congregation Sundays at 9am PT/ 10am MT/ 11am CT/ Noon ET. For more information please visit their website, Facebook page and YouTube channel to watch the service. Mondays Creating Connection Book Club Third Monday of every other month at 7pm PT/ 8pm MT/ 9pm CT. To join please visit the Creating Connection Meetup group. For details about the next session click here. Tuesdays Virtual Visiting Fellowship Tuesday mornings at 11am CST/ 10am MST/ 9am PST. To participate please contact Gloria Stanton. For more details click here. Wednesdays Creating Connection presents: An Afternoon of Nurturing Spirit Wednesdays from 3pm to 4:30pm Pacific Time. To join please visit the Creating Connection Meetup group. Oasis Meditative Experience (sessions will resume in November) Wednesdays from 6:40 to 7:00pm Pacific Time. Click here to learn more! To receive a weekly Zoom invitation, please send an email to Kat Goheen. Thursdays Creating Connection presents: Coffee and Conversation Thursdays from 10:30am to noon Pacific Time. To join please visit the Creating Connection Meetup group. For a list of Online Ministries please click here.
World Accord Office has officially moved. With two full time staff now in the Ottawa region, they have relocated their office to Ottawa. World Accord's new address is: World Accord c/o Heartwood House 404 McArthur Ottawa, ON K1K 1G8 Canada Please don’t hesitate to reach out to World Accord new Executive Director, Kristin Douglas at [email protected]
I’m reading about holding environments right now – the idea that what we experience when we’re young influences our experience of trust as we grow. If we find what we need often enough as a youngster, we believe that the universe is benign and helpful. If we don’t, then we try to create a different reality and turn away from what surrounds us. I don’t know what it means about me, but I do tinker a lot! I’m always imagining how things could be better. Perhaps it’s part of growing up around the idea of Zion – God’s kin-dom here on earth. On Sunday, we meditated on Psalm 139, with those familiar words: “O Lord, you have searched me and known me.” As I settled into silence, I realized that this scripture is all about a present holding environment, in that God knows me intimately, knows everywhere I could possibly go and everything I could do. No matter what, God is present. This brings an image to mind: you and I are floating on a salty body of water (like the Dead Sea or a float tank) that will effortlessly support our bodies, letting us lay back and relax. Yet we thrash about with our arms and legs, trying to stay vertical, refusing to let go and rest. Here is some wisdom from our church administrator’s handbook that can remind us to follow the rhythm of our lives and participate in life around us rather than managing it all! BRINGING BALANCE TO LIFE All life needs a rhythm of rest. There is a rhythm in our waking and the body’s need for sleep. There is a rhythm in the way day dissolves into night and night into morning. There is a rhythm as the active growth of spring and summer is quieted by the necessary dormancy of fall and winter. There is a tidal rhythm, a deep, eternal conversation between the land and the great sea. In our bodies, the heart perceptibly rests after each life-giving beat. The lungs rest between breathing out and inhaling. We have lost this essential rhythm. Our culture invariably supposes that action and accomplishment are better than rest, that doing something—anything—is better than doing nothing. Because of our wish to succeed, to meet these ever-growing expectations, we do not rest. Because we do not rest, we lose our way. We miss the compass points that would show us where to go. We bypass the nourishment that would give us succor. We miss the quiet that would give us wisdom. We miss the joy and love born of effortless delight. Poisoned by the hypnotic belief that good comes only through unceasing, determination and tireless effort, we can never rest. And because we need rest, our lives are in danger. Sabbath is a gift of God to remind us and give us permission to rest, to bring balance into our lives. Even our dedication to the service of others as ministers, when not balanced with healthy living, can lead to suffering in ourselves, our families, and in the ones we are trying to serve. Even God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2). We rest to bring balance to our lives, to see the goodness that God has placed in all creation. Community of Christ Church Administrator's Handbook Self-care is such a big topic right now; do you feel it too? It hasn’t always been so – in times of war, service is forefront. In times of hardship, survival is. In this moment there is a yearning for a fullness of life that brings self-care to the fore. What do we know about self-care? It involves:
I hope that we look to Jesus as an example when we need discernment. What about the area of self care? So many times he went away to be by himself, even when it mystified and irritated his followers. He spoke his mind and was assertive even with those he loved. When he was tired, he slept, even in the midst of a storm! He did not seem to be caught up in ego concerns at all but embodied each moment as it came. ‘Worried’ is not a word that describes him, although he did grieve in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is true that he emptied himself even to the point of death, but he was a participant in that process, not a victim. My big takeaway from looking at Jesus through the lens of self-care is his relationship with his Abba, God. That tender and constant thread relieved many of the pressures that we experience that fall under the category of “needless suffering”. Jesus shows me that sometimes my self-care is found in caring for others. So what should capture our precious attention? Ruminating about the past, fretting about the future, the thoughts and judgments of others? I would like to share more of my precious attention with God and look to God’s will. I hope you will join me! A survey offered to Community of Christ members and friends 18-50 years old soon will close. Responses to the survey will help church leaders understand this age group’s spiritual needs and desires for our faith community. The survey closes on May 13. Click on the button below to answer it.
Please share this link with those who might be willing to participate in the survey and urge them to respond soon. Church leaders are particularly interested in feedback from people connected to Community of Christ as children and youth but who no longer regularly attend Community of Christ activities as adults. I love stories like Narnia where there’s a magical, fantastic world that touches ours! This happens in our world too: it’s called thin places, where everything feels holy and you feel more like yourself than you ever have before. In a thin place we experience a reality that extends beyond what we can see or touch – the reality that we are surrounded by the movement of Spirit and the love of God. Thin places may be called Lummi Island or Samish Island (or Jasper National Park or Hills of Peace!). These are places that call to our soul, where we long to be. Baptism is a thin place too. We place ourselves in the water, allow ourselves to be immersed, and encounter God in a new way. God doesn’t love us more after baptism because that’s impossible! God already loves us 120%. We do become partners with God in a new way, though, finding consolation in one another and spending time together. So while I may never talk with Aslan, I can continue to treat this life like a sacred pilgrimage. I can look to the sacraments for those moments of union with the divine that grow my soul. I can spend time with my beloved creator and learn how to participate in life fully rather than sleepwalking through it. I can be invested in the lives of those around me, seeing God’s presence and fingerprints in each one. Where is your thin place? How will you dwell with God? Let the still, small voice call you into a new corner of your world, where something fantastic is waiting to be revealed! *Adapted from the Vancouver congregation’s baptism service May 8, 2022 It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with you through these messages. It’s becoming apparent over the months that the feeling tone of the ones I write is more like our Disciple’s Generous Response rather than our Daily Bread! Part of my spiritual journey is to keep close tabs on the health of my heart (both physically and spiritually) and generosity is a great metric for heart health. Where my treasure is, there my heart is also. Just like my sermons, I’m ‘speaking to the mirror’ with these messages, reminding myself of what I already know leads to life. Two aspects of heart-healthy stewardship come to mind right now. The first is our camping season! This year we move back into a fee-based camp experience where we know exactly how much camp costs in advance and what we are expected to contribute. Our directors are assembling registration information right now to make this clear. This is an opportunity to let our values influence our budgets in the next few months, allowing us to respond generously to the opportunity to gather again. What if you are not able to go and experience camping in person? I wonder if this is also an invitation to extend grace to others in the form of donations so that they can experience one of our most wonderful offerings as a church. The other part of heart-healthy stewardship addresses the news cycle. I was in airports a lot this weekend, journeying to our friends in Saskatoon, and was struck by the numbing that watching loops of news can bring. It’s heart-breaking, but the situation in Ukraine is not improving! I can keep my heart open and respond by once again donating to those helpers who are on the ground doing their best to end suffering. I can light my light in the face of darkness and tend the flame, partnering with the Holy Spirit in divine work. May our faithful God bless and keep our hearts! Samish Island Work Week
Join us on from Monday, April 25 through Friday, April 29 for the Work Week. Three meals a day, free cabins and all the work anyone wants! No charge for workers, of course. Ken Barrows spoke at the closing service of the Lethbridge congregation building in March, having been their administrator in the 1990’s. He shared about a transitional time when some key families had moved away and there was not enough spark left in those remaining to organize worship services. He counseled them to leave off from having services for a few months and then to check in with him. For those months, the chapel was open for meditation on Sunday morning, but nothing else was done. After that time, when Ken checked in with the congregational leadership, one dear Saint offered to bring cheese and crackers every Sunday, for some social time after the meditation. After several months of that, another dear one wished to offer a hymn service, and that began a re-emergence of corporate worship. What would have happened without the offering of those cheese and crackers? I carry that story close to my heart. There are times when we don’t have to force ourselves to do everything. If we cannot do everything, what is the something – the cheese and crackers - that we can offer? We know that God can bless even the last measure of flour and oil we have, and we’ve heard about what Jesus did with loaves and fishes. Instead of focusing on what we don’t have, it may be time to offer and make sacred what we are capable of offering. Listen for the Holy. Tend the Holy. What is SPEC all about? Do you have questions about SPEC? Join us for an informal info session on Thursday, April 28, from 5-6pm Pacific Time. RSVP to [email protected]
This year CWM youth will travel with the Greater Pacific Northwest Mission Centre (GPNW) – known as the “Northwest” team. They do require youth in their delegation to participate in additional team-building events in Independence prior to Spec, to ensure everyone has a great experience. How travel to meet up with GPNW will work for youth from outside BC has yet to be finalized, and may be the responsibility of families to arrange, depending on how many registrations there are. We're happy to share that GPNW is quite well-known in Spec circles for being hospitable and welcoming to youth who join in their team. The youth in their mission centre are quite spread out geographically, stretching from Oregon to Alaska and this year the Hawaii group will travel with us. More information about SPEC 2022, and a registration page can be found at: https://speccofchrist.wordpress.com Debra Donohue will be the local contact for youth to learn more about SPEC and about traveling with GPNW. When is IYF/SPEC held? SPEC Trip: July 13-23, 2022
Who Can Attend? Any high school student who is CURRENTLY in grades 9, 10, 11, or 12 may attend. Invite your friends! March 27 was a very special day: a celebration of the life of the Lethbridge congregation in their building on 11th Street. There were wonderful stories and testimonies told of the six decades our dear ones shared together in that building. One highlight of the service was the Prayer for Peace offered by Vickie MacArthur, so we share it with you today to continue celebrating Lethbridge and to offer ourselves again to the work of peace in our world. A church is more than a building. Peace is more than a word. Prayer for Peace: Ukraine, and Russia, and the World By John Bell Loving God, because you have the whole world in your hands, cradle gently those who are rocked by fear, shocked to a depth they have never known and frightened to face tomorrow. On the people of Ukraine: their children, their old people, their vulnerable adults, their babies soon to be born, Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy. On the people of Ukraine: their defenders, their advocates, those who care for the wounded, who sit with the despairing, who witness and report on the savagery and destruction, who bury the dead. Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy. On the people of Ukraine: their leaders that they may continue to inspire, in word and by example, and continue to receive help and solidarity from across the world. Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy. On the people of Russia, that they might learn the truth kept from their hearing; On the churches in Russia that they might find the vocabulary and courage to speak truth to power, On the soldiers of Russia who do not believe in the carnage they cause. Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy. On the Russian president, and those who affirm his policies, we ask the judgement of heaven, a radical conversion and an end to their lies, scheming and murder. Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us. And for our own nation we ask for commitment to match conviction so that the pain of the Ukrainian nation be shared by us, their weary people sheltered by us, their peace assured by us. Lord hear us, Lord graciously hear us. Amen. Join us for this year's Nurturing Justice Retreat and make a change in our world!
When: April 22-24 Where: See poster above Registration via email: [email protected] Please RSVP for more details. All events are free of charge, come to one or all! “Before any change comes chaos.” My sacred movement teacher shared this truth from quantum physics with us during our meditation this morning. It led me straight into the drama of Holy Week. Did the disciples read their way into a new reality with Jesus? Did they meditate their way in? No, the new reality did not come from a bloodless birth or over the internet or through a book. Not even from a pulpit! The new reality of God’s love in Jesus Christ came through very gutsy things: betrayal, pain, scorn, abandonment. “What wondrous love is this, o my soul: What wondrous love is this, that caused the Lord of life To bear the painful cross for my soul.” What cross do you bear? If the answer isn’t immediate, let me ask: What chaos are you in right now? I do not believe that we can expect to live into a new reality as Community of Christ here in Western Canada without some chaos. I certainly don’t believe we can think our way into it! If I can believe that Jesus was still held by God during the events of his passion, then I can believe that we find ourselves held by God during difficult conversations about finances, about relevance, about COVID, and about ‘what’s next’. We honour the name we share with Jesus when we humbly hold the remembrance of Holy Week. Let us share the last supper. Let us stay awake with Jesus. Let us gather close as we can as he is tried and beaten. Let us gaze on the cross. Let us be prepared for a tomb, and a stone, and a magnificent wondering: What is this new reality being born? Spring is here and this marks another new beginning and a new chapter here at World Accord. We are thrilled to announce that Kristin Douglas will be leading the team at World Accord as the new Executive Director effective April 4, 2022. We will be saddened to see David Barth go at the end of April but are also celebrating his 24 years of service where he successfully led World Accord to grow and fulfill its mission of cultivating communities that thrive.
Kristin is an experienced and passionate non-profit professional with a focus on fund development, relationship management, strategic planning, campaign management and volunteer engagement. Most recently, she worked as the Executive Director for Ethiopiaid , a non-profit organization focused on sexual and reproductive health and rights and women’s empowerment. Kristin is a very well rounded, passionate and intelligent leader. She brings more than eight years of professional experience from both small, grassroots non-profits like World Accord, as well as large, national and international NGOs. With a BA in Philosophy, Minor in Social Justice and MSc in Human Rights & International Politics, she has a passion for the type of work that World Accord does and an appreciation for how we pursue our goals. World Accord is in good hands. On a more personal level, Kristin has a number of hobbies and interests. She describes herself as a “social butterfly” which can be reflected in her love for concerts, trivia nights, and comedy shows. She uses her social skills in athletics as well, as she currently participates in an ultimate frisbee league. Similar to many of our World Accord donors and previous Executive Directors, Kristin also has a huge passion for travel and hopes to see as many of the corners of the world as possible. She enjoys both classic weekend road trips or more adventurous and exotic international travel. For our foodie members of World Accord, you can win the heart of our new executive director with ceviche, or “arguably the best pizza in North America” fresh from Windsor. Furthermore, Kristin is not only a lover of Peruvian food, but she is also known for her breakfast-making skills. Eggs Benedict and omelets are her favourite foods to cook up while at home with her partner and yorkie poo. Thank you all very much for everything you have done for David Barth, World Accord, and our partners during his tenure. David expressed “It has been a privilege and an honour to serve you and our partner organizations in this manner. I know Kristin will enjoy getting to know you all as much as I have, and hope you enjoy getting to know her as well.” On Sunday we were encouraged in our worship services to share generously. I’ve had this on my heart as I’ve been driving around the city. There are so many blossoms, and pollinators, and more sunshine than I’m used to seeing! Both the Bible and the natural bible of creation give us abundant examples of generosity. God is love, we love God, so why is sharing hard for us? Like meditation or prayer, generosity can be practiced and strengthened. Our ‘muscle’ for generosity is our heart. Jesus famously had no place of his own to lay his head, and we have lots of options for our comfort, so this can be tricky work for us. How can we practice generosity? First, we can increase our awareness of troubles both near and far. Then we can soften into awareness of our capacity to give while overcoming our fears of being overwhelmed. We can pray that God’s will be our will – God’s heart our heart. When we want to treat ourselves, we can also treat someone else. When we hear of refugees, either in the global north or south, we can send money along with our prayers to organizations that we trust, including our church. In the end, generosity comes down to trust – trust that we won’t be abandoned or left helpless if we share what we have and care about the needs of others. Trust that there is enough for all. As we head toward Holy Week along with Jesus, let’s really listen to what he says in his last sermons about the flowers of the fields and about abiding in Him. Let’s build our relationship with Jesus and our capacity to trust. |
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