​The Reaching Out Centre's "Be a Blessing" initiative is something we have wanted to begin for some time. We were made aware of a need at a local school where students were coming to school hungry and teachers were working to provide food for them. Some of the teachers were making it themselves. We believed that we could help so we set out to create a program where we could help.
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Our program prepares food packages that the children can access on Mondays and Tuesdays every other week. This past Sunday (Mother's Day), we packaged up food that will be available the following Monday. We are trying to get two days’ worth of food out of our efforts and so far, we have been successful.

Our next Be a Blessing prep day will be on May 24, starting at 11AM. This is also an All In Sunday for us, another separate program but one which integrates the Be a Blessing Program for this month. We encourage you to come out and help. It is a great way to give back!

If you would like to learn more, visit reachingout.ca/events to see when our next Be a Blessing prep day is. You can also sign up for emails to receive the latest news and updates. If you would like to support this amazing initiative, contact James at [email protected]

Elvis Mwimba of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), reflects on Acts 2 and the call to unity in diversity as expressed through the work of the church. In the midst of cultural, religious, and social challenges, he shares how Community of Christ in the DRC seeks to embody peace, justice, and Christ-centered community. This reflection was shared on Beyond the Walls on April 26.

I am one of the many people who gathered in the Philippines to develop resources for the life of the Church based on the central chapter of Acts 2, which presents us with a powerful image of the early Church. People from different nations, languages, and cultures come together in Jerusalem. This reminds us of a fundamental truth: unity does not mean uniformity. God does not eliminate diversity, but uses it to build a community founded on love, justice, and peace.

It is in light of this passage that we reflect today on the mission of the Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where I live, in the face of numerous cultural, religious, and social challenges. The DRC is a country rich in cultures, languages, traditions, and mineral resources. This diversity is a blessing. However, in reality, it often becomes a source of division. Instead of love, we see tribalism, which pits brother against brother; the rejection of others because of their origin, language, or religion; and the loss of a sense of community.

In contrast to the spirit of Acts 2, where everything was shared, our society is marked by selfishness, mistrust, and sometimes hatred. The Church is called to be a prophetic model, showing that another way of living together is possible in Christ.

In certain regions in particular, the country is deeply affected by armed conflict, population displacement, trauma, poverty, and injustice. War destroys not only bodies, but also relationships, hope, and human dignity.

Faced with this reality, the Church affirms an essential Enduring Principle: The Pursuit of Peace (Shalom). Here is how our Church puts this enduring principle into practice in our country.

In response to a number of epidemics that had struck several regions of the country in recent years, the Church allocated funds for medicines and other healthcare supplies, as well as providing free access to care for the needy through the provincial government. There is a midwifery program called WA SAIDIZI that was established by the Church, where women have been trained in this profession to assist with childbirth and reduce the associated mortality rate in villages.

The DRC is a deeply religious country. However, we see conflicts between Christian denominations, tensions between religions, and the use of religion to manipulate or divide. Yet the Church’s mission is not to dominate, but to serve; not to build on religious competition, but on the living witness of the love of Jesus Christ.

The Church affirms that every human being, regardless of faith or background, is loved by God.

Tribalism is one of the deepest challenges in the DRC. It sometimes even permeates the Church. Yet Acts 2 shows us a Church where the primary identity is no longer tribal, but Christ-centered. Unity in diversity is at the heart of the Church’s mission.

This means welcoming all cultures into the Church; rejecting all forms of discrimination; and building a community where belonging to Christ is stronger than ethnic identity.

Admittedly, in the face of these challenges, the Church’s influence is not yet strong or very noticeable, but we are working hard in every region where the Church is present, living out our identity through small actions that make a difference and impact the surrounding society, to offer a space for healing, a prophetic voice against injustice, and a reflection of the Kingdom of God within Congolese society.

​By John Hamer, Director of Outreach and Innovative Mission

This week Community of Christ in Canada joined with other jurisdictions of the church, including the British Islands and European mission centres in signing the “Joint Interfaith Statement on the Occasion of the 11th Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference.”

The NPT entered into force on March 5, 1970, with the goals of (1) slowing the proliferation of nuclear weapons and (2) reducing existing stockpiles of these weapons.  By signing the treaty, the nuclear-weapons powers at the time, the United States, Russia (formerly the Soviet Union), the United Kingdom, France, and China, agreed to enter into talks to reduce their existing weapons stores with the eventual goal of nuclear disarmament. Meanwhile, states without nuclear weapons (like Canada) who signed the treaty agreed not to develop nuclear weapons of their own. (As a note of clarification, while restricting nuclear weapons, the NPT affirms the right of all signatories to develop nuclear power for peaceful, civilian energy purposes, if they so choose.)

While the world has lived under the threat of a potential nuclear holocaust since nuclear weapons were first developed in the 1940s and 1950s, the NPT has achieved some successes.  Since their first use against Imperial Japan at the end of World War II, nuclear weapons have never again been used in warfare. And, for a time, the US and Russia did enter into agreements that limited their own nuclear weapons stockpiles. While nuclear weapons have proliferated, the number of new nations to develop them has so far been limited to India, Pakistan, North Korea, and (likely) Israel. 

Unfortunately, the passing of the last generation to have witnessed the use of nuclear weapons on civilian populations in time of war, and the current threats to the Rules-based global order, have made recommitment to the NPT more urgent than ever.  Retired Apostle Andrew Bolton, the church’s former Peace Officer, brought the Interfaith Statement to the attention of our Field Apostles, Lachlan Mackay and Shannon McAdam, who forwarded it to the Canadian Leadership Team with a recommendation of their support for its consideration.  After deliberation, the Canadian Leadership Team approved the recommendation and empowered Sam Smalldon to sign the petition as Mission Centre President of Record.

We feel that this action aligns with our values as a church.  In recent years, we have been discerning and exploring our identity as a peace church. Our historic seal’s one-word motto is “Peace,” and the pursuit of peace is both a Mission Initiative and an Enduring Principle of our church. In addition, Community of Christ has an ecumenical and interfaith outlook, understanding that although relatively small in size, we can achieve important goals by working with like-minded faith organizations. 

The Onward Together plan calls on “Community of Christ in Canada to express who we are by embodying the identity, mission, message, and beliefs of Community of Christ in and for the unique Canadian context.”  We believe that as a Community of Christ in Canada, we can affirm our commitment to being peacemakers by working with other faith communities ready to make similar commitments.

Aloha from Hawaii! 

​We have been on a tour of the Pacific Islands Mission Centre and our first stop was Hilo on the big island in Hawaii, then we headed to Oahu for Holy Week. We visited every congregation in Hawaii, including the campground. We met with many members for classes, worship, and fellowship. Easter Sunday culminated in a worship with all the congregations in Oahu together, and, of course, a huge Pot Blessing meal.

Mahalo!