 Most people who first encounter Community of Christ these days don’t do it by walking into a church building, but by finding one of our online ministries. Programs like Beyond the Walls, Latter Day Seekers, Project Zion (now called Faith Unfiltered), or the Centre Place Lecture Series, among others, are constantly reaching new audiences, prompting many folks to find out more about our church. We informally use the term “seekers” to refer to them.
Seekers represent a wide spectrum of age, gender, and ethnic diversities, and they come from places around the world, including Canada. Some are seeking purpose and healing. Some are seeking refuge after experiencing rejection in other religious groups. Some have existential questions. Some are interested in activism for a good cause. And some are simply looking for a faith community. What can your congregation or group offer to them? It is crucial for our church to ensure seekers can easily find a ministry that speaks to their current needs. When they are ready to look up a local ministry on Google, the first result they will get is our institutional website www.communityofchrist.ca. Each one of our Canadian congregations has a page on this website, where we hope seekers will learn about what is happening in their area. Even if you have a website or Facebook page, if your congregation’s listing at communityofchrist.ca is out of date or incomplete, seekers are unlikely to look further. Being welcoming starts with telling seekers what to expect, and your congregational page on our Canadian website is the best place to do this! What can your congregation do? We strongly suggest you appoint a Communications Officer. What does this role entail? Simply keep the Communications Team up to date about what is happening in your congregation. You don’t need to be tech-savvy. We just need to ensure that seekers looking at your page on our website will find information that encourages them to contact you or join one of your events. Think of the questions you might consider if you were looking for a church community:
Will there be opportunities for development? Absolutely. We are creating resources and planning workshops to develop Communications Officers because we believe this role is essential to our mission in the 21st century. Many of our congregations have programs that offer opportunities to experience congregational life in mission by promoting peace and justice or helping alleviate poverty. In this way, we are embodying three of our mission initiatives. But almost without exception, we struggle to embody the other two mission initiatives: invite people to Christ and develop disciples to serve. We can address this problem by developing individuals of all ages to learn tips and skills to invite new people to engage in mission and build community at the local level. Where to start? Simply send us an email to [email protected]. Let us know if your congregation already has a Communications Officer or if you or someone you know might be ready to respond to this call. We are looking forward to hearing from you, Leandro Palacios Director of Communications Community of Christ in Canada  By John Hamer, Director of Outreach and Innovative Mission At their back-to-back September conferences, both mission centres — Canada West and Canada East — approved complementary resolutions to come together to form a single Canadian Mission Centre. Over the next few months, the governing bodies at International Headquarters charged with Mission Centre organization will go through the necessary procedures to implement the resolutions, so that the new Mission Centre will come into existence on January 1, 2026. The resolutions call for an initial conference of the new Mission Centre to be held before February 28. We anticipate this conference will be held in January; we will announce dates as soon as they are finalized. Everyone whose memberships are currently housed with the Canada East or Canada West Mission Centres will have their memberships automatically transferred to the new Mission Centre. All members of the new Mission Centre will have the right to participate and vote in the initial conference, which will be conducted online. (It will not be necessary for congregations to elect delegates.) The budgets enacted by the Canada West and Canada East Mission Centres in the past two weeks will be “subsumed” into the new Mission Centre’s 2026 budget, which members will review and approve at the online conference. The current Mission Centre President Team in Canada West: Shannon McAdam, Kat Goheen, and Becky Middleton, will continue to lead CWM until December 31. In Canada East, Mary Jean Belrose retired from the Mission Centre President Team effective September 21. The remaining two presidents, Vonda DenBoer and Dawn Dawson, will continue to serve in their capacity until December 31. The Onward Together plan envisions a Canadian Leadership Team consisting of five directors led by our Field Apostle, Shannon McAdam. The directors include our two core support functions: (1) director of shared services (Sam Smalldon), and (2) director of communications (Leandro Palacios); and the directors of the three core strategies: (1) outreach & innovative mission (John Hamer), (2) camping & campground sustainability (Vonda DenBoer), and (3) leadership development (to be announced). The search committee has interviewed multiple candidates to fill the leadership development director position. We will announce the name as soon as the position is filled.  The Onward Together plan recommends that the Field Apostle will recommend that the First Presidency appoint the three directors of our core strategies to serve as the initial Mission Centre President Team for the new Mission Centre. All five directors, under the leadership of the Field Apostle, will continue to constitute the Leadership Team for Community of Christ in Canada.  At the Canada West Mission Conference in Chilliwack, BC, Gwyn Beer and Lisa Neudorf were ordained to the office of Seventy during the Beyond the Walls service. In the testimony below, Gwyn reflects on how an unexpected call became a source of deep joy, how she and Lisa are stepping into this ministry, and their hopes for serving communities across Canada and beyond.
By Gwyn Beer The CWM Conference, September 12–14, 2025, was held in Chilliwack, my home congregation. On Sunday, September 14, during the Beyond the Walls service, Lisa Neudorf and I were ordained to the office of Seventy. For me, the call to Seventy was unexpected and came at a very busy time (but is there ever a “right time”?). Unprepared, and asked to respond within a week, I prayed. I also looked up the role of the Seventy in Community of Christ. In my deliberation, I pondered my call to Elder and now to Seventy. My heart sang out to me that Seventy is where I should be! This felt more “right” than Elder had. I had an immediate sense that I needed this, perhaps even more than those I hope to serve need a Seventy. About 12 days later (past the seven asked for, as I am often late), I called Seventy John Glaiser back. I accepted the call and began to work on my studies. I later heard that Lisa Neudorf had also accepted the call to the office of Seventy during the week leading up to conference. God works in wonderful ways! With Shirley Smith, we now have three Seventies in the western provinces of Canada—BC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan each have a Seventy. I feel we three will move forward together. Shirley Smith and Linda Klughart began a project to reach out to non-residents in the four western provinces. I want to keep reaching out to those who live outside a congregation. For me, this was the beginning of what I see as my chosen outreach. We will develop our own plans, and with Karin Peters and Joelle Wight to guide and advise, we will step forward in faith. Lisa and I, along with Shirley, will be opening our hearts and using our heads to serve all in Canada as we move out in faith, hope, and love.  How is climate change impacting our church in Africa? Bunda Chibwe, from the Community of Christ First Presidency, will share with us the struggles our African siblings face due to droughts, floods, and storms. We will get a glimpse of the energy transition that is occurring as populations take seriously the need to divest from fossil fuels and decrease carbon emissions. You won’t want to miss this outstanding kick-off to our new webinar series. Join the October Climate Webinar and connect with our African members in the struggle to survive the climate emergency. When: Sunday, October 5, 2025 starting at 2:00 p.m. PDT, 3:00 p.m. MDT, 4:00 p.m. CDT, 5:00 p.m. EDT, 11:00 a.m. HT, 10:00 p.m. London, and 8:00 a.m. Sydney (+1 day) Where: Zoom Hosted by the North American Climate Justice Team. Sponsored by the GPNW Mission Center, Community of Christ. Open to all people of all faiths and traditions. If you registered for a past webinar, you do not need to register again. Once registered, you will receive a Zoom link before each session.  After 50 years away, Wendy felt a growing pull to reconnect with the congregation she had known as a child in St. Thomas, Ontario. She wondered whether anyone would remember her, and why the church had changed its name to Community of Christ. What she found was more than answers—she discovered something she had been missing in her life.
By Wendy Jacklyn of St. Thomas, ON My “church” story began approximately 60 years ago. As a young girl, my mother always saw to it that my siblings and I went to Sunday School every Sunday. We attended the small Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Balaclava Street in St. Thomas, Ontario. In 1968, at the age of 11, I was baptized and confirmed. A few years later, around age 16, I decided I didn’t want to attend Sunday School anymore, so I stopped going. That was the beginning of my 50-year absence! Fast forward to about two years ago. My husband and I had moved back to St. Thomas to retire in 2013. Every now and then I’d think about my old church and drive by the building for old times’ sake. The building is still there, although now renovated into a home. A new church had been built on Fairview Avenue, and because of some changes, the name had become Community of Christ. Over the past 3–4 years, my urge to check out the new church grew stronger. I was curious to see if anyone I remembered would still be there and to learn why the name had changed. Then, as our pastor, Elder Don Millard, calls it… “Divine Engineering” happened! I was sitting at home on my iPad and noticed on Facebook that the church would be holding a Christmas Bazaar in mid-November. I’ve always thought bazaars were fun and toyed with the idea of dropping in just for old times’ sake. When the day came, I felt absolutely drawn and pulled toward the church. As I walked around the social hall, I asked one of the vendors if anyone from the church was there. I mentioned I had been a member of the congregation 60 years ago. Before I could stop him, the vendor went to tell the pastor that I was there. Within a couple of minutes, I saw a familiar face — Don Millard. I was still wearing a mask, but as soon as I told him my maiden name, he gave me the biggest smile and a hug. Not only did he remember me as a young girl, but he also remembered my mom and shared that he had known my whole family and even spent time at our house with my older siblings. I felt like I had come home. We chatted for several minutes, reminiscing about the old days. It was wonderful! Before I left, Don invited me to attend Sunday service. I explained that I had a commitment that week but promised I would attend the following Sunday. I also admitted that I wasn’t sure what I believed, but I knew something was missing from my life. Don understood and said, “That’s fine.” The next week, I attended church. I recognized a few other names and faces. It was just like coming home! What a wonderful feeling. Don welcomed me back during the service, and others made a special point of saying they remembered my family. Fast forward to today. I go to church every opportunity I get. While a bi-weekly commitment keeps me from attending weekly, I still make it 2–3 times a month. I love the services and get so much out of them! I’m like a sponge and soak up everything I can. Now and then, I’ve been asked — and now volunteer — to say the Prayer for Peace. That particular prayer always speaks to me. I’m so very happy to be back, and I thank the Lord and Pastor Don Millard every day that I am. Discover your story at the Spiritual Life Writing Online Retreat: POSTPONED to Jan 24-25, 20269/17/2025  Note: Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Spiritual Life Writing Online Retreat has been postponed to January 24–25, 2026. If you have any questions, please contact Debra Donohue at [email protected].
By Lana Cullis, Co-Author of The Spiritual Life Writing Workbook: From Concept to Bookshelf What’s your story? I started attending Community of Christ (then RLDS) in the late 1980s as a first-year university student. I attended regularly, despite being decades younger than most of the other participants. I partied with my friends on the weekends and yet felt welcomed and affirmed at Sunday morning services and mid-week prayer meetings. I responded to the simple yet powerful ritual of sharing our troubles on Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. No matter how frayed or frantic I felt walking into the sanctuary, I felt calm and restored walking out. Matthew 18:20 is often quoted within our faith community: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (KJV) There is something ancient, compelling, prophetic, and sacred about witnessing concerns turned into prayer. As a spiritual life writer, I believe the act of sharing stories is transformative; it is how we, as humans, move from isolation into belonging. As a minister, I believe that sharing in this way both transforms and connects us to one another—just like the sacrament of communion, just like the miracle of turning water to wine. This past Friday, I had the honour of teaching spiritual life writing to a group of bereaved parents attending a Compassionate Friends Retreat held in Nanaimo. Compassionate Friends was founded in 1969 by two families who felt alone in their bereavement. It is now an international organization. Bereaved parents have amazing stories to tell, yet often wrestle with how and when to tell them. They also struggle with how to avoid becoming overwhelmed when sharing about life, love, death, and loss. During our 90 minutes together, I guided retreat participants to remember, draft, and share three-sentence stories about their children and their bereavement. We explored memories tinged with grief and memories infused with joy. Participants also learned how this brief type of storytelling can be adapted to tackle the hard-to-answer (and often insensitive) questions directed towards grieving parents. For me, the experience of sharing stories with Compassionate Friends affirmed how sustaining and vital it is to recognize, form, and share personal stories of great meaning: experiences that challenge and transform, experiences steeped in faith or tinged with doubt, and especially those experiences we might label spiritual and/or religious. Susan Scott, Sharon Hines, special guest Traci Skuce, and I invite you to attend the “What’s Your Story?” Nurturing Spirit Retreat on October 18–19. The retreat sessions are designed to be welcoming and inclusive—regardless of spiritual beliefs and regardless of writing experience. Please draw your circle of invitation wide, with both your in-person and your online friends. If you are not yet sure the retreat is a fit for you, reach out to Debra Donohue, Lana Cullis, Susan Scott, or Sharon Hines. We are happy to answer questions. Early bird registration is now open for this two-day retreat hosted by Creating Connection and featuring authors Susan Scott, Lana Cullis, and Sharon S. Hines, with special guest author Traci Skuce. As part of your registration, you’ll receive a Kindle copy of The Spiritual Life Writing Workbook: From Concept to Bookshelf, written by Susan, Lana, and Sharon. Dates: Saturday, October 18 & Sunday, October 19 – 10 a.m.–5 p.m. PDT each day Hosted on Zoom – link sent one week prior Early bird rate: $60 CAD (regular $75)  The Board of Directors of Community of Christ in Canada invites all members across Canada to participate via Zoom in the upcoming regular meeting this Tuesday, Sep 16, at 4:30pm PT / 5:30pm CT / 7:30pm ET. As an observer, you’ll be able to follow the proceedings and may use the Zoom chat. Although this session will not include a Q&A, we will take note of your questions and comments. If you have questions in advance, please contact Bishop of Canada Sam Smalldon at [email protected]. In addition, the Board has published minutes and policy documents, and will continue expanding this repository. You can read about the Board, the current directors, and access all published board documents here: This step reflects our commitment to greater openness and transparency in how the Board stewards the mission, assets, and business of the church as we move Onward Together. The Canada Board of Directors exists as the required not-for-profit corporation for the church in Canada. It functions as the corporate management body overseeing policies and actions in Canada, conducting business on behalf of the church within the theological and governing policies of the World Church. The Board is accountable to the membership in Canada and works in cooperation with World Church leadership so the church can meet in-country legal and practical requirements. The agenda on our Sep 16 meeting will include a review of the 2026 draft budgets:
The agenda will also include Ron Rowbottom’s report to the mission centres. How to join (Zoom) Tuesday, September 16, 2025, 4:30pm PT / 5:30pm CT / 7:30pm ET. Or use the meeting information below: Meeting ID: 878 7133 9473 Passcode: 479247  By Alfredo Zelaya, Sr High Camp Community Director This year at Sr. High Camp, we embarked on a powerful journey through the theme Unmuted—a call to find our voice, use it well, and understand the impact of what we say and what we choose to listen to. We began in silence, exploring the fears and insecurities that often cause us to mute ourselves. Through daily themes like Volume Up, Echo, and Mic Check, we built courage and learned how vulnerability, honesty, and listening are all part of authentic self-expression. Campers were challenged to own their stories, name the voices that shape them, and use their words to speak truth—not just for themselves, but for others. Throughout the week, we wove together personal growth, spiritual reflection, and a deepening sense of community, all within a vibrant atmosphere of connection and joy. We explored the power of words to heal, to build up, and to unify through meaningful moments in small groups, morning Community Celebrations, and our deeply moving Reflect & Connect service. Equally powerful were the community-building moments of laughter and play that brought us even closer: spirited House Cup challenges that fostered team spirit, corn roasting and music jamming at the beach-front party, late-night waffle runs, the legendary poutine party, and a Viking-themed banquet that turned mealtime into an epic celebration. These shared experiences created unforgettable memories and meaningful bonds. Whether in quiet conversations or loud cheers, our campers stepped into confidence not because they had all the answers, but because they discovered their voices are valuable—and they belong. This year also marked a continued season of growth for Sr. High Camp. With strong numbers and a vibrant, committed team of volunteer staff and LITs, we created a safe, joy-filled space where youth could reconnect with their inner voice and their calling as community builders and followers of Jesus. By the end of the week, each camper carried home a “mic drop” message: a commitment to speak with purpose, live authentically, and contribute to communities of joy, hope, love, and peace. The sound of silence was replaced by the sound of unity, support, and newfound confidence. We look ahead with excitement to the Thanksgiving Retreat (October 10–12), and eagerly anticipate returning to Sr. High Camp Noronto in August 2026. Until then, we remain Unmuted—voices raised in love, purpose, and a shared commitment to community building that moves beyond words into action. |
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