 This year’s Young at Heart Retreat took place September 21–25 at Camp Noronto. Guest minister Becky Middleton, former member of the Canada West Mission Centre Presidency Team, and Vonda DenBoer, Director of Camping & Campground Sustainability, reflect on five days that included classes on “The Power of Listening,” worship, a Thanksgiving banquet, and an unforgettable welcome for a participant on the day she became a Canadian citizen. By Vonda DenBoer I have never attended Young at Heart before, but I have been delighted to be embraced by such a loving group of friends. One experience that especially moved me was the welcome Suzie Cochrane of Owen Sound received the day she became a Canadian citizen. We waited anxiously for her arrival at camp, each of us ready for our part in the surprise. As soon as she crossed the threshold, the entire group stood with smiling faces and began singing O Canada. Suzie was deeply touched, and happy tears began to flow. I found myself in tears too, moved by the beauty of the moment. Then came the hugs as everyone gathered around her to celebrate and welcome her into the group. Soon the Canadian flag appeared, along with all manner of patriotic decorations and merchandise. We had even delayed dessert, knowing that a congratulatory cake was waiting to be shared. As the evening continued, stories were told and laughter filled the room. What struck me most was not simply that we were celebrating Suzie becoming a Canadian citizen, but the way she was surrounded and embraced by a cloud of loving friends. It was a beautiful picture of what community can be: people gathered together to celebrate one another, to mark important moments, and to make sure no one walks through the door alone. By Becky Middleton What a beautiful setting! We had lovely weather, the accommodations were very comfortable, and the food was great! And best of all, the opportunity to get to know so many new friends from all over Ontario! We played games and chatted, watched a wonderful movie, did some crafts, had some campfires and worship, stretched our bodies and our minds- Oh -and I led some classes on the theme of 'The Power of Listening'. The classes were very well received, attentively 'listened to' and there was enthusiastic participation as well. We also had presentations on 'The Power of 8', Autism, and the Reaching Out congregation. It culminated with a wonderful communion service on Friday. I can't leave out our delicious and festive thanksgiving banquet! It was truly a delightful 5 days. Wish you could have been there!       
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 By John Hamer, Canada Mission Centre Historian
Members of the early Restoration movement were apocalypticists who believed that the world would literally end in their lifetimes. Church president Joseph Smith assured his followers that the end would come no later than 1891, and likely much sooner. He also predicted that, at that cosmic moment, Christ would appear in glory above the Old Jerusalem, but then would build Zion — a New Jerusalem — in Jackson County, Missouri, centered on a parcel of land they called “Temple Lot.” The heavens would open and the perfected city of the antediluvian patriarch Enoch would descend to Earth, which would be returned to a condition like the Garden of Eden. And Christ, having returned would dwell there with his disciples at the center place of the Celestial Kingdom. These promises of the final dispensation becoming manifest physically and tangibly excited the hopes and imaginations of thousands of believers, most of whom were poor and relatively uneducated farmers, inspiring them to gather and move to the center place to share in the experience. What would the New Jerusalem be like? Something glorious, surely, but also imaginable. Few members had any experience with what passed for cities in 1830s North America. New York at the time had a population of just 200,000, while Toronto had a paltry 3,000 people. Turning to the Book of Acts, members understood that the old Jerusalem had a temple at its heart, and reasoned that would also be true for the New Jerusalem. They dedicated a spot in Independence, Missouri, where they planned to build their temple. But what was a temple? In truth, they did not really know. In fact, their plans for the city involved building 24 temples, some of which would act as printing houses, others as warehouses. The existing Missouri settlers were not impressed with the apocalyptic fervor of their new neighbours and did not want their settlement reinvisioned as Zion. They ultimately resorted to vigilantism and violence to drive early church members from the county and later the state. After a period of schism and disorganization, members of the reorganized church (now Community of Christ) began returning to Independence in the 1870s and 1880s. By the 1920s, a new church president, Frederick M. Smith, announced his new vision for Zion, updated for the industrial era of the early 20th century. At its heart, the church would build a monumental structure on the old temple parcel. Beneath one of the largest reinforced concrete domes of its era, the plans were to construct an assembly hall that could seat more people than the contemporary population of Independence. The edifice would include all the components of Fred M’s understanding of a temple: a massive sanctuary to assemble and worship, spaces for learning, offices of church headquarters. But being a modern man, Fred M gave his edifice a modern name: The Auditorium. Like a medieval cathedral, the Auditorium took decades to complete. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, a new leader, W. Wallace Smith, who may not have known his elder brother's thinking, began to speak of a need to build a structure specifically designated as the temple. That idea became a reality in 1994 under the leadership of his son, Wallace B. Smith, when the magnificent Independence temple was dedicated. This was a long journey, and we in Community of Christ have gained knowledge and wisdom along the way. We no longer imagine that Christ will build a literal New Jerusalem at the Temple Lot in Independence, Missouri, or anywhere else on Earth. Instead, we seek to live out those ideals meaningfully by promoting Christ's just and peaceable Kingdom in all the places we live, building Zion in our neighborhoods. And rather than confining our understanding of God's dwelling place to a single physical structure, we understand the true temple of the Lord to be formed when the Spirit connects disciples all around the world who are committed to sharing mission. May we make ourselves a Temple open to God’s presence and grace.  By Marten Ternan, Ottawa, ON This was my first time attending Noronto Reunion, and I was a little unsure of what to expect. My first view of the beautiful 19-acre campground at the western end of Lake Nipissing helped put me at ease. Located between North Bay and Sudbury, the grounds include an impressive A-frame chapel, a large dining hall and several other buildings and camping areas. Our first meal was on Saturday evening, and while everyone was lined up waiting for the dining hall to open, Melissa Freer told them that it was my birthday. The entire camp — more than 100 people — sang Happy Birthday to me. After that, everyone knew who I was. For the rest of the week, people would say, “Hi Marten,” and I had no idea who they were. Everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming. On the first morning of the reunion, Karina Boeve-Middleton was baptized in Lake Nipissing by John Morgan and Elaine Kerr-Morgan, and Cohen McCleary was baptized by Clair Shepherdson and John Morgan. Baptisms in natural settings are always impressive, but this one was particularly meaningful because the reunion began with two people making a commitment to become disciples. It was an inspiration to all of us who were present and an excellent start to the reunion experience. The classes explored “Living the Mission Prayer as a Way of Life” through three ideas: Awaken, Risk and Bless. Being awake means asking for vision to see the world as God sees it — both the current reality and the world as it could be — and developing spiritual practices that connect us to the Holy Spirit. Risk means responding to the leadings of the Holy Spirit in our day while recognizing that many outside the church are searching for meaning and connection. Blessing is sharing, and experience that is reflected upon and articulated leads to action. Authentic and loving Christ-centered communities can transform the world when we engage people in conversation about their interests, hopes and questions, make others feel welcome, call them by name, break bread and tell stories together, and invest time in building a culture of safety and trust. During the week, a few people asked for my impressions of the Noronto reunion. My response was, “These are my people.” Although I came as a stranger, I felt I belonged there. We have shared values, and although we live in many different places, we have had similar experiences and share common hopes for the future. My conclusion is that when our community gathers, I need to be with them. These are my people.  Photo by Chad Godfrey What does belonging in Community of Christ mean to you? If someone asked you that question, how would you respond in only one sentence in a way that someone who is not familiar with our church would understand? They say that “your story is church history.” That’s why all are called to tell their story. But where do we begin when words don’t flow easily, and how do we organize our thoughts? Instead of struggling to tell all the details, what if we start by sharing with others how it feels to belong in just a few words? If you are game, we would love to hear your voice! Here’s what we need from you:
How we will use what you share with us:
Please send your photo and sentence to [email protected] by October 16. We are looking forward to hearing what belonging in Community of Christ means to you!   By Rachel Killebrew, World Church Library Director at International Headquarters.
When John Hamer told me about the “Onward Together” book and plans to share the stories of members, congregations, and camps engaged in mission across Canada, past and present, I was thrilled! What an incredible way to preserve and celebrate our treasured church heritage. My mind instantly raced to the many resources contained in our archives that might aid in this effort: videos, pamphlets, periodicals, congregational histories, official reports, correspondence, and more. Knowing John’s time here at the archives is limited, we considered how we could support this Canadian initiative from afar. For example, we have a variety of indexes that can be shared remotely that can help us track down documents specific to Canada. Many documents and photos in the archives have already been digitized, so sharing files is easy. And if something needed hasn’t been scanned, we are blessed to have an excellent team of volunteers that is always ready to do the job. This is a big project with many possibilities to consider — but it all leads back to the excitement of a book that will be shared with you, and with our archives, to bless future generations. This is the heart of what we do. At the library-archives, we collect and preserve materials that tell our church history. When a congregation like Corinth is celebrating their 150th anniversary (like they did last month), we can pull the files we have here to support them. We can help members trace their genealogy and discover their own family history. Whether you are researching the development of church beliefs and practices or preparing for a Sunday service, we’re here to help. Our archive is composed of the stories, materials, and resources that you collect and share. Please save your photos — and label them. Save precious memories from key moments of your congregation’s story. When you donate items to the archives, we attempt to digitize, organize, and properly store the hard copies for future generations to access. When our members need assistance or resources, they reach out and we complete a survey and devise a plan that will provide them with the needed resources in a way that fits their capabilities. We are happy to help people remotely via mail, email or in person when they are in Independence. What are some of the ways you are sharing mission? Tell your story and share it with us so that generations to come can know who you are and what matters most to you. Your own story is church history. We invite you to preserve your personal church story in the format of an oral history. If your congregation does not have a congregational historian, consider who you might recruit. Along with your Canadian historians, John Hamer and Steve Thompson, I’ll help set them up with the materials they need to get started. And if you already have a historian, send us your annual reports — we can’t wait to receive them! Lastly, please share the story of the archives and how we can help others. By working together as a community, we can share and preserve the blessings of our memories for future generations.  By Leandro Palacios, Director of Communications
In Community of Christ we often say that we are a non-creedal church. This means that to belong in this church, to participate in church activities, in other words, to be welcomed, an individual is not required to embrace a specific belief. Of course, this does not mean that anything goes. As a church we do have basic beliefs, but we do not exclude from our ministry and mission people who come to church while embracing beliefs that differ from our formal statement of basic beliefs. So how can we discern our shared path forward when some might disagree even on something that seems as central to the life of a church as what to believe in? In Community of Christ we have Enduring Principles: Grace & Generosity, Sacredness of Creation, Continuing Revelation, Worth of All Persons, All Are Called, Responsible Choices, Pursuit of Peace, Unity in Diversity, and Blessings of Community. These nine shared values are grounded in our heritage, including our history and scripture, and “define the essence, heart, and soul of our faith community.” They are our response to our community’s experience of God as together we walk the path of the disciple, allowing us to discern our shared path forward even when disagreements on matters of belief may arise. Yet, as individuals, our diverse backgrounds and life journeys have shaped us in unique ways, each one of us holding our own set of values. Earlier this week, the members of the Community of Christ in Canada Leadership Team gathered for a retreat at the storefront church facility of the Calgary congregation, located in downtown Calgary, Alberta. As a team, we regularly meet online since we are all scattered across great distances. So this was an opportunity not only to dive into the details of our strategic plan and envision the path forward with clear, measurable goals, but also to learn how to work together as a team by getting to know each other a little better, building trust, offering support, and nurturing personal connection. The retreat opened with an activity led by Director of Leadership Development Lanette Vawter, where we were given a long list of values and each of us, step by step, narrowed the list down to just two values that best represented us personally. In my experience working in marketing, I had done similar exercises that aim to reveal the values a brand represents or communicates to its customers, but there was a fundamental difference between those exercises and what Lanette had us do. The usual marketing approach is top-down: starting with brand values, we look at how individuals respond. But in our activity, we did it bottom-up: starting from our individual values, we looked at how these could guide us as a group. What emerged was a fascinating list of shared values: Co-creation, Adaptability, Spirituality, Kindness, Creativity, Vision, Integrity, Justice, Generosity, and Making a Difference. Then we assigned tangible action items that the church can carry out to each other’s values. The most surprising moment happened the next day, when we could not remember who had written what, which shows me that we were successfully working as a group that, albeit diverse in many ways, is able to find common ground by building upon shared values. I feel blessed to be part of this team. As we prepare for our First Annual Mission Centre Conference, we will continue to share how the team is turning the Onward Together strategic plan into tangible action—including programs and ministries that address challenges and opportunities across Canada and beyond—building upon the foundation of our Enduring Principles and our shared values. I hope you will stay tuned, and do not hesitate to reach out to us with your comments and questions.  By Cindy Larsen, Calgary AB I am the mother of three daughters and was a single mother for a long time, so I learned firsthand how expensive basic needs for women can be. Over the years, I began noticing more efforts to raise awareness about the need for feminine hygiene products. Shoppers Drug Mart had a collection bin, my softball team supported Tampon Tuesday, and my health-care union held a supplies drive. I loved seeing people respond to a need that can so easily be overlooked, and when I reached a point where I could be a giver, I wanted to do the same. When our Calgary Congregation held a brainstorming session about mission opportunities that would work for our small congregation and limited volunteer resources, I brought the idea forward. Parker Johnson suggested the name “Dignity Box,” and the congregation immediately embraced it. We had already been supporting the local food bank, but this gave us a particular way to respond to our growing awareness of the indignities experienced by marginalized people around us. It also fit naturally with what we had learned through our welcoming and affirming work and our experience as a downtown congregation. We started the Dignity Box at the beginning of 2025. It sits at the front of the church, under the church seal that remains as a legacy from our previous building, and it is always there for people to add donations. Feminine hygiene products are an important part of what we collect, along with deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, soap, socks, and other basic necessities. We all deserve a life where our basic hygiene needs can be met without embarrassment. The box fills surprisingly quickly. Once we have a good amount to donate, we work through two local organizations already serving people in need: the Calgary Drop-In Centre and the Calgary Food Bank. The Drop-In Centre works with people experiencing homelessness, while the Food Bank supports people experiencing food insecurity. The Food Bank has also seen increasing requests for feminine hygiene products, and through the Dignity Box we can address that need in our own small way. Getting the donations where they need to go is simple. When we donate to the Food Bank, my husband, Pastor Doug, passes the supplies to a neighbour in our building who takes them along when he works his shift there. When we donate to the Drop-In Centre, Doug and I take them to the Donation Centre ourselves. At Christmas, we also check the organizations’ wish lists and concentrate our giving on the items they particularly need at that time. We don’t have direct contact with the people who eventually receive what we collect, but that doesn’t seem necessary. We know the good goes out into the world, into the hands of people who will make sure these basic necessities reach those who need them.
 Larry M. McGuire named new Senior President of Seventy Larry M. McGuire has been named the new Senior President of Seventy, with unanimous support from the Council of Presidents of Seventy. He will succeed Karin Peter following her retirement in October and will be set apart during a service on October 18.  Join Emerge, the World Church’s online meetup for youth ages 14-18, Sep 27 Be part of something special—Emerge is an online space where youth ages 14–18 can meet new friends, share experiences, and grow together in community. Everyone is welcome, and we’d love to see you there! 🗓️ Sunday, Sep 24 🕕 7pm ET/ 6pm CT/ 5pm MT/ 4pm PT  By Karen Newman, SLIM Pastor of Mission Mission is a passion of mine, and one of the things I love about our SLIM family is how willing everyone is to help others. Sharing Love In Mission (SLIM) is a fully online congregation based in Chatham, Ontario, with members mostly from Canada and the United States, as well as a few from other countries around the world. A typical Sunday gathering brings 10–15 of us together on Zoom to socialize, share our joys and concerns, pray, worship, and talk about mission. We try to take on a mission project every month, and this summer gave us two wonderful opportunities to make a difference in our community. For our July mission project, we decided to provide some much-deserved treats to our local first responders. I contacted each location to find out how many people worked there and whether they had freezer space so we could make sure there was something for everyone. On July 20, our Spiritual Advisor, Margie Lamoure, and I delivered almost 400 frozen treats and nine large fruit trays to Chatham-Kent EMS, Chatham Police, Chatham Fire, and the Ontario Provincial Police. Everyone was so appreciative — and surprised that we wanted to do this for them! It felt great to give something back to people who give so much to their community. In August, we once again supported FreeHelpCK’s annual backpack program, which helps local families provide their children with the supplies they need for school. My original goal was to purchase and fill 40 backpacks. With financial support from the SLIM family, that original goal grew from 40 backpacks to 64, which I delivered to FreeHelpCK on August 13. I love watching our members get behind these projects, especially when a particular need speaks to someone and they decide to give a little extra to help us do even more. I have always been someone who likes to help others in need, even when I didn’t have a lot myself, and I was honoured when I was asked to become SLIM’s Pastor of Mission a few years ago. Members bring mission ideas to our Sunday gatherings or contact me directly, and our pastors then talk about how we can respond and what resources we have available. As Pastor of Mission, I help turn those ideas into action by connecting with organizations, finding out what they need, and coordinating our projects. We may gather online from many different places, but we consider ourselves a SLIM Family, and together we keep finding ways to share love in mission. Do you have a story like this one? We would love to hear it and share the good news with members and friends around the world. Send us your notes at [email protected], and our team will be happy to help you turn them into a story. Let’s Celebrate Mission together!  By Leandro Palacios, Director of Communications When people ask, “Why should I join Community of Christ instead of any other mainstream Protestant church?”, what should we say? Chuck Boyd, a former pastor of the Toronto congregation who is now a member of the Woodfield congregation, asked President Stassi Cramm and members and friends from across Ontario a question along those lines when they gathered at the Corinth congregation last Saturday to celebrate its 150th anniversary. When he was baptized in 1945, our members believed that ours was the one and only true church. While Chuck admitted that he himself wasn't fully comfortable with the claim and its implications for relations with our neighbours, he believed that it offered solid ground for our faith and identity, and also gave us a solid “sales pitch” to invite people to Christ. In the decades since that time, we stopped teaching that we had a monopoly on the true gospel and acknowledged that other churches—and in fact other religions—could also be valid spiritual paths or ways to connect with the divine. That’s when our old invitational sales pitch became obsolete. Now what? The question led to a fruitful conversation about our shared identity and mission, but in the end, I think we weren’t able to fully address Chuck’s main concern. Since that weekend, I have reflected back on the question. And it seems to me that the answer to questions like “Why this church and not others?” or “What does this church have to offer that others don’t?” was all around us at the Corinth congregation that day: When I arrived, I took a few photos of the building’s exterior. Everything looked beautiful, yes, but I wouldn’t say it was unique—although the flower bed was amazing! But when I opened the door and walked in, our church history greeted me with what felt like an unexpected warm embrace. That was special! I was effusively embraced by historic artifacts including photos, hymnals, letters, stories, articles, membership records, games, a model of the Independence Temple, and more. Led by congregation historian Nancy Baer, the Corinthians—that’s what local members call themselves and I love it—had laid out the congregation’s history on a wonderful display, filling tabletops and walls with their inheritance. Nancy also did something that made me—as Communications Director and as someone who loves history—extremely thankful and excited: she invited everyone to write down their memories, testimonies, and other stories and compiled them all together into a large binder. But that day I was also embraced by a giant “Map of Ancient America” that was likely still used back when Chuck was baptized, even though today we understand it does not reflect at all the history of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. And during the worship service, we sang hymns that no longer reflect our understanding of the gospel. While the congregation today is fully welcoming and is actively promoting the gospel in mission without making exclusive claims, the Corinthians proudly embrace and celebrate their own story, even those parts that we often hide away and don’t talk about for fear that someone will find out about our Restoration roots. Today we know we are not the one and only church. Neither are we better than all other churches. So what should be our sales pitch today? What I witnessed at Corinth reminds us that in Community of Christ, as we learn new and better ways to understand scripture and the good and not so good chapters of our shared story, we learn to discern the path forward. We certainly cannot claim to be the “one and only true church,” but perhaps we can invite people to true transformation. Our heritage gives us a unique lens to continue to grow and learn and be transformed not only as a church, but also as individuals. In our lives, we all have things we would rather hide away from others, things that make us feel guilty and unworthy. But what if the embarrassing things we try to hide in the closet are actually what make us special? I believe that celebrating our story while recognizing past errors and remaining prayerfully committed to always becoming more inclusive, more loving, and more Christ-like is very special indeed. A huge shout-out to the Corinth congregation for showing that responsibly celebrating our heritage can bring about the honest transformation we need to discern our path forward. Congratulations on your 150th anniversary! |
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