By Apostle Shannon McAdam,
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I have brought home many learnings from my fall tour of the British Isles and Western Europe. One of these has particularly stayed with me: how people there have provided impactful, meaningful ministry in small, humble spaces. As I visited congregations in the UK, I noticed that people take great pride in buildings that are much more humble than many of the facilities our congregations have in North America.

And no one seems to let the size of their space limit what is possible to offer as ministry for their community.

In Sutton, I met a congregation that opens every Wednesday morning for coffee with the community. People wander in from the neighbourhood on their morning walks or intentionally head to “their church” for a hot drink, a cookie, and—more importantly—friendly conversation. At long tables in the small church hall, people sit and catch up on their lives. The congregation also has thrift tables around the edge of the room where people can buy household goods, books, and clothes for just a few pence. Most think of it as “their church,” even if they aren’t members and have never been by on a Sunday.

A little later on Wednesday mornings in Clay Cross, members of the congregation and the larger community gather in their sanctuary to divide food into hampers that people in need can purchase for a very nominal amount. After receiving an overwhelming number of tins of baked beans as donations for hampers, a congregation member came up with the idea of also serving a simple hot lunch of beans on toast on Wednesdays for anyone who might be hungry for a hot meal and/or some conversation. “Bean Still” was born, and has become a weekly tradition.

At Stockport, one room serves as sanctuary, dining room, children’s play area, and meeting place. Their kitchen is smaller than my condo kitchen, and yet they served us a generous lunch when we visited, with homemade soups, fresh bread, cheese aplenty, and desserts (complete with custard!).

These places inspired me to think about how often we assume our spaces—not just our churches but also our homes—are too humble or small to invite anyone to. But in reality, people will remember far more about how they felt when they visited, and the quality of the relationships they formed, than about the décor, the size of the space, or how fancy the meal was.

Could you “risk something new” in your space? Is there something simple you could offer that might bring warmth and hope to others’ lives? Because, as Stassi has challenged us to think: “What if we get it right?” We won’t know unless we try!

Apostles Shannon McAdam and Lachlan Mackay share their Advent and Christmas greetings in this short video, reflecting on the many people they connected with this year and looking toward the year ahead with gratitude. They also offer a special blessing for the season.

A very meaningful and memorable part of travelling the British Isles and Europe was our experiences of the sacraments. We participated in Communion 4 times and observed or participated in 3 ordinations, 2 baptisms, 2 laying on of hands, and 1 confirmation.
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Communion in particular was memorable as we took the elements outside on a playground, in a schoolroom during a conference, in a hotel room, and in a conference room of a hostel. All were deeply moving and sacred times.

My journey through the British Isles has continually been full of new experiences. Lach and I attended the British Isles Mission Centre conference and had the privilege of ordaining Wayne Farmer to Bishop.

​Then we headed out with Andrew and Jewell Bolton towards Scotland to meet with seekers. Along the way we visited inspiring historical sites that are helping us better understand this context.

​Hello from Dunfield House in the United Kingdom!I spent a weekend at Dunfield house as I begin my travels in the UK and Europe over the next few weeks. I was welcomed with warm hospitality, experienced beautiful sights (including wild ponies!), and enjoyed fun camp activities like campfire and swimming. It has been fun to see what is the same and what is different here. In spite of the small differences, I feel very much at home.

The World Church has created a playlist of Leader Profiles on the Community of Christ YouTube channel. These profiles are a chance to hear directly from those who have accepted calls to lead with vision, humility, and love. 
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Of special note are interviews with our newly ordained apostles: Shannon McAdam, Matthew Frizzell, Carrie Welch, Kat Hnatyshyn, Adam Wade, and Joey Williams.​ Click the links below to watch the interviews.