Remembering A Week in the Life of the Church

By John Hamer, Director of Outreach and Innovative Mission

Back in 1992, Herald House published a photo book entitled, A Week in the Life of the Church, documenting the lived experience of church members around the world, including celebrations, worship, special events, daily life, and community outreach.  Representative images were sent in from Australia, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Kenya, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, the Philippines, the United States, and Zaire.  The book provides a valuable snapshot, documenting the way church was experienced.  Canada was particularly well represented with photographs from the Vancouver congregation in British Columbia, and in Ontario, the Grand Valley congregation and Maitland Street congregation (now London Woodfield).  

We can see the way worship services were lived in the 1990s.  Maitland Street photos include Jerry van Rossum preaching with Bill Thompson and others in the pews listening.  At the communion table, priesthood member Twyla Atchison and Helen Robb prepared the emblems, and we see Ami Wolsey receiving them.  Also recorded is the baptism of Lisa Crawford by Perry White and then her confirmation by Eleanor White and Jack German.  A worship service at Grand Valley shows a young Nathaniel Halifax receiving offerings from members in the pews.  Vancouver sent photos from their Children’s Day service that included a children’s choir singing “There’s a Joy in Me” and a group of young girls with a basket of fruit.

The book also records celebrations like balloon tossing and a tug of war at Grand Valley’s annual church school picnic.  Len Davie of the Maitland Street congregation was photographed grilling for the weekly “Scattergood Barbecue” in London.  Women with young children are seen gathering for a weekly Bible Study group in Vancouver, which also hosted an intergenerational activity known as “Secret Pals.”  Rounding out church life are Helen Robb of Maitland Street on a hospital visit and Carlisle Mitchell working on adding a new washroom for the Grand Valley church.  Finally, Arlo Hodgson, church historian for the Maitland Street congregation is shown with the historical archives which are still maintained at the Woodfield London church.

A Week in the Life of the Church is a treasure, which makes me wish the Canadian church had done a book like this in 1950 and 1920 and 1890!  Which is why I am so excited for the Onward Together: Community of Christ in Canada book that we are planning for this year.  When we announced this project, I likened it to a “yearbook” for the Canadian church — but it will be so much more as we document our lived experience and share our stories and photos!  Begin thinking of what you want to say about your congregation and your reunion.  What would you like people to remember about the lived experience of the church today?   Stay tuned!  More information about the Onward Together book will be coming soon.

We owe great thanks to the Canadian photographers who took and shared these photos with the international church: Jan Koeslag, Brett Schiissler, and D. Naralon Thorn.  Can you identify everyone in the photos? Send their names to [email protected].