Seeds of Peace: Connecting across Canada and around the world

By John Hamer, Director of Outreach and Innovative Mission 

You won’t want to miss the church’s biggest event of the year!  Stassi Cramm and other world church leaders will be hosting the 2026 Peace Forum at the Temple in Independence this October 16–18.  The theme is “Seeds of Peace”: in a world distracted by so many ongoing crises, what can we do to plant seeds that can one day develop into enduring peace and justice? 

If you are not able to travel to the United States this year, Community of Christ in Canada is holding two in-person gatherings:  one in Vancouver, the other in the Greater Toronto Area.  Events of the Peace Forum will be livestreamed to both locations, including the keynote address by environmentalist Bill McKibben, author of Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? In addition to the livestream, both Canadian gathering sites will host their own in-person workshops, presentations, and activities. 

What to expect at the Greater Toronto Area Gathering

All generations are welcome!  Saturday October 17 will include a youth and intergenerational track with activities including a young peace-maker scavenger hunt and team puzzle-solving challenges.  There will be presentations about:

• 💥 The ongoing suffering in Gaza and the West Bank and how Churches for Middle East Peace can help us learn about, connect, and support local NGOs working to help.
• ☢️ The accelerating danger of nuclear weapons proliferation and how Community of Christ has teamed up with churches across Canada through Project Plowshares to address the crisis
• 🧡 Specific calls to churches from Canada’s Truth & Reconciliation Commission and ways we can foster justice for peoples of the First Nations.
• 🤝 Understanding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict with Brian Carwana, Director of the Encounter World Religions Centre. How each side understands the historical background and current state of the conflict and the impact of racism, islamophobia, antisemitism.
• 🎨 Workshops, crafting peace and good will cards, spiritual practices, a game night and more! ​ ​​

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What to expect at the Vancouver Gathering 
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Get ready for hands-on activities, including:

• 🧵 A “Sew it, Don’t throw it” workshop promoting re-use over recycling
• 🌲 A tour of Canada’s Temperate Rainforest
• 🌎 A group river clean-up
• 🧘‍♀️ Spiritual activities including guided meditation. 
• 🗣️ Joshua Bennett from Chennai, India, will talk about ways the church is confronting the injustice of the Caste System
• 🗣️ Christian Skoor-Smith who will help us unleash the power of positive thinking. ​

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Cross-Canada discussion groups 

Both gatherings will include a session where younger adults across Canada will connect via videoconference to answer the question “What should ‘being a peace church’ look like in the 21st century?”  Plan to connect, even if you cannot make it to Vancouver or the GTA. 

Because our Canadian Mission Centre Conference will be held online this year, the Peace Forum is our biggest opportunity this year to connect as a church in groupings beyond congregations and reunions.  You won’t want to miss out on either local gathering.  And the activities and topics provide a great opportunity to invite children and grandchildren or friends join you.  Please do!  We hope to see you there.