News & Updates

Our Deepest Condolences - Wayne Sparham

3/2/2021

In Loving Memory of
Douglas Wayne Sparham
November 8, 1941 - February 8, 2021

Wayne passed away on Monday, February 8, 2021, at 79 years of age, with his family by his side.

He leaves behind his wife, Marilyn (nee Sagle) of fifty-six years.

He was a loving and dedicated Father to four children, Richard, Rachel (Mike) and April (Mark). He now joins his daughter Elizabeth who predeceased him in 2014.

Wayne was blessed with 8 grandchildren, Jean-Paul, Jean-Guy, Andrew, Evan, Jade, Britney, Joel and Braedan and 2 great-grandchildren, Jordan and Jasmine, all of whom he was so proud of and who brought him great joy.

Wayne’s parents were Francis and Myrtle (nee McGregor) Sparham. Predeceasing Wayne were his brothers Robert Sparham and Roy Bodnarchuck. He is survived by sisters Christine (Bernard) Boyland and Cathy (Mike) Terrick.

Wayne worked many jobs from a very young age. Beginning at the age of 10, he was expected to help mix cement and carry cinder blocks assisting his step-father with masonry work. In his public school days, he delivered newspapers and worked at the local corner store in Val Caron. By high school, he had gained experience at a meat processing plant and had even hitchhiked to Elliot Lake to gain summer employment at Crawley McCracken mine as a cook’s assistant.

In 1961 he was hired by Inco and began work as a miner at Stobie Mine. After a few months, he was laid off and decided to apply with the Toronto Police Force. He successfully completed his academy training and worked ‘the beat’ in Toronto for over a year until he received a call-back from Inco. He returned to Sudbury and worked in many capacities at Inco for over 33 years, until his retirement in 1994.

Wayne was a member of Community of Christ where he served as a minister and dedicated his time on activities and development of the youth.

Wayne always had the time and willingness to help his neighbours and his community. For seven years, he was a volunteer firefighter with specialized training to work as a First Responder in Capreol. Wayne volunteered for seven years at Camp Quality, a camp for children with cancer. For 18 years, he volunteered for Victim’s Services, alongside his wife, for the Manitoulin and North Shore area. This work was of special importance to him as it allowed him to serve people in great need of care and compassion, of which Wayne was never in short supply.

In 1995, shortly after his retirement, Wayne and Marilyn moved to Manitoulin Island, as this was to be the promised land for a simple yet fulfilling retreat. There were years of golfing lessons and ballroom dancing lessons to be had. The thrill of performing in live theatre and the deer watching from the patio never let him down. He learned to be a farmer and became an expert at the specific workings of making authentic Manitoulin maple syrup. His hunting days dwindled as he spent more time enjoying the small miracles of life.

Wayne’s childhood was a difficult one and despite that he raised his family with love. He was known for his kindness and absolutely perfect warm hugs. He treasured the Sagle family who enveloped him and cherished the many moments he spent in the presence of family and friends. Campfires at the lot. Card games in a crowded kitchen. Coffee on the deck. Moose or deer hunting with the boys. Time with his children. Cuddles with his grandchildren. Afternoons spent with the faithful companionship of his dog, Dutchess.

Wayne wanted us to send his goodbyes to all his family and friends. He felt blessed to have known each of you and the time he was able to spend with you. This, and only this, was the yardstick from which he measured his wealth.

In lieu of donations and in honour of our beloved, we ask you to share a little Wayne in your life. Do something kind for someone in need. Give a hug to someone who needs one. Spend an extra moment just to listen. It is what would make him most happy.

A celebration of life will be held at a future date.
His voice, his laugh, his presence – forever missed.

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Join participants from around the world in our inclusive church Beyond the Walls. Zilphia Martin III of Southfield, Michigan, will preach on the theme, “Blessed.” James Stytle of Hamilton, Indiana, will give our Peace Lesson and Roger Dodson will lead our Disciples Generous Response. Yesenia Villalta of Santa Tecla, El Salvador will offer the invocation. The lectionary scripture will be read by Nadine Bennetts of Olathe, Kansas and our Call to Worship will be read by Evan Sharley of Boise, Idaho. The Beyond the Walls Choir will sing CCS 118 “Great and Marvelous Are Thy Works” and CCS 238 “Blessed Is the Body and the Soul.”

Sunday, February 28th, at 12:00 pm EST.

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SLIM (Sharing Love in Mission) - 2 p.m. Our service will focus on Blessings and will be shared as a SLIM Pastor Team Service of Blessing. Please have some paper and a pencil or pen for the focus moment. Contact Don Robb for Zoom info.

Port Elgin Congregation - 9 a.m. class. Coffee & Conversation 9:40. Worship 10 a.m. Rick Badder is the guest speaker this week with Larry Buchanan presiding. Contact Larry Buchanan for Zoom details.

La Salle Road Congregation - Social time from 10:15-10:30. Worship 10:30 a.m. Contact Pastor Vonda den Boer for Zoom details.

Reaching Out - Generally meets twice a month. Please sign up for email notices by clicking here.

Kitchener Congregation - Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m. Contact John & Ruth Black for details.

Cambridge Congregation - 11 a.m. Complete Worship Services are held each Sunday at 11:00 am For details go to www.cofchristcambridge.ca. On the calendar page click on the event for the Zoom link. Social time follows the service

First People Community of Christ (FPCC) - Reaching out to Native People across North America and the World! Online Prayer and Testimonies Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. and Worship Sundays at 7 p.m. Contact Larry Buchanan for ZOOM details.

Other Online Ministries are available from many varied places for you to connect with.

Join participants from around the world in our inclusive church Beyond the Walls. John-Charles Duffy of Oxford, OH, will preach on the theme, “The Everlasting Covenant.” Jerry Dale Jr. of Casper, WY, will give our Peace Lesson and Bishop Vivian Beeching will lead our Disciples Generous Response. The lectionary scripture will be read by Lily Maiau of Puna'auia, Tahiti, and our Call to Worship will be read by Royleane Atkinson Otteson. The Beyond the Walls Choir will sing CCS 250 “How Firm a Foundation,” and CCS 555 “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

Sunday, February 21st, at 12 pm EST.

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SLIM (Sharing Love in Mission) - 2 p.m. Guest ministry will be Ken Barrows with Barb Kernohan presiding. Contact Don Robb for Zoom info.

Port Elgin Congregation - 9 a.m. class. Coffee & Conversation 9:40. Worship 10 a.m. Wendell Martin is the speaker this week with Jan Storms presiding. Contact Larry Buchanan for Zoom details.

La Salle Road Congregation - Social time from 10:15-10:30. Worship 10:30 a.m. Contact Pastor Vonda den Boer for Zoom details.

Reaching Out - Generally meets twice a month. Please sign up for email notices by clicking here.

Kitchener Congregation - Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m. Contact John & Ruth Black for details.

Cambridge Congregation - 11 a.m. Complete Worship Services are held each Sunday at 11:00 am For details go to www.cofchristcambridge.ca. On the calendar page click on the event for the Zoom link. Social time follows the service

First People Community of Christ (FPCC) - Reaching out to Native People across North America and the World! Online Prayer and Testimonies Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. and Worship Sundays at 7 p.m. Contact Larry Buchanan for ZOOM details.

Other Online Ministries are available from many varied places for you to connect with.

Children aged 4-10 years, accompanied by an adult are invited to
join an online reading of a children’s peace book
followed by a short discussion and mindfulness practice.

Bi-weekly Sundays
4-4:30 pm
Next session February 28

Email Amy Unruh to receive zoom link

Hosted by Guelph and La Salle Rd Congregations
(Amy Unruh and Vonda Den Boer are the two child and youth workers leading the sessions)

Diversity & Inclusion Workshops

2/18/2021

Community of Christ's Diversity & Inclusion Team will continue to offer monthly live Zoom workshops on
"Resisting Unconscious Bias"

Future dates for the free workshops:
February 28, 2021
March 14, 2021
April 11, 2021
May 9, 2021
All begin at 6:00 p.m. EST.

Contact team co-leaders Cathi Cackler-Veazey or Gwendolyn Hawks-Blue to register.

Join participants from around the world in our inclusive church Beyond the Walls. Glenn Johnson will preach our sermon on the theme, “God’s Beloved.” Karen Smith of Ludington, Michigan, will give our Peace Lesson and Leandro Palacios will lead our Disciples Generous Response. Danny Belrose of Independence, Missouri, will offer the invocation. The lectionary scripture will be read by Laurie Sharpe of Kelso, Washington, and our Call to Worship will be read by Sally Ndemera of Toronto, Ontario. The Beyond the Walls Choir will sing hymns CCS #212 “God Weeps,” and CCS #81 “Rejoice, Ye Saints of Latter Days.”

Sunday, February 14th, at 12:00 pm EST

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SLIM (Sharing Love in Mission) - 2 p.m. Ordination service for Margie Lamoure to the office of Elder. Guest ministry will be Kris and Peter Judd. Contact Don Robb for Zoom info.

Port Elgin Congregation - 9 a.m. class. Coffee & Conversation 9:40. Worship 10 a.m. Jim Poirier is the guest speaker this week. Contact Larry Buchanan for Zoom details.

La Salle Road Congregation - Social time from 10:15-10:30. Worship 10:30 a.m. Contact Pastor Vonda den Boer for Zoom details.

Reaching Out - Generally meets twice a month. Please sign up for email notices by clicking here.

Kitchener Congregation - Sunday evenings at 7:00 p.m. Contact John & Ruth Black for details.

Cambridge Congregation - 11 a.m. Complete Worship Services are held each Sunday at 11:00 am For details go to www.cofchristcambridge.ca. On the calendar page click on the event for the Zoom link. Social time follows the service

First People Community of Christ (FPCC) - Reaching out to Native People across North America and the World! Online Prayer and Testimonies Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. and Worship Sundays at 7 p.m. Contact Larry Buchanan for ZOOM details.

Other Online Ministries are available from many varied places for you to connect with.

Don left to meet his Maker on Sunday, January 31, 2021 at the age of 90. He leaves behind his wife, Ellen Fry, of sixty-seven years. He was a loving father to eight children, Daryl (Holly), Jodee (Wayne), Donita, Brant, Gwenna (Tim), Ryan (Laura), Glen and Lorna who predeceased him in 2009.

Don had twelve precious grandchildren: Kyle, Dalton, Trista, Tanya, Taffia, Brydon, Brooke, Jeremy, Tasha, Joshua, Janika and Nolan and eight beautiful great-grandchildren: Hudson, Decklan, Oakley, Rowan, Emersyn, Daxon, David and Troy.

Don’s parents Gordon Males and Gladys (Ludlow) Males were married in 1922 and made their home and raised their eight children in New Liskeard. Predeceasing Don were his sisters Audrey, Betty and Dorothy also his brothers Robert and Gordon. He is survived by his sister Bertha and brother Lloyd.

Don attended New Liskeard Public School and spoke fondly of his favourite teacher Miss Jean McClaren. He left school after grade nine to work at Armstrong Motors repairing bikes, then on to Hill-Clark-Frances where he worked first in purchasing and then accounting and IBM departments. He spoke in appreciation for his mentor Jack Clark. He then moved to Northern Telephone as a computer operator.

Don founded the Clean Scene Laundromat with Clair Shepherdson for a short time. He then continued his entrepreneurial journey alone and expanded to include Dry Cleaning, Industrial Laundry, Uniform and mat rental services. His daughter Jodee and son-in-law Wayne Swanson took over the business when Don retired. It was later sold to the present owner.

Don was an avid hunter and with his brother Gordon and their hunting buddies enjoyed a yearly hunting experience sometimes bringing home a trophy or two. He also tried his hand at woodworking and was delighted to gift his daughters and granddaughters with cedar boxes, bedside tables, etc. He also crafted a beautiful large oak fireplace which sits in the family home.

Don also took up the art of painting with oil and acrylics under the guidance of Helen Hall. He enjoyed painting sessions with his brother Lloyd and grandson Dalton. Many of his works of art hang on the walls of his home and the homes of his ever-growing family.

Don was heavily involved in his community and served on the council for Dymond Township and was a member of the Little Claybelt Homesteaders Museum. There, he received an award for his work in conserving the area’s heritage. Don worked at the Temiskaming District Scouting Board and was a hands-on Scout Leader and worked with Camp Quality, a camp for children affected by cancer.

Don was a devoted member of Community of Christ where he served as an elder and for seven years as pastor in the New Liskeard Congregation. He also supported many church sponsored outreach programs.

Don is remembered by his children as a steady, supportive, kind-hearted father who was incredibly spiritual, calm, selfless and accepting of everyone. He had a loving, generous and caring personality which made him a good listener. His passion for woodworking and painting graced his family with many treasurers.

As expressions of sympathy, memorial donations may be made to World Accord, his favourite charity, which supports needs in third world countries. A celebration of life will be held at a future date.

Our Deepest Condolences - Dr. Randal Lee Fielder

2/8/2021

In loving memory of Dr. Randal Lee Fielder who passed away on the 22nd of December 2020 in San Antonio, Texas. He was born on the 13th of August 1952 at the Red Cross Hospital in New Liskeard. He was the third of Graydon and Betty (Shepherdson) Fielder’s seven children.
As a youth Randy attended New Liskeard Public and Secondary Schools. He earned the Boy Scouts of Canada’s highest award becoming a Queen Scout.

After Secondary School he set his goal of becoming a medical doctor. While in university he joined the Canadian Militia and helped with security at the 1976 Olympics being held in Montreal, QC.
For his next step on his educational journey, he studied at Medical School in Monterrey, Mexico, then moved to Charleston, West Virginia for his Family Practice designation.

While in Monterrey, Mexico he met the love of his life, Enriqueta de Villarreal, and they were married on the 14th of August 1980. Randy is survived by his wife, Queta, and their children Kathy (Kyle Sekula), Wesley (Adriana Escobar), Marcy (Mike DeBotte), and grandchildren Austin, Lyla, and Grady Sekula.
Also surviving Randy is his mother Betty, his sister-in-law Lynda, brothers Terry (Darnelly), Kent (Linda), Robert, Dwight, and sister Jaylyn as well as many nieces and nephews.

Randy was predeceased by his father Graydon in 1998, brother Denny in 1992, sister-in-law Sandra in 2013; as well as grandparents Len and Lila (McFadyen) Fielder and Wesley and Ada (Johnston) Shepherdson.
He was Board Certified then became a Fellow with the American Academy of Family Practice. He volunteered at the free medical clinic at St. Peter and St. Paul Catholic Church in Hopkinsville, Kentucky for many years. He and his family then moved to Corpus Christi, Texas where he had a practice and helped to teach medical students.

In his children’s words, “my heart aches as I long to hear his infectious laugh and see his tender smile just one more time. If you’d ever met my dad, you’d know him to be the most selfless, loving, kind-hearted man. He lit up a room and never met a stranger. He had a brilliant mind and a passion for history and story telling.” It has been a difficult journey with Alzheimer’s, and he can now Rest in Peace.

John 16:22 - “Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
Funeral arrangements were in San Antonio on the 25th of January 2021.

News from World Church

2/6/2021

Our Enduring Principles - A New Video
Our Enduring Principles define the essence, heart, and soul of our faith community. We do our best to uphold these principles as a faithful response to our heritage and our continuing experience with God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

International Headquarters Computer Network Updates

Information Technology and a group of consultants are working tirelessly to bring Shelby and other systems back online following a security incident involving malware that was identified on 20 January.

As a reminder, eTithing, AIP tracking, CofChrist.org email, and the current payroll systems were not involved. Also, a forensic firm has been hired to investigate the malware.
Before the incident Community of Christ was in the process of moving systems to cloud-based servers. This project has been accelerated and the affected systems are being rebuilt in the cloud. This will allow us to implement the latest security measures. However, moving to the cloud requires more time than data restoration.

We apologize about the lengthy delay in reconnecting to Shelby, the AIP reporting system, and other applications. We will continue to provide weekly updates.

Several key users are working in Shelby. Plans are in place to phase in additional users through the remainder of February. Mission center officers and support teams will be the first group to gain access. This group will be followed by congregational officers. All users are hoped to be back in Shelby by early March with new, more secure logins.

We appreciate the church’s continued patience through this process and the tireless efforts of our staff and support contractors to provide updated systems to support the mission of the church.

New Podcast Explores Hebrew Scriptures

Project Zion Podcast is excited to announce a new podcast to it's coffee-themed collection this year called He'Brew.

Join host Karin Peter and regular guests, Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith, for an adventure of discovery navigating the provocative, complex, ancient, humorous, judgmental, yet prophetic text of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Explain, explore, and experience parts of the Old Testament each month.

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or listen on the Project Zion Podcast website below.

He'Brew: Introduction
He'Brew: Genesis 1-3, the Creation stories.

Worship With Us - February 7

2/5/2021

Share communion with disciples and seekers from around this world this Sunday, February 7th, at noon EST. Roger Dodson of Whitby, Ontario, will give our communion message on the theme “Proclaim Wholeness.” Vickie Thatcher of Riverside, Missouri, will teach our Peace Lesson and John Hamer of Toronto, Ontario, will lead our Disciples Generous Response. Joan Thompson will offer the Invocation from Kitchener, Ontario. Mary Mitchell of North Bay, Ontario, will read our Call to Worship and Erik Nilsen of Portland, Oregon, will read our Lectionary scripture. Communion Blessings will be read by Linda Hewitt, of North Bay, Ontario, and Karen Graham Wade of Los Alamitos, California. Join the Beyond the Walls Choir in singing hymn CCS#228 “Out of the Depths, O God, We Call to You,” and CCS#92 “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.”

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News & Updates

Our Deepest Condolences - Wayne Sparham

Worship With Us - February 28

Worship With Us - February 21

Children’s Peace Book Club

Diversity & Inclusion Workshops

Worship With Us - February 14

Our Deepest Condolences -

Our Deepest Condolences - Dr. Randal Lee Fielder

News from World Church

Worship With Us - February 7

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