Training Courses

Restoration Adventure 3.0

A thought-provoking online (using Zoom) conversation about opportunities and challenges that can help us see our cultural and Christian context and better discover our place as a church in our modern world.

This conversation is planned to have five sessions (Sept. 16, Oct. 7, Oct. 28, Nov. 18, Dec. 9). To register to get information about joining the Zoom conversation, send an email to Melissa Freer at melissa@communityofchrist.ca.

Each session is being recorded and afterwards, a video will be posted below to allow you to view or re-view any of the sessions.

Click here to download Session 1

Click here to download Session 2

Click here to download Session 3

Click here to download Session 4

Click here to download session 5

Leadership Development

A critical element of our Mission Centres is support to members, friends, and congregations is training leaders for ministry, camps, and leadership.

Upcoming Leadership Development Events

MEADS Fall 2019
November 4 - 8, 2019
Kitchener Congregation

Encounter - Exploring World Religions
Jul 14-20, 2019
University of Toronto Multi-Faith Centre

Training Opportunities

Ministry and Priesthood Training

All newly-called priesthood are required to take classes to prepare for ordination. They include:

Introduction to Priesthood Ministry (MP300)
Introduction to Scripture (SS400)
Office Specific Class (i.e., “Ministry of the Priest,” “Ministry of the Elder,” etc.)
Children and Youth Worker Core Training (certification required for new priesthood)

The Community of Christ in CEM from time to time has local live classes on many of these topics, but we’ve also launched the initiative to produce all the necessary classes for all local priesthood (Deacon, Teacher, Priest, and Elder) in elearning classes. You can take these classes with students all over the world by enrolling through the Developmetrics.org online portal – each class is offered once a year.

Developmetrics.org

MEADS (Ministerial Educations and Discipleship Studies)

CEM continues to invest in advanced training for leaders, staff, pastors, and anyone else interested in developing their ministry. Developed through the World Church, CEM is making top-level training with renowned instructors available to many more in the mission centre by hosting MEADS sessions locally within CEM, as well as online in the future.

A three-year process for certification began in 2015 and continues into the future. Students can join anytime and receive their completion certificate for 12 classes completed (we have 14 different classes presently planned).

The MEADS curriculum is open to anyone interested in ministerial and discipleship development and now has two options for study:

(a) Enroll in the full 12-course certificate program that seeks to empower participants for ministry,

OR

(b) Enroll in individual classes on a particular subject of interest without committing to the full 12-course program.

Costs:

ONE class/audit = $100 (+HST = $113.00) / BOTH classes/audit = $175.00 (+HST = $197.75)
Students auditing courses will receive the same syllabus and printed materials, may participate in all class discussions and activities as comfortable, but will not submit required assignments.
Registrants must cover their own travel, accommodation, food costs, etc. We are in the process of identifying homes where MEADS candidates can be billeted.
NOTE: We encourage congregations to establish Leadership funds in their congregational budgets under the "Developing Disciples to Serve" initiative to support those wishing to enroll in MEADS.

For additional information, contact:
Leadership Development Director: David Lloyd

MEADS Fall 2019
November 4-8, 2019
Kitchener Congregation

World Religions – Brian Carwana, Encounter World Religions, Director
Contemporary Culture – I. David Lloyd, Director of Leadership and Development (Canada)

Download the registration form [PDF 475.7Kb] (or an editable Word Document [DOC 42.0Kb]).

Registration Information

For one class/audit = $100 (+HST = $113.00)
For BOTH classes/audit during this session = $175 (+HST = $197.75)

Send cheque (made out to “Community of Christ”) and registration form [DOC 42.0Kb] before April 26, 2019 to:
Attention: Melissa Freer
Community of Christ
355 Elmira Road North, Unit 129
Guelph, ON N1K 1S5

Classes this Session
World Religions (9:00am-noon)
Instructor: Brian Carwana, Encounter World Religions, Director
The world’s religions are immensely diverse and numerous. We can only dip our toe into the topic this week but like travelling to just one country, the exploration can still be very rich. We will focus on five religions for this course: North American Indigenous, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam. We will learn about their historical development, teachings and practices, and even tackle deeper issues about how religions can vary in their aesthetics, attitude towards texts or rituals, etc.

Contemporary Culture (1:30-4:30pm)
Instructor: I. David Lloyd, Leadership Development Director
We engage mission within our own cultural understanding, yet contemporary culture is rapidly changing requiring us to grow beyond our doorstep. We will explore generational paradigms as we move from the modern age into post-modernity. This class will also approach how postmodernity demands our connection to the myriad of other cultural understandings. How we listen to and understand cultures outside of our own strengthens our concepts of discipleship.

Camping Program Leadership Training

The effectiveness of our extensive camping activities is very dependent on the quality and experience of the leaders. Not only do camp staff need skills in developing programs and working together in teams, but in recent years the proliferation of government regulations and insurance requirements mean that we must rely on knowledgeable leaders to ensure that the church is not inappropriately exposed to financial or legal risks.

We require ALL of our Children and Youth Workers to be certified. Each spring we offer an online class through Developmetrics.org to begin this application process.

The CEM Camping Commission, comprised of dedicated leaders from the various camping communities, runs a yearly retreat for camp directors and has prepared the following Director's Handbook.

Camp Director's Handbook
Director's Handbook (all in one file) [PDF 2.7Mb]
----- download individual sections below -----
Director's Handbook - Cover Page [PDF 347.6Kb]
Director's Handbook - Index [PDF 65.0Kb]
Director's Handbook - Section 1 : Camp Administration [PDF 327.5Kb]
Director's Handbook - Section 1 :Resources For Youth Camps [PDF 108.5Kb]
Director's Handbook - Section 2 :Risk Management [PDF 87.0Kb]
Director's Handbook - Section 3 : Camper Care Requirements [PDF 263.2Kb]
Director's Handbook - Section 3A : Incident Report Form [PDF 13.0Kb]
Director's Handbook - Section 4 : Budget/CRA Requirements [PDF 198.4Kb]
Director's Handbook - Section 5 : SafeFoodRequirements [PDF 131.0Kb]
Director's Handbook - Section 6 : Ontario Camping Regulations [PDF 280.2Kb]
Director's Handbook - Section 7 : Aquatics [PDF 558.9Kb]
Director's Handbook - Section 8 : Emergency Preparedness 911 [PDF 69.4Kb]
Director's Handbook - Section 9 : Forms [PDF 73.1Kb]
Director's Handbook - Section 9 : CCLI Forms [PDF 203.7Kb]
Director's Handbook - Youth Worker Application [PDF 91.7Kb]