 By Bob Riley and members of the pastorate team.
Chilliwack Community of Christ is celebrating 125 years of heritage in the Upper Fraser Valley. What began with five baptisms in Camp Slough in 1899 has grown into a congregation that is part of a Christian denomination active in nearly 60 countries around the world. We are also celebrating 50 years in our current facility, which is used by both our congregation and other charitable organizations that serve the community. We invite you to celebrate this milestone with us on November 9th and 10th. Our heritage includes individuals on the front lines, as well as men and women serving in non-combat and non-military roles. Over the years, our members and their descendants have contributed to the local community in roles such as Mayor, Fire Chief, First Responders in the fire department, and as Chilliwack Search and Rescue personnel. Others have volunteered as board members of charity groups and as Chaplains to police forces. Many of us have worked in agriculture, resource industries, construction, blue-collar, and professional endeavours. Currently, members and friends of Community of Christ are knitting toques and mitts for distribution to Canadians who are struggling at this time. Our goal this year is to produce 250 toques. In conjunction with this, there is a sock drive aiming for 250 pairs of socks to accompany the toques. Last year, the distribution of hundreds of handmade toques was facilitated by police and security forces during their rounds among the homeless. Without the assistance of any paid staff, or by seeking grants and donations, we have contributed thousands of dollars directly to local charities such as Chilliwack Supportive Housing. We also regularly support the Canadian NGO World Accord, an organization headquartered in Ottawa that finds effective ways to improve the lives of people in developing countries. Individual members also contribute to other agencies such as Chilliwack Soup Kitchens, Food Banks, Ruth and Naomi’s shelter, and other Canada-wide groups. We thank those who came before us, who have led the way and taught us how, as Christians, we can be a positive influence, seeking peace, hope, love, and joy in our communities. We continue to strive for unity in our diversity, both locally and across the country. Join us on November 9th and 10th, 2024. Special Guests: Art Smith and Laura Horning. Events will include:
RSVP for the Spaghetti Supper: [email protected]
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 A moment with your Mission Centre President. By Becky Middleton.
It was lovely to be together for Mission Conference at September's end, and what a wonderful conference we had! Both of our guest ministers, Vonda and Leandro, were very impressed with how we "took care of business" in an amiable, non-confrontational manner. There was also lots of great visiting, delicious food, good fun, interesting storytelling, a game or two, and a fantastic concert by Edith Wallace for those of us fortunate enough to be there in person! The two main items of business that require more contemplation from ALL of us are:
In November, there will be an online poll to gauge your status of support (or lack thereof) for the priesthood policy proposal. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Art Smith or one of the Mission Centre President team. In January, Apostle Art Smith plans to formulate a committee to implement the moving forward as one Canada Mission Centre. If you are interested in serving on that committee, please contact Shannon McAdam or one of the Mission Centre President team. Change calls for discernment, contemplation, and service. Exciting times!  A postcard from the Canada West Mission Centre President Team.
What we loved about conference: Becky: Being together! Great fellowship, food and fun! FABULOUS!! Kat: Wearing George Allen’s name tag! Gwyn: Renewed relationships and new relationships. “Make new friends, but keep the old…” Shannon: Seeing so many familiar faces in person, and walking the ravine with old and new friends.  A moment with your Mission Centre President, by Shannon McAdam.
As our Mission Centre Conference approaches, we know you might have some last-minute questions! Here’s a Q&A from your Mission Centre President Team to make sure you’re ready, whether you’re attending in person or online: Is it too late to come to Edmonton? Not too late! You can still REGISTER HERE. Where can I find the documents for the business meeting? You can find those in our CONFERENCE HUB. How do I get the link to join on Zoom? You’ll find the links to participate live in selected events in our CONFERENCE HUB. Will every event be on Zoom? No, some events will only be available in-person in Edmonton. You’ll know if a session is online if it has the “JOIN ONLINE SESSION” link in the Conference Hub. Do I have to be a delegate to vote? No, anyone who is a member in Canada West can have voice and vote in our conference business meeting. I have another question that isn’t answered here, who should I ask? You can email any member of our Mission Centre President team, or our conference coordinator, Debra.  The Express Program for our 2024 Mission Centre Conference is now available on our Conference Hub. On this page, you’ll find all the relevant information about the event. Please take a moment to review the schedule and important documents ahead of time, including the business meeting agenda and financial report.
Did you know that this Mission Conference marks our 20th Anniversary as a Mission Centre? Watch for special celebration moments throughout the conference weekend! For those attending in person, don’t miss our Ask Me Anything table, featuring a variety of hosts throughout the weekend:
Our Canada West Mission Conference takes place September 27-29. Join us in person at the Edmonton Congregation or online via Zoom. If you haven’t registered yet, please use the link below. We can't wait to see you next weekend! If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to contact Debra Donohue at [email protected].  A Moment with your Mission Centre President By Becky Middleton, Canada West Mission co-president. A few days ago Stassi Cramm outlined some possible changes to World church leadership if her call to Prophet/President is approved at the next World Conference, in 2025. While these changes are positive and exciting, change in general is often hard to process. It seems we just get familiar with how things are and a change happens again. As the adage states: “the only constant in life is change.” Change is all around us, changing seasons, changing weather patterns, changing time ( well for some of us anyway), changing health, lifestyle - you get the picture! There are some changes coming with our approach to the One Canada mission too. As with Stassi's announcement, the changes will have many positive outcomes that may seem unfamiliar at first. We envision a future of positives–working together as one Canada with one mission–continuing to share our vision of Christ at work in our communities resulting in positive change!   Do you remember when Mission Conference was held in person? Check out the throwback photo below from Saskatoon in 2015! Well, we’re excited to announce that this year, we’re back in person and hope to see as many of you as possible in Edmonton. While you’re welcome to join us online, nothing beats the energy of gathering together face-to-face. Here are some of the exciting highlights you can look forward to in Edmonton:
For those planning to attend in person from out of town, here are some accommodation suggestions: Four Points By Sheraton (the closest to the church) 7230 Argyll Rd NW, Edmonton, AB T6C 4A6 Phone: +1-780-465-7931 ($118 to $133 /night for the conference weekend - plus taxes and fees. Seniors and AAA/CAA discounts available.) Ramada Hotel 5359 Calgary Trail NW, Edmonton, AB T6H 4J9 Phone: +1-780-434-3431 ($97 per night for the conference weekend - plus taxes and fees. Total for 2 nights of $270.) Travelodge by Wyndham Edmonton South 10320 45th Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T6H 5K3 Phone: +1-780-436-9770 ($79 to $118 / per night plus taxes and fees for the conference weekend. Totals for 2 nights $218 to $324.) The church’s address is 6919 83 Street NW, Edmonton, T6C 2Y1 (Phone: 780-469-7510) If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me – I’ll be there too! Looking forward to seeing you in Edmonton, Debra [email protected]  2015 CANADA WEST MISSION CONFERENCE, SASKATOON, SK  By: Kat Goheen Canada West Mission Centre Co-President
“Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow” This hymn lyric is our theme for Mission Conference 2024. We have learned that to have true hope we must face our realities; that’s why “strength” goes hand in hand with hope! One way to experience strength is to know our truth and to share authentically with others and we want to learn that together. Leandro Palacios will lead us in a session on Friday night on how to share our stories in different ways. Edith Wallace will show, and tell, us how she expresses herself on Saturday night. We look forward to Vonda DenBoer’s message Sunday morning. When we tell our truth, we witness to others how creative and redemptive God is in our lives, just as we are. We show our values. We connect with others in a deeper way. We open ourselves to transformational change. I’m excited to be in Edmonton for this next stage of the journey at the end of this month and pray that you are too!  By: Stephen Thompson Canada West Mission Centre Historian
I hope you have enjoyed your summer. I took a somewhat longer “sabbatical” from this column than I had intended when I finished the last article in May. So – like everything else in September - let’s get going again... Elsewhere in this week’s Weekly Wire you will find information about the upcoming Mission Centre Conference scheduled for September 27 to 29, and being hosted in Edmonton. This conference will mark the 20th anniversary of the FIRST Canada West Mission Conference, held September 3 to 6, 2004, and hosted by the Calgary Community of Christ. Here are some interesting notes about that conference. Although this was the first in-person conference, there had been a “tele-conference” – yes, by telephone conference call (no Zoom or other computer conferencing tools were yet available!) - held December 7, 2003, to do the initial set-up of this new thing called a mission centre. Darrell Belrose was sustained as our first Mission Centre President on the recommendation of the church’s Human Resources Committee. Similarly, Bob Hodgson was sustained as our first Mission Centre Financial Officer. Authorization to set up a bank account was given, and signing authorities were approved. A budget of $119,000 in expenditures was approved for 2004 – not including $490,000 being contributed for World Church Ministers’ salaries (including Darrell and Bob and other staff persons yet to be hired). Congregational “assessments” were also approved so that each congregation, in a proportion mostly based on membership, contributed to that total budget for 2004. Thirty-four people “attended” that teleconference, consisting mainly of current congregational Pastors, Financial Officers, and District Presidents and Financial Officers from the four about-to-be disbanded districts (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba). Moving now to the September conference... It was held on Labour Day weekend. This had been the practice of the Alberta and Saskatchewan Districts, as part of the Northern Plains and Prairie Provinces Region, to hold their annual “Institute” that weekend. (I do not know what had been the practice of the former jurisdictions that BC and Manitoba had been a part of. I invite anyone who knows to enlighten me!) It continued to be held on that weekend for many years until very recently. Guest ministry for the conference was “headlined” by President Grant McMurray, along with Apostle Mary Jacks Dynes, and Bishop of Canada Jim Poirier. A total of 122 delegates (of a possible 155) attended, representing 19 congregations and missions. A full weekend of activities and meetings were scheduled from Friday evening to just after noon on Monday. At the business meeting held Saturday afternoon decisions were made concerning: • sustaining the MC President (Darrell Belrose) and MC Financial Officer (Bob Hodgson) for the next year; • sustaining other MC volunteers (Sandy Woynarski as Recorder; Mable Levitt as Historian; and persons to serve on the MC Advisory Council) • support of two calls to the office of Evangelist: Tom Beer and Charles Lester • approval of the 2005 mission centre budget • approval of the Samish Island Campground Bylaws • approval of a process for managing “Fees and Donations for Camping Programs.” (which has been a continuing and ongoing discussion ever since!) The schedule for the weekend included a number of specified “visiting” times as parts of breaks and meals as well as discussion groups. This was the first time that members from British Columbia and from Manitoba had met with members from Alberta and Saskatchewan (who already were familiar with each other due to the previous regional alignment). It was an enjoyable time spent getting to know each other. Those relationships have continued to grow and become stronger over the last 20 years. We look forward to getting together yet again in Edmonton at the end of September. Thanks for reading!  By: Shannon McAdam Canada West Mission Centre Co-President
Our MCP Team can't wait to see you in person in Edmonton for our conference! Here are a few reasons why we are excited: Gwyn: Fall is settling in and it’s time to sit down together and have a nice hot beverage and a great conversation about the BRIGHT HOPE that I see in our future! I’ll save a seat for you in Edmonton. Kat: I’m looking forward to time spent together at Mission Conference, especially sharing a hymnal during singing and visiting in the lunch line. We’ve been so creative with our online experiences, but now it’s time to embrace one another! Becky: I’m looking forward to connecting at our fall conference in Edmonton. It’s good to get together on zoom, it’s fantastic if you can make it in person. Hope to see you there! Shannon: I cannot wait to look out into the congregation in Edmonton and see your beautiful faces that radiate the love and care you have for our community. And there's nothing like sharing a meal together and chatting about things we'd probably never talk about on Zoom! So join us in Edmonton September 27-29!  Edith Wallace will be our special musical guest at Mission Conference in Edmonton Saturday September 28th. The last time Edith performed for us in Edmonton was in 2019.
You can find more about Edith on Facebook, and her YouTube chonnel. Don't forget to visit the Conference Hub to register and find updates about our weekend together. We want everyone to be able to join us for the conference. If the registration fee presents any difficulty, please reach out to Debra Donohue, our Conference Manager, for assistance. [email protected]  By: Gwyn Beer Canada West Mission Centre Co-President Thanks to everyone who is contributing to make sure our youth attend Spectacular at Graceland University! I was one of the chaperones for the NorthWest delegation. Canada West Mission has joined the NorthWest delegation for the last few years! The team for the NW delegation does an amazing job of blending youth from Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Germany and Taiwan. Canada West Mission had 6 youth and we talked about doubling or tripling the youth for 2025! The youth attending Spectacular are from around the world. They are busy from 6:30 am till 10:30pm+. The connections made with both those within their delegation and everyone else are the kind that last a lifetime. There truly is something that appeals to everyone. It is not just sports anymore! BE…as a theme made everyone think. The NorthWest delegation had 2 T-shirts that had to be washed every night with the other colour being the one for the next day to wear. One was a great blue colour that said NorthWest with mountains above. The green one said “be…spectacular northwest” on the front. On the back, in a circle at the top says “Be You” with a couple of bees and then above and below 2 stylied worlds it says “Everyone Else is taken”. Matthew 5 :1-16 was studied every morning. This may be the only contact some of these young people ever have with Community of Christ. I believe it will be a week carried forever in the lives of the youth attending. For those who are part of a Community of Christ base, this may be what gives them BRIGHT HOPE for the future in their lives, both spiritual and practical. So, youth camps and retreats are coming back into play as well. For Community of Christ to move forward, we need the youth to be engaged. What am I asking of you? Thanks to those who have been camp directors, counselors, CIT (counselors-in-training), and LIT(leaders-in-training), and chaperones supporting the re-growth in camps and Spectacular since covid. I am asking for people to volunteer time, effort and finances. We need cooks, camp directors (deep appreciation to those who have been stepping up in the time I have been part of the Mission centre team). We saw an amazing Polar Plunge challenge at HOP youth camp and the fabulous financial response. Thanks Lisa, Caitlin and Andy for taking the actual plunge. Please support Community of Christ World Church Spectacular in any way that you can!  The Canada West Men's Retreat has happened for the past fifteen years. If you are interested in attending you should be at least high school age. There will be an ice-breaker hosted by Jae Senga on Friday night. Saturday will consist of several sessions led by our guest minister, Parker Johnson, and Saturday evening we will have a campfire (not to be missed) followed up by eating snacks and playing games in the dining hall. Sunday morning we will have a Communion Service and, at about noon, we hit the road to return home. The weekend is a great chance to reconnect with the men in the Canada West Mission Centre, experience spirituality, have some laughs, and eat as much pie as you want (it's kind of our thing). It has structure and a schedule, but it is designed for you so if you need to miss a session then do so.
I’m excited to have Parker with us! His theme for the weekend is "Clarity" and who couldn't use some of that? I believe that good things come from accepting invitations - it didn't work out too bad for the disciples. Even better for us, we get to make a road trip out of it. So get a couple of guys in the car and join us for the adventure. I hope to see you September 13-15. Dan Esch - Retreat Director  Host Congregation: Edmonton, AB
From: Debra Donohue - Conference Manager We know you’ve been missing our annual conference, seeing old friends, making new friends, celebrating our accomplishments, and remembering those we’ve lost. Our guest ministers are Vonda DenBoer and Leandro Palacios from Canada East. We know you’ll love getting to know them or getting to know them better. Mark your calendars, call a friend to arrange billeting, or book your hotel. Registration will be open next week to attend online or in-person. Check out the Conference Hub on our website for updates and news leading up to mission conference. We look forward to seeing you in Edmonton for Canada West Mission Conference 2024!  By: Becky Middleton - Canada West Mission Centre Co-President
As our Family Camp and Youth Camp at Hills of Peace have drawn to a close we are very encouraged by the joy and excitement shown by those in attendance. The participants are slowly building in numbers again and we are very hopeful that this will continue to be the case. The enthusiasm shown by young families and the youth/young adults is wonderful! Family camp was a real joy to be at with meaningful worship, classes, crafts, games and visiting too. The youth camp inspired us all with their highly successful fundraiser and the polar plunge challenge. Both camps were enriched by the ministry of Matt and Margo Frizzell. A good time was had by all! We know registration costs are significant as is the cost to run camping activities and the campgrounds. We are very appreciative of any donations to the mission center in support of camping and the ability to offer subsidies to those who require help. THANK YOU! The Men's Retreat at HOP is coming Sept. 13-15 and we encourage men of all ages to attend it will be a wonderful time I'm sure! Also our mission center conference in Edmonton is coming Sept. 27-29. We encourage all who can come in person to do so and it will be shared via zoom as well. It is so good to be able to be together to share in worship, fun and fellowship!  A moment with your Mission Centre President, by Shannon McAdam - Canada West Mission Centre Co-President I hope you are all finding some sabbath rest during these summer months. As we turn towards fall it is time to start looking at some of the topics that will come before us at Mission Centre Conference and beyond. If you attended one of our information sessions at Samish Reunion or Hills of Peace Family Camp you have already heard about the draft policy that is being proposed to address questions around Priesthood members and marriage-like relationships. We’ve already been on a long journey with this topic in Canada, so for some people this conversation will be one you are familiar with, for others, it may be brand new. For background, at World Conference 2023 the Council of 12 Apostles proposed legislation (WCR 1327), to rescind a previous resolution on marriage from 1984 (WCR 1182) and give Apostles responsibility for creating new culturally specific policies around marriage. The guideposts for ethical relationships that WCR 1327 is based on come from Doctrine and Covenants 164. Our Apostle for Canada, Art Smith, connected with leaders across Canada starting last year to draft a potential policy. Art is committed to a process of common consent as we move forward together. With the help of Joan Thompson, Canadian leaders have come up with a draft policy. Our next step is to share the draft and hear your feedback, which has already begun at camps and reunions across Canada. This fall, after both mission centres have had time for discussion, we will have a period of online polling where all members in Canada will have the opportunity to show their level of support on a scale, not as a yes/no vote. If there is 80% or higher support, Art will move our policy to the next step by taking it to the Council of Twelve, and then if it is approved there, to the First Presidency for review. If all approve, then it will become our new policy for Canada. Our draft is a non-prescriptive policy that does not try to cover every type of relationship question. One of my thoughts is that this type of policy doesn’t make things easier, but it does allow for more sensitivity to individual situations. It will require us to have open dialogue and mutual discernment around what kinds of situations do and don’t impact a person’s ability to provide priesthood ministry. There are a lot of background documents that have led to the creation of our draft, including those I’ve referenced above. We will link the draft policy and other documents here. It’s not our intention to overwhelm you with information, but to provide you with background to help your own discernment and aid in discussions you may have. Please share your questions and thoughts with us via email, including what kinds of conversations you’d like to have – large groups? Small groups? We want you to feel included in this process and appreciate all feedback you have to offer. 
 By: Marian Thompson - Camp Director
This year saw another excellent Family Camp at Hills of Peace (Aug 3-8). Our camp started at 3:00 pm on Saturday of the August long weekend. We had several young families attend on the weekend, with a Sunday attendance of 65 people. Our weekend was lively as we explored our theme ‘Heal the Earth: A Restoration Imperative’. We all worked together to make Nature Mandalas in the morning during ‘Make Time for the Planet’ as we focused on the wonderful creation of the earth. In the afternoon fairy gardens were a hit with the children. The Sunday evening worship service was noted as a highlight. Our attendance dropped to 34 from Tuesday to Thursday and our week became much quieter. All were very appreciative of the ministry given by Matt and Margo Frizzell. The adult class material was well received. Everyone appreciated the time to visit, relax, learn, and work together as a community. Feedback at the end of the week suggested people would like to start the camp on Friday evening, extending the amount of time people could attend on the weekend.  Join Parker and Dan as we search for Clarity surrounded by the beauty of the Hills of Peace. Together we will enjoy amazing food, lots of laughter, and delve deeper into what it means to have clarity in today’s world. Together we will look at our lives, the church, and world at large. Then we’ll turn our focus to the future and try to find direction on how we can find our place(s) in it and help set healthy boundaries that will aid in building a brighter tomorrow.
September 13 - 15 Hills of Peace campground  This week Gwyn and Becky are at Hills of Peace Family Camp. The guest minister is Matt Frizzell.
Some young friends created this nature mandala and then released back to nature. It's wonderful to be having camp at Hills of Peace in spite of the damage that was caused by a recent hail storm.  Kat, Gwyn, and Shannon spent last week at Samish Island for our combined Canada West and Inland West Reunion. Nearly 200 attended, much fun was had, and we heard inspiring challenges from our guest ministers Ron Harmon and Robin Linkhart.
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