Kids entering grades 3-6 join us at Camp Mungai, at Samish Island Campground, from August 11th to 15th for a camp experience like no other. Our theme, "Jesus, I know him!", will guide us as we explore nature, do crafts, play games, and meet new friends. Prepare for lots of laughter, dancing, singing, and fun while we celebrate the many blessings God has given us. Don't miss out on this incredible adventure!
Last week Kat, and her daughter Savannah, spent the week in Naramata, BC. They were there to offer music ministry at a United Church of Canada family camp. They had a great time and shared many songs and stories.
Mark your calendar for September 13-15 and plan to join us at Hills of Peace campground for the Western Canada Mission Centre Men’s Retreat. We’ll meet Friday night for an icebreaker and depart Sunday morning after a communion service. In between, we will hang out, eat some pie, and share with each other and our guest minister, Parker Johnson from Calgary congregation. It’s a chance for a road trip and to get together with friends from Western Canada. You make a lot of tough choices in your life – this shouldn’t be one of them.
Parker is the latest in a long list of great guest ministers we've had over the years. Past guest ministers include church officials from Independence, a prison minister from Montana, a friend Dan met on a mountain in California, and Steve Thompson from Edmonton. If you have any questions contact Dan at [email protected] or 306-540-2359. Mission Conference 2024 is coming up soon from September 27-29, and we’re excited to hear from you. We’re gathering congregation reports for 2023/24, and we want to celebrate all the milestones that made this year special – milestone birthdays and anniversaries, graduations, and any other big moments.
If you or your congregation have any new business motions, we’d love to hear those too. Submit your stories and proposals by the deadlines below. Let’s celebrate our achievements and plan for the future together! Deadlines:
The Samish Island campground will soon be ringing with the happy voices of youth and staff gathering for Camps Atsaken (grades 7-9) and Kimtah (grades 10-12).
Happening in tandem, August 4 - 8, campers and staff will enjoy activities like classes, swimming, campfires and adventure in the great outdoors. The themes this year are: Come to the Well (Kimtah) and Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations (Atsaken). Registration deadline is July 19th so book your spot soon and don’t miss out! Don’t forget to register for Hills of Peace Youth Camp 2024! Caitlin, Andy and Brianna (and all the staff) are excited to welcome everyone back, Aug 10 - 16, for a week of everyone’s favourite activities like recreation and wide games, campfire, swimming and floaties on the lake, classes and small groups, Nailed It HOP Edition and much much more! Everyone is more than welcome to come, and learn together how to live life #Unfiltered with authenticity, transparency, and vulnerability.
Registration deadline is July 27. See you soon! As early as Wednesday July 10th six Canada West youth and Gwyn Beer, from your mission centre president team, began their journey to Iowa for SPECTACULAR. They are a part of a delegation with others from the northwest USA. They led the Prayer for Peace at our Community of Christ Temple on Friday. We will certainly have more stories to tell afterwards!
Experience a transformative week at Samish Island Reunion, where our guest ministers, Presiding Bishop Ron Harmon and Apostle Robin Linkhart, will lead us in exploring the theme "Heal the Earth: A Restoration Imperative." Through classes, worship, and engaging activities, we'll respond to the World Conference Resolution 1325 Climate Emergency with education, formation, and a call to action.
Discover the intersecting issues of justice and peace rooted in the climate crisis and find your place in the web of life with humility and urgency. Participate in workshops, evening campfires, games, and more. Your unique gifts and talents will enrich our community as we create cherished memories together. About our guest ministers Apostle Robin Linkhart is a member of the Council of Twelve assigned to the North Central USA Mission Field. She also serves on the International Leaders Council, Theology Formation Team, Ecumenical and Interfaith Ministries Team, and chairs the Latter-day Seekers Ministries Team. Ron Harmon serves as Presiding Bishop. His previous assignments include president of the Council of Twelve Apostles, Congregational Leadership Development, Spectacular and International Youth Forum, Urban Ministries, and president of the Kentucky-Indiana USA Mission Center. Join us for an unforgettable week of learning, worship, and community-building! When: July 20-27 Where: Samish Island, 11633 Scott Road, Bow, WA A moment with your Mission Centre President by Shannon McAdam, Canada West Mission Centre Co-President In just 74 days we will begin our week of activities leading up to Mission Centre Conference! Where does the time go? In case you haven’t marked it on your calendar yet, here are some key days to note down:
As I look both backward and forward in my preparations, I am inspired and compelled by our theme Bright Hope. What does hope mean to you? I recall a quote from Krista Tippett: “Hope is a muscle” and just like any muscle, we have to exercise it to keep it healthy. “The hope that I see to be transformative and modeled in very wise people who have shifted something in their world,” says Tippett, “it's not wishful thinking. It's not assuming that things will turn out all right. It's an insistence, looking at the world straight on as it is and rejecting the idea that it has to be that way, and then throwing your light and your pragmatism as much as your spirit at it.” (Read the full article at: https://www.gq.com/story/krista-tippett-on-being-interview) How can we “throw our light” at our world and make it a better place? And by the way I think our world begins in our families, congregations, neighbourhoods, cities. Our mission centre spans many different lives and experiences, urban, rural, and everything in between. How can we equip and support one another to be light bearers in the world in our unique contexts? This is the work of our mission centre as I see it. So I ask that you consider how you can support this project of equipping one another to be light bearers:
I hope I get to see you in 74 days! Canada West Mission Centre Conference
Theme: Bright Hope September 27-29 Join us in person at Edmonton congregation or via Zoom Please find this week's article in our main blog page
Mark your calendars and register! Family Camp is just a month away. Join us from August 3 to 8 for fun and fellowship with friends, family, and our Guest Ministers, Matt and Margo Frizzell, from Chicago. Enjoy the beauty of Hills of Peace as we explore our theme, "Heal the Earth," together. The deadline for online registration is July 15.
Inquiries: [email protected] If you or a loved one wants to attend camp this summer but financial issues are a barrier, the Canada West Mission Centre offers a Subsidy Request Form for Camps and Retreats to help make your plans a reality. We are dedicated to providing support so that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy and benefit from our camp reunions and retreats.
By: Debra Donohue Creating Connection Director for Western Canada I hope everyone had a great Canada Day weekend. I spent this past weekend in Victoria. Though their church building has been sold, the congregation still gets together and experiences community with each other. My weekend began with a picnic dinner at Butchart Gardens with my sister Dana’s family. Butchart Gardens has free live music in the amphitheatre Tuesday through Friday throughout the summer. The four-piece string quartet, called Medusa, played music from around the world and shared great stories. I can think of a few fiddlers in our midst who would have loved it! On Saturday, the Victoria congregation gathered at Sally Glasier’s home in Mill Bay for a ‘white elephant’ gift exchange, lunch, and visiting. The white elephant gift exchange is usually played at Victoria’s annual Christmas party. Each person brought a wrapped gift of something gently used or new. The rule is not to go out and purchase something new but rather to find something in your home that you’re not using. In this game, people have the opportunity to ‘steal’ a gift someone else has already chosen and opened. There were lots of full-belly laughs and squeals of disappointment (all in fun) as some of the gifts made their way around the room several times. Sally’s house was packed, and 7 people were under 25 years old. Kelly Duff, you may remember, used to host Creating Connection’s online book club. Kelly had some great ideas for a new Creating Connection group she is interested in hosting in the coming months. Quilting, knitting, and crochet are at the top of her list. We’ll be sure to let you know when Kelly starts up her new group. Just a reminder that you can find Creating Connection events at the links below on our Meetup pages. We have both in-person and online groups: Or reach out to me, Debra Donohue, at [email protected], and I’ll be happy to help you. P.S. I just have to share this video of my nephew James Donohue setting off his homemade air/water pressure rocket. It’s very short; you can see it here. Attention campers and families! There is only 1 week left to take advantage of our Early Bird Pricing! You get $25 off if you register and fully pay your fees by July 1st. Bringing a friend? Use code FRIEND25 to get $25 off the fees for both you and your friend.
If you love to live life #Unfiltered, join us Aug 10-16 for everything you love about camp: friends, food, Nailed It HOP Edition, campfire, and more. Don’t miss out on what is sure to be one of the best weeks of your summer! Instagram: cwm_youthcamp Email: [email protected] A moment with your Mission Centre President by Becky Middleton, Canada West Mission Centre Co-President It is with sadness we acknowledge the cancellation of Kid's Camp for yet another year. The camping program has been, and may continue to be, the connection our young people have to each other and the Community of Christ. My grandchildren have all loved going to family camp and subsequently Junior (Kid's) and youth camp. Relationships made at camp between the youth have continued through social media connections, Spectacular, Mission Conference etc. Relationships made with God and learning about the Community of Christ at camp continue for a lifetime.
Yes, there is work involved too, but most importantly camp is FUN! It starts with Family Camp. PLEASE consider bringing, sending, paying for your children, grandchildren, adoptive family etc. and come to camp! We need you to step up. Now, more than ever, we need to support our Hills of Peace campground and the camping program! Bring your family, July 20 - 27, to the beautiful Samish Island campground for a week of fun in the sun! Activities include: games, crafts, music, worship services, relaxing, classes, guest speakers/ministers, horseshoes, volleyball, canoeing, baseball, evening campfires. We will explore the theme "Heal the Earth: A Restoration Imperative" with our guest ministers Apostle Robin Linkhart and Bishop Ron Harmon.
Camp Directors: Chris Phelps (Canada West Mission Centre) and Lisa Stecher (Inland West Mission Centre) We are sorry to announce that due to low enrollment, and lack of staff, this year’s Hills of Peace Kids Camp has been cancelled. We hope to see you next year!
If you have any questions please email the directors at [email protected] Directors: Amanda Senga, Deborah Mason, Marsha Kliotis By: Kat Goheen, Canada West Mission Centre Co-President Another learning from my Camino:
I planned my last 100 kilometers of walking so that I could arrive in Santiago de Compostela on April 22, doubling up on earlier days to leave only 20 kilometers to walk on the last day. My goal was to arrive in time for Pilgrim’s Mass in the Cathedral without being overly exhausted. That last night my friends told me, over paella, that the big mass of the day was at noon, which I didn’t know! I left well before dawn so that I could arrive in Santiago in time to stow my pack at the post office and get a seat at mass. It was incredibly rushed, but worked out, along with meeting my dear Welsh friend! After mass, we queued up and got our Compostela certificates and ate a late lunch…and then, the rush settled. I had arrived. Nowhere left to walk – my next trip was a bus to Portugal, and a plane home. My friends, who were devout Catholics, felt an extra glow about passing these landmarks. But for me, it was overshadowed with grief. While my feet were more than ready to come home, I had enjoyed the journey and was sad to see it end! My new Spanish friend gushed to me, “Kat, the Camino is life!” I replied, “Yes, but the Camino is over, and life continues…” With a direct look he spoke to my heart: “Your Camino is only beginning.” I don’t know who needs to hear this. Maybe a job contract is ending, an illness is closing in, a church building is being sold, a camp is being cancelled. What kind of ending is this? What kind of beginning? The love we hold is not lost, and it can be a training ground for deeper relationships and wisdom to emerge. Let us learn from our experiences and claim the depth of soul they bring! Please join us for the Canada West Mission Conference 2024, taking place from September 27 to 29. The Edmonton congregation will be hosting this year, and you are warmly welcome to join us either in person or online via Zoom. Our theme this year is "Bright Hope."
Important deadlines coming up: August 1st: Congregational reports due August 15th: New Business motions due Send questions and submissions to: [email protected] Register now for a summer adventure at Hills of Peace Kid's Camp! We invite all kids entering grades 3 - 7 to join us June 30 to July 5 for a week of fun activities including campfires, arts & crafts, dance, cooking classes, movie nights, and more. Our camping team is dedicated to ensuring every camper has a fantastic and safe time. We can't wait to see you and share this exciting adventure! The sign-up period is closing soon. Register today to secure your spot! From Sun, Jun 30, 2024, 3:00 PM MDT To Fri, Jul 5, 2024, 11:00 AM MDT Hills of Peace Campground North West 2-38-6-West 4 Cadogan, Alberta, Canada |
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