​As Mission Centre Historian, one responsibility is to encourage congregations to have a Congregational Historian to track the major events in their congregation each year. Some congregations have a long, consistent history of having historians appointed. Others seem to have had more occasional appointments, perhaps whenever someone expresses interest in the task after a year or two (or more) of having no one taking on the task.

Chilliwack Congregation is one with a long tradition of having a historian appointed each year. I have in my files reports from 1984 to 1999. And I know that reports have been filed for most, if not all, years since then. All the reports I have were prepared and submitted by Vilda Fetterly. I believe Vilda continued in that role until relatively recently when the “torch” was passed to Lorelei Dean. I thought I would share a few of the happenings in the Chilliwack Congregation as reported by Vilda in her 1984 report.

Membership as of January 1, 1984, was 118 persons. There were 3 marriages, 2 baby blessings, 1 ordination, 2 deaths, 1 “transfer in,” 2 “transfers out,” and 1 membership withdrawal recorded that year. Membership at year end was 114.

Guest ministry on January 29 was a distinguished trio including Howard S. (Bud) Sheehy, Jr. (Counselor to the President of the RLDS Church – as we were known at that time), BC District President Carl Bolger, and Seventy R. Skoor.

​Many members did many good things:

• Jean, Alf, and Patti Beer travelled to Samish Island for a Camping Workshop, Feb. 4&5
• A successful garage sale was held in March
• “Joy Unlimited” – “our youth singing group” (based in Vancouver) performed April 7&8
• Steve and Sherri Weber, managers of Herald House Canada, spent an evening displaying books and talking about their work
• Alf and Jean Beer attended the “Mini Reunion” in Prince George
• Graduations: High School: Rod Christensen, Sandra Fetterly, and Brent Welch; BCIT: Alan Christensen (diploma in Biomedical Electronics); UBC: Dan Beer, B. Comm. (Marketing)
• A Youth Caravan from Southern Oregon visited June 16, 17 & 18.
• “Prayer and Share Meetings” were held on 2nd and 4th Thursday evenings of each month
• Maclaren and Marie Christensen celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on Sept. 12
• A new piano was purchased for the chapel
• Rick Stevenson donated a beautiful organ in memory of his wife, Winnie.
• The young people “brought joy into many homes at Christmas” as they spent an evening travelling about singing carols.
• The Christmas Eve Service depicted the drama, “The Journey of the Shepherds.” A special offering was taken at the service for Canadian Saints Outreach (now World Accord).

​
That was 1984 in Chilliwack in a nutshell. Thanks Vilda!

​Due to some last minute scheduling changes we were lucky enough to get a visit from Art Smith our Apostle for Canada in BC last week. Becky of our Mission Centre President team and Dar our Mission Centre Financial officer also made the trek to BC. In spite of winter storms and delays everyone made it to the Vancouver area.
 
Art visited with folks in Chilliwack during the week and then we all gathered in Langley for a weekend retreat. We discussed the future of our Mission Centre and the evolution of Community of Christ in Canada as we strengthen ties between East and West. How heartening to see that we can overcome regional differences that people often feel in secular society in Canada, and come together with our shared enduring principles in Community of Christ.
 
It was great to spend time planning for the year ahead and sharing our hopes and struggles. We shared meals and laughs and even played some board games together. On Saturday the new leadership team from the Vancouver congregation met with us for lunch  to share updates on their visioning process and we were able to share insights and support.
 
Very early Sunday morning, Becky, Dar, Art, Kat, and Gwyn headed to Victoria to attend the service and business meeting. During the business meeting Victoria voted to sell their building and to dissolve the congregation to relieve some leadership burdens. They are looking forward to continuing to meet regularly online and in homes as they step into the next phase of their life in community together.
 
We are excited for the year that awaits us in Canada West. There are so many wonderful events planned and many opportunities to be generous with our time and talents. We are looking forward to seeing many of you this Saturday at 9am/10am/11am for our Special Winter Conference. Our agenda and zoom link are available in the Weekly Wire. Hope to see you there!

We are sorry to report that our Mission Centre Financial Officer and Bishop of Canada, Dar Shepherdson, is COVID positive and in the hospital being treated for rhabdomyolysis. Our Special Winter Conference was primarily based on sharing financial information from our fiscal year 2023, so we will delay this conference until Dar’s health improves.
 
Instead of the full morning of meetings, we invite you to join us online this Saturday, Jan 27 at the same start time (9am BC / 10am AB / 11am SK & MB) for a short meditative experience to hold Dar in our prayerful concern together.
 
Our zoom link remains the same. We look forward to seeing you Saturday.

Written by Debra Donohue
Creating Connection Director Canada West
[email protected]

In the last quarter of 2023, Troy Roach (my colleague in Canada East) and I, discovered that many people aren’t aware of the things we’re doing in Creating Connection, and some still weren’t aware of the program at all!  This came as quite a surprise to Troy and me because we’ve felt like we were screaming our lungs out for the last several years.  It was Dar Shepherdson, Bishop of Canada, who suggested we become more ‘Evangelical’ in our sharing with Community of Christ in Canada, so that my friends is Creating Connection’s New Years Resolution.
​
Last year in Canada West, I pulled back from some of the online programing I was doing to focus on in-person activities and work with individual congregations.  Most congregations have not seen church attendance return to pre-pandemic levels so we want you to know that Creating Connection is here for you and can offer support with outreach and programming.  This is also an excellent way to invite people who haven’t attended church in a while to meaningful but non-churchy events. We use a platform called Meetup.com to advertise to people outside the church and you can have a look through the links below to see what’s happening in some cities in western Canada.

​Looking forward to connecting with you soon!

This occasional feature is intended to ensure that people across the mission centre are aware of the passing of persons in other congregations in a timely manner.
 
Information provided here is restricted to the name of the deceased person, the city where they lived (or congregation they attended), and the date of death. Please click on the name to access the obituary (if available). 

If you are aware of other church members who have passed away and whose names do not appear here or in our archive, please advise our team at [email protected].
 
Please support in thought and prayer the family and friends of the following persons who passed away recently this year:

• Dennis & Joan McKelvie
  

​        Vancouver Congregation - January 8

• Inez Thederahn

​        Vancouver Congregation - January 24

• Linda Klughart
  Prince Albert Congregation - January 27
• Anne Plaxton
  Edmonton Congregation - March 2
• Beverly Cargill
  Ribstone Congregation - April 6
• Eldon Dallyn
  Ribstone Congregation - April 6
• Eva Clark
  Winnipeg, MB - April 10
• Joy McAdam

       Vancouver Congregation - April 25

• Ronald Fetterly

       Chilliwack Congregation - April 26

•  Doreen Reid

        Saskatoon Congregation - May 19

• Muriel McMurdo

        Edmonton Congregation - July 30
​
For a list of persons who have passed away in previous years, please click here.

From November 11 to December 6, 2023 my husband Doug and I were privileged to be in Honduras.

It was a different experience this time as there was no build going on.  We did some sightseeing, relaxing and certainly deeper relationship building with the Honduran people.

We also viewed some interesting agricultural projects World Accord is doing in association with Asocialayo, World Accord’s partner in Honduras.

Asocialayo is a farmers co-op group and we travelled with an agronomist staff member on two different days. The project featured 8 different varieties of beans (baking types) grown in 4 different locations. The study was testing for production as well as resistance to weevils and preference of the people for flavour and cooking. The object in the long run is to hybridize for optimum results of all the testing.

The testing groups besides physically caring for the planting were monitoring temperature, humidity and growth daily. There were women instrumental in all aspects of the experiment as they are important in determining the desired qualities for eating as well as production!
​
It was a very interesting time and as farmers ourselves we are interested in the results! All in all we had a lovely trip!

Vaya con Dios,
Becky

Lateral Kindness is more than just a workshop; ​it's a transformative experience. Break free from harmful cycles, foster healthy relationships, and contribute to a positive community.
​Here's what to expect:

🤝 Values for Social Harmony: Discover the principles of respect, fairness, and the importance of relationships for a kinder world.
🌟 Building Personal Skills: Through stories, discussions, and activities, gain insights and tools to make responsible choices and positively impact your community.
🌐 Zoom Information: Sign up today by sending an email. Zoom details will be shared when you register.

Meet Matt Thorpe: Your Experienced Facilitator
With a rich tapestry of over 20 years of experience, Matt Thorpe & Associates, an Indigenous organization, stands as a beacon of expertise in facilitation, mediation, and learning circles. Matt has a steadfast commitment to fostering positive change at all levels of society.

Matt's Legacy of Impactful Initiatives includes:

• mediation and facilitation of Federal and Provincial government groups
• collaborations with departments such as corrections, child, and family services, various justice systems, and more
• not-for-profit and private organizations, Indigenous communities, the Canadian Human Rights Commission, and educational and healthcare institutions
• anti-bullying programs and pioneering leadership projects. 

His commitment goes beyond the ordinary, consistently driving positive change in every endeavor.

Take a step towards a kinder community. Sign up now and encourage others to participate! 

For registration or inquiries, send an email to  [email protected]. Zoom information will be shared upon registration. Let's create a ripple of kindness that transforms lives!

​Yours in Christ,
Gwyn, Kat, Becky and Shannon
[email protected]
​[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

​For those of you who are reading this column carefully each month (and, really, who isn’t?!), you will recall that I dealt with an overview of the people who edited and contributed to “The District Leader” newsletter in Alberta and Saskatchewan Districts in the January 1961 issue. I will share some very brief excerpts of content here, from seventeen pages of fairly dense type, to give a bit of the flavour of the times.

In his monthly column, Alberta District President, Seventy David Larmour, highlighted the following activities from the fall of 1960:

• The official opening of the Crammond church building on Sunday, October 30. (Crammond is a small village about a 90-minute drive north of Calgary.) “About 80 persons attended the afternoon service, many of whom were friends living in or near the community. … Pastor R.L. Duane Duff was in charge of the service with your district president as speaker.”
• “Our District Missionary, Raymond Ashenhurst, is now at Ribstone after a month in Lethbridge and another month’s work in … Artland Branch in Saskatchewan.”
• Progress was reported on the “reunion property development” (apparently not yet named Hills of Peace). The framework of the “Junior Chapel” had been completed. It was closed in for the winter, but roofing would need to be completed in the spring. The building would be able to be used for the 1961 reunion.
• The money-collecting cards completed by children in support of completing the work on the Auditorium in Independence were promoted.

From the Calgary Branch (Vida L. Diaper reporting): “December has been a busy month… The Choral groups put in extra hours on musical offerings for the Christmas season, and the Women’s Dept. held their annual Christmas party, and their visiting committee was very active among the shut-ins. The Church School Christmas Tree and program was a delight to the little folks and adults alike, & there was standing room only, before Santa arrived. … Speakers for the Worship Services included Pastor E.B. McLean, Elders C.O. Diaper, Bruce Waddell, A.D. McLeod, Priest C.B. Gibson, Teacher J.F. Simpson and Deacons Laurence Boote and Albert Bates. A Carol Service was held on Christmas Eve, and two specially adapted Worship services was (sic) held on Christmas Day.”

Saskatoon Branch News (Lottie C. Diggle reporting): “A Regional Missionary workshop was held in the church November 26th and 27th with District Missionary Keith Harvey and Elder Kenneth Wilkensen as instructors. … The Messiah (as performed in the Auditorium in Independence) will be heard over station CFQC on Christmas Day. … The annual Christmas tree and program will be held December 22nd. June Fisher is preparing the children’s Choir for participation in the annual three-day Carol Festival which will be held in Third Avenue United Church. … Zion’s League members have selected the characters for a play entitled ‘The Unwilling Spirit.’ … Gary Macdonald convened a Hallowe’en party. Their Leader. Inez Thederahn and Joe Hodgins is president.” (Steve’s note: sorry if that last bit is confusing. It is as it is printed.)

Edmonton Branch report (Dorthea Mills reporting): “The speakers for the month have been Priests Walter Ratcliffe and Morris Johnstone, Elder Richard and Evangelist Wm. Osler. The Orioles were in charge of the church School Service, Sunday morning, Dec. 18. The prayers were offered by Ruth Walrath and the theme talk by Linda Hilker. There were two special hymns, one by the Junior Choir, led by Garry Gibson, and four Oriole girls sang one led by Donna Jenkins. It was a lovely service.”

Every issue ends with a page full of short jokes and brief wisdom statements (some serious, some humorous) under the title “Clancy Says.” No clues are evident as to who “Clancy” was. Two sample items to end this column:
​

• “Delighted at the gift she had received; Mrs. Jones spoke warmly to the boy: ‘At church tomorrow I’ll thank your mother for this lovely pie.’ ‘If you don’t mind, ma’am,’ the boy suggested nervously, ‘would you thank her for two pies.’”
• “The surest way to dig up the past is to start looking for something in the attic.”

Unfortunately, there are many scammers looking for opportunities to take advantage of non-suspecting individuals in many different ways, especially on this holidays season!

​We want to warn you about one such scheme that may be circulating among or from Community of Christ members, friends and Mission Centre Leadership right now. 

If you should receive an email that appears to be from someone you know or trust such as CWM leadership, or congregation leadership, other close friends or relatives, etc., stating something like, “Can you do me a favour?”, be extremely cautious. These messages are likely a “phishing” email.

If you reply, the next email asks you to purchase a gift card on their behalf. The message may say they need the card immediately, but they are too busy to do it, and they will pay you back as soon as possible. ​These emails are not legitimate. They are being sent by malicious entities who are impersonating people in your contacts list to gain your trust and exploit you. These kinds of fraudulent emails attempt to gain your trust in order to access your personal and/or credit card information, or to get money (in the form of gift cards).

​DO NOT click any links or reply to such messages. Delete these emails immediately!

What to do next:

If you believe you have received this type of phishing email:

1. Contact the person whose name appears in the email via phone to find out if the request is valid.
2. If not, they should notify their contacts to be on the lookout for fraudulent emails from them.
3. If you are a victim of fraud, report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Be very suspicious regarding online communication, especially when being requested to purchase gift cards or transfer funds. Remember, scams come in many forms. Click here to see a list of other possible scams published by the Government of Canada.

Note: This notice was originally published by Canada East Mission Centre in April 2021. Canada West acknowledges with appreciation their original drafting. This is being re-published by Canada West due to a series of “phishing” emails that have circulated recently.