 Youth Camp is just around the corner — August 9–15 (can you believe it?!)
The countdown is on, and we can’t wait to kick off an amazing week of fun, friendship, and reflection at Youth Camp 2025. This year’s theme is LEAD — we’ll be exploring what it means to lead our lives with joy, hope, love, and peace. From powerful sessions to epic games, campfires to chill hangouts, it’s going to be a week you’ll never forget. And don’t miss our iconic Banquet Night, themed "Star-y Night" — come dressed as your favourite lead character and get ready to shine! Spots are filling fast, so grab your crew and register now! Let the countdown to the best week of the summer begin!
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 Postcard from Shannon McAdam
A wonderful time was had at Samish Island Campground last week for the Canada West and Inland West combined reunion! We had two baptisms - one at the beginning of the week and one at the end. As someone mentioned in our closing service, having baptisms at camp helps remind us all of our commitments to being disciples. May this photo from Monday’s baptismal service inspire your commitment to discipleship as well.  Postcard from Shannon McAdam
Last week I got to be part of the staff at our annual youth sports and arts camp that brings young people together from across the church. My highlight was seeing 15 youth from Canada fully engaged in the event! They were worship leaders, kind sportspeople, avid learners, and were part of making an inclusive camp. Hope in action!  Postcard from Shannon McAdam.
June 28 - July 4 I got to bring guest ministry to Loaves and Fishes reunion. It was wonderful to see familiar faces from world conference, meet folks in person I’d only ever met on Zoom, and get to know so many new faces. Of course if you know me it’s inevitable that at some point I end up in the kitchen at camp! Here I am peeling apples!"  By Becky Middleton. The weekend of June 20–22 was a wonderful time of retreat, meditation, sharing, and inspiration for all who attended the Summer Solstice Women’s Retreat at Hills of Peace! The weather determined we adjust the planned schedule—just a bit. We didn’t see the sunset over the lake on Friday, but we did watch dusk fall as we sang on the beach. We also didn’t see the sunrise at 4:45 a.m. on Saturday, but the sky lightened with the dawn and our spirits soared with the birdsong. As we enjoyed a day of much-needed steady rainfall, some connected with the earth using umbrellas and rubber boots to explore the grounds in contemplation, while others enjoyed the connection from the warm, dry chapel windows. The rainy weather revealed nature in a different way, with different highlights, expanding our insight into seeing God at work in our lives. We relaxed in deep meditation after lunch, then entered a time of creativity in preparation for our delicious Midsummer Night’s Dream supper, lovingly prepared by our kitchen staff. Our evening of sharing was made extra special by the descending darkness as the power went out—and didn’t return until morning! Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny, wrapping up our time together as we shared hope, love, and concerns for one another. The weekend was a complete success, and there is already excitement about next year’s theme and date. Stay tuned—and keep your calendar ready!  Summer is in full swing and our Canada West camps are ready to welcome you! There’s still time to register for these amazing programs:
Hills of Peace (Alberta) Family Camp August 2–7 Junior Camp (ages 7–11) August 2–7 Family Camp and Junior Camp will be at the same time to help ease the transition for our younger campers. Please note: Junior Camp participants must have an adult (over 21) attending Family Camp. Everyone registers through the Family Camp form. Youth Camp (ages 12–18) | August 9–15 Samish Island (Washington) Samish Reunion July 19–26 Camp Atsaken (Grades 7–9) August 3–7 Camp Kimtah (Grades 10–2025 Grads) August 3–7 Camp Mungai (Grades 3–6) August 10–14  Mission Conference 2025 is happening in Chilliwack, BC, from September 12–14, and we want to see you there! If you’re planning to attend, now is the time to register and book your accommodations.
We have a block of rooms reserved at the Coast Chilliwack Hotel, but the hotel will reduce our block on July 14 if we haven’t reached 60% booked. Don’t wait—secure your spot today! And while you’re at it—why not use a little of what you saved on accommodations to bring some socks or a warm toque for someone in need? As part of our commitment to the Chilliwack community, we’re collecting new socks and pom-pom-free toques for our conference service project, Socktember. Please bring your donations to conference or connect with your congregation to send items along. Let’s make a difference together!  Join us September 19th to 21st at Hills of Peace for the Men’s Retreat. Chris Phelps will be our guest minister and this theme will be: Hope Into Action - Where do we go from here?
One of the questions we will be thinking about on that weekend are: How does World Church passing new resolutions impact you, and how will you turn those new ideas into action in your own life? Intrigued? Then why not save the date and plan to spend a couple days at Hills Of Peace. The cost will be $170. I will save a piece of pie with your name on it. Hope to see you there, Dan Esch  By Debra Donohue, Creating Connection Director for Canada West
If you’re a gardener, you understand the value of patience. Long before your plants or trees bear fruit, you spend time weeding, feeding, watering, and lovingly caring for them. Without this consistent effort, your plants may wither and die. The same principle applies to the work we've been doing with Creating Connection. For the last three Community of Christ World Conferences, I’ve had the opportunity to help lead the Creating Connection Lunch and Learn sessions. Each year, the room was filled with excitement and enthusiasm. People were eager to participate in a worldwide Creating Connection initiative. But after each World Conference, interest tapered off, with only a few groups choosing to participate independently. Still, we continued nurturing the seeds we had planted. We kept showing up, presenting Creating Connection at every World Conference, and sharing our message with anyone willing to listen. Now, we’re beginning to see growth. We’re currently collaborating with a group in Australia that has a similar program, exploring ways we can support one another and move forward together. We’ve also been asked to translate our CreatingConnection.ca website into French so more people can access our resources. Earlier this month, at the 2025 Lunch and Learn, we had to add chairs in the aisles to accommodate the crowd. People arrived an hour early and stayed half an hour after the scheduled time. Thankfully, I had video clips from previous presentations ready to share, and we opened the floor for questions. We easily filled two hours with rich conversation and information about Creating Connection. It feels like our trees are finally bearing fruit—and it’s incredibly rewarding. I was tempted to say the hard work is over, but that wouldn’t be quite right. The patient work may be behind us, but now it’s time to roll up our sleeves, harvest the fruit, and ensure we keep this momentum going. Look for Creating Connection presentations at reunions this summer and be sure to check out our refreshed website at CreatingConnection.ca. We’re adding new content every week. One last thing—a request. If you have a story of connection from your community, congregation, camp, or retreat, we’d love to hear it. Please share it with us in the blog section of our website. Your success stories inspire others! |
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