 Each week of Advent, we’re sharing a brief postcard from our Mission Centre President team reflecting on the weekly theme and the ways we can draw closer to God and one another during this sacred season.
From Becky: In this Advent week of Peace, Christ offers us peace—as a state of being in the midst of life’s challenges. Christ is with us—Emmanuel!  Each week of Advent, we’re sharing a brief postcard from our Mission Centre President team reflecting on the weekly theme and the ways we can draw closer to God and one another during this sacred season.
From Shannon: In this Advent week of Love, May you be open to receiving the deep love of God in this season and moving that love into action for our world.  By Debra Donohue, Creating Connection Director
I remember a Christmas when I was a teenager, living with my dad. It was our first Christmas since my parents had split up, and I wanted to make it special for the two of us. Like many people, I found that between school and work, most of my Christmas shopping ended up happening on Christmas Eve. Brentwood Mall was open until 6:00 p.m. that night, and I was one of the last people to leave. I took the bus home, planning to wrap all the gifts and stocking stuffers after my dad went to bed so I could surprise him in the morning. That year, my dad and I began a tradition of staying up late to watch A Christmas Carol, starring Alastair Sim. It became something we looked forward to and carried on every year. Eventually, my dad went to bed, and I started wrapping. By 2:00 a.m. I was still going, and the individual stocking stuffers took so long that by 3:00 a.m. I made myself a promise: I would never leave my Christmas shopping and wrapping until Christmas Eve again. In fact, for the past 45 years, I’ve had all—or most—of my shopping and wrapping finished by December 1. I know that finishing everything by December 1 isn’t realistic for most people. So if you’re still looking for a meaningful gift for a friend or loved one, may I suggest something a little different: one of our upcoming Nurturing Spirit Retreats in 2026. One option is Spiritual Life Writing, an online retreat taking place January 24–25. Because it’s online, this gift can be shared with anyone, anywhere. The cost is $75 CAD. Another opportunity is Connecting to Spirit Through Creativity, an in-person retreat held February 27–March 1 at Samish Island Retreat Centre. This retreat features gifted facilitators and a beautiful natural setting, with a cost of $250 CAD, which includes all meals, accommodations, snacks, and session supplies. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] If I’ve learned anything from that first Christmas on our own, it’s that the traditions we carry matter — often more than the gifts themselves. My dad passed away in the 1990s, but I consider myself fortunate to have created two meaningful traditions during that first Christmas on our own: I never leave my Christmas shopping and wrapping to the last minute, and every Christmas Eve, I watch A Christmas Carol starring Alastair Sim, imagining my dad sitting in front of the TV with me.  🎥 WATCH VIDEO 👀 The Canada West Mission leadership team invites you to enter Advent with a renewed sense of hope for a brighter future as we move toward forming a single Canada Mission Centre in 2026. Hope invites reaching out to someone who needs it. Peace becomes a way of being even in uncertain times. Joy emerges from deep places, often intertwined with sorrow, yet still life-giving. Love calls for tangible action, whether a simple gesture or the courage to risk something new. Prepare for Christmas grounded in hope, peace, joy, and love as we move onward together.
 Each week of Advent, we’re sharing a brief postcard from our Mission Centre President team reflecting on the weekly theme and the ways we can draw closer to God and one another during this sacred season.
From Kat: In this Advent week of Joy: Let our experience of joy this holiday season be grounded in a deep response to God’s goodness in our lives!  Each week of Advent, we’re sharing a brief postcard from our Mission Centre President team reflecting on the weekly theme and the ways we can draw closer to God and one another during this sacred season.
From the team: In this Advent week of Hope: We pray that your hope will be renewed in this season of Advent, as we celebrate the coming of Christ as a child full of hope. |
Categories
All
Archives
January 2026
|
RSS Feed