Jan 9-Mar 27 Community of Christ Adult Lessons-Online
February 13 and 27 Climate Webinar and Conversation-Online​
February 21 Creating Connection Book Club-Online​
March 4-6 Writing into the Sacred: Speaking to Light-Online Retreat​
​​
​​View full Canada West Events Calendar
Dates are subject to change.

​Sundays

BC Community of Christ Online Gathering
Hosted by the Vancouver Congregation
Sunday mornings
9:30am Pacific Time - Visiting and gathering 
10am Pacific Time - Service
Contact Chris Phelps at cphelps@shaw.ca for Zoom links.

Creating Connection Book Club 
Third Monday of every other month at 7pm PT/ 8pm MT/ 9pm CT. To join please visit the Creating Connection Meetup group. For details about the next session click here.

Virtual Visiting Fellowship 
Tuesday mornings at 11am CST/ 10am MST/ 9am PST. To participate please contact Gloria Stanton. For more details click here.

​Creating Connection presents: An Afternoon of Nurturing Spirit
Wednesdays from 3pm to 4:30pm Pacific Time. To join please visit the Creating Connection Meetup group.

Oasis Meditative Experience
Wednesdays from 6:40 to 7:00pm Pacific Time. To receive a weekly Zoom invitation, please send an email to Kat Goheen (kat@communityofchrist.ca)​

Creating Connection presents: Coffee and Conversation
Thursdays from 10:30am to noon Pacific Time. To join please visit the Creating Connection Meetup group.

For a list of Online Ministries please click here.

Canada is suffering with lockdowns that are happening across the country.  Covid-19 and the variant Omicron make human contact further down the road. 

What does this mean to you?  Back to ZOOM church, family only gatherings, in some cases you are double masking and you may know someone who has the virus.  When will this end?  None of us knows. 

Where do you turn when you are feeling alone?  Reach out to someone else.  Call a church member, call a friend, chances are they are feeling isolated too!  Mail a card, thinking about that person even if all you do is put their address on the envelope and sign your name.  If you are computer savvy, you can be virtually in touch.

If it helps, yell at God, he will listen!  Pray about your situation and those who you wish you could help.

We are still in the first month of 2022 and it might help for you to think about what you want to do in the coming year and plan for it.  During Advent, we talked about the Hope that comes from the birth of Jesus Christ.  There are events being planned and an opportunity to attend virtually.  Look at the things coming up in the Weekly Wire.  What appeals to you?  Is this a time to start a class on line, both through the church or from your local learning centres?

Plan to be at reunion this year.  No promises from me that we will be able to gather at our camp grounds, but if the opportunity to gather happens, be ready!  What can you think of that you might be able to bring to reunion for yourself and maybe for everyone?  I have a project that I am gathering the supplies for. 

As I work on what I want to share, I think of who might be participating with me and I get a smile on my face! ​The time is now to plan for the future.   

​Yours in Christ,
Gwyn, Kat, and Shannon
gwyn@communityofchrist.ca
​kat@communityofchrist.ca
smcadam@communityofchrist.ca

Climate Webinar:
”Systemic Solutions - Poetry and Storytelling at the Intersection of Climate and Race"
When: Sunday, February 13, 2022 at 2pm PT/ 3pm MT/ 4pm CT/ 5pm ET
Where: Online Ministry

Join us for the follow-up conversation on:

• Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 2pm PT/ 3pm MT/ 4pm CT/ 5pm ET

The people who contribute the least to environmental crises and high carbon emissions are often the ones who suffer the most from climate catastrophes.  It is true in U.S. cities as well as in developing nations worldwide.  Racial justice is deeply entangled in climate mitigation issues, from distribution of green zones to availability of subsidies to transition from fossil fuels to electricity in homes and businesses.  Learn how racial justice and climate justice intersect, in this intriguing presentation of poetry and storytelling by Ashia Ajani. 

Ashia Ajani (they/she) is an environmental justice educator and storyteller hailing from Denver, CO, Queen City of the Plains and the unceded territory of the Cheyenne, Ute, Arapahoe and Comanche peoples. They are an environmental studies doctoral student at University of Oregon and an environmental justice educator with Mycelium Youth Network. Her work seeks to address underlying anti-Blackness and anti-Indigeneity in contemporary environmental policy and ecology research while working towards bold, Black ecologically justice futures. Her words have been published in Sierra Magazine, Them., Frontier Poetry, Lumiere Review and EcoTheo Review, among others. They are, above all else, a dreamer. 

All sessions are free and participation in previous webinars and conversations is not necessary to join. ​​If you registered for a past webinar or conversation, you do not need to register again. Once registered, you will be sent a link to join the sessions. 

​For more information about the series please visit the Climate Change Colloquy website.

Come join us for a monthly “get together” for casual discussion of books from a wide range of genres. Open to all book lovers (some books may not be suitable for younger readers).

When: Third Monday of every other month at 7pm (BC), 8pm (AB/SK), 9pm (MB). Our next meetup is on February 21!

Writing into the Sacred: Speaking to Light - a Nurturing Spirit Online Retreat
Special Guest: Author Susan Scott
When: March 4-6, 2022
Cost: $25 per person. Click on the button above to see the schedule and register!

Writing into the Sacred: Speaking to Light invites us to tell our stories in holistic ways that support truth and beauty, solitude and community, action, and contemplation. Using gentle exercises in fostering silence, writing, speaking, and collective listening, we will reacquaint ourselves with the luminous link between silence, stories, and the sacred. Together, we will explore the transformative power of writing that brings us deeper into relation with wisdom, truth, and one another.

"Living Grace and Generosity" 
When: April 25-29, 2022 at 7:30pm ET, 6:30pm CT, 5:30pm MT, 4:30pm PT
Where: Live on ZOOM with Instructor Lew Sheperson
Cost is $30, please send cheque to:​

• Melissa Freer
  Community of Christ, 355 Elmira Road North, Unit 129
  Guelph, ON  N1K 1S5

Syllabus and book requirement will be sent in March​

The Virtual Visiting Fellowship group that Steve Thompson began will continue!

Gloria Stanton is hosting the Tuesday Morning VVF group. She will be sending out an invitation to join based on a list supplied by Steve Thompson.

If you have not tried the VVF group but would like to, you can contact Gloria Stanton at gvstanton@sasktel.net. She will be happy to send you the link along with the people who have attended in the past.

Enjoy the fellowship!

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.

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 sandra@communityofchrist.ca.
 
Please support in thought and prayer the family and friends of the following persons who passed away on November and December last year:

• Keith Stepenoff, Lethbridge, AB-November 15, 2021
• Kelly Grant, Calgary, AB-December 20, 2021
• Dale Williams, Regina SK-December 29, 2021
• Shirley (Philips) Chapman-Kent, WA-December 29, 2021

For a list of persons who have passed away in previous years, please click here.

IHQ is piloting a new way of including more personalized info in our email communications. Beginning in 2022, we will roll out a new email journey to ensure seekers receive content that is relevant to them. This is a major departure from our current communications where all email subscribers generally receive the same content.

HELP US TEST THIS NEW APPROACH!

• Sign up for the test group: http://eepurl.com/hMLYsL.
• Engage with the various emails you receive as you wish.
• Complete the follow-up survey sent to you after you’ve finished the email journey.

Thanks for your help!

In this bright new year, our thoughts naturally turn to the future. Since becoming one of your Mission Centre Presidents, I find my heart is quite tender toward our congregations. I see the effort and devotion offered by our congregational leaders. I yearn for our communities to experience nurturing, hope, and growth! At the same time, a wise friend reminded me yesterday to appreciate what we already experience in fellowship, and the ways we are touched by the gifts of Spirit and community.
 
In this new year, let us remember that all are called. Along with resolutions that focus on physical and economic well-being, please consider examining your discipleship. These questions may help:

• How is God calling me to grow and deepen?
• What gifts can I share in my congregation and community?
• How can I be present to what’s right in front of me?

Your pastor or Mission Centre Presidents would be more than happy to visit with you about your plan of spiritual response to God’s activity in your life. We can only grow and thrive together – the harvest is ready and all are called!

Happy New Year!  2022 has arrived with a world population that is striving to stay healthy.

The world lost a great humanitarian over the Christmas season.  Desmond Tutu lived a life of love for all.  He promoted his objective as “a democratic and just society without racial divisions.” To Archbishop Tutu, forgiveness and reconciliation were the "only truly viable alternatives to revenge, retribution and reprisal". "Without forgiveness," he said, "there is no future”.

Without forgiveness, there is no future.  The beginning of the year 2022 is when people make resolutions.  This year, forgive yourself and start the New Year with a renewed sense of self.  The sacrament of the Lord’s supper is a time of preparation and should include reconciling with others, confessing our faults, and asking for and offering forgiveness.

D & C Sec 163: 10a. Collectively and individually, you are loved with an everlasting love that delights in each faithful step taken.  God yearns to draw you close so that wounds may be healed, emptiness filled, and hope strengthened. b. Do not turn away in pride, fear, or guilt from the One who seeks only the best for you and your loved ones.  Come before your Eternal Creator with open minds and hearts and discover the blessings of the gospel anew.  Be vulnerable to divine grace.

Whenever we meet at the Lord’s table to partake in the Lord’s supper, we have the opportunity to begin anew.  What a great gift from God!

I have news that is both challenging and exciting.   After 23 years working with World Accord, I have decided that it is time for me to retire from this work and pursue some other interests.   The sector has been changing and I have come to believe that World Accord, our partners and the participants in the projects will benefit greatly from a change in leadership.  

I want you to know that World Accord’s board of directors has been diligently working with consultants to find the best replacement for me that will share our joint values and pick up our mission to Cultivate Communities That Thrive and really run with it. This process is being led by Farrah Ali-Khan – World Accord’s former program coordinator and our current president of the board of directors.

I know World Accord will be left in good hands and trust that you will continue to support the cause of world accord under the leadership of the new Executive Director to the benefit of those in poor communities that we have been working so hard to help.   Thank you for all your support and dedication to the poor over the years.   I know the new executive director will be happy to have wonderful supporters from our church community going forward – supporters like you.   If you have any questions or concerns, we will do our best to address them. 

Thanks again for all the support and encouragement the church has provided to World Accord while I was at the helm.   Wishing you and yours the most wonderful Christmas overflowing with Joy, Hope, Love and Peace.  

David Barth
Executive Director

​
NOTE: For any in the church community (or good candidates you may know) here is the link for the job advertisement with our HR firm.  

• https://feldmandaxon.com/career/executive-director-world-accord/
• https://charityvillage.com/jobs/executive-director-in-ontario-ca/
• https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2822366769/

As we all look towards 2022 with hopefulness, we offer up this reflection and update from Lisa Neudorf.




​In the month of December my mind and thoughts begin looking forward past Christmas celebrations and thinking about what the new year will bring. As we approach 2022, foremost on my mind is what programming for Canada West Mission will look like. The word “gather” has been rolling around in my head and I am experiencing a yearning for us to gather in person. We have been fortunate to continue connecting and being part of a community where each of us feel accepted and loved for who we are. Our online community has expanded our borders, created connections and allowed new friendships which may not have otherwise occurred to grow from a distance. There is no doubt online gathering has been a blessing for us in difficult times and for those who simply have not been able to connect in person. That being said, we miss each other and it is my deep desire for us to live the best of both worlds by gathering both online and in person.

I am pleased to announce in 2022, the CWM Camping and Retreat programming will be known as Gathering Ministries. To gather means to bring together and ministry is the humble service offered according to the model of Jesus, who calls every disciple for the world (Sharing in Community of Christ, p. 37). In my heart, I feel the swell of God’s love and emotion confirming this is the direction we are to go in. In my head, I sing the “As we gather may your spirit work within us, As we gather may we glorify your name, Knowing well that as our hearts begin to worship, We’ll be blessed because we came.” Community of Christ Sings, 2013, Hymn 73.

Our "Blue Session" of e-learning classes and MEADS are open for Canadian enrollment starting on December 9.

The following credit classes will open on December 9 for a limited enrollment:​​

• Ministry of the Deacon (MP302): 6 weeks, Jan. 8-Feb. 18
• Ministry of the High Priest (MP307): 8 weeks, Jan. 8-Mar. 3
• Introduction to Priesthood (MP300): 8 weeks, Jan. 8-Mar. 3
• Introduction to Pastors Ministry: 6 weeks, Jan. 8-Feb. 18

Classes cost $7.50 each, MEADS class cost $30 and should be paid before class via eTransfer to: ​Sam Smalldon (cwm_mcfo@communityofchrist.ca)

To enroll, go to developmetrics.org and click on the "Canadian Registration Form".
​
​Should you have any questions, please contact David Lloyd. 

JOY - Third week of Advent 

I live in a condo in the city.  When I sit out on my balcony at night, I look for stars.  I usually only see the brightest stars and there does not seem to be many, yet I know they are there.  Ambient light interferes with how many I can see.  When I am out on the farm, there is less ambient light and I see more of them.  I always look for the brightest star and think about the wise men who followed a star to find the newborn King.
 
Matthew 2 : 9-10
When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was.  When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.
       
The wise men left King Herod to continue following the star till it stopped over the place where Jesus lay.  Would I notice a new star and followed that it across the horizon?  If I knew that I would see the Messiah, would I step out in faith and follow where it leads?  Look up at the sky tonight and remember the journey made by wise men to the manger that holds the Messiah, the King of the Jews.  Advent represents this star by a candle that reflects the joy that comes through Jesus’ arrival, and through the salvation he has gifted us. Think about your faith journey and where it has taken you. May you be filled with JOY this advent season!

Hymn 438 refrain - O star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright, westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light!