I returned from our retreat Creating Community: Where Spirit, Nature, and Justice Meet at Samish Island with renewed hope for the planet, and bathed in the rich spirit that comes with any visit to Samish Island.

This year, the Nurturing Justice team joined the Nurturing Spirit team to create a retreat that combined the contemplative experience with a learning and sharing model.  Our special guest, Isabelle Hachette from World Accord, shared stories of her experiences with, and before she joined World Accord, which helped us better understand the plights of people around the world and the climate crisis on our planet.  I think Isabelle left renewed by our spirits, just as we left with a new energy to support social justice issues.

Our 38 attendees included 4 people from the Climate Action team, Americans, and Canadians.  6 people had never been to Samish Island, 4 had never been to anything Community of Christ.

As we move forward exploring new expressions of mission, our retreats are a wonderful place to introduce your friends and neighbours to Community of Christ.  Remember to offer the invitation.
​
Creating Connection is exploring new ways to reach new people.  If you have an idea you need a little help with, or you’d like to learn more about Creating Connection, contact me, Debra Donohue, debra@creatingconnection.ca

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

YOU Are Invited!  We have saved a place for YOU!

Thank you for your patience as preparations have been made in getting Spiritual Retreats, Family Camps and Kids Camps ready for you to register!  Big THANKS to Lisa Neudorf for helping us this year with REGGIE! 

Hills of Peace and Samish Island are sacred places for all of us!  Join us at either place and feel that wonderful homecoming!  If you have never been to the campgrounds, you are invited to come and join us for a weekend, a whole week or even just one day! 

• Spiritual Retreat (end of June) at Hills of Peace welcomes Art Smith.
• Family Camp at Hills of Peace welcomes Janne Grover.
• Reunion at Samish Island will be a shared camp with Inland West Mission Centre and will welcome Scott Murphy and Art Smith.

While Samish Island and Hills of Peace are beautiful places, they become even more special spaces with YOU there.  Greet old friends and make new friends!  Spend time in classes, over the dining room table, washing dishes, going to the waterfront, join in singing at the campfire and walk the grounds.  It is your time to just BE.

Register for a retreat or camp!  We have saved a place for YOU!

​Written by Stephen Thompson
Canada West Mission Centre Historian
steve@communityofchrist.ca

​In recognition of June being “Hills of Peace Month,” I am going to share how the grounds came into the possession of the church in Alberta. I am drawing on written accounts from two people “who were there:” Ethel Hayden, from Calgary; and Jean Walrath, from Edmonton.

Ethel: The Hills of Peace grounds holds a special place in the hearts of young and old who ever attended a camp there and (have) been surrounded by God’s spirit and the feeling of peace. Renting grounds at Sylvan Lake was not to our liking.
Jean: (At the 1956) District Conference and Reunion held at Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Will McLeod told of a quarter section of land on a lake that could be suitable to build a campground.
Ethel: (It) had a spring-fed lake, lots of trees for shade, and very sandy soil which meant no mud when it rained.
Jean: Six people went immediately to investigate. They were Alvin Walrath, Dave Larmour, Will McLeod, Norman Olson, Vida Diaper and Cecil Diaper. A most favourable report was brought back. The same week on Saturday, a district meeting was held at Sylvan Lake. A vote to buy the land was taken…and passed unanimously. At the same meeting the people voted in favour of Alvin Walrath being put in charge of developing and building the camp. On Sunday a collection was taken and approximately $600.00 was raised.
Ethel: The land was bought in 1956 and work parties soon began. Many weekends and some holidays were spent travelling on muddy roads and later gravel to start developing the grounds.
Steve: And on the story goes up to the present day. Purchase documents from the time indicate the price paid for the land was $856.00. This is an story of rapid decision making. As Ethel suggests, there had been a feeling, probably for some time, that the people wanted a reunion grounds of their own. But still – in a matter of one week, Will McLeod told the District Conference (probably on Sunday) about the land; a party of six people immediately (probably on Monday) set out to go look at; they came back and reported favourably – despite what must have been very difficult road conditions and a much longer trip than it would be today. They had another business meeting on Saturday and approved the purchase! Amazing!

​Now – while you’re thinking about it, go to that notice about “June is Hills of Peace Month” elsewhere in the Weekly Wire and make a donation to support the continuing operation and maintenance of this wonderful campground.

During May, for our discernment of future leadership in Community of Christ, we were to consider the following question:

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

Everyone is welcome and invited to come to the Hills of Peace Campground to assist with opening it up for the 2023 camping season.
 
Date: Friday afternoon, June 2 through Sunday noon, June 4
Fee: NO registration fee (donations ALWAYS welcome!)
Meals: provided; a cook will be staffing the kitchen
Registration: please register by May 28 so we can plan appropriately for food.

Register by sending an email to Eileen Johnstone  
psych3492@gmail.com, include the names of those intending to attend, preferences for accommodation (cabin, dorm) or if you are bringing your own (RV, camper trailer, tent). Also indicate when you plan to arrive (Friday afternoon, evening, Saturday morning, etc.)

Primary tasks for the weekend:
This is a general clean-up effort for all buildings: sweeping, cleaning, window-washing, etc. Anyone can do this work!
We will also have good fun and fellowship as we work.

What to bring:

• Bedding (sleeping bag or sheets and blankets, pillow)
• Warm clothing
• Work gloves are useful
• Facemasks are a good idea to protect from dust as we sweep and clean
• Basic tools IF you have them (don’t worry about it if you don’t). Even an extra broom might be useful!

 
Questions? Contact Steve Thompson at sgthompson007@gmail.com or call/text 780-904-4389
 
See you at camp!

From the North American Climate Justice Team:
 
In the communication we sent you prior to Community of Christ World Conference, we promised to distribute “a post-Conference summary of actions taken” in the resolutions that touched on climate issues and global security.  By now, you are well aware that climate change is a threat multiplier.  Every conflict, injustice, and societal problem is increased by the stress and crises brought by rapidly changing and escalating climate impacts.  As a result, several resolutions considered at World Conference were of importance to the North American Climate Justice Team, and we want to share the results of conference action concerning them. 

Click on the button below to view the document.

More Conference memories: On the Sunday evening of Conference, we had an “Experience the Temple” event combining visual and musical arts all around the Temple complex. Shannon used her fabric art to stitch and visit with people passing by in Shalom Place upstairs by the World Plaza, surrounded by painters, quilters, and a synthesizer. I played my violin with the European delegation singing Taize music in the Meditation Chapel while a potter threw pots and vases.

​Reflections on World Conference

​This past Sunday our Vancouver zoom service centred on a recap of our delegates’ experiences. Each person who spoke evoked memories of people and meaningful moments for me!

One important thing that I want to share with you is the truly international feeling of this Conference. Shannon and I had roommates from Germany and Norway who shared with us daily about their church experience growing up in Europe and continuing today. We had apostles and delegates speaking in their native tongues as we English speakers waited for translations. All kinds of sessions were translated into French and Spanish as well as American Sign Language, and legislation and worship sessions were also translated into German and Tahitian (perhaps more!). It was such a reminder to me that faithful followers of Jesus in our Christian expression of Community of Christ eat, pray, worship, and sing in their own unique and beloved ways.

During the week, we roomies realized that we have all studied different languages on the same learning platform, so we became language friends on the app and continue to do friend challenges together. I was studying French just for fun before, but after using it ‘for keeps’ during Conference, I have a renewed interest! I would encourage you to consider learning or brushing up on another language as a spiritual practice in solidarity with our spiritual siblings around the world. We sometimes forget that we are part of something bigger that is vibrant and beautiful: we truly have unity in diversity and it makes us stronger.
​
PS – Email me if you want to be language buddies!

Many of earth’s communities now live out of balance with the world around them. Many lack access to food, water, and shelter, the universal needs of existence. Many have gifts that go unrecognized and unshared. As a result, all communities—the human and the more-than-human—experience woundedness and loss.

Come for a weekend of nurturing, awareness and hope.  Join in community as we learn about and experience profound acts of reconciliation and restoration happening both locally and throughout the world. ​Find your place in this great awakening. 

Brought to you by Creating Connection.  ​

A great deal of my joy in World Conference came from deepening relationships. We had a crew of Canadians who would often end up in the Temple lunchroom after the morning legislative sessions with leftovers, bought brown bag lunches, or homemade sandwiches. It was a joy to visit with Doug and Becky Middleton, and I want to share what they’re supporting in Honduras. Becky writes:

I am attaching 2 photos. One is the completed renos on the school. It consists of 2 separate classrooms with a kitchen building in between. The walls of the existing school were ok but the roof, doors and windows and floors were all replaced as well as painting inside and out. New white boards and desks were also included. World Accord had some money that was contributed last year as it was a project promised last year and unable to complete due to Al Wigood's passing.

The Senlac congregation and other people from the community contributed funds to take on the balance of it as well as build the office/admin building for Asocialayo. It is going to be a 2 story building as the footprint of land wasn't quite large enough to get it all in one story. It should be completed soon but attached is a picture in progress.

Doug is exploring ways that building may be able to continue as there is an ongoing need for it. World Accord's partnership with Asocialayo is to do with agriculture and is not planning to continue with building projects but may be able to help with refurbishing projects - just not sure at this point.

When I wonder what mission looks like, it’s this! Developing deep friendships, being with and listening to people, and then figuring out the best way to make a difference even before being asked. I am very grateful for the work Doug and Becky and the community in Senlac are up to, and I pray that you feel inspired to respond to your true capacity as well. If there aren’t any vibrant projects like this happening in your area right now, consider helping finance the rustic cabin reno’s at Samish Island, helping our eight campers go to SPEC, or responding to the June appeal for Hills of Peace.

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

Welcome to the “late” second edition of “Historians Corner.” I was travelling home from the Community of Christ World Conference in Independence, MO, last week. My apologies for the delay.

I have asked current congregation Historians to consider sending me anecdotes from the histories of their congregations for publication in this space. The Ribstone Congregation is celebrating their 115th anniversary this year and to mark the occasion they are publishing historical information about the congregation in their monthly newsletter. How convenient for me and you! The page that follows has been copied directly from the January issue of their newsletter to ensure the photos are also included. My thanks to Leila Goheen, Historian, and Darleene Skinner, Pastor, for their permission to use this material.

Do you have a documented historical anecdote about your congregation to share? Please send it to me at: steve@communityofchrist.ca  Thank you!

​We’ve returned home from World Conference and are filled with inspiration from our experience.
 
Here are some early reflections:
 
Gwyn: "I was so moved by the Tuesday night ordination service where the World Church was so prominent.  The mission prayer was given in so many languages and during the ordinations, I felt God's spirit present!"
 
Kat: “I really felt I’d come home at the end of the communion service when we stood and sang ‘The Spirit of God like a Fire is Burning’ in full voice with the Auditorium organ in all of our languages.”
 
Shannon: “I was so inspired by the theme of ‘Courage’ and found that it was a spiritual practice to listen with love to each courageous person who rose to speak from their heart on the conference floor.”
 
We will continue to share our thoughts in the weeks ahead, and if you’d like to learn more, keep checking the conference page of the church website (click on the button below).

​You can already see a beautiful recap video there! 

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

You are invited to help at the Samish Island Work Week. Beginning the afternoon of Friday April 28 through Friday May 5th. The camp will provide meals throughout the week beginning the evening of the 28th. Cabin housing is free to volunteers.
 
The tasks to be accomplished are as follows:

• Mowing, edging, and trimming grass
• tree cutting
• trail maintenance
• pressure washing
• painting
• cleaning
• And more!

​If you are interested in helping or have any questions please call or email the campground manager Christine Campbell at 360-510-5724  samishislandcamp@gmail.com  or Bill Campbell, Samish Island Campground Association President at 253.709-8444. kayzeta@gmail.com

Dear Friends:
 
Attached is a letter from Team Leader Rod Downing, providing a schedule of upcoming events at World Conference and beyond, in which the North American Climate Justice Team will take an active role.  Note that we will not sponsor a webinar during April or May, because of our involvement in World Conference. 

Additional information about the June 11 webinar will be sent at a later date.

Blessings,
Susan Oxley

Dear Friends,
​
We are so happy to be sending you this virtual postcard from our Community of Christ World Conference in Independence Missouri, USA!

So far we are having a wonderful time sitting with our friends from across Canada West and reuniting with friends from far away.
 
We’ve especially enjoyed the words of home and encouragement in the messages shared by church leaders and we encourage you to check out all the recordings online at cofchrist.org
 
We will share more here after we return. We hope you enjoy these few snapshots from our time so far.
 
 
With joy, 
Gwyn, Kat, & Shannon

​"We are pilgrims on a journey - CCS # 550

1. We are pilgrims on a journey, here together on the road; we are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.
2. Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you? Pray that I might have the grace to let you be my servant too.
3. I will hold the Christ-light for you in the night-time of your fear; I will hold my hand out to you, speak the peace you long to hear.
4. I will weep when you are weeping, when you laugh I'll laugh with you; I will share your joy and sorrow till we've seen this journey through.

World Conference 2023 starts on Saturday, April 22!  I know some people are already on the journey to conference.  I will be flying on April 20th and I look forward to seeing Independence again!  
 
I choose the hymn above before I went on the website and saw the hymn list.  The hymnal is 10 years old this year!!!  I love to just read the hymns as poetry.  The hymns that are on the website for conference are available in multiple languages.
 
I read through the legislation on the Community of Christ website again today.  Whether you are making an actual journey to conference or you are staying home, check out the conference website.  Wherever you are, you are part of Community of Christ.  Join together in prayer, study, discernment, financial and courageous support.  
 
As CCS 550 sings "we are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load... I will share your joy and sorrow till we've seen this journey through.

Joshua 1:9
I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’

As I stand at the podium at Analog Books, looking out over the sea of expectant faces, I feel a tinge of nervousness. Surrounded by walls of books on every side, I wonder what passage I could possibly read from my newly born book, that hasn’t already been written in some form? As I take a deep breath, and take time to truly look into the faces of beloved family, friends, and students, I see a spark of love shining through. It reminds me of another time of looking into the eyes of Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh. It was that moment that sparked the idea for the book I now hold in my hands, A Lotus on Fire: How a Buddhist Monk Ignited My Heart.

I met Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay) at a large retreat out in Vancouver in 2011, just after my mother passed away from cancer in 2011. I arrived with a raw and open heart, hoping for a quiet space to be with the sadness and loss I felt. At one point towards the end of the retreat, I had the opportunity to sit very close to this gentle and revered monk. Our eyes met, and a feeling of love such that I had never known welled up in me. It felt like I was looking into the eyes of the Buddha, or Christ.

When I got home, I felt like I needed a way to process and reflect on this life-changing glimpse of “enlightenment” I’d received. I got out my journal and started to write. I wrote in the format of Letters to my Teacher (Dear Thay), describing my feelings, and asking the deep questions of my heart. Each question led to some insight and answers, but always uncovered deeper questions. Over time, these letters began to connect some of the dots for my life experience, revealing some overall patterns and themes. I wondered if these heartfelt letters in my journal could somehow become a book?

So began the long process of writing, and re-writing, in between teaching yoga, raising our teenage boys, leading church, and all the other activities of life. I finished the first draft in 2019, and started looking for an editor. Several months later, I was invited to be part of the online leadership team for Awakening Spirituality, an online outreach group for our church, dedicated to being a safe and welcoming place for all different kinds of spiritual seekers. On the leadership team, I met Susan L. Scott, a long time church member whose own roots run deep in the RLDS tradition. Susan is also an author and editor passionate about inspiring and helping people like you and I to write and share our own stories. She calls this “Spiritual Life Writing”, stories at the intersection of spirituality and everyday life. She became my mentor and editor for the rest of my book journey. I shared my excitement with my dear friend Lana Cullis, and she too became a mentor and companion for me.

In early 2021, we finally had a fully edited manuscript. Initially, like a lot of new writers, I hoped to find a traditional publisher to publish my book. This is no easy task, as most large publishers won’t even look at you without an agent, and smaller publishers don’t want to take a chance on you unless you already have a huge following, and a large social media platform. The submission process alone was like writing an entire book all over again. So I spent the next 6 months sending out book proposals, and either getting a polite “thanks, but no thanks,” or no answer at all. It felt like my manuscript disappeared into a big black hole!

In September 2021, my life changed drastically. I was hit by a car while crossing in a crosswalk, and sustained serious injuries to my left shoulder and left knee, requiring two surgeries, two weeks in hospital, and three months in bed (and lots of prayer!) My life literally flashed before my eyes, and I spent most of the next year recovering. When I finally felt well again, I knew I needed to find a way of getting my book out into the world right away. My story mattered, as do all our stories!

I decided to self-publish and become an “Indie-Author” as we’re called. It’s still a lot of hard work, but it gave me more control over the creative design of the book, including title, front and back cover design, and inside formatting, and complete copyright and ownership. I found an experienced graphic artist up in Calgary, who designed the stunning cover for A Lotus on Fire, and also did all the formatting inside the book, so I could upload easily to Amazon to publish both the paperback and E-Book versions.  An official book launch was planned for March 22 at Analog Books here in Lethbridge.

As I now stand at this podium, holding A Lotus on Fire in my hands, I can feel the faith of many generations converging in this moment. I sense the courageous faith of my parents and many generations of RLDS, now Community of Christ. I feel the teachings and meditation practices of Thich Nhat Hanh, and his Vietnamese Buddhist lineage traced right back to the Buddha himself. I feel the great love of the Living Buddha, and the Living Christ flowing through me, to be a tiny spark of love wherever I am.

A Lotus on Fire is available in both paperback and E-Book on Amazon. To find out more about Vickie and A Lotus on Fire, please see Vickie’s website: www.vickiemacarthur.ca

This is Holy Week. We breathe in this space when Jesus was closer to his disciples than ever before, yet so far away as they clung to him and would keep him from following his call. Holy Week is a space for learning how to stay awake and watch, and how to act. We find ourselves right now in the liminal space between the extraverted, frenetic joy of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and the deep, upwelling, inner joy of encountering resurrection past the grave.
 
Both of those kinds of joy were evident in our CWM staff retreat last weekend. As Gwyn, Shannon, Debra, Sandra, and I got to know each other in one another’s full presence for the first time, we were able to share our hopes for this work as well as the struggles we encounter. Our joy came from being accepted as we are and our felt freedom to be fully heard, to be encouraged, to experience beautiful hospitality. Like the disciples, we came together and ate. We walked together. We prayed together, for us all.
 
None of us can see the future of our beloved Mission Centre. All of us care so deeply about the well-being of this particular expression of Christ’s love on earth! In your journey through Holy Week, we encourage you to find community, break bread together, listen deeply to one another, and remember the new life that Jesus has shown us. May we all travel well in darkness so that we may be embraced in resurrection light!  

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

Please register online for World Conference through our www.cofchrist.org website. If you would like your registration fee to be paid for by the Mission Centre, please send your reimbursement request to CWM_MCFO@communityofchrist.ca and Dar will get the funds sent back to you as quickly as possible. 

Written by Stephen Thompson
Canada West Mission Centre Historian
steve@communityofchrist.ca

​Historians Corner
Vol. 1 | No. 1
​
Welcome to the first edition of “Historians Corner.” The intention of this once-a-month column (maybe twice-a-month once we get started) is to highlight brief nuggets from the history of Community of Christ and especially from the church in Western Canada. These “brief nuggets” will be just that - brief. Perhaps frustratingly brief from both a writer’s and a reader’s perspective. There is simply not enough space here in the Weekly Wire for a lot of detail. But there are many places to find details about church history and we will try to refer you to those resources when possible if you wish to know “the rest of the story” (as broadcaster Paul Harvey used to say).

For this first instalment, we are going to go back to the very early days of the church. The organizational meeting for the church was held on April 6, 1830, - one hundred and ninety-three years ago this month. (Yes - our bi-centennial is fast approaching!) The formal organization of the church was the culmination of a series of events over the previous five to ten years; we will not attempt to summarize those events here.

The meeting was held “in the Smith log cabin in Manchester Township, Ontario County”1 in western New York state. No minutes of the meeting were made. Accounts of the actions taken at the meeting were written some time later. We know the six people who attended were: Joseph Smith, Jr., Oliver Cowdery, Hyrum Smith, Samuel H. Smith, Joseph Smith, Sr., and Joseph Knight, Sr.1 The Prophet, Joseph Smith, Jr., addressed the other five men in the spirit of revelation as recorded in section 21 of the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. As originally organized, the church was known as the “Church of Christ.” It did not become the “Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints” until 1838.1 Subsequent name changes were to “Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints” in 1860 and to “Community of Christ” in 2001.