We were so blessed at Mission Conference by the ordination of Linda Klughart to the office of Seventy and by the way this event inspired Apostle Art Smith’s Sunday message. It has been ringing in my heart ever since, and we wanted to bring you this excerpt to feed your soul, so that you can return to it again and again. This is what matters most for us right now.
 
God bless!
Mission Centre President Team

Jesus tells them stories. 
 
The stories are absurd sounding. 
What woman having lost one of her ten coins wouldn’t light a lamp and search for it all night long? Well, no woman would do this. In the story, she would have spent more on oil burning in her lamp than the lost coin was even worth. And then, when the coin is found, she calls a celebration. By the time she had purchased a cake from Costco, she’d have spent way more than that little coin was ever worth. 
 
And no self-respecting shepherd would ever abandon the 99 sheep, risking everything, to find one that had wandered off.
But the story continues similarly. The sheep is recovered and there’s a celebration.
What would the party look like? Roasted sheep! I imagine. 
 
Absurd stories. 
 
But the stories are told to help the grumblers understand that from God’s perspective, when anyone is missing, or excluded, whether it’s just one in a hundred, or one in ten, or one half, it’s profoundly wrong in Heaven.
 
So when we talk about growing together, growing in knowledge of God’s will and ways, we need to be careful.
We’re a little religious community in decline. 
We might be tempted to circle the wagons and to focus in on each other.

After all, maybe if we can strengthen ourselves, get better at what we do, then others might want to join us.
After all, surely one of our greatest strengths is the way we love one another, the way we can count on each other to always make other members of our community feel at home.
 
But what I take from this 15th chapter, at the heart of Jesus’ teaching in the Gospel according to Luke (which is by the way the kind of content so much at the heart of the gospel that I know people who have Luke 15 tattooed on their forearm), what I take from this chapter is that growing together for us means growing in our capacity to notice the ones who are missing.
 
As we grow, we become keenly aware of those who are not here.
Later in chapter 15 it’s one of the two sons who's gone off with half of the inheritance.
It was obvious he had gone. 
 
With the woman, it was one tenth of what she had that went missing.
 
With the shepherd, it was one out of a hundred. 
 
We grow in our awareness and sensitivity towards the lost. We prioritize them, not us, and we celebrate when we get to be together again.
 
The paradox is that our growing together isn’t really focused on those who are here.
We grow together in our ability to notice those who are missing and in our ability to focus on them without religious or righteous grumbling.
 
Linda will be ordained today as a minister for noticing who’s missing.

The scriptures talk about the dangers that the seventy will face because of the places they will go. But today I’m thinking about the risks that will be generated back at home as the seventy do their work. They risk provoking grumbling among the religiously faithful. 
 
The seventy, like the angels in heaven, recognize how profoundly wrong it is that people are being left out, forgotten, ignored or excluded.
​
They are passionate for the lost. 
 
But it’s risky work. All around the church, in our little communities, getting smaller all the time, we can ill afford, it would seem, to have some of our best ministers off focusing elsewhere.
Focusing on those who aren’t even religious. 
Running after immigrants, visiting prisons, working with special needs people, paying attention to the LGBTQ community.
They aren’t the ones paying the bills. 
We’re not too sure we really want our little community to be dominated by those people anyway.
 
It is risky work to which you are called Linda. If you’re doing it right, there may be grumbling.
 
But today, it seems a little bit clear. 
And my dream is that we’ll grow together, not necessarily to become more religious, more spiritually pure, but to be more sensitive to the ones who’re not here, those we’ve lost along the way, and maybe we can also grow to be a little less grumbly.

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

​It was so good to see so many of you this past weekend for our Canada West Mission Centre Conference! We will share more in the future about the decisions that were made in our business meeting this year, but for now, here are some photos of the fun we had in Vancouver, Calgary, and Regina, where we were able to see you in person.

Creating Connection is coming to Calgary! Join us for our Taste of Nurturing Spirit Retreat, our Community Labyrinth Walk, Coffee and Conversation, and a Meet and Greet with the hosts from Creating Connection.

At this mini retreat you'll get a taste of the practices we share in An Afternoon of Nurturing Spirit and Creating Connection. From meditation, to drumming to journaling and meaningful conversation. Come prepared to be Inspired, Energized, and Connected.

Click on the buttons below to register and to see our full schedule. Register today and save your spot! Space is limited.  $75 per person.

It's been several years since the men of Canada West gathered at Hills of Peace campground for a weekend of fellowship, spirituality, laughter and lots of food. By design, this weekend is not a church service (or any kind of service for that matter). It is an opportunity for us to take a road trip and gather as friends.

Our guest minister, Rick James, from Chilliwack  is going to share some insights from one of his favorite books, "What's So Amazing about Grace". If you have attended before, you know that the weekend has it’s own vibe, somehow sharing traditions along with discussion as unique as the spectrum of interests of our guest ministers. It’s an opportunity to get away, to close up the camp, and to hang out with our buddies from Western Canada. If you’re in high school or have attended high school within the last 80 years this is your invitation.

So just like always – take a chance and sign up. Accepting the invitation is the big step. We need a road-trip!

Dan Esch

Calling for a Rustic Re-do!
 
As Community of Christ summer camps wind down for the year, let’s all take a moment to reminisce about sharing laughs with family and friends, singing songs at the campfire, delicious meals in the dining hall, and enjoying the nature of our beautiful campground. If you stayed in a rustic cabin, you may also remember the sore back from an uncomfortable mattress, or the stuffy and dark cabin with it’s tiny windows that never open when you want a breeze, but refuse to close when it gets too chilly. Ah, the joys of camp! 
 
While of course we have a soft spot for the original rustic cabins that we all know and love, the camp is in the process of refurbishing and updating those beloved cabins. Updates include: new (and more effective!) insulation, bigger windows, new doors, added electrical outlets with USB ports, and super comfortable double beds (no more smacking your head on a bunk bed in the morning!). The refurbished cabins are brighter and more comfortable, as well as more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable, all of which contributes to the longevity of our beloved campground. 
 
While those of us who grew up attending camps at Samish may have a nostalgic fondness for the rustic cabins, those who attend the campground and retreat centre for the first time as an adult may not understand the appeal. This includes newcomers to Community of Christ camps (or aging C of C campers who don’t have the same tolerance for those rock hard bunks!), as well as many of the new groups that share our gorgeous campground. Did you know there are Buddhist retreats and artist groups that frequent Samish? I can understand why these groups would love our campground, and can also imagine that these groups would appreciate a more comfortable, modern, and accommodating private place to continue the zen and creativity. 
 
Some rustic cabins have already been refurbished (check out A, B, C, and D 1 or 2 next time you’re on the grounds!) and the next round of refurbishment is set to begin in October. We are lucky and grateful to have had all of the labor done by camp friends who have lovingly volunteered their time, as well as some who have donated or reduced the price of materials. Only $3,600 (USD) covers the cost of a cabin refurbishment, which buys increased comfort, energy efficiency, and appeal to a wider audience. Consider making a donation, either personally or with your family or congregation, to help update our rustic cabins so everyone can continue to enjoy the campground for years to come. Every dollar helps! 
 
If you would like to contribute to the rustic cabin refurbishment fund, please contact Jeff Cravy (Samish Island Camp Treasurer, siriusandpenny2@gmail.com) or Bill Campbell, (Samish Island Camp Board President, kayzeta@gmail.com) to arrange donations. 
 
Your Samish Campground representative, Alexis Beer

​We hope you will join us on Friday, September 9 through Sunday, September 11 for our mission conference and celebrate with us how we are continually Growing Together. Click on the button below to see full schedule.

​This year our Mission Conference will be held on 3 main sites: Vancouver, Regina and Calgary from where our three mission centre presidents will be joining. People are encourage to join in-person from any of these sites or join online from their closest congregation.

While our conference is September 9-11, we will have opportunities in the week leading up for you to engage early. We will have two options for virtual pre-legislative sessions on Sept 4 in the afternoon and Sept 7 in the evening for you to learn about our business agenda and ask questions in a more relaxed setting. There will also be a "coffee and conversation" virtual gathering on the evening of Thursday September 8 with Debra to explore questions around our theme. 

We will have our Annual Business Meeting on Saturday, September 10 as well as a very special Talent Show where we will share pre-recorded and live gifts from across the Mission Centre! We also invite you to our worship - communion service on Sunday, September 11 with guest speaker Art Smith.

​Change is on my mind lately. The change in weather is forefront, and the resultant change in schedule for our family – back to school, back to teaching, end of camps and trips for now. It seems that I’m daily surprised by friends’ changes in jobs and unexpected changes in personnel at our girls’ schools. Reading the new World Church appointments showed change on a larger scale – seeing the legacy of service provided and the new faces stepping into bishopric and apostolic roles. The phrase that keeps coming to my mind is, “Well you didn’t expect things to stay the same, did you?”
 
Change can be stimulating as well as intimidating. I do best with change when I don’t chain it to the past and constantly rehearse comparisons from my limited viewpoint. While listening to a First Nations Okanagan story-teller this summer, I learned that in their wisdom tradition it’s the young people who adopt and promote change quickly, while the elders are more likely to dig in their heels and value the long view. Where am I on this spectrum of interaction with change? Where do I long to be?
 
We have our Mission Conference this weekend, and it’s new in some ways and familiar in others. We hope that above all we can do the business of our conference while taking pleasure in being together, whether on screen or in one of the sites that will host gatherings. I picture us like a satellite’s view of Western Canada at night: bright splashes of light that push against the darkness, connected by heart instead of highways. Please join us this weekend and make room in your heart for change – for new possibilities to be born!

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

The Saskatoon Congregation has sold it's building and will be broadcasting their service on Sunday, September 4 @ 11am (SK time) via Zoom. Click on the button below to attend online.

Art Smith will be joining virtually and a few of the Saskatoon members will share some music/reflections. This will be a communion service and those attending online are welcome to participate and prepare their own communion at home if they wish. If you have any questions, please reach out to Jae Senga (jae.senga@gmail.com).

This week and next week our column will address some of the business that will be before us at Mission Centre Conference on Sept 10th.
 
This conference we have an important new motion to consider, which is:

1. Resolved: That the bylaws of the Canada West Mission Centre meeting procedures be amended to: 
   1. Remove current guideline section “Delegates” and 
   2. Replace it with the following (wording taken from Church Administrator’s Handbook):
      Voting:
      All members in good standing within the mission center are voting members of the mission center conference.
      A member who has changed his or her place of residency but whose transfer has not yet been processed may be given the right of voice and vote by action of the assembly. 

The reason we currently have a delegate conference is that when the mission centre was first created, and all conferences were in-person, it was important to make sure that there was representation from across western Canada no matter where the conference was held.
 
This representation continues to be very important to our life together as a mission centre. There has been a big change though, since the original bylaws of the mission centre were created, and that was the year we voted to allow for virtual aka online conferences and voting. It's amazing to think about how technology has made it possible for everyone in far-flung corners of our mission centre to join us in our decision making.
 
As we prepared for this year's conference it became clear that allowing for many voices and perspectives to speak and vote at conference is very important to many people across the mission centre. It emerged that delegate conferences were perhaps limiting participation, especially for "non-resident" members who don't have a local congregation.
 
So the idea to open up conference voice and vote to more of our members will be before you this year. We are looking forward to the virtual pre-legislative sessions where you can share your thoughts and questions with one another on this topic, as we continue "Growing Together".
 
Virtual Pre-Legislative Session options:

• Sunday September 4th at 2pm Mountain time
• Wednesday September 7th at 7pm Mountain time

Watch for the Zoom Link in the conference hub soon!

We know many have been eagerly anticipating the return of in-person camping for Canada West, and we are excited to share that, barring any dramatic changes in the state of Covid-19, we are moving forward with in-person camping this year.
 
In light of our enduring principles around the worth of all persons, unity in diversity, and personal responsibility, we are offering some guidance. We do this because of our gospel call to offer welcome to the least and most vulnerable among us.
 
First of all, our corporate responsibility as a mission centre is to always, at a minimum, follow local Covid guidelines for safe gatherings. Individual camp directors may decide that additional restrictions are necessary to keep campers safe, including things such as no in-out privileges during camp. At a minimum, directors will be responsible for ensuring camps follow all local guidelines for communicable illness, and to stay updated as those change.
 
Second, each of us has a personal responsibility to consider what we can do to protect one another. Personal responsibility can look like:
​

• Updating your Covid-19 vaccination by receiving any boosters that are available.
• Considering getting vaccinated if you have not yet done so, as it is the best way we know of to curb the spread of Covid-19.
• If you aren’t vaccinated, getting tested for Covid-19 no more than two days prior to arriving at camp.
• Not coming to camp if you are feeling even a little bit ill.
• Isolating for 5 days prior to coming to camp, regardless of your vaccination status, to ensure you are not unduly exposing yourself and others to illness.
• Wearing a mask while indoors to avoid spreading illness.
• Ensuring good hygiene through:
  • regular hand washing
  • coughing or sneezing into an elbow or sleeve

Our guiding question for you is: How will you protect the precious neighbour that sits beside you at camp?
 
We also encourage everyone to respect one another’s choices in how they have responded to Covid. Regardless of our individual views on vaccinations or public health mandates, we come together as one community who find unity in diversity. Some people will feel more comfortable wearing a mask and keeping their distance, others will be ready to embrace everyone. Please respect the speed and space of each person’s engagement at camp.
 
We can’t wait to raise our voices to sing “We’re all together again, we’re here, we’re here” in the sacred spaces we find ourselves gathering in this summer, and to also sing the words together “We are one in the Spirit”.

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

Hills of Peace needs a certified lifeguard for the youth camps being held in August! Dates for this year are: August 13 - 18 and August 20 - 24.

We offer meals and accommodations during the camps. Wage will be current with local area standards with a travel allowance. 

​Please email Eileen Johnstone psych3492@gmail.com for further details.

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 August 15!

Our book for this session is: 
​"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.”
​
At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age—and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (“I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare”) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned.

Poetic and powerful, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings will touch hearts and change minds for as long as people read.

Call Out for Hosts!!!!

Do you love to read, and discuss the books you’ve read with others?  Kelly Duff is stepping down from leading our Creating Connection bi-monthly book club and we need to fill her spot.
If you’re interested in leading this group every other month, (you get to choose the books) contact Debra Donohue debra@communityofchrist.ca

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

​Annual General Meeting at Hills of Peace Campgrounds
Sunday, August 7 at 2 PM Mountain Time

What do you see in the future of Hills of Peace? Please consider your involvement in the Hills of Peace and join the board! Let Noela Inions know if you would like to put your name forward or have further questions. All are welcome to join! Please contact Noela Inions for additional information.

You are invited to join us for Hills of Peace Family Camp "Living Jesus, Living Peace" from Saturday, August 6, 2022 (3pm) to Thursday, August 11, 2022 (11am).
 
Our guest minister will be John Hamer, who serves as pastor of the Toronto Congregation and the Beyond the Walls global ministry. John serves as a Seventy and is passionate about inclusive, outreach ministry — developing new paths to invite people to Christ.
 
The registration deadline has been extended to Saturday, July 30. If you would like to attend but the registration fee creates a financial hardship or barrier for your attendance, there is financial support available.
 
Registration fees
Adult (16 and older): $60/night ($300 full camp)
Youth (12-15): $44/night ($220 full camp)
Child (3-11): $22/night ($110 full camp)
Under 2: No Charge

For more information or to register go to www.cwm.events
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Lisa Neudorf, Director lisaneudorf@sasktel.net

As the summer heats up I've realized that we are now just 40 days away from Mission Centre Conference! Wow! How time flies. To think that this time last year the three of us were beginning to discern and understand a calling to this work of being a volunteer Mission Centre President team.

This year's Mission Centre Conference, like the conferences in the past two years, will look different as we continue to think carefully about how to use everyone's time, talents, and treasure in the best way possible. If you haven't heard, we decided to leverage our team of three to do something previously not done, which is to have your  Mission Centre President be in multiple places at the same time! Gwyn will spend the weekend in Regina, Shannon in Calgary, and Kat in Vancouver.  We encourage you to plan on joining us in one of these locations as we still have so many of you to meet and get to know better.

Our main purpose for this gathering is to conduct the business of our Mission Centre, but it is also the way we are able to reconnect with those we don't see all the time. The world of online events has changed this, and I suspect many of you have seen a variety of faces from across the mission centre more often in the last two years than you may have before. I know I have, and what a joy that has been. But what a delight it will be to see many of you in person! I'm very excited.

In preparation for conference I was reviewing the documents from the creation of our mission centre in 2004. Did you realize we are fast approaching our 20th anniversary of being a mission centre? I didn't! What a journey these last 18 years have been of stretching our hearts across four provinces to create a new grouping of faithful disciples, supporting one another in following Christ's call. I remember those first few conferences being almost like starting at a new school, so many new faces, and a few vaguely familiar ones. Now those new faces are familiar faces, and so beloved. I can't imagine this discipleship journey without all of you.

While our conference is September 9th-11th, we will have opportunities in the week leading up for you to engage early.  We will have two options for virtual pre-legislative sessions on September 4th in the afternoon and 7th in the evening for you to learn about our business agenda and ask questions in a more relaxed setting.  There will also be a "coffee and conversation" virtual gathering on the evening of Thursday September 8th with Debra to explore questions around our theme of Growing Together.

​So, I hope you are able to join us online in the week leading up to conference, and then many of you in-person (or online) the 9th-11th. Even if you are not a delegate this year, you are invited to listen to the meetings, join in the worships, and celebrate with us how we are continually Growing Together.