 As a young adult, you may be facing challenges that other generations don’t fully understand, especially when it comes to questions of purpose and faith. Are you ready to have an honest conversation with others navigating some of the same questions? Our Peace Forum will include a special one-hour session where young adults from across Canada can talk openly about the road ahead and explore how peace might shape the way we live, lead, and respond to the world around us. What to expect
Date: Sat, Oct 17 TIme: 1:30 p.m. PT / 2:30 p.m. MT and CT / 4:30 p.m. ET What is the Peace Forum The Peace Forum is a triennial event sponsored by Community of Christ that expresses our church’s commitment to the pursuit of peace. This year, we focus on environmental justice and climate action. Our Canadian gatherings will bring people together through in-person activities for all ages and live-streamed sessions from the Temple in Independence, Missouri. Join us online via Zoom or in person in Vancouver or the Greater Toronto Area. Peace Forum Highlights ☮️ The global climate emergency — Independence Temple, with environmentalist, author, and journalist Bill McKibben 💥 The Israeli-Palestinian conflict — GTA, Churches for Middle East Peace & Encounter World Religions 🌲 Rainforest tour and group river clean-up — Vancouver 🎨 Intergenerational activities — Vancouver and GTA Learn more and register
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 Environmental justice asks us to consider not only how we care for the earth, but whose voices are included in shaping a more just and sustainable future. At the Vancouver Peace Forum, Issac Bennett Joshua, a theologian and member of the Dalit community, a group treated as “untouchable” within India’s caste system, will explore how communities can build peace while responding to injustice and the ecological crisis. Joshua will share from his work with Community of Christ and with Dalit, Tribal, and Adivasi communities who have been pushed to the edges of society. He will describe how these groups are now shaping movements that reclaim their belonging by prioritizing the dignity and worth of all and demanding ecological responsibility from all people. This session will also explore how efforts to challenge caste discrimination have resulted in demands for rights to land ownership and political representation. With caste discrimination also affecting South Asian communities in Canada, participants will be invited to consider how greater awareness can help Canadians move toward a more just and sustainable future. Together, we will reflect on how social transformation becomes possible when all people are included in conversations about environmental stewardship. Other activities throughout the weekend include: 🍃 experience keynote presentations streamed from the international Peace Forum gathering 🌲 explore creation during a guided visit to the Lynn Valley Temperate Rainforest 🧘♀️ practice mindfulness and spiritual reflection through guided awareness and meditation 🌎 take meaningful action through a community river cleanup 🧵 learn practical sustainability skills during the “Sew It, Don’t Throw It!” repair workshop 🎵 build community through shared meals, music, conversation, and fellowship The Vancouver Peace Forum webpage has information to help you plan your weekend, including registration, fees, accommodations, and the latest schedule details. Inquiries: [email protected] When: Fri, Oct 16 – Sun, Oct 18, 2026 Where: Community of Christ Vancouver, 3333 Kaslo Street, Vancouver, BC V5M 2M1  As the danger of nuclear weapons proliferation accelerates, the need for cooperation toward disarmament and peace becomes increasingly urgent. Community of Christ Canada is working alongside churches across Canada through Project Ploughshares to address the crisis. At the Greater Toronto Area Peace Forum, we’ll look more closely at this growing crisis and the role faith communities can play in working together for peace and disarmament. Project Ploughshares is the peace research institute of the Canadian Council of Churches, conducting research and advocacy on peace and security issues, including nuclear weapons. Earlier this year, Community of Christ in Canada endorsed an interfaith statement supporting the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. John Hamer, Director of Outreach & Innovative Mission, wrote that “this action aligns with our values as a church,” highlighting that “our historic seal’s one-word motto is ‘Peace,’ and the pursuit of peace is both a Mission Initiative and an Enduring Principle of our church.” There will be in-person presentations about: 💥 The ongoing suffering in Gaza and the West Bank and how Churches for Middle East Peace can help us learn about, connect, and support local NGOs working to help ☢️ The accelerating danger of nuclear weapons proliferation and how Community of Christ has teamed up with churches across Canada through Project Plowshares to address the crisis 🧡 Specific calls to churches from Canada’s Truth & Reconciliation Commission and ways we can foster justice for peoples of the First Nations 🤝 Understanding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict with Brian Carwana, Director of the Encounter World Religions Centre. How each side understands the historical background and current state of the conflict and the impact of racism, islamophobia, antisemitism. 🎨 Workshops, crafting peace and good will cards, spiritual practices, a game night and more! 🧩 Youth and intergenerational activities including a young peace-maker scavenger hunt and team puzzle-solving challenges. When: Fri, Oct 16 – Sun, Oct 18, 2026 Where: Reaching Out Centre, 125 Queen Street South, Mississauga ON L5M 1K9  By John Hamer, Director of Outreach and Innovative Mission
Immense suffering continues in Gaza and the West Bank even as media attention has shifted. Many of us in Canada want to help but may not know what meaningful action can look like. As part of our commitment to peace and justice, Community of Christ has joined Churches for Middle East Peace, an ecumenical organization that works alongside Palestinian churches, charities, and NGOs seeking to alleviate suffering and support communities in the region. Destiny Magnet, Program Manager for Churches for Middle East Peace, will speak at the Greater Toronto Area Peace Forum, bringing insights from her experience with programs such as And Still We Rise, which creates space for Palestinian women to build community, experience transformation, and take action. Join us to learn more about this work and explore ways in which we can respond. The Greater Toronto Area Peace Forum will include many other presentations, workshops, and intergenerational activities! This is a great opportunity to connect with church members and to invite young people in our network who are more interested in activism than Sunday services. When: Fri, Oct 16 – Sun, Oct 18, 2026 Where: Reaching Out Centre, 125 Queen Street South, Mississauga ON L5M 1K9  By Lanette Vawter, Director of Leadership Development The International Peace Forum is just around the corner, taking place October 16–18! Gathering together is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect in person, build a greater sense of belonging, and renew our commitments to the church and its activities. In Vancouver, we will focus on environmental justice and action as we deepen our commitment to the Sacredness of Creation through formation, public witness, and community building. This is also a meaningful opportunity to invite young people in our networks who are looking for ways to make a difference for our planet. 🌲 Featured activity: Lynn Valley Temperate Rainforest On Friday afternoon, October 16, join us for a one-hour walking tour through the temperate rainforest of Lynn Valley. This will be an opportunity to notice the many ways the forest regenerates itself and how humans can either negatively or positively affect these natural processes. Come and experience the healing properties of the rainforest as well as learning how to live in harmony with it. Other activities throughout the weekend include:
The Vancouver Peace Forum webpage has everything you need to plan your weekend, including information about registration, fees, accommodations, and the full schedule. Inquiries: [email protected] When: Fri, Oct 16 – Sun, Oct 18, 2026 Where: Community of Christ Vancouver, 3333 Kaslo Street, Vancouver, BC V5M 2M1  By John Hamer, Director of Outreach and Innovative Mission
The wars in the Middle East have had dramatic effects here in Canada. In his presentation at the Greater Toronto Area Peace Forum, Brian Carwana of the Encounter World Religions Centre proposes to help us step away from the noise of social media in order to better understand the historical context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He will explain the stories of this land and these peoples and explain how key events in the past have led us to this place of conflict. Listeners will learn:
The presentation aims for balance by sharing facts as well as explaining both pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian perspectives to help listeners understand different stances and interpretations. Dr. Carwana has given this presentation in many settings including workplaces, community groups, the general public, with both Jews and Muslims present, and the response has been consistently positive. The Greater Toronto Area Peace Forum will include many other presentations, workshops, and intergenerational activities! This is a great opportunity to connect with church members and to invite young people in our network who are more interested in activism than Sunday services. |
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