 The Ottawa congregation invites members across Canada to participate online or in person in “Introduction to Priesthood,” a hybrid Temple School course beginning March 14, 2026.
The course will be led by Lew Shepherdson, a member of the Ottawa pastorate team, and a self-sustaining Bishop. Sessions will take place on Saturdays, March 14, 21, and 28, with no class on Easter weekend, and will resume April 11 and 18. Classes will be held from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET at the Ottawa congregation, with Zoom access provided for online participants. To register: contact Nancy Baer at [email protected] Registration Deadline: March 12, 2026. Accommodations can be arranged for participants who wish to travel to Ottawa for the sessions.
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 By John Hamer, Director of Outreach and Innovative Mission This Sunday, March 1, join Apostle Shannon McAdam and the Canadian Leadership Team for a special communion service livestreamed from Kitchener Community of Christ at noon Eastern, 11 a.m. Central, 10 a.m. Mountain, and 9 a.m. Pacific. Shannon will preach on the theme “I Want to Know Christ,” drawing on the Apostle Paul’s testimony in Philippians 3:10–11. Sam Smalldon (Director of Shared Services), Leandro Palacios (Director of Communications), Vonda DenBoer (Director of Camping and Campgrounds), Lanette Vawter (Director of Leadership Development), and John Hamer (Director of Outreach and Innovation) will provide ministry. They will be joined by Joshua Bennet from Chennai, India, a leader in the Community of Christ South Asia Field. We invite congregations and individuals across Canada to consider making this livestream service part of their Sunday programming. If your congregation is in the Kitchener area, you are invited to consider joining us in person for this shared service. Beginning at 10:30 a.m., those present at Kitchener Community of Christ will have the opportunity to meet the new apostle and leadership team during a Q&A session. Coffee, beverages, and snacks will be provided. (The Q&A will not be livestreamed.) The church is located at: 414 Fisher Hallman Road in Kitchener, Ontario, It is conveniently located just off the Conestoga Parkway (Highway 8). You can access the service live on YouTube: Or on Facebook:  Great news—planning for SPECTACULAR 2026 is already underway!
However, given the current political climate, we are rethinking our usual approach to travel. In past years, we have rented a bus and travelled to Graceland alongside the Michigan delegation. This year, however, we are exploring the option of air travel rather than bus travel. One possible plan would involve parent drop-off at Toronto Pearson Airport, flying to Kansas City or Des Moines, Iowa, and then travelling by bus to Graceland. This approach would allow us to clear customs while still on Canadian soil. We recognize that this option would require additional logistical planning, including arrangements for chaperones, airport pickups, and ground transportation which is why we are reaching out now. At this stage, we are not asking for a commitment. What we would like to know is who might be interested in attending SPEC this July, so we can better assess numbers as we continue planning. Please note that mission centre support will be available to help with costs. If this is something you or your youth might want to be part of, we would love to hear from you by Feb 19th. Please send responses to Vonda at [email protected]  We are thrilled to offer a unique opportunity to own a piece of original art while supporting the Nurturing Spirit Retreat at Samish Island (February 27–March 1). Artist Kathy Nutt, our special guest for the weekend, has generously donated an original work to help ensure these meaningful gatherings continue to thrive. Kathy is a lifelong explorer of creativity and a fine artist originally from Canada, currently living in Texas. She finds inspiration in the beauty of nature as well as imagination, the mystical, and fantasy themes. As a multimedia artist, she works across drawing with inks, acrylics, coloured pencils, printmaking, and photography. A gallery of her prolific visual artworks can be found online at: How to bid All proceeds go directly to sustaining the Creating Connection/Nurturing Spirit retreat program. Bidding for this auction is now open and will close February 28th. E-cabins are still available for the Nurturing Spirit Retreat: Finding the Calm Through the Storm, taking place February 27–March 1. This retreat features special guests Kathy Nutt, Ashley Whitham, and Alexis Beer. For more information and to register:  This piece is an image of a sailboat with music sheet sails and gold foil details, sailing in calm, moonlit water encircled by a chaotic storm rendered in thick textures of silvers, blues, and greys. One of the gold foil shapes on the sail includes a sigil representing Calm Through Storm. Artwork details
Acrylic, collage, and gold foil on gallery-wrap canvas 20” × 16” × 1.5”  Beginning February 16 and continuing through April 25, the Beyond the Walls daily meditation group will walk together through the season of Lent. Each morning, we will gather online for a shared time of reflection, following the path of Christ as part of a simple daily practice. Selected resources will support this journey, but the focus remains on prayer, reflection, and moving through Lent together.
Start your mornings with a guided meditation session on Zoom to cultivate your inner peace, wisdom, and let the Spirit flow through mind and body. Our goal is to build a supportive environment where all are welcome, whether you are experienced or new to meditative practices, no matter what your faith background or spiritual type might be. When: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays Time: 6:00 a.m. PT / 7:00 a.m. MT / 8:00 a.m. CT / 9:00 a.m. ET  What might it take to imagine a world beyond fossil fuels? This webinar invites participants to explore how prophetic imagination can help us envision new possibilities in the face of the climate emergency. Together, we’ll reflect on how vision, community, and spiritual grounding can shape meaningful responses to climate-based injustice and environmental harm. Inspired by President Stassi Cramm’s call to discern God’s vision for the future, this session encourages participants to bring their ideas, voices, and imagination into a shared space of reflection. Through conversation and creative thinking, we’ll consider how imagining God’s new creation can energize action and deepen our commitment to caring for the earth and one another. Date: Sunday, February 15, 2026 Time: 2:00 PT / 3:00 p.m. MT / 4:00 p.m. CT / 5:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. Where: Zoom (If you registered for a past Climate Justice webinar, no new registration is required. You’ll receive the Zoom link automatically.)
 By Vonda DenBoer, Director of Camping and Campground Sustainability
I am so grateful for a question asked at our Organizational Meeting: “Are you planning to attend a camp, retreat, or reunion this year?” A whopping 86 percent responded yes! That is wonderful news and will help us plan and prepare well. To help springboard your planning, a list of all camps scheduled for this year is already published on the campground websites. Additional information and details will be added as they become available, but please reach out if you have questions to [email protected] Whether you are able to share your time, talent, or treasure—or simply participate—we look forward to being together in meaningful ways this camping season. Visit our Camping pages  We invite youth in grades 9–12 to join the SPEC rally at Samish Island, running February 13–16. This retreat will be an opportunity to reconnect with friends, build community, and explore what SPEC is all about—whether you’ve attended before or are thinking about going for the first time.
Those attending in person will gather at Samish Island for a weekend shaped by shared activities, conversation, and connection. If you can’t join us in person, you can still take part online. The approximate cost for in-person participation is $120 USD and there is no cost to join online. Participants who register for the online option will receive a Zoom link ahead of time. For questions or more information, please contact Gwyn Beer ([email protected]).  Encounter World Religions invites participants to join a new four-part online winter series: Sounds, Spaces, and Celebrations—The Feel of the World’s Religions. This series explores how religious traditions are experienced through poetry, sacred spaces, music, and communal celebrations, highlighting the role of beauty and sensory experience in religious life.
Each 90-minute online session will include time for questions and discussion. Participants may register for individual sessions or for the full series. Recordings will be available for two weeks following the conclusion of the series. Session dates and time: Wednesdays, January 28, February 4, February 11, and February 18 7:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. CT / 5:00 p.m. MT / 4:00 p.m. PT  Join us for our annual Wake-Up Weekend, February 6–8, as we clean, organize, and prepare Samish Island Campground and Retreat Centre for the 2026 camping season, which begins the following weekend.
All volunteers are welcome. To help with meal planning, please RSVP to Shawna Custer at [email protected] |
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