Weekly Wire for July 8, 2015

Canada West Mission

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Upcoming Events at a Glance

July 10-14 Junior Camp (8-12 yrs) Hills of Peace

July 11-18 Family Reunion Samish Island

July 18-25 Spectacular Graceland University

July 19-25 Camp Kluane (girls 12-14 yrs) Samish Island

July 26-Aug 1 Camp Chimacum (boys 12-14 yrs) Samish Island

August 2-8 Camp Kimtah (15-18 yrs) Samish Island

*dates subject to change, always check online or here for the most up to date information.

All camping dates are included at the bottom of the Weekly Wire and on the CWM website.

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This Week…in the Weekly Wire!

Camping and Retreat Information

Announcement from Apostle Art Smith

Peace and Justice – Human Rights

Zandor Gadia’s Baby Blessing

Register for Mission Conference

Call for Delegates for World Conference 2016

How to register and pay for US run Samish Camps

Special Craft for Samish Reunion

Northwest Singles Reunion

Links to our Worldwide Ministries website

We want you to ‘like’ our CWM Facebook Page

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Announcement from Apostle Art Smith

Dear sisters, brothers and friends in Christ,

I am pleased and honoured to mark July 1^st, 2015 as the beginning of my assignment to serve Community of Christ Canada West and Canada East mission centres. Having grown up in Gatineau, Quebec, I am Canadian. My son was born in Canada and Laura’s and my two children are Canadian citizens. My family loves our great country and we are most happy that we’ll be spending more time there in the future.

Since the announcement that Canada East and Canada West mission centres would be added to my field, and with the full support of Apostle Susan Oxley, I have been blessed with several opportunities to travel into these two mission centres, to visit with people, to be included in team meetings and to begin to get to know our staff. That has been a very nice blessing.

In collaboration with Apostle Susan Oxley (now retired) and Director of Field Ministries Scott Murphy, and after a period of conversation and discernment with staff in Canada, I would like to announce some changes to staff roles and ask for your support for these changes. Susan, Scott and I, as well as the Canadian staff, believe that this staff deployment will position us well for facing challenges and opportunities for mission.

We have asked Tim Stanlick to assist me by serving as an Executive Administrator for Canada. Appointed by me to this role, Tim will bring his excellent organizational and management skills to significant projects across Canada. Tim will be assigned to serve alongside the Bishop of Canada, our mission centre presidents and mission centre financial officers, always in support of expanding our mission in Canada. This does mean that Tim will conclude his service as Canada East Mission Centre President.
We are grateful to Tim for his service in that role that has blessed the church.

We have asked Kerry Richards to serve as Canada East Mission Centre President. Kerry’s passion for mission will bless Canada East mission centre. Kerry will leave his role as Director of Mission for Canada, but will continue to bring significant leadership in Canada East and Canada West as director of a growing project to revitalize congregations in Canada. You will soon be hearing more about the opportunity to participate in this revitalization project.

I pray that you will be blessed by the same spirit of peace and confirmation that has graced Susan, Scott and me as we have considered the timeliness of these changes.

Tim and Kerry have already begun transitioning into new roles. They will officially assume their new positions on August 1^st, 2015. But in the meantime, watch for them beginning to support each other and you through new responsibilities and callings.

Canada East mission centre delegates will have an opportunity to sustain Brother Kerry as mission centre president at the next mission centre conference on 17 October 2015.

I believe that Community of Christ in Canada, by the grace of God, is poised to fulfill God’s ultimate vision for the church (Doctrine and Covenants 164:9a). How wonderful that God has invited us to participate together in this great and marvelous work for this time and place!

It will be a blessing to see you soon in Canada,

 

Art Smith

Council of Twelve Apostles

 

 

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Call for Delegates for World Conference 2016

We will be voting in our Canada West Mission Delegates for World Conference 2016 at Mission Conference in Saskatoon this September.

If you are planning to attend World Conference June 4-11, 2016, please send me your name by August 1, 2015 so I can add you to the list.

debra@communityofchrist.ca or 1-877-411-2632 ext 4

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It’s time to register for

Canada West Mission Conference

MC Registration form

send to debra@communityofchrist.ca

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Vancouver Community Picnic and

Gospel Music Service

The temperature got up to 34 degrees and we gave thanks for our wonderful shade tree.

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Zandor Gadia’s Baby Blessing in Vancouver

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Click here to read What’s Up…In the CWM 

online and in full color!

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Payments for US run Samish Island

Camps and Retreats

Just a reminder to register for Samish Island U.S.-run youth camps before the early bird deadline.

These camps have set registrations for participants from the U.S., however Canadians may participate on the same donation basis that is available for events operated by the Canada West Mission Centre. Register for the event through this link GPNW Camps or use the fillable form on this page and email them to Dianne Webberly dwebberley@cofchrist-gpnw.org (i.e., do NOT use Canada West Mission Centre registration forms or processes).

Your donations to Canada West Mission Centre may be made in any of the following ways:

· By mail, addressed to: Steve Thompson, Financial Officer, Box 345, 224-6655 178 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5T 4J5

· By email via Interac e-transfer (if available from your bank) to: steve@communityofchrist.ca

· By Electronic Donation via: www.CanadaHelps.org
(search for: Community of Christ Canada West Mission)
For all methods of donation, be sure to indicate the camp for you which you are registering.

Have a terrific summer camping season!

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Samish Island - Upcoming Youth Camps

To register for Samish Youth Camps, please use this form, GPNW Camps or use the fillable form on this page

and mail or email your form to dwebberley@cofchrist-gpnw.org

 

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 CWM Facebook Page!

Go to our facebook page to see what’s going on in the CWM

and be sure to ‘like’ us.

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Hills of Peace Junior Camp

Hills of Peace Registration Form

Hills of Peace Registration Form

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Samish Island Family Reunion

Samish Reunion Creative Activity

Fancy Nancy Tea Party

Don’t forget your ‘fancy clothes’ for the Fancy Nancy Tea Party!

Remember to bring your passport and get your out of Province

Travel Insurance before you leave.

 BCAA Travel Insurance

Fill this out Samish Reunion Registration Form 

and send it to samishbcreunionregister@gmail.com

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Community of Christ website links …

Community of Christ Upcoming Events: Visit the Community of Christ Calendar at www.CofChrist.org/events to see upcoming events, links to Daily Prayer for Peace, and Worship Resources.

Community of Christ Current Announcements: See the most current announcements on Community of Christ homepage at www.CofChrist.org or on the Announcements page at www.CofChrist.org/announcements.

Community of Christ Mission Stories:  Mission Stories

The next link is to a great video produced by the Community of Christ that everyone should see.

Must See Video!

Community of Christ, What We Offer You Video

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Northwest Singles Reunion

 

To register, send your information to dwebberley@cofchrist-gpnw.org with the subject line “Canadian registering for Singles Reunion”.

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Peace / Justice  --  Human Rights

June 20, 2015

Welcome to this issue from the “In The Forefront” mailing list.  To alter your profile, follow the steps at the end, where your profile is listed. 

Please note the urgent June 24 deadline to take action below! The action is to request the UN Security Council not to withdraw or reduce its peacekeeping troops form Darfur – they are the only remaining very thin line of protection for civilians, who are still caught in unspeakable swirls of violence!

Due to this urgent action, this June newsletter will have a second part, sent in the next week that will contain some of the other topics intended for this edition.

The blog associated with this newsletter is at: http://untilall.org/blogs/newsletter/.  Feel free to comment on any topic.

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Pour la traduction française: cliqueter ici; et cliqueter alors le bouton de traduction sur la page Web.
Para la traducción española: clic aquí; y entonces hace clic en el botón de traducción en la página web.

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KEEP UN PEACEKEEPING IN DARFUR

On June 24 the UN Security Council will be meeting to decide whether to reduce or even possibly withdraw UNAMID, the UN peacekeeping troops in Darfur.  Sudan has been pressing for an “exit” plan.  Earlier there had been serious talk at the UN about reducing their presence in Darfur.

This needs to be seen against the backdrop of this past 18 months, where Sudan began very concerted efforts to defeat the rebel forces. The techniques remain the same – using indiscriminate bombing runs and militia attacks in rebel areas, resulting in large civilian displacement and causalities.  In addition tribal rivalry and a lawless element have added to the unrest.  This newsletter has tracked all of this (see: Current Status  [UntilAll]). The UN Refugee Agency estimates that well over 2 million people are currently displaced [http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49e483b76.html].

It would be unconscionable to pull UNAMID out.  While this newsletter has been clear that UNAMID has been largely impotent, the solution lies in addressing the core issues which one of the following resolutions attempts to list.  In addition, as ineffective as UNAMID has been, it remains the last line of recourse for the civilians, whose lives remain caught in various repugnant layers of violence.

Thus please consider signing both petitions below:

Petition To UN Security Council:
Renew UNAMID's Mandate

Petition to President Obama:
Keep UN Peacekeepers in Darfur

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WORLD REFUGEE DAY

June 20 is World Refugee Day.  There are almost 60 million who have fled their homes, resulting in over 20 million refugees.  This past year has seen a higher rate largely due to the conflict in Syria. 

Our longitudinal study of Darfur gives us a sense of the reasons, the world politics that maintains that status quo, the despair as one month becomes one year becomes a decade, and so on.  But our study of Darfur should also keep us open to the ongoing struggles around the world.  For some of those stories see:
http://www.unhcr.org/refugeeday/

An archive is kept at:
http://www.cofchrist.org/humanrights/hr-newsletter/default.asp.

In appreciation and support,
  Rod Downing

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Canada West Camping and Event Calendar

2015

July 10-14 Junior Camp (8-12 yrs) Hills of Peace

July 11-18 Family Reunion Samish Island

July 18-25 Spectacular Graceland University

July 19-25 Camp Kluane (girls 12-14 yrs) Samish Island

July 26-Aug 1 Camp Chimacum (boys 12-14 yrs) Samish Island

August 2-8 Camp Kimtah (15-18 yrs) Samish Island

August 7-9 Nurturing Spirit Weekend Hills of Peace

August 9-15 Camp Mungai (10-11 yrs) Samish Island

August 16-21 NW Singles Retreat Samish Island

September 4-6 Canada West Mission Conference – Saskatoon, SK

Sept 25-27 Men’s Retreat Hills of Peace

October 2-4 Women’s Retreat Chilliwack

October 2-4 Young Adult Retreat Samish Island

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Quote of the Week

The expert in ANYTHING

was once a BEGINNER.