Canada West Mission
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Upcoming Events at a Glance
2017
September 22-24 Men’s Retreat Hills of Peace
October 6-8 Singles Retreat Samish Island
November 3-5 High Priest, Evangelist and Seventy Retreat –Edmonton
2018
Feb 16-19 CWM Winter Youth Retreat, (location to be announced)
Feb 23-25 Weekend of World Religions Vancouver
March 2-4 Nurturing Spirit Retreat Samish Island
Mar 16-18 Women’s Retreat Medicine Hat
*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 this Weekly Wire and on the CWM website.
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This Week…in the Weekly Wire!
Mission Conference 2018 in Regina, SK
Canada West Mission Conference photos, video and more!
Meadow Ridge Neighbourhood Party photos
Norm Olson’s 100th birthday pictures
Men’s Retreat Hills of Peace
Singles Retreat Samish Island
Peace and Justice Newsletter
What’s Up…In the CWM –time to submit articles
eLearning Temple School Courses
– new registration process -new classes
Community of Christ App
Shopping on Amazon.ca
Links to our Worldwide Ministries website
We want you to ‘like’ our CWM Facebook Page
2017/2018 Camping Dates
Quote of the Week
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2018 Mission Conference August 31 – Sept 2
Regina Saskatchewan
Guest Minister President Steve Veazey
I know it may feel early, but I encourage you to reserve your hotel rooms as soon as possible. Labour Day weekend is a huge football weekend in Regina and all of the hotel rooms will be sold out soon for the Saturday night. We have a group rate at the Ramada Plaza use code
CG0C4 email regina@saskramada.com or call 306-569-1444
1Queen bed – $117 p/night
2 Queen beds $124 p/night
$12 per 3rd and 4th adults in room (children are free)
$15 per night parking
This hotel is 4.5 km from the Regina church. There are other hotels closer to the church, but the rates were substantially higher and we wanted to make this weekend affordable for everyone who would like to come out and see President Veazey. Please feel free to book anywhere you like but again, we urge you to do that very soon. You can always cancel your room closer to the conference if needed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We’re accepting submissions for the fall edition of
What’s Up…In the CWM
Tell us about what your congregation did over the summer, or what you have planned for this fall and winter.
Let me know if you plan to send something so I can save you space in the newsletter. debra@communityofchrist.ca
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FLOW Weekend in Meadow Ridge
Thanks to Sean Langdon!
our guest minister from the GPNW.
Neighbourhood Party in
Meadow Ridge!
With Alexis Beer in her group The Maybelles.
Check out The Maybelles on facebook
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Samish Island Campground Job Opening
Samish Island Campground has an opening for the Food Service Manager/Caretaker. If you have US or dual citizenship and are interested, go to the Camp Samish website.
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Norm Olson’s
100th birthday celebration!
Norm had vistors from BC and Alberta, and received a birthday letter from the Queen. There were many birthday cards, including one from the folks at mission conference depicting a train and driver by Gary McDonald, a binder full of memories prepared by Kelly Duff and sent in by all of you, and a video of the entire mission conference body, singing happy birthday to Norm.
Norm said his secret to a long life was to keep breathing!
Happy Birthday Norm!
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Men’s Retreat - Hills of Peace
September 22-24
Although I consider myself quite proficient at math, I am a bit less confident when dealing with anniversaries (fill in your own life experience or joke, whichever is easier) so I am relatively confident we started men’s retreat back in 2006. I can name most of the guest ministers and I can tell you that Jae Senga and Gregg Lester are the only two men to have attended all of the weekends. From the get-go we kept it simple. Pick a weekend; the 4th one in September. Pick a format; a few classes, some free time, some spiritual stuff. Pick an eating frequency; often. Pick a guest minister; somebody from away. Just to show you that I like to mix things up, this year our guest minister has been found in our own back yard (2,906,280 square kilometers so it’s a big yard). Steve Thompson has graciously accepted the invitation to lead us through a weekend focusing on spirituality and technology. Steve has chosen the theme of “At the Table with Christ: Cell phones OFF or ON?”. You should come just to find out the proper etiquette!
By this time you know the drill. We meet at Hills of Peace on a Friday night, September 22. We have a well-planned mixer that challenges at least two thirds of us, no matter what it is (Jae has been planning this one for a year). We eat and eventually hit the hay. Saturday Steve will engage us in several sessions (whose titles are a closely guarded secret), we’ll hang out, we’ll eat a lot of pie, we’ll have a camp-fire and play a variety of card games with cut-throat intensity. Sunday we’ll quickly clean up the camp and Steve will be the guest speaker at a communion service and then we head for home.
So you could stay home and do yard work, watch TV, go to church and see the same people you saw last Sunday...It’s not a bad second choice (do not tell the people), but why not get in the car with some male friends and come to Hills of Peace. Like anything legendary has ever happened on a road-trip or at Men’s Retreat.
Remember, Jesus invited a few of his buddies on a road trip and that seemed to turn out pretty well.
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Mission Conference in Vancouver
WOW!
Follow this link to see our special edition of
2017 Mission Conference in Vancouver!
See the Conference Program online
Crazy Conference Group Photo
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Singles Retreat Samish Island
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Introduction to Scripture
Ministry of the Disciple
New Online Classes Available for Registration
Do you want or need to take one of the Ministry and Priesthood classes, but live classes don’t fit your schedule or they’re too far away? Canada East and Canada West Mission Centre’s announce our next elearning Temple School classes:
- Introduction to Scripture - (Class required for all new ordinands) This class, taught via video by Tony and Charmaine Chvala-Smith, helps students understand responsible scripture use and exegesis. Note: This class requires access to a library with bible commentaries and reference sources.
- Ministry of the Disciple - This class explores discipleship in Community of Christ and explores the mission, message, and beliefs of the church.
- Dates: October 7 – December 2 – Classes cover a chapter per week – students can work on readings and assignments ANYTIME Saturday through Thursday each week! This schedule will make allowance for time off during both the Canadian and USA Thanksgiving.
- Registration open now through October 7 – first come, first served, limit of 25 per class.
- Register now on the Developmetrics web site (make sure you use the Canadian form) http://developmetrics.org
- Class fee is $20 per student which includes a PDF copy of the class. Follow instructions for payment to your mission centre on the Developmetrics web site.
The week following class conclusion, students will receive a PDF certificate and Temple School Credit in Shelby.
Click here To Register
Pay by cheque:
Steve Thompson Box 345, 224-6655 178 Street NW Edmonton, AB T5T 4J5
Or e-transfer to steve@communityofchrist.ca
Include your name and the course you are taking.
Contact Information: David Lloyd, Developmetrics, LLC: idlloyd23@gmail.com
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Daily Bread Blog
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Submit a Story
Have you been inspired by one of the Daily Bread stories?
Send in your story and be an inspiration to others.
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Here is the link for “Community of Christ and Amazon.ca ” to make purchases and have up to 8.5% returned to the Canadian church.
Learn how it works here Community of Christ Amazon video
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Go to our facebook page to see what’s going on in the CWM
and be sure to ‘like’ us.
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Community of Christ website links
Community of Christ Upcoming Events: Visit the Community of Christ Calendar 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 or on the Announcements page .
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.
Community of Christ, What We Offer You Video
To those seeking a spiritual home, Community of Christ is a welcoming, loving, worldwide faith community that values the worth of every person as a child of God, and provides a safe space for you to explore and deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ and each other.
In Community of Christ, you will receive love and support as you discover renewed purpose for your life through compassionate, Christ-like service that ends suffering and fosters justice and peace.
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Peace / Justice -- Human Rights
The blog associated with this newsletter is at: http://untilall.org/blogs/newsletter/. Feel free to comment on any topic.
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Para la traducciĂłn española: clic aquĂ; y entonces hace clic en el botĂłn de traducciĂłn en la página web.
BURMA / MYANMAR: END ETHNIC CLEANSING OF ROHINGYA
In 2012 and again in 2014 this newsletter highlighted actions and concerns related to the plight of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Burma. While most people in Burma are Buddhist, and there are other groups and conflicts, the Rohingya have been marginalized for decades, officially deemed immigrants from Bangladesh.
Being stateless means diminished rights in an impoverished area. It also means voiceless and thus open to increasing conflict and violence. From our longitudinal study of Darfur, when people who want a nonviolent resolution, find all such avenues fruitless, eventually a few may take up arms both for protection and to highlight their case to the world. Thus fast forward and we find again this is the case.
But the government disproportionately cracked down not simply on the insurgents but the entire Rohingya population, resulting in a UN official indicating the government’s response appears to be a “textbook example” of ethnic cleansing. There have been over 400,000 displaced, with many villages burned, and an unknown number of people killed or raped.
The violence must be stopped, a path to full inclusiveness for all provided, and human rights violations on all sides must be investigated. The following petitions address two audiences. Avaaz {the site we sometimes use to explore the influence of massive petitions, in this case now over one million signatures} is targeting those governments supporting Burma’s military. The Amnesty International petition is aimed directly at Burma’s military Commander in Chief. Please consider signing both.
Nobel Peace Prize Laurate Aung San Suu Kyi: While previous newsletters gave her silence the benefit of the doubt, it is time to side with Desmond Tutu’s response where he pleaded with her to speak out for justice and unity and cautioned that “If the political price of your ascension to the highest office in Myanmar is your silence, the price is surely too steep.”
Take Action [Open to all; Consider signing both]:
Tell Governments To Stop Supporting Burma's Military [Avaaz]
Tell Burma's Commander in Chief to Stop Ethnic Cleansing [Amnesty International]
Background:
Summary of Current Crisis [International Crisis Group]
How Years of Strife Grew Into a Crisis [NYT]
How New Muslim Insurgency Arose [ICG, Dec, 2016]
Final Report on Fair Future [Chaired by Kofi Annan; very in-depth]
THE U.S. AND SUDAN SANCTIONS
The action on this issue from the last newsletter was part of efforts that may have helped dissuade the Trump Administration from lifting sanction on Sudan. However that had a three month timeframe which is almost up now. So new efforts are needed to help maintain the sanctions until Sudan changes its action and addresses the marginalization of all its peripheries, most especially Darfur and South Kordofan / Nuba mountains. As noted before, the lifting of sanctions was shocking to many Sudan watchers, including myself, who feel it was based on murky logic (see Current Status, June 25, [UntilAll.org] or the Background links below).
Thus there is urgent need to tell President Trump not to permanently lift the sanctions. Even if one felt progress was being made, six months is far too short, as Human Rights Watch argues, below.
Take Action:
Don't Lift Sudan Sanctions [Act For Sudan]
Background:
Sudan Sanction Review Fails 8 Benchmark Tests [HRW]
{Counter View} Repeal Sanctions, There are Still Others in Place [Crisis Group]
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=== FOLLOW-UP TO PREVIOUS ACTIONS AND ARTICLES ===
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At Least 200 Environmental Activists Slain In 2016:
This newsletter has taken action to safeguard environmental activists throughout the world, and for good reason. This year saw the most deaths ever. While India had a three-fold increase, Latin America remained the deadliest region. Mining, oil, agriculture and logging were the industries most associated with the deaths.
Most environmental activist killed in 2016 [Globe and Mail]
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=== ARTICLES OF INTEREST ===
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Chinese Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Liu Xiaobo, Died
In a sad note over the summer, Liu Xiaobo died. He helped lead the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy uprising for which he was imprisoned. Upon release he continued to lecture about democracy and human rights, including helping to draft Charter 08 which laid out the comprehensive changes needed, such as a new constitution, for legislative democracy. He was imprisoned again where his health deteriorated.
http://time.com/4848696/liu-xiaobo-dies-china-nobel-prisoner/
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
2017
September 22-24 Men’s Retreat Hills of Peace
October 6-8 Singles Retreat Samish Island
November 3-5 High Priest, Evangelist and Seventy Retreat –Edmonton
2018
Feb 16-19 CWM Winter Youth Retreat, (location to be confirmed)
Feb 23-25 Weekend of World Religions Vancouver
March 2-4 Nurturing Spirit Retreat Samish Island
Mar 16-18 Women’s Retreat Medicine Hat
April 21-22 Ribstone 110th Anniversary
April 26-29 Arts Retreat Samish Island
Apr 30-May 5 Samish Island Work Week
April 27-29 Weekend of World Religions Calgary
June 1-3 Nurturing Silence Retreat Samish Island
June 8-10 Spiritual Retreat Hills of Peace
June 9-14 Adult Reunion Samish Island
July 1-6 CWM Youth Camp Hills of Peace
July 7-12 Family Reunion Hills of Peace
July 14-21 Family Reunion Samish Island
July 14-18 Junior Camp Hills of Peace
July 17-20 International Youth Forum
July 21-28 Spectacular Graceland University
July 22-28 Camp Kluane (girls 12-14 yrs) Samish Island
July 27-30 Nurturing Spirit Retreat Hills of Peace
July 29-Aug 4 Camp Chimacum (boys 12-14 yrs) Samish Island
August 5-11 Camp Kimtah (15-18 yrs) Samish Island
August 12-16 Camp Gemungai (8-11 yrs) Samish Island
Aug 31-Sept 2 Canada West Mission Conference – Regina Saskatchewan
Sept 28-30 Men’s Retreat Hills of Peace
Sep 28-30 Women's Retreat Chilliwack
Dates are subject to change, please register early to avoid cancellation of your event.
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Quote of the Week
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