Reflections on Buckhorn by Pam Lindamood

I’m just back from an uplifting week of Reunion at Buckhorn. As I reflect on all that camp encompasses, I am washed over by memories of all my camping experiences. Many of you have shared with me your memories as well, and there is a part of all of us that wants to tie a ribbon around those experiences and hold them close to our hearts. These memories feel good, they restore us, and they give us hope for shared future experiences. The melancholy comes when I realize that I can never go back and recreate those experiences exactly, but hope comes in the excitement of experiences yet to be. 

Buckhorn is a place of beauty that reconnects us with God, nature, and our faith community. Whether you have been coming to camp with your family for years, returning after a long absence, a first-time camper, or someone who finds the camp experience too strenuous to attend anymore, you all have stories, memories, and thoughts to share about our beautiful campground. Buckhorn is a living, breathing, place that also is affected by time. We see trees that have run their course, buildings that are aging, and cabins that may not have all the amenities that we find comforting and even necessary. These issues are addressed by a wonderful group of volunteers that serve you as the Buckhorn Board of Directors. This group works tirelessly to keep the lights on and the water flowing. They are also charged with ensuring Buckhorn’s financial soundness. We have been blessed by your generous donations and the return of outside camps which helps us in our ongoing  struggle to return to profitability after our COVID slump. Many of these friends of Community of Christ, have also been coming to Buckhorn for years and they, too, have their own stories and hold these grounds sacred. 

How do we as Community of Christ and our Buckhorn Friends imagine our camping future? What will our grounds look like in 10/20/ or 30 years? Are our camping experiences tied to a place or the relationships we have formed with each other? Or, is it both? We welcome your thoughts, skills, and imagination as we look with Hope to our experiences yet to be!

Blessings!

Pam Lindamood, Buckhorn Chairperson

Contact me: pamlindamood@sbcglobal.net

Nueva sesión de curso del Centro Hispano de Formación Ministerial / New Course Session from the Center for Hispanic Formation Ministries

New Course Session from the Center for Hispanic Formation Ministries

The CHFM will offer 3 courses in the September-November session: Introduction to Priesthood Ministry, Ministry of the Deacon, and Ministry of the Priest.  These Temple School courses are taught online in Spanish by Latin American priesthood members.  The courses begin on September 12, 2025, and run approximately 10 weeks.  Courses are asynchronous. Most course work is completed independently, but synchronous sessions via Zoom are also offered to support students.  

Registration deadline is September 5, 2025.  

Register at the CHFM website   https://cofchrist.lat/services/

 

The following are direct links to registration forms for each course.

Introduction to Priesthood Ministry    https://forms.gle/YGCJj4kDafET4TXe8

Ministry of the Deacon                           https://forms.gle/L7snYWn2FRfsNGLf7

Ministry of the Priest                              https://forms.gle/zMUVfazBvPbZ8i4i8

For assistance, contact coordinator Judith Santos at chdeformacionministerial@gmail.com

 

Nueva sesión de curso del Centro Hispano de Formación Ministerial

El CHFM ofrecerá 3 cursos en la sesión de septiembre - noviembre: Introducción al Ministerio del Sacerdocio, El Ministerio del Diácono y El Ministerio del Sacerdote. Estos cursos de la Escuela del Templo son impartidos en línea en español por miembros del sacerdocio latinoamericano.  Los cursos comienzan el 12 de septiembre de 2025 y tienen una duración aproximada de 10 semanas. Los cursos son asincrónicos. La mayor parte del trabajo del curso se completa de forma independiente, pero también se ofrecen sesiones sincrónicas a través de Zoom para apoyar a los estudiantes. 

La fecha límite de inscripción es el 5 de septiembre de 2025. 

Regístrese en el sitio web de CHFM     https://cofchrist.lat/services/

 

Los siguientes son enlaces directos a los formularios de inscripción para cada curso.

 

Introducción al Ministerio del Sacerdocio        https://forms.gle/YGCJj4kDafET4TXe8

El Ministerio del Diácono                                     https://forms.gle/L7snYWn2FRfsNGLf7

El Ministerio del Sacerdote                                  https://forms.gle/zMUVfazBvPbZ8i4i8

 

Para asistencia, comuníquese con la coordinadora Judith Santos en chdeformacionministerial@gmail.com

Register Today for CIMM's Christian Ministries Certificate Program

The Center for Innovation in Ministry and Mission (CIMM) launched the "Christian Ministries Certificate" a little over two years ago as a learning opportunity following the MEADS program at headquarters. Through the Community of Christ Seminary, students are provided a mid-point of education between the Ministry and Priesthood courses and the Seminary master's programs.

The Christian Ministries Certificate provides seminary-vetted instructors in a community of learners online covering the following topics:

  • Introduction to Christian Theology

  • Peace and Justice

  • Spiritual Formation

  • New Testament

  • Hebrew Scriptures

  • Contextual Theology and Contemporary Culture

  • Ministries of the Church

  • Missional Leadership

  • Community of Christ Theology

  • Practical Ministry

  • World Religions

  • ...and more to come

Completion of any 10 classes awards the certificate, which can be presented at a Mission Center conference. Students take one course per 8-week period on their own weekly schedule. Summers are off for the camping season. If a student misses a class, they can choose to take another later on.

We encourage you to consider ministers in your area and proactivly approach individuals who may not only benefit their personal ministry, but bring expanded understanding to your mission center leadership. Some mission centers have chosen to subsidise the $100 fee of the classes for some ministers.

Students who wish to enroll should do so by starting with any upcoming Christian Ministries class. We are starting our second round of these courses August 25 with Dr. David Anderson teaching the "Christian Theology" class.

Visit our website, www.graceland.edu/cimm for more information on the Christian Ministries Certificate and registration. Please let me know if you have any questions about this ministerial leadership program, or any other CIMM learning opportunity.

August - December 2025 CIMM Course Offerings

The Center for Innovation in Ministry and Mission (CIMM) announces the Ministry and Priesthood classes for the Fall 2025:

August 25-October 19, 2025

  • CIMM0300 - Introduction to Priesthood Ministry - $25 

  • CIMM0304 - Ministry of the Priest - $25

  • CIMM0305 - Ministry of the Elder - $25

  • CIMM1100 - (Christian Ministries Certificate) Introduction to Christian Theology - Dr. Dave Anderson - $100

  • October 20 - December 14, 2025

  • CIMM0400 - Introduction to Scripture - Dan Nowiski - $25

  • CIMM0302 - Ministry of the Deacon - $25

  • CIMM0450 - Children and Youth Worker Core Training - $25

  • CIMM1400 - (Christian Ministries Certificate) Peace and Justice - Dr. Nancy Ross = $100

Students can register by visiting our website at www.graceland.edu/cimm.

PSI Reunion at Buckhorn Campground (July 26 - 31, 2025)

Friends,

Please hold our attendees, guest ministry, and staff in your prayers as final preparations are made for PSI Reunion taking place July 26 - 31 at beautiful Buckhorn Campground. Registration is now closed.

IMPORTANT REUNION DETAILS TO SHARE WITH CONGREGATIONS AND GROUPS

  • We will have STAGGERED REGISTRATION on Saturday at 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. for an efficient welcome, and a separate email will be sent to those registered.

  • We will have kits in the nurses station as needed to test for symptoms. There will NOT be a COVID assessment at registration, so we request that you self-assess for personal wellness to live in community with each other. The MEDICAL FORMS for Reunion will be sent to those registered.

  • THE TALENT SHOW for the joy of the community will be MONDAY NIGHT. Please plan ahead to share your talents and invite friends to join you. You can register to participate during check-in.

YOUR ASSISTANCE REQUESTED WITH REUNION CARNIVAL PLANNING

Crystal is planning our carnival on Monday, and she has some needs to make it the best ever. She is seeking congregations who would like to sponsor/run a booth at the Reunion Carnival. Some examples might be: 

  • Balloon pop

  • Goldfish bowl game

  • Shoot the ducks (or throw bean bags)

  • Knock over the blocks or bottles

  • Ring toss

We will need volunteers for the carnival and you can sign up at camp, but we are also needing congregations to sponsor a game AND donate prizes like baskets with goodies, gift cards etc. Please contact Crystal with your generosity so her leadership can be organized for so much fun for all! You can reach her via email at crystalpearl87@aol.com or by phone at 626-383-7369.

Please pray for our time together.  We have an abundance of wonderful guest ministers with Carla, Kuzma, Blake, Travis, and Barbara coming along with the giftedness of all our members and friends who will bless us as we “Choose Hope” together.
 
Your presence is awaited with great joy,

Denise, Holly, Michele, & Crystal

Church at the Beach in Oxnard: August 10

Sun. August 10 - Church at the Beach in Oxnard - All Congregations and Youth Invited
10:00 a.m. Short Reunion Inspired Worship Service

Reserved Park Shelter 
'olołkoy Beach Park
1601 Harbor Blvd.
Oxnard, CA 93035

Lunch: Bring a side dish or dessert, BBQ meat will be provided
Activities:
Volleyball
Short walk to beach and Farmers Market
Bring lawn chairs and shade pop ups
near Al and Tommie Porter's Home

Questions: Eric Mussell 818-497-3209

ATTN: Young Adults: Join The Circle!

Calling all young adults and youth/young adult leaders!

Parker Johnson, PSI Communications Specialist has created a new online community for young adults called The Circle.

This space is intended to provide young adults- as well as leaders working with youth and young adults- with a “third space” to gather.

“Third space” is a sociological term and essentially refers to the social surroundings that are separate from the two usual social environments of home ("first place") and the workplace ("second place").

The Circle is intended to be a space for networking, socializing, theologizing, planning, collaborating, mentorship, and even asking if you can crash on someone’s couch while you’re on a road trip.

Community of Christ members are some of the kindest, most generous people many of us have ever met, and one of the most valuable aspects of membership/affiliation with the church is access to its passionate people.

A few housekeeping items to be completely transparent from Parker:

🆓 This space is 100% FREE.
🌳 The Circle is an initiative offered by Cottonwood Creative, a cross-border marketing agency I started in 2021. I use my agency’s resources to give back wherever I can to social impact organizations and my own denomination: Community of Christ.

If you'd like to join, just complete the form to get started!

Online Community Gatherings with Gardena (2nd/4th Wednesdays)

All are welcome to join the Gardena Congregation’s regular (2nd and 4th Wednesdays) online community gatherings.

This is an open forum. We have an assigned facilitator, and they select a meaningful topic. Sometimes we simply have a prayer service. Sometimes we discuss current events. Topics discussed in the past include Gaza, housing, violence, responsible gun ownership, gardening, and more.

Usually the facilitator will share for about 15-25 minutes and then we talk about it.

Clayton Troxell (PSI Delegate) 2025 World Conference Reflections

Well, summer season is here!

I just got back from an amazing experience at World Conference where I was able to connect with old friends, new friends, youth, young adults, and other youth ministers. I am looking forward to the many opportunities for our youth that will come from these collaborations. 

I want to say thank you to those that made it to our Beach Day on May 24th, and I look forward to doing it again at Mission Beach or Mission Bay Park next time. 

I will be leaving with some youth on Sunday to head to our camping opportunity with our brothers and sisters in Arizona. Being my first time directing a youth camp, I am excited and nervous, but I know the spirit will lead me and we will have an amazing experience.

Besides our other camp opportunities with Sierra Pacific Mission Center, I would like to plug the Art of Creation event with Suzy Hawthorne and company on the 21st at the Escondido Congregation.   

If you have not signed up for a camp or SPEC yet there is still time, and you can register with or without payment at the time of registering. As I have always said, I will make sure that our kids who want to attend a camp have that opportunity by taking care of the travel arrangements. 

I look forward to sharing with you all about our camping experiences and hope to see you at one this summer!

Clayton Troxell
Youth Minister 
Community of Christ Pacific SW Int'l Mission Center

Michele McGrath (PSI Delegate) 2025 World Conference Reflections

WOW!

How can I share my World Conference experience when it was like a month of events and a year of emotions all packed into one full (so full!) week?

I am an accountant, so let’s do this by the numbers:

2,000+ – delegates who assembled in Independence, Missouri last week to confer, fellowship, worship and connect. Plus, four remote sites in other countries to provide greater access for those who couldn’t get visas to come to the U.S.!

164 – attendance at the standing-room-only fully-affirming Harmony worship, where apostles and other members of World Church leadership served communion and offered blessing for participants. For me, the words of affirmation, solidarity, and challenge offered as part of the communion message were some of the most moving of the week, and that’s saying something!

6 – new apostles ordained in one service! That’s a LOT of new energy on the rostrum. I can’t wait to see what’s to come!

5 – five more things that bear mentioning: Tahitian choir! African women’s choir! Latin American praise band! Catherine Mambwe’s homily (short sermon) from Council of Twelve Ordination Service (if you listen to one worship service online, consider this one?) and fun, music and snacks every night on the World Plaza after worship.

4 – the number of events I wanted to attend on our “free” night, which included the Western Field Reception hosted by our outgoing apostle Shandra Newcom, the Latin America Field Reception (where I was invited to tag along with Karina and Alba from the Tecate Congregation, who made a ton of friends with leaders and members of that delegation), Outreach International Reception (at their beautiful downtown Kansas City space – please check out their amazing and ongoing work around the globe), and Harmony worship, described above. SO many fun things to do! SO many friends, old and new, with whom to connect!

3 – years until the next World Conference!

2 – the number of super cute grandchildren of mine I was able to squeeze in time with between World Conference events (story time at the Delaware with a 3-year-old and a 6-month-old, anyone?) Hit me up for pictures at Reunion!

1 – the number of female Prophet-Presidents and the number of non-Western members of the First Presidency the church has had. I am so proud to be part of a church that mentors, supports, ordains, and celebrates ever greater diversity in the highest levels of church leadership. The ordinations of Stassi Cramm to Prophet-President, Bunda Chibwe to Member of the First Presidency, and Mareva Arnaud-Tchong to Presiding Evangelist were conference highlights that were incredibly meaningful to me.

Michele McGrath
Community of Christ Pacific SW Int'l Mission Center

2025/2026 Scholarship Recipients Announced

It is with great pleasure that the Scholarship Committee announces the 2025/2026 scholarship recipients. Please join us in congratulating the following students:

  • Claire Mussell – Canoga Park Congregation

  • Kevin Slack – Escondido Congregation

  • Anna Sweeting – Canoga Park Congregation

  • Katrina Casillas – Victor Valley Congregation

  • Jaslyn Holloway – Friend of Community of Christ

  • Audrey Troop – Chula Vista Congregation

May their educational pursuits be blessed!

Weekly Prayer for Peace Live-Stream Details

The practice of praying for peace is a powerful witness of Community of Christ’s commitment to the pursuit of peace on and for the Earth.

Community of Christ’s Formation Ministries Team invites all to participate in the Prayer for Peace via live-stream on the church’s Facebook page and Youtube channel at 1:00 p.m. Central US Time (11:00 a.m. Pacific) each Wednesday. The weekly worship is also open to the public at the Community of Christ Temple in Independence, Missouri, USA.

 *   Join on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CofChrist
 *   Join on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CofChrist/streams

The Center for Living Water and Formation Ministries collaborate to make these events possible.

Additionally, resources for individuals, families, and worship leaders will be provided on https://cofchrist.org/daily-prayer-for-peace/. Users can explore additional materials to prepare a Prayer for Peace service, including scriptures of justice and peace, prayers for peace, and more. Prayer for Peace worship elements also will be available on HeraldHouse.org.

All staff are encouraged to add this weekly event to their calendars and participate in this important practice. Join us in this transformative journey as we come together in prayer for a peaceful world.

Online Series: Peace Perspectives

A new, free online lecture series, Peace Perspectives is now available.

The Zoom sessions will open at 12:45 p.m. for a preliminary discussion with introductions and prayer from the host. Lectures in this series:

15 February: Nonviolence, with members of the Community of Christ Peace and Justice committee: Andrew Bolton of the United Kingdom, Rick Sarre of Australia, and David Anderson of the US. 

1 March: World Hunger will be addressed by plant scientist Dr. Earl Watt and the Outreach International team. The event also will serve as fundraiser. 

5 April: Max Pitt and Dennis Labayan (tentatively scheduled) will discuss State of World Population.

18 May: History of Lamoni will be presented by Eric Elliott, a history professor at Graceland University. This lecture will provide background for the Untold Lamoni Stories to begin in March 2026.

21 June: World Refugee Day will feature Rich Higdon and his Afghan interpreter, Akhtar.

5 July: For Day of Freedom, Gabriel Chrisman will talk about his big-wheel bicycle.

16 August: A lecture linked to World Humanitarian Day is anticipated but not confirmed.

27 September: Stassi Cramm, president-designate of the Community of Christ, will present The Role of Nonviolence in Living Christ’s Mission for International Day of Peace. 

11 October: For International Day of Women for Peace, a lecture by Sherri Kirkpatrick is anticipated but not confirmed.

1 November: For All Souls Day, A Celebration of Founders, Jim Doty will discuss Glaud Rogers, Ruma Swartzentruber will talk about her father, Ririfatu Maritanagi, and others are anticipated. 

7 December: Events planned for Human Rights Day include a Christmas Tea, with a special speaker.

October 6-15 Historic Sites Bus Tour Information

The Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation is hitting the road once again on a church history tour this 6-15 October! Join Barb Walden and Peter Smith as they experience Community of Christ history through eight states and Canada. The “Drawn from the Nations of the World” tour will trace our faith community's roots as a global family exploring the history of early church members who were instrumental in Community of Christ's story and identity. The 10-day journey will take place 6-15 October starting in Independence, Missouri, USA, and finishing in Kirtland, Ohio, USA. To learn more about this tour and to reserve your seat on the bus, follow the link below.

INPUT NEEDED: DRAFT Statement on Nonviolence

Draft Statement on Nonviolence

 

Since the 2019 World Conference, the church has explored nonviolence in response to WCR 1319, utilizing the alternative common-consent process.  At the 2023 World Conference, delegates addressed the question: Should the First Presidency continue to develop a statement on the role of nonviolence in the pursuit of “peace on and for the Earth” (Doctrine and Covenants 165:1d) and in the life and mission of the church?

Given the overwhelming support from delegates, the First Presidency has crafted a draft Statement on Nonviolence. The statement is presented to the church for feedback, with a deadline of 28 February 2025. 

Your input is important. Read statement here.

You are invited to provide feedback on the “Introduction,” “Statement on Nonviolence,” and “Further Context” sections. The survey is provided in English, French, and Spanish. Choose the language of your choice in the upper-right corner of the survey available here: https://forms.office.com/r/FQcZpPzchL

In March 2025, the First Presidency will review the feedback and update all three sections as necessary. The latest versions of the “Introduction,” “Statement on Nonviolence,” and “Further Context” will be distributed to the church by 1 May 2025.

The delegates of the 2025 World Conference will consider just the section titled, “Statement on Nonviolence” using elements of the alternative common-consent process. Plan to be part of this historic experience.

Online Doctrine and Covenants Available

As we approach Christmas, International Headquarters shares a special gift that will enrich our spiritual journey and deepen our connection to the scriptures.

An online searchable version of the Doctrine and Covenants is now available in English, French, and Spanish on CofChrist.org.

Although G-5 Universal Scripture Access was not approved at 2023 World Conference, the First Presidency supported the desire to provide greater access to our sacred scriptures. As a result, the Communications Team has been working since conference to bring this gift to life.

May this gift be a source of inspiration, reflection, and joy during the festive season and throughout the coming year.