Events

Greetings from Kirtland and warmest wishes from your friends at Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation. 

Below is a link to the Historic Sites webpage for the upcoming “Hands On History” series. This is a new series that will take place on Thursday nights (at 5:00 pm Pacific) beginning on August 28 and ending on September 11. The three-week series is expanding on Community of Christ’s annual Heritage Day happening on Sunday, September 21. Why limit preserving church heritage to just one day when you can have a 3-week series?

https://www.historicsitesfoundation.org/hands-on-history-series.html

The Historic Sites fall lecture series will kick off this November. Stay tuned for more details!

International Day of Peace Events (Sept. 21, 2025)

Community of Christ will host an online observation of the International Day of Peace on September 21, 2025. Details will be available from Shandra Newcom. In addition, two in-person events of note are taking place to commemorate the United Nations International Day of Peace. The Joan B. Kroc Institute in San Diego will host an indoor event entitled Voices for Peace. Also, an Interfaith Walk organized by the Institute for Religious Tolerance, Peace, and Justice will take place in Los Angeles beginning at St. Basil Roman Catholic Church and culminating at the Islamic Center of Southern California. (Marching is optional).

Details on the in-person events are below.

VOICES FOR PEACE - SAN DIEGO

San Diego
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace at University of San Diego
Sunday September 21, 2025
12:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Voices for Peace

Join the Kroc Institute for Peace for a powerful afternoon on International Day of Peace as we reflect on the human cost of nuclear weapons and imagine a more hopeful future.

Experience a moving video message from Hiroshima survivor Mike Kawamura, who shares his firsthand story of survival and calls for compassion and action in the face of nuclear threats.

Hear from leading experts in peacebuilding and international security as they examine today’s nuclear landscape and explore strategies for prevention. This timely discussion, “Voices for Peace: Confronting the Nuclear Threat, Creating a Hopeful Future,” will highlight both the risks of nuclear war and the pathways toward peace.

Conclude the afternoon with a hands-on, reflective workshop. Together, we’ll fold paper cranes, symbols of peace and remembrance, in solidarity with survivors and communities worldwide. This event is open to all who care about building a safer, more peaceful world. Whether you’re a student, policymaker, activist, or simply curious, your presence and perspective matter.

10th Annual Interfaith Solidarity March Los Angeles

Faiths in Unity: Reclaiming our Humanity

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER, 21, 2025

Join us for the 10th Annual
Interfaith Solidarity March Los Angeles
"Faiths in Unity: Reclaiming Our Humanity"

On the International Day of Peace
Sunday, September 21, 2025

Marcher arrivals and sign-in begins at 1:00 PM; Event ends by 6:00 PM. If you choose not to march, you may join us for the panel at the ICSC at about 3 PM. We’ll post the program on our website on the day of the event.

Register on eventbrite

Starting Location: St. Basil Roman Catholic Church, 3611 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90010

Ending Location: The Islamic Center of Southern California, 434 Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90020

For parking information, register and stay tuned to our website and social media posts.

Join us marching in partnership with dozens of marches around the world. Let us walk together to affirm freedom, diversity, and respect among nations, ethnicities, and religions, as we learn to live in peace.

Our march pillars:

• We are united in rejecting hatred and oppression in the name of religion and in supporting freedom of worship or belief.

• We are united to stamp out bigotry and violence of every sort, and in support of the right to live peacefully.

• We are united in affirming the role that the interfaith community must play in safeguarding the health and safety of all people.

At the conclusion of the march, there will be a panel discussion honoring the International Day of Peace. Speakers and panelists to be announced.

Tickets are Free, but we encourage you to donate to help with event expenses. Donations are fully tax exempt as allowed by law (Tax ID # 45-1209238).

For Questions or to Sponsor: InterfaithMarchLA@gmail.com

Produced by the Institute for Religious Tolerance, Peace and Justice, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The Interfaith Solidarity March LA is a flagship partner of the Interfaith March for Peace & Justice, the world’s largest coalition of interfaith marches.

Online Series: Peace Perspectives

The free online lecture series, Peace Perspectives continues.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

2023 PSI Event Dates Announced

Mark your calendars!

The official dates for Reunion 2023 are June 17 - 21, with staff arriving on the 16th. We will be hosting WBT again for the summer at Buckhorn.

Senior High Camp dates are June 10 - 16 at Whispering Pines in Arizona. There may be some school district conflicts, but we are putting on the calendar at this time.

SPEC 2023 will be July 14 - 22 with Crystal Moreno serving as the PSI leader for CALIZONIA.

MC Conference will be one day, on November 19th, in-person at Upland. Apostle Harmon will be our guest minister. There will be a SPEC FUNDRAISER that day.