It’s January.
            Predictably, much of North America is wrapped in snow, ice, and cold. It’s the kind of weather that makes a person want to hunker down in front of the fireplace and avoid—at all costs—stepping outside.
            But if you’re forced to stay inside, perhaps you can use the time to plan something worthwhile, like a trip to one—or more—of the properties supported by the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation. Spring isn’t far off, and summer will bring a season of opportunities.
            You could check out the Joseph Smith Historic Site in Nauvoo, Illinois; visit the Kirtland Temple complex in Ohio; stop at the Plano Stone Church in Illinois; check out Liberty Hall in Lamoni, Iowa; or visit Heritage Plaza near the Temple in Independence, Missouri.
            Don’t let the weather get you down; start planning today!

      Preservation of a piece of church history will take place because of a grant recently approved by the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation.
      The $6,500 grant will fund photographing of preaching charts. They’re relics from an earlier era, made from cloth. They contain folk art and illustrate sermon points and scriptural stories. They’re often huge, sometimes surpassing 20 feet.
            “They were the ultimate visual aid,” said Board Member Scott Britton-Mehlisch.
           Because of their size, special photography equipment is needed.
         “We want to document them and preserve them,” said Lachlan Mackay, director of the church’s historic sites. “You’re not going to do it with an iPhone.
          “We understand their importance from a historical standpoint.”
          Mackay said more than 100 are in the church’s collection.

In recent years, Storytellers events have offered guests fascinating glimpses into personalities and themes involving church history.
The program at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, November 23, will be no different. Guests will hear stories from Lachlan Mackay, Barbara Walden, and Carole Price about “Community of Christ Women of the Past.” Also, a few audience members might contribute stories of their own.
All are welcome to the event, which will be at the Village Heights Congregation, 1009 Farview Drive, in Independence, Missouri. Storytellers programs are sponsored by the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation.

They’re back, and they brought smiles, memories, and insights with them.
Fifty-one guests who joined a tour to the Holy Land sponsored by the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation, shared in a memorable pilgrimage.
The event, the foundation's first to the land where Jesus walked, featured three stages.
The first, a "pre-tour" October 20-23, included visits to Petra and the Dead Sea. The main tour, scheduled October 22-31, featured Jerusalem, Nazareth, Caesarea, and Jericho. Finally, the “post-tour” event, Oct. 30-Nov. 4, treated guests to the pyramids and the Red Sea. Some even got to ride camels!
Along the way, guests heard stories and learned about the church’s history in the region.
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The Joseph Smith Historic Site is renowned as a draw for visitors to the city of Nauvoo, Illinois. On Saturday, October 26, guests not only will have a chance to visit the site one more time before it closes for the winter, but they’ll be able to enjoy the city's annual Pumpkin Walk and parade.
The event, a Halloween treat suitable for the entire family, will feature hundreds of unique, hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns that will be displayed along Mulholland Street, route of a delightful parade. Many merchants will extend operating hours and offer special treats.

In just days, travelers will begin a milestone tour to the Holy Land sponsored by the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation.
The event, the foundation's first to the land where Jesus walked, will feature three stages.
The first, a "pre-tour" October 20-23, will include visits to Petra and the Dead Sea. The main tour, scheduled October 22-31, will feature Jerusalem, Nazareth, Caesarea, and Jericho. Finally, the “post-tour” event, Oct. 30-Nov. 4, will treat guests to the pyramids and the Red Sea.
Highlights will include stories about the church’s history in the region.

      School’s back in session. Labor Day’s past. Temperatures gradually are cooling.
     But as we leave summer behind and enter autumn, you still have a chance to visit properties supported by the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation.
      At the Joseph Smith Historic Site in Nauvoo, Illinois, hours will remain 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday through October.
     Through October at the Kirtland Temple in Ohio, hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.

     Each year, Community of Christ members have a unique opportunity to honor their past while worshiping in the present and moving into the future.
   Worship services for Church Heritage Day, observed annually on the third Sunday in September, help us see the direction our denomination is heading.
     Numerous worship-service outlines are available simply by going to the home page of this website and clicking on the Resources tab. Feel free to explore any of the many outlines offered. You may use any or all of the elements in your own congregation.
     Suggested materials include readings, hymns, and of course, a look back in our history.
Themes focus on each of our Mission Initiatives and other topics.

       Sometimes it just takes time. . . and the talents of the right person.
     Sister Jan T. (Myrberg) Isaac, co-director of the Historic Kirtland Visitors' Center operated by the LDS church, recently finished a labor of love started many years earlier.
Her work on two portraits will be unveiled at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, August 25, at the Kirtland Temple Visitor Center operated by Community of Christ.
     The portraits feature Sally Waterman Phelps (1797–1874) and Sarah Jackson Whitmer (1809–1873). The paintings complete “The Kirtland Temple Portrait Series.” It was started in 1997 by Henry K. Inouye Jr. He died before doing the last two of the 18 paintings, an artistic reproduction of originals painted about 1837. The original artist is unknown.
      Officials say at least some—perhaps all—of the original paintings were displayed in the Kirtland Temple in the 1830s. Today, the reproductions are in the Kirtland Temple Visitor Center’s theater.