The Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation has welcomed its newest board member.
 
Tim Klocko, vice president of finance and administration at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, joined the board during its meeting March 8-9 at Plano, Illinois.

Klocko, 59, is an elder who says, "I love history, and I love family history." His hobbies include genealogy and coin collecting.

In some places, snow lingers. Temperatures remain cold--if not downright frigid. But if the seasonal chill is getting you down, perhaps it's time to look toward summer.
 
If you're interested in helping with mission while expanding your awareness of church heritage, you might consider volunteering at one of the many properties supported by the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation.

Opportunities are available for as short as a couple of weeks, and volunteers are welcome to stay much longer. Training and on-site housing are provided, and the types of work are myriad. For more information contact Apostle Lachlan Mackay at Lmackay@CofChrist.org.

The Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation could not function without dedicated and talented board members.

Because numerous people step forward for non-paying jobs on the Board of Directors, the foundation is able to help preserve and share church history. As the new year begins, a new slate of officers is moving forward.

New officers recently elected:

President: Karen Graham Wade.
First vice president: Sally Roth.
Second vice president: Scott Britton-Mehlisch.
Secretary: Jacquie Bethel.
Treasurer: Richard Betts.

Where else can you get a summer position that offers college credits, a salary, an opportunity to deepen your faith, and a lot of fun? It's Community of Christ's historic sites.
 
If you're looking for an internship this summer, visit www.CofChrist.org/common/cms/Human-Resources/History-Intern-Nauvoo-2019.pdf.

Interns will lead walking tours while serving as historical interpreters at the Joseph Smith Historic Site in Nauvoo, Illinois, and the Kirtland Temple in Ohio.

Today is an exciting day at the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation. It is DAY ONE of our exciting "$25,000 in 25 Days" campaign. it's also the first day that you can DOUBLE YOUR DONATION thanks to the generous $5,000 matching gift from our board of directors.
 
Your gift, at twice the amount, will make twice the impact in preserving the historic sites, developing educational resources for all ages, fund young adult internships, and share the rich story of Community of Christ.
 
CLICK HERE to be among the first to contribute to this exciting campaign. Thank you for making a difference for future generations!

As you begin your gift searching this Christmas season, consider a trip of a lifetime for you and a loved one to the place where the Christmas story began: The Holy Land! Next October, the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation will host a very special 9-day church history tour of the Holy Land.

Join Barb Walden on an adventure of a lifetime exploring Community of Christ history in Israel and Palestine next October 22-31, 2019.  Walk the paths that Jesus once walked and hear the stories of early church missionaries as they shared the gospel during the 19th and 20th centuries. In addition, guests will have the opportunity to extend their tour experience with a pre-tour trip to Jordan and Petra and a post-tour trip to Egypt.

Make 2019 a year to remember by reserving your seat on the Holy Land tour today!

CLICK HERE to learn more about this exciting adventure to Israel and Palestine.

The arrival of November brings changes to our climate, thoughts of coming holidays, and shifts in operating hours of properties supported by the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation.
 
With the beginning of November, operating hours at the Kirtland Temple in Ohio and the Joseph Smith Historic Site in Nauvoo, Illinois, changed. In Nauvoo, the historic site will be closed November through February. In Kirtland, the site's November hours changed to 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. On Sunday, operating hours are 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Sure, we're past Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer. But that doesn't mean you still can't visit properties supported by the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation.
 
In fact, your visit in the gentle fall weather, surrounded by colorful foliage, can be special. The hours for guests:

Kirtland Temple: Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sunday, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., through October.

Joseph Smith Historic Site (Nauvoo): Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sunday, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., through October.

Liberty Hall (Lamoni, Iowa): Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Sunday, 1:30 to 4:00 p.m.

We're well into August, and that means most--if not all--interns at properties supported by the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation, have headed back to school or other endeavors.
 
With them, they're taking newfound skills, a deeper appreciation for church heritage, and new relationships that will last a lifetime.

It's all happening because of your generosity. Your donations helped fund their summer through the Alma Blair Internship Program.

Though summer is ending, your support can continue. Your generosity can help provide opportunities for a new group of interns next summer. You can give by clicking the "Donate" button on the home page of this website. Many thanks!

Representatives of the Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation have a long history of offering their message about heritage and preservation at reunions, congregations, and World Conference.
 
Now they can add SPECTACULAR to the list.

Executive Director Barb Walden and Karen Norton, historian for the British Isles Mission Centre, taught a class called "Storytellers."

"It was a perfect fit with our 2018 theme, 'ST()RY,' and it added a richness to the gathering of our international participants," said Jenn Killpack, a co-director of the event, which drew just under 1,000 students. "By sharing stories from the church's past and present, they helped campers get a sense of where the church has been and who the church is being called to become.

"Stories connect us to our history, to our core values, and to the things that make us who we are."

The event, held annually in late July at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, drew attendees from four nations. "I was greatly impressed with how the senior highs responded to the church history stories and shared in a very vulnerable and open way," Walden said. "It gave me great hope for the next generation of church history supporters in Community of Christ."