Jan Kraybill’s recently released album, The Orchestral Organ, has been nominated in three Grammy categories. Kraybill is organist-in-residence at Community of Christ Headquarters, Independence, MO, USA. The Sunday, January 26, awards ceremony for these categories begins at 2:30 p.m. Central and can be viewed live on Grammy.com. Kraybill will be in the audience.

The nominations:

• Best classical instrumental solo for Kraybill’s performance
• Producer of the year, classical, for Marina A. Ledin and Victor Ledin of Reference Recordings
• Best immersive audio album for technical design by Keith O. Johnson, Marina A Ledin, and Victor Ledin of Reference Recordings. “Immersive” indicates high-quality audio, but the CD is compatible with nearly all players. 

​Video of the three-hour event will be available to view for 90 days on Grammy.com. 

Kraybill’s recording was made on the Julia Irene Kauffman organ in Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Kraybill plays and oversees the care of the Kansas City area’s three largest pipe organs: Community of Christ Auditorium’s 113-rank Aeolian-Skinner and Temple’s 102-rank Casavant, and the 102-rank Casavant at the Kauffman Center. 

For many years, Kraybill was principal organist for Community of Christ. She holds a doctorate in organ performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Conservatory of Music and Dance. In 2010 she achieved the distinction of fellow of the AGO, an organist’s highest certification level. 

Kraybill also is organist at Village on Antioch Presbyterian Church, Overland Park, Kansas, USA. 

After consulting with Australian church leadership, Community of Christ made a $7,242 AUD ($5,000 USD) contribution to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund this week on behalf of the worldwide church.  "We are so grateful for the expressions of love and support received from many across the globe throughout this time," said Ben Smith, Australia Mission Centre president. "It strengthens us."
 
From the Australia Mission Centre:

Friends,

The smoke is everywhere, bringing tears to our eyes; tears representing lives lost and an all-encompassing trauma across a proud nation. I sit around 450km’s away from the nearest fire and yet the air is thick, dark and has a sepia glow. Smoke has touched the lungs of people in Chile and stained ice sheets in New Zealand. Australia is a large land, yet we are all breathing the same air, the same pain, the same suffering.

We are a nation joined by a collective breathe as we gasp for answers, squinting through the blackened bushland for solutions. We are a nation connected by a generosity of heart and community effort. While the fire is on our land, it is clear that the whole world is feeling the effects with us...

Read the full letter at https://www.cofchrist.org/announcements. 

The Worship Committee is circulating its February - May 2020 Worship Schedule for everyone to review and add their names where they feel most comfortable and inspired.

Check out the document by clicking the link below, and email Marilyn Smith with your availability/preferences. Thanks!

ATTN: Youth grades 6 - 12

Registration is now open for Winter Youth Retreat to be held in Saskatoon February 14 - 17, 2020. Register now at www.cwm.events.

Registration fee: $100
Registration deadline: February 1, 2020

Questions? Contact Lisa Neudorf at lisa@communityofchrist.ca.

​Registration deadline:  March 6, 2020
Online Registration:  www.cwm.events
Registration Fee:  $100.00
Hotel Reservations (attendees responsible for own reservations):  $129.00/night plus tax

Coffee Buzz with Linda Booth​

Episode 240

​On this episode of Coffee Buzz, Linda Booth sits down with President Stassi Cramm to discuss the guiding question for 2020 and how it connects to our conversation relating to World Conference Resolution 1319 on nonviolence. 

This week and throughout 2020, the World Church Leadership Council will be discerning what matters most for the church’s journey ahead. You are invited to hold them in prayer and participate by engaging in similar questions and practices along with them, Wednesday through Sunday, January 15-19. 

Today they will be grounding their process in the reality of God because discernment is essentially about attention to God’s invitation as the source of our discipleship. You can follow along with the daily questions on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds Links to each social network are at the bottom of this email. ​