“When you pray, move your feet.”

The essence of this African saying is the foundation for what it means to be practicing new communities of Christ’s peace. Our way of being is shaped by prayer and practice that center us in God and guide how we engage the world.

Practicing new communities of Christ’s peace commit to faithful discernment and courageous action. As a musician, I often heard, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.” You cannot become an accomplished musician without the discipline of practice.

This intentional process applies to how we live in community. Becoming new communities of Christ’s peace does not happen without intentional practices of action and reflection…praying and moving our feet.

It has been more than a decade since an event like the 2026 Community of Christ Peace Forum was hosted at the Temple in Independence, Missouri, USA. For years prior, it was an integral ministry of the Temple. It encouraged and empowered participants to go beyond praying for peace and to move their feet in actions of justice and peace.

The content of each event focused on an important topic and included partnerships with experts, practitioners, and peace award recipients, whose work was dedicated to that focus.

Reestablishing the Peace Forum marks a significant movement in the life of the church as a commitment to the purposes of the Temple and the cause of just peace on and for Earth. It is faithful to the divine call and vision of our name and mission, the divinely inspired purposes of the Temple, and the prophetic vision of being new communities of Christ’s peace.

Becoming new communities of Christ’s peace does not happen without intentional practices of action and reflection…praying and moving our feet.

These events weave together the voices of prophets and practitioners who proclaim God’s justice and move their feet to love and care for the world in effective ways. They give us new insights and tools for our own practice.

The theme and focus of the 2026 Community of Christ Peace Forum, “Seeds of Peace—Environmental Justice and Action,” is faithful to the church’s call and vision in Christ’s mission. It is faithful to the prophetic voice of the people represented in World Conference Resolutions, focusing on the climate crisis and calling us to actions of environmental justice.

As shared in the Onward with Community of Christ podcast, Episode 3, the theme of the Peace Forum calls us to explore the intersection of climate justice, faith, and global action.

In the podcast, we also explored the importance of international participation in the event and the focus on global partnerships in making a meaningful impact. You will be amazed by the breadth and depth of topics and sessions we will explore through the Peace Forum. Spiritual practices, worship, plenary sessions, panel discussions, action stations, and a variety of sessions focused on theological foundations, advocacy, and action are being planned to engage all ages and interests in this important shared work and witness.

We hope to see the purposes of the Temple come alive, not only through intercultural in-person and online participation, but through all the ways these seeds of peace take root and grow in our personal and collective actions.

As I have traveled throughout the church since 2025 World Conference, a spirit of emergence has inspired me. Many have expressed their experience of spiritual awakening at World Conference and are leaning into new possibilities. My prayer is that the Peace Forum is more than just an event. I pray it is a “practice lab” for listening, learning, advocating, and adopting sustainable actions that fan the flame of this spiritual awakening.

Register now and join the movement of ongoing formation for mission…praying for peace and moving our feet.