Xristos Community Society is a non-denominational religious society incorporated since 1997 in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The aims of the Society as set forth in the Society's constitution are as follows:

At the Corpus Canada National Conference that took place in Victoria, British Columbia, in 1995, Corpus Canada adopted what it called "A New Vision." (For information about Corpus Canada click on Corpus Canada.) This vision included the following statement: "Our message is a healing one and is directed to everyone, but especially to the marginalized in the Church. It is our hope to reach them through the creation of local faith communities."

Inspired by this call to create and promote small faith communities, in 1997 some members of Corpus Canada incorporated Xristos Community Society in the province of British Columbia, and later that year secured approval from the government of Canada as a registered charity. In 2003 the government of British Columbia recognized Xristos Community Society as a religious body under the Marriage Act. Six Xristos ministers, ministering to small faith communities, have been registered as religious representatives authorized to solemnize marriages in British Columbia.

Xristos Community Society is independent of Corpus Canada while maintaining the historically friendly relationship between the two organizations. Whereas Corpus Canada addresses issues in the Roman Catholic Church, Xristos Community Society seeks the renewal of the Christian Church as a whole through small faith communities or home churches.

Xristos Community Society encourages its members to maintain any existing membership they have in any Christian denomination. In this way Xristos members may enjoy the benefits that come from membership in a traditional church or denomination.

While the founding members of Xristos Community Society were reform-minded Roman Catholics, including a number of Roman Catholic priests who could not continue their ministry in the Roman Catholic Church because they chose to marry, the Society now has members from other churches, and has become as ecumenical in its membership as it is in its vision of Christianity.

Xristos Community Society welcomes applications for membership from individual members of already existing small faith communities. A small faith community that has been incorporated as a society may take out a society membership in Xristos. Small faith communities networked through Xristos retain their name and are self-governing. By joining the Xristos network, small faith communities enjoy fellowship with, and the spiritual support of, all the individuals and small faith communities that belong to the Xristos Community Society small faith community network.

What do the members of Xristos Community Society have in common? They agree that their participation in a small faith community is important for their spiritual growth. They desire to tell others of the value of belonging to a small faith community. They wish to have fellowship with other small faith communities. They have decided that in the small faith community to which they belong, members will share their spiritual journeys with each other and support each other, and no member will be required to hold any doctrinal formula or viewpoint that is not common to all Christians. They respect the religious convictions and spiritual practices of other members no matter how different these may be from their own. They accept that members of their small faith community are free to belong to any other religious or spiritual community they choose. They have decided that important decisions affecting their small faith community must have the freely given consent of all members.

Xristos Community Society recognizes that other associations of small faith communities may take different approaches. The Basic Christian Communities movement is an example of another approach that has proven successful for many.

Current Activities

The stated aims of Xristos Community Society are to be a community of people seeking to worship and serve God in accordance with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to promote, assist and support small faith communities.

The Society has also promoted, assisted and supported small faith communities through publishing The Journal four times a year until 2018. This periodical also served as the national newsletter for Corpus Canada, and much of its content reflects the interests and activities of Corpus Canada members.

Back issues may be read on line. Click on The Journal .

The Journal was intended to serve as a forum for small faith communities that share the common vision of a universal Church having the following characteristics:

• it offers all its members the opportunity to serve in all ministries and offices;

• it promotes a wholesome view of sexuality;

• it governs itself with justice for all based on Gospel values;

• it has a special care and concern for those who historically have been unjustly excluded from full participation in the life of the Church.

Xristos Community Society regards The Journal as a Christian ministry and makes it available on the Corpus Canada web site.

Xristos Community Society finances its work entirely through donations from the public. Those who donate $10 or more will receive an official tax receipt for Canadian income tax purposes. Donations may be sent to "Xristos Community Society, 35 -10070 Fifth Street, Sidney, British Columbia, V8L 2X9."

To make a donation online with a credit card, click on the donation button.

If you wish to contact the Society by email, click Contact Xristos Community Society

If you wish to contact the Society by regular mail, address your letter:

Xristos Community Society
35 - 10070 Fifth Street
Sidney BC  V8L 2X9
Canada

To view a list of the board of directors  of Xristos Community Society, and read the Society's constitution and bylaws, click here: Directors, Constitution and Bylaws.

To view or download a copy of the form for an individual to apply for membership in Xristos Community Society, click here: Individual Membership Application Form (PDF File).

To view or download a copy of the form for an incorporated society to apply for membership in Xristos Community Society, click here: Society Membership Application Form (PDF File).

To open PDF files you will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader program, which can be downloaded from www.adobe.com.

This page was last modified on Monday, 21-May-2018 13:30 PDT