One Heart and Mind | Beyond the Walls Late Edition | May 31 2026

Acts presents an idealized picture of the early church: one heart and mind, rapid growth, all possessions held in common, and everyone’s needs satisfied. How can this vision of radical generosity guide us in the modern world? And how can a diverse community be “of one heart and mind” without imposing conformity? After being empowered by the Holy Spirit in the Pentecost experience, the Book of Acts describes the early Christian community as one where disciples spent much time together in the temple, broke bread at home, shared food “with glad and generous hearts,” and had “the goodwill of all the people” (Acts 2:46–47). Acts also tells us that “there was not a needy person among them,” because resources were shared according to need, and “the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and mind” (Acts 4:32–35). This vision of sacred community has inspired generations of Christians, from medieval monastics to communitarian experiments in our own denomination. This Sunday, we will consider how we are being called to embody radical generosity, abolish poverty and end needless suffering, and seek unity without conformity in our own time and place. Our speaker will be retired Community of Christ apostle Andrew Bolton, joining us from his home in the United Kingdom. Andrew was part of our church’s delegation, along with John Hamer, on the Churches for Peace in the Middle East trip to the West Bank in 2024. We invite you to share this hour of reflection, prayer, meditation, music, and fellowship with the Beyond the Walls global community on 📅 Sunday, May 31, 2026. This year we are focusing on witnesses of God’s revelation beyond the four canonical gospels, including the letters of Paul, Hebrews, and the letters attributed to James, Peter, Jude, and John. We will also read Acts, Revelation, and some important early Christian texts that were not included in the canon: the Didache (or Teachings of the Twelve Apostles), the sayings Gospel of Thomas, and the Gospel of Mary (Magdalene). 📖 Full worship bulletin: https://www.centreplace.ca/bulletin 🎵 All music performed by the Beyond the Walls Choir and @MichaelKarpowicz. Copyrighted music with permission by OneLicense A-739874 🌐 Beyond the Walls is an online worship service with live ministry from around the world. Our global congregation gathers every Sunday at 12:00 pm ET and 6:00 pm ET. We’re an inclusive, non-dogmatic, progressive Christian community that affirms all gender identities and expressions, embraces interfaith and skeptical perspectives, and rejects literal interpretations of scripture. #churchonline #churchservice #worshipservice