Call for Prayer for Afghanistan
The EFC joins with the World Evangelical Alliance in calling for prayer for Afghanistan. “The WEA calls on churches and believers to pray for the country, especially for Afghan Christians and others who are vulnerable, and those who have already fled or are trying to flee abroad.”
New Video: What Churches Can and Cannot Do During Elections
Watch and share this short EFC video to help churches be active during an election and still follow the rules that guide their non-partisan participation.
More 2021 Federal Election Resources
We have a variety of election resources you can freely reproduce and distribute for your church or other gatherings. Our complete EFC Election Engagement Kit 2021 is available for a free download now, including our 2021 election questions for candidates. We also have election slides for social media and/or group presentations and a general one-page brochure on faith and political engagement. You can find all the latest resources at www.TheEFC.ca/Election.
Prayer for the Federal Election
EFC Prayer Ambassador Roger Helland and The National House of Prayer are co-hosting a Zoom Prayer for the Federal Election, from 11:00am-12:00pm ET. on Monday, September 13. Zoom details to come in next week’s Update.
Save the Date: Join the EFC’s Online Book Discussion
On Nov. 18, we're hosting a discussion on what it looks like for a congregation to flourish. It will draw on the book Signs of Life: Catholic, Mainline, and Conservative Protestant Congregations in Canada (Tyndale Academic, 2021). Join us to hear from co-author Joel Thiessen of Ambrose University in Calgary, engage in a live Q and A and take part in breakout group discussion. Order the book today from your local bookstore so you can read it by November.
New EFC Weekly Prayer Prompts
This week’s prayer request is about religious freedom in Canada. Pray about growing anti-religious bias in Canada, and that God would strengthen believers to make positive contributions to our communities. Pray that during the election, religious aspects of issues would be treated fairly and charitably. Pray that candidates and those elected would recognize the need to do more to prevent discrimination against religious Canadians.
You can learn more on these issues at TheEFC.ca/ReligiousFreedom.
Each week at TheEFC.ca/TakeAction we rotate through a prayer request from each of these five areas: Sanctity of Life, Care for the Vulnerable, Church and Mission, Family and Community, Religious Freedom. We also list an EFC affiliate group to pray for.
This week, we highlight Open Doors Canada. For more than 65 years Open Doors has worked in the world's most oppressive and restrictive countries, strengthening Christians to stand strong in the face of persecution and equipping them to shine Christ's light in these places.
Covid 19 and the restrictions have a significant impact on our lives. The EFC continues to offer new Friday@4 pandemic-focused prayer suggestions each week at TheEFC.ca/Covid-19.
Three Pages a Day to Read the Bible in a Year (New Post on Faith Today Website)
Reading the Bible every day is a great idea and very doable, writes Steve Peck in a new post on the Faith Today website.
Helping Haiti After the Earthquake and Other Disaster Responses
Many Canadian international relief and development organizations are affiliated with the EFC. How can we find out what they are doing overseas? How can we support their work? Read more in this new article on our website.
Looking to Hire or Be Hired?
Faith Today's website currently has online classified listings for two pastor positions in Ontario (Erin, Port Hope), a chief financial officer, an accounting/finance associate, a major gifts officer (covering Ontario and the Maritimes), a professor of psychology/counselling, and more. Check it out or post your help wanted ads at www.faithtoday.ca/classifieds.
Seeking to Belong (Faith Today article)
Guest columnist Selene Lau writes, “Although I am Canadian-born Chinese, raised in an immigrant, Cantonese-speaking home, my three boys are growing up in a multicultural environment in Montreal with an American-born, Quebecois-raised dad.” Researching our lineage is an obvious way to search for a sense of identity; but Lau reminds us how special it is that we can find our identities in being children of God. Read her full column in the Go with God series in the Jul/Aug Faith Today.
Get more unique Canadian Christian journalism like this by signing up at FaithToday.ca/SubscribeFree.
→ Faith Recovery (National Bible Institute); Growth & Fellowship, Aug. 28; Spiritual Maturity, Sept. 4
→ Life Shared Summit (Alpha Canada), online, Sept. 9
→ Youth Ministry Online Summit - Volunteers (Alpha Canada, Youth Worker Community and Youth for Christ / Change Conference), Sept. 11
→ EFC-Wide Zoom Prayer for the Federal Election, 11:00am-12:00pm ET., Sept. 13.
→ 2021 MK Caregivers Summit (MK Caregivers), Dallas, Texas, Sept. 13-16
→ Developing Intercultural Leaders for Missional Ministry (TIM Centre), online Wed.’s starting Sept. 14
→ Registration Deadline for Human Sexuality and Christian Ethics (Salvation Army), Sept. 17
→ Canadian Indigenous Realities and the Canadian Church: Master Class with Ray Aldred, (Food for the Hungry Canada), online, Sept. 22
→ Mission Leaders Conference Innovate 2021 (Missio Nexus), Dallas, Texas, online with in-person option, Sept. 22-24
In Case You Missed It
→ Being Christian in a Secular Society (Faith Today article)
→ Staying Motivated During a Pandemic (Faith Today website post)
→ Preparing for the Post Pandemic Letdown (Faith Today website post)