Christmas Greeting from EFC President
As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth, here is a short video greeting from EFC President Bruce Clemenger.
From all of us at the EFC, we wish you a blessed Christmas and a new year filled with hope.
Last Chance to Donate for 2021
The busiest time for charitable giving is upon us. At the EFC, we are praying the extra generosity of our supporters during this Christmas season will allow us to boldly move forward in our work to “unite Evangelicals to bless Canada in the name of Jesus.” We have accomplished so much in 2021 and with your help, we can do even more in 2022. Envelopes post-marked on or before December 31 are eligible for a tax deductible receipt for 2021. Or you can make your donation online or by phone at 1-866-302-3362 (toll-free) any time before midnight on the 31st. Thank you!
EFC Concerned about Government Commitment to Remove Charitable Status from Anti-Abortion Groups Who Provide "Dishonest Counselling"
The Finance Minister has been instructed to make “anti-abortion groups who provide dishonest counseling to pregnant women about their rights and options” ineligible for charitable status. The EFC is concerned that this may single out groups solely because of their views on abortion and when life begins. For more information and a sample MP letter, see http://www.TheEFC.ca/CharitableProlife.
EFC’s French Prayer Summit
La Rencontre au Sommet 2022, the annual French Prayer Summit sponsored by the EFC, is planned for January 24-25, in Granby, QC. Find more information and register here.
Trois Nouveaux Articles Traduits // Three Articles from Canada Watch Now in French
Nous avons traduit trois articles de « Canada Watch ». Jetez un coup d’œil à toutes les dernières nouveautés sur TheEFC.ca/actions-evangeliques. // Don’t miss three new French translations of articles from Canada Watch, online now.
Join January Discussion on Witness in Canada
You're invited to a series of online discussions in January to help us all deepen our witness in Canada. Our Common Calling is a partnership that exists to encourage collaboration among God's people as we together follow Jesus into the world. OCC is a partnership of four groups: The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, Lausanne Canada, the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities, and Christian Higher Education Canada.
Learn more and register at www.ourcommoncalling.ca.
Conversion Therapy Ban Passes Quickly Into Law
A bill to ban conversion therapy passed through both the House of Commons and Senate in just over a week, a process that usually takes months. Bill C-4 will take effect on January 7, 2022. The EFC is preparing an analysis of the bill’s impact. For more information, see the EFC’s blog post from Dec. 13.
Behind the Scenes and Christmas with the EFC Podcast Team
Join Faith Today Podcast host Karen Stiller, tech producer Dave Auyeung, Rick Hiemstra and Lindsay Callaway, hosts of the new EFC podcast Faith Trends, as they go behind the scenes. This is the entire EFC podcast team sharing notes, favourite episodes from the last year, and what they really think and feel about Christmas. A fun and light way to end your podcast listening year!
Find all our podcast episodes at TheEFC.ca/Podcasts.
Top Content of the Year from Faith Today
Thank you to all of you faithful readers of Faith Today: Canada’s Christian magazine! We’re always glad to hear from you about the things we publish in print and online. We counted online traffic for the year to get a snapshot of what’s important to you. Here's what the website traffic analytics say is the top material we posted in 2021 (read by the most unique visitors during 2021).
A No Secrets Mission? Faith Today Column by Carolyn Arends
As one Christian leader after another publicly falls from grace, is there anywhere we can find honest Christians who will not falter in their witness? Carolyn Arends urges readers “to proactively cultivate the rhythms of God connection and relentless transparency that will make you a credible witness for others.”
New EFC Weekly Prayer Prompts
This week’s prayer request is about medically assisted death. Pray for opportunities to care for and support our neighbours who suffer; for those who feel life is not worth living and for those who are suffering; for our culture to be life-affirming; for all of us to recognize that God is sovereign, and that autonomy is not the ultimate good. Pray also for strength and wisdom for health care providers and institutions.
Each week at 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's EFC affiliate highlight focuses on the EFC's affiliate congregations from a wide range of traditions. In our society where Medically Assisted Death is being normalized and many people are struggling with despair or in need of supports to live, pray that God would equip local congregations to find ways to provide support and hope.
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.
Meet the Author of Refuge Reimagined
Worldwide, people are forcefully displaced from their homes in increasing numbers. How can we extend solidarity and share responsibility for those affected by these crises? Vancouver professor Mark Glanville, co-author of a book that touches on these issues, will join us Jan. 26 to share his perspective on how we can generously, creatively and hopefully engage with refugee issues in our communities.
Sign up today at TheEFC.ca/MeetTheAuthor to join Mark Glanville and EFC hosts Ilana Reimer and Bill Fledderus on Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. Eastern (4 Pacific, 5 Mountain, 6 Central, 8 Atlantic). Mark Glanville will talk a bit about his book Refuge Reimagined: Biblical Kinship in Global Politics (IVP Academic, 2021). If you’re a book reader, why not order it now from your local bookstore and read it beforehand?
→ Deepening Understanding for Intercultural Ministry (FILL/Wycliffe College), online Monday mornings starting Jan. 10
→ Celebrate Recovery for Women in Ministry/Pastors’ Wives, online starting Jan. 13
→ Watercooler Break for Communications Workers (CCCA), online, Jan. 14
→ Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Jan. 18-25
→ OneWay Ministries Workplace Summit, online and in Ottawa, Jan. 19
→ Tips from the Winning Christian Communicators: Writing Categories (CCCA), online, Jan. 21
→ Suffering Well and Suffering With (SA Ethics Centre), online Mondays at noon starting Jan. 24
→ Our Common Calling Forum (EFC/Lausanne/CCCC/CHEC), online, Jan. 24-29
→ Meet the Author of Refuge Reimagined (EFC/Mark Glanville), online, Jan. 26
→ WEA Business Coalition Webinar, online, Jan. 28
In Case You Missed It
→ Beyond Pestilence and Flood: The Story of a B.C. Church (Faith Today blog and video interview)
→ The Scattered Flock and the Call to Fellowship (Faith Today column by EFC President)
→ No Cure for Being Human and Just Being Wonderful with Kate Bowler (Faith Today podcast)
→ Gen-Z and Evangelism (Faith Trends podcast)
→ Zoom Seminary (Faith Trends podcast)