Victories in Canada Summer Job Cases
Redeemer University and BCM International Canada successfully challenged the federal government’s decision to deny their applications for funding in the 2019 Canada Summer Jobs program. In both cases the government was faulted for breaching procedural fairness in their rejection of the applications. The Federal Court did not consider whether the Charter rights of the two organizations were infringed as the Court felt this was not necessary to find that the applications were unfairly denied.
Ethics Committee Recommends Government Take Action to Hold Commercial Pornography Sites Accountable
“In my 17 years in Parliament, I have never been as shaken…” said MP Charlie Angus in a press conference on the release of the Ethics Committee Report into Pornhub. After hearing from survivors who shared harrowing testimony of the impact Pornhub has had on their lives, the Ethics Committee unanimously recommended the government explore ways to hold commercial pornography sites accountable, including requiring platforms to verify the age and consent of anyone depicted in pornographic material. This was one of the EFC’s recommendations in its written submission to the Committee.
Read more on our website.
Resources for the Reconciliation Learning Journey
As we lament the discovery of unmarked graves at former residential school sites, many of us have committed “to learn and to listen.” Learn about resources that are already readily available.
Conversion Therapy Bill Advances in the Senate
Bill C-6, a bill to ban conversion therapy, has passed its second vote in the Senate and will go to a committee to be studied. The committee is expected to review the bill in the fall, after the Senate’s scheduled summer break. The EFC will submit a written brief to the committee when it holds its review.
How Does the Faith Formation of Children Happen In Your Home?
The EFC and 16 partner organizations are conducting a study on the needs of parents as they form the faith of their children. We’re currently looking for evangelical parents with children in the home to interview about their experiences and their views on faith formation or discipleship with their children. If this is you (whether you think it is going well or not) and you might have an hour to talk with us, click here to learn more.
New Podcast: Inside the Center for Global Christianity
Rick Hiemstra, director of research for the EFC, joins Karen Stiller in this interview with Todd Johnson. Dr. Todd Johnson is Professor of Mission and Global Christianity, and Co-Director of the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Boston. We hear what is encouraging Todd now and also about some healthy and needed challenges to the Western Church.
We're Hiring!
The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada is expanding its team to include a full-time digital media manager. As part of the communications team, the digital media manager will help direct the EFC’s online presence from conception to implementation. The work can be done from our offices in Ottawa or Richmond Hill, Ont., remotely, or a combination of those locations.
See details on this position and on our other job opportunities including Major Gifts Officer Eastern (Ontario to Maritimes) and Major Gifts Officer Western (BC to Manitoba) at TheEFC.ca/Jobs.
New EFC Weekly Prayer Prompts
Prayer is essential to any effective action. Each week at TheEFC.ca/TakeAction we rotate through one 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, pray for protection of the sanctity of life. Pray specifically for the special joint committee on Medical Assistance in Dying as they study expanding access to MAID and developing guidelines on access for those with mental illness alone.
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.
You can learn more on these issues at TheEFC.ca/Themes/Sanctity-of-Life.
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.
It Ends Okay
Carolyn Arends’ mother always had just one question about a movie she hadn’t watched yet. “Does it end okay?” Arends suggests by reminding ourselves a life of faith in Jesus also “ends okay,” we can form a template for building resilience in the Christian life: “Whatever life throws at us, we already know where this thing is going.”
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→ Wilderness ReBoot for Missionary Kids aged 21-35 (Canadian MK Network), online Mondays June 28-July 19
→ Social Injustice in the Court System (Kairos Canada), online June 29
→ Entry Deadline: Hope Through the Pandemic (Faith Today art contest), June 30
→ Classic ReBoot for Missionary Kids ages 17-20 (Canadian MK Network), online Thursdays July 8-29
→ Protecting the Elderly (Plan to Protect), July 15
→ World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, July 30
In Case You Missed It
→ We Are Neighbours (new resource from Roman Catholic-Evangelical Dialogue)
→ Living Well After the Pandemic (recorded webinar)
→ Religion Watch: New Apostolic Reformation (Faith Today article)
→ Invitation to create (Faith Today call for homemade art, deadline June 30)
→ Nouvelles ressources en français / New French-language resources (on EFC website)
Download the new resource at TheEFC.ca/NousSommesVoisins and TheEFC.ca/WeAreNeighbours