EFC Brief to Special Joint Committee on MAiD
The EFC is urging a special parliamentary committee not to allow euthanasia or assisted suicide for mature minors or by advance request. In a written brief, the EFC urged the committee to assess reports that Canadians with disabilities are choosing MAiD because they not have the supports and care needed to live. Read more about the EFC’s concerns and the committee review at www.TheEFC.ca/MAIDreview.
Faith Today Editor Elected President of Communicators Association
Faith Today’s Bill Fledderus has been elected president of the Canadian Christian Communicators Association. The CCCA was formerly known as the Canadian Church Press association, and exists to encourage higher standards of religious communication and a more positive and constructive Christian interaction with society.
Potential New Values Test for Canada’s Military Chaplains
The EFC has posted a comment on the controversial Advisory Panel report to the Minister of National Defence. One recommendation of the panel effectively advocates a values test for military chaplains and would preclude hiring chaplains from some Christian, Jewish and Muslim traditions which currently have chaplains serving in the military. In the name of diversity the panel recommends exclusion.
Faith Today Receives Communications Awards
Faith Today won five first-place awards from the Canadian Christian Communicators Association on May 11, 2022. Congratulations to everyone who worked on winning entries in these categories: news story (by Alex Newman), column (multiple authors in our First Nations Witness series), theological reflections (the late Dave Jeffrey), advertisement design (Janice Van Eck) and podcast series (Karen Stiller and David Auyeung). Faith Today material also placed in seven other categories including general excellence. See more details here.
Online Dialogue on Art and Entrepreneurship
Join Love Is Moving editor Ilana Reimer and hyper-surrealist artist Josh Tiessen for a discussion on how to take your creative vocation seriously—without being broke. If you're a Christian young adult, this space is the perfect place to network and learn from your peers about how to flourish while pursuing your passion. This is a dialogue, not a webinar. Come with your questions, ideas, and tips. If you attend, you’ll receive a surprise gift and hear about a brand new opportunity to win a commission of up to $1,000 for a creative project! Register here.
Parents Invited for Study on Faith Formation
Are you a parent with children under 18? You can help churches better understand how you pass your faith to your children. The EFC has teamed up with 15 other groups to learn about the experiences of evangelical parents and the role that faith plays in the home. Survey participants can win one of three $250 Amazon gift cards. Click here for the survey in English or French.
FT Interview and Podcast with Ann Voskamp
Ann Voskamp is a NYT bestselling author who lives and writes on a working farm in Ontario. Her latest book is WayMaker: Finding the Way to the Life You’ve Always Dreamed of. In the May/Jun Faith Today, she spoke with FT’s Karen Stiller about how suffering shapes our journey as Christians, and the need for deep communion with Christ and each other.
You can also listen now to our new audio podcast of this interview.
Faith Today Readers, Please Take Our Survey
Faith Today, Canada’s Christian Magazine, wants to hear from our readers. What are we doing well? What would you like done differently? Take our reader survey, and you could also win one of 10 coffee-shop and bookstore gift cards. You can visit www.FaithToday.ca/ReaderSurvey.
This Week’s EFC Prayer Prompts
Prayer is essential to any effective action. 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’s prayer request is about poverty and homelessness. Pray for poverty and homelessness in Canada. Pray for opportunity, security, provision, hope and freedom for those who cannot meet their basic needs or who are risk of becoming homeless. Pray for agencies and churches who provide food, shelter, clothing, job training, support and friendship. Pray for us to hear and be moved by God’s love and call to serve those who are in need.
You can learn more on these issues at TheEFC.ca/PovertyHomelessness.
This week's EFC affiliate highlight focuses on Samaritan’s Purse Canada. Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through Jesus Christ.
Covid-19 continues to 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.
→ Tyndale Preaching Conference 2022, Toronto, May 24
→ Impact Conference (City Dream Centre), Surrey, B.C., May 27-28
→ New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale, New Hamburg, Ont., May 28
→ Day of Prayer for Christian Camps, Nationwide, May 29
→ National Day of Prayer Breakfast of Canada and Leadership Dinner, Ottawa, May 30-31
→ Attachment, Trauma and Psychotherapy (Shalem MHN), Hamilton, June 1
→ Leaders Table Summer Intensive (Forge Canada/Missional Training Network), online, June 1
→ National Prayer Gathering: Anticipating Pentecost (EFC/Cdn Bible Society), online, June 1
→ NAIITS Symposium: Indigenous in the City (Acadia Divinity College), online/Wolfville, NS, June 2-4
→ The Holy Spirit in Psychotherapy (Christian Mental Health Practitioners Network), online, June 4
→ Ending Poverty Together Workshop (FH Canada), June 4
→ Canadian School of Peacebuilding (Canadian Mennonite University), Winnipeg, June 6-10
→ B.C. Leadership Breakfast, Vancouver, June 6-10
→ H. Evan Runner International Academy (Ezra Institute), Golden, B.C., June 10-22
→ Canadian School of Peacebuilding (Canadian Mennonite University), Winnipeg, B.C., June 13-17
In Case You Missed It
→ Navigating Medical Assistance in Dying (Faith Today article)
→ Becoming a Trauma-Free Church (Reconciling blog)
→ Thank you. I’m sorry. Tell me more (Faith Today podcast)
→ Bill to Protect Minors from Pornography Gets EFC Support (EFC brief on Bill S-10)
→ Human Trafficking Penalty Should Not be Reduced (EFC submission on Bill C-5)