Commissioning Service for EFC President David Guretzki in Mississauga Yesterday
Yesterday, EFC board members, EFC staff, and the Guretzki family gathered at City Centre Baptist Church in Mississauga to commission Dr. David Guretzki as the next President and CEO of the EFC. We are thankful for David and the unique gifts he brings to the role of President, and we continue to uplift him in prayer as he leads the EFC into its next phase.
Ignite Prayer Summits—Ottawa Signup Deadline This Friday
Christians in four regions will hold Ignite Prayer and Worship Summits this April and May to pray for unity, spiritual awakening, church vitality and healing. Earlier the same day, pastors and other church leaders will gather in a seminar to focus on cultivating a strong culture of prayer in each local church.
Join us in Ottawa (April 14), Calgary (April 20), Kelowna (April 28) and Regina (May 5). There are no fees for the seminar (which concludes with an evening meal for registrants) or the evening public gathering. Co-hosts include the EFC, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association of Canada, National House of Prayer, Peace & Reconciliation Network, and Vineyard Canada.
For more details and to register for the afternoon seminar/dinner, visit TheEFC.ca/Ignite. Ottawa registration deadline is March 31. After March 31, you can still register for the seminar but will have to bring your own bag supper, as the limit for the dinner is 200 and we are nearly there.
Hastened Death for Mental Illness Delayed—But Needs to Be Stopped
A bill has passed that will delay MAiD for mental illness from taking effect for one year, until March 2024. The justice minister introduced Bill C-39 to give doctors more time to prepare. The EFC welcomes the delay but does not believe a delay is enough. The EFC is asking for MAiD for mental illness to be stopped altogether.
The EFC supports a new private member’s bill that would reverse the law allowing MAiD for mental illness alone. MP Ed Fast introduced Bill C-314 in the House of Commons in February. See the EFC’s letter of support and a sample letter you can use to contact your MP at TheEFC.ca/C314.
International Prayer Conference: Register by This Friday
EFC Prayer Ambassador Roger Helland will be a workshop speaker at The 6:7 Awakening May 30 to June 1. This international prayer conference includes plenary presentations by such leaders as Jim Cymbala, Daniel Henderson, and H.B. Charles, corporate prayer and practical workshops to rejuvenate, inspire and awaken a passion for Jesus Christ and His mission. This gathering is aimed to help raise up the next generation of church leaders committed to ministry powered by prayer and Scripture. For more information and registration click here. Early bird registration deadline March 31.
Interfaith Conference on Politics and Religion Coming May 7-8
Miroslav Volf, Kathleen Wynne and EFC senior ambassador Bruce J. Clemenger will be speakers at the upcoming Our Whole Society Conference being held May 7-8 by the Canadian Interfaith Conversation. Participants will explore how to address the causes of division within our society and how to foster dialogue, justice and find common ground in Canadian civil society along with academic, community and religious leaders. The registration page includes more details (two days of keynote addresses, plenary panels, workshops and lunches for $125). Student rate is $65. There’s an online option with limited access. In-person events are at Martin Luther University College, Waterloo, Ont.
Fostering a Culture of Creativity at Church
A healthy church allows members to commit to the church’s mission while still allowing them freedom to express dissenting or conflicting ideas, argues Faith Today columnist John Stackhouse. He asks, “Does your church have a mission so compelling that it fosters co-operation and innovation?”
Sign up at FaithToday.ca/SubscribeFree for a print subscription to read more articles like this. A sampling of articles from the latest issue are also available at FaithToday.ca.
EFC Staff Presenting at Heritage Leadership Day
March 30 is the annual Ministry Leadership Day at Heritage Theological Seminary in Cambridge, Ont. This year’s keynote speaker is EFC senior ambassador and president emeritus Bruce J. Clemenger. He will discuss Pluralism, Secularism, and the New Orthodoxy: Christian Witness amidst Canada’s Emerging Civil Religion. The EFC’s director of research Rick Hiemstra will also be presenting at the conference. Pastors and ministry leaders are invited to Heritage for a day of encouragement and equipping or to join online for the livestream.
This Week’s Prayer Prompts
This week’s prayer request is about Religious freedom.
Pray for boldness, strength and help for those being persecuted and pray for repentance and redemption of the persecutors. Pray for laws that protect religious freedom to be passed and upheld. Pray for Christians to care and act on behalf of the persecuted, and pray for Canadian government officials to take action on behalf of those persecuted around the world.
Catch up with some of the EFC’s latest initiatives in this area at TheEFC.ca/ReligiousFreedom (click “What’s Happening”).
This week's EFC affiliate highlight focuses on Intercede International. Intercede International seeks to establish, encourage, and strengthen an indigenous, New Testament witness for our Lord Jesus Christ among all nations by providing material and spiritual aid to Christians who are impoverished, few, or persecuted; and to encourage Christian witness and ministry to the international community in Canada.
You can always find the week’s prayer prompts at TheEFC.ca/TakeAction.
→ Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Faith-Based Organizations (Wycliffe College/Karen Carter), online, Mar. 29
→ Hear O Israel! The Shema in John’s Gospel (Wycliffe College/Lori Baron), online/Toronto, Mar. 30
→ Ministry Leadership Day 2023 (Heritage Seminary/Bruce Clemenger/Rick Hiemstra), online/Cambridge, Ont., Mar. 30
→ Running an Alpha Program Q&A (Alpha Canada/Kari Broad), online, Mar. 30
→ Theology Pub Night on Jesus in His Jewish Context (Wycliffe College/Lori Baron), online/Toronto, Mar. 31
→ Jesus and Women: It's Complicated! Jesus in His Jewish Context (Wycliffe College/Lori Baron), online/Toronto, Apr. 1
→ Earlybird Deadline for Business as Mission Global Summit, March 31 (event is Apr. 27)
→ Earlybird Deadline for Christian Communicators Retreat and Awards, April 1 (event is May 25-27)
→ Communication Workers’ Watercooler Break (CCCA), online, Apr. 14
→ Recalled: Getting Back to Jesus-style Disciplemaking (Navigators/West Highland), Hamilton, Apr. 14-15
→ Ignite Prayer Events: Ottawa, April 14; Calgary, April 20; Kelowna, April 28; Regina, May 5
→ Secularism and the Pursuit of Transcendence: A Church & Culture Conference, Hamilton, Apr. 27
→ Business as Mission Global Summit (BAM Global), online, Apr. 27
In Case You Missed It
→ Job Openings: Vice president academic (Hamilton); pastor (Lethbridge, Montreal, Brampton, Toronto, Ottawa, Sault Ste Marie); Montreal director of leadership programs; and more (FaithToday.ca/Classifieds)
→ Seasons of Sorrow (Faith Today podcast with guest Tim Challies)
→ Tolerance and Dialogue (Faith Today column)
→ EFC President’s Vision for Ministry (Faith Today podcast)
→ New articles in French // Des nouveaux articles traduit de « Faith Today »