Assisted Dying: Two Important Updates and a Public Letter
A committee of MPs and Senators recommends expanding the law to allow hastened death for mature minors whose natural death is reasonably foreseeable and advance requests. The EFC has consistently urged that MAID should not be extended to mature minors or those with mental health issues alone. Please pray and ask your local MP not to change the law.
A new post on the EFC website highlights excerpts of a public letter by doctors, disability activists and experts that critiques the parliamentary committee report on assisted dying. Please continue to pray and ask your local MP not to expand the assisted dying law.
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 on February 10, 2023. See the EFC’s letter of support and a sample letter you can use to contact your MP at TheEFC.ca/C314.
We‘re Hiring a Research Assistant -- Deadline This Wednesday
The EFC’s Centre for Research on Church and Faith is hiring a research assistant to work in our Ottawa office. The application deadline is March 8. Learn more at TheEFC.ca/Jobs.
EFC President to Address Parliamentary Launch of 2023 World Watch List
On March 8, EFC President and CEO David Guretzki will give greetings to parliamentary guests in Ottawa at the annual Open Doors launch of its annual World Watch List. For 30 years, Open Doors (an EFC affiliate) has been collecting and analyzing data about where, how and why Christians experience persecution. Using this data, Open Doors then creates the World Watch List identifying the 50 countries where it is most dangerous to be a Christian.
Ignite Prayer and Worship Summits Coming to Four Cities
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.
New Canadian Study Encourages Appreciating Small Churches
Churches of less than 150 attendees function differently than bigger churches, and for the broader church to function well we all need to recognize that. In the Mar/Apr Faith Today learn how a fascinating new study called Significant Church: Understanding the Value of the Small Evangelical Church in Canada highlights the gifts unique to small churches.
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.
Finding Christian Purpose in Our Busy Lives
Edmonton author and podcaster Juli Wenger reflects on finding Christian purpose amid our busy lives and culture. Learn more in two new blogs, Focused or Fractured and Freedom from Worldly Shoulds.
EFC Senior Ambassador at 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 abuse. Pray for victims of child abuse, spousal abuse, senior abuse, and sexual harassment, remembering that God calls us to care for the vulnerable and to uphold each person’s human dignity. Every person is created by God, in His image, and loved by Him. This compels us to respect and uphold each person’s inherent worth and to treat them as a bearer of God’s image.
Catch up with some of the EFC’s latest initiatives in this area at TheEFC.ca/Abuse (click “What’s Happening”).
This week's EFC affiliate highlight focuses on Toronto City Mission. Through God’s transformational power, it builds loving relationships to bring hope to children and families impacted by poverty.
You can always find the week’s prayer prompts at TheEFC.ca/TakeAction.
Interfaith Conference on Politics and Religion
Miroslav Volf, Kathleen Wynne and EFC senior ambassador Bruce J. Clemenger will be speakers at the upcoming Our Whole Society Conference, May 7-8, by the Canadian Interfaith Conversation. Participants will explore how to address social division and how to foster dialogue, justice and find common ground in Canadian civil society. The registration page includes more details (for two days of keynote addresses, plenary panels, workshops and lunches) including a reduced student rate and an online option with limited access. In-person events are at Martin Luther University College, Waterloo, Ont. Earlybird discount extended to March 12 - only $99!
→ A Night with the Persecuted Church (Open Doors), Mar. 7, Orleans, Ont.
→ Men’s Conference (Impactus), Winnipeg, Mar. 10-11
→ Awesome KidMin Conference (AKMC), Winnipeg, Mar. 10-11
→ Communication Workers’ Watercooler Break (CCCA), online, Mar. 10
→ Undivided: Leadership Conference 2023 (Steinbach Bible College), Steinbach, Man., Mar. 17-18
→ EFC Denominational and Congregational Affiliates Prayer, online, Mar. 22
→ Preserving Biodiversity: Creation Care from Faith to Action (CPJ/FTLC), online, Mar. 23
→ ReBoot Men's Event, London, Ont., Mar. 25
→ Ministry Leadership Day (Heritage Seminary/Bruce Clemenger), Cambridge, Ont., Mar. 30
In Case You Missed It
→ Job Openings: VP academic (Hamilton); pastor (Lethbridge, Montreal, Brampton, Toronto, Ottawa, Sault Ste Marie); Montreal director of leadership programs (FaithToday.ca/Classifieds)
→ We Need More Christians in Movies, Theatre and TV (Faith Today Podcast)
→ The Big Idea of the World Evangelical Alliance (Faith Today column)
→ Global Evangelical Joint Statement on Ukraine After One-Year (World Evangelical Alliance)
→ A Christian Response at One Year of War in Ukraine (All Things Reconciled blog)
→ Christian leaders lament assisted death (statement)
→ Supporting Canadians to live: An update on MAiD and how the church can engage (webinar recording)