donate

EFC Update Newsletter November 21

21 November 2023

EFC president, director meet with affiliates and partners 

EFC President David Guretzki and Director of Ministry Partnerships Joel Gordon are attending Indigenous Advisory Council meetings in Winnipeg with affiliate leaders today. From December 11-13, Guretzki will be participating in Roman Catholic-Evangelical Dialogue meetings in Toronto with the Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops. 

EFC makes submission to parliamentary committee on MAiD for mental illness  

A special parliamentary committee is considering whether Canada is ready for the law on MAiD for mental illness to take effect. The EFC made a written submission on November 16, describing the reasons Canada should not allow MAID for mental illness. The committee’s report is due by Jan. 31, 2024. Please pray for the committee to recommend at least a delay, if not a halt, to MAiD for mental illness. 

Keep engaging your MP on MAiD 

There is still time for MPs to stop, delay or restrict MAiD for mental illness before March 2024, when this law is scheduled to take effect. Find resources at TheEFC.ca/HaltMAID

Research on how churches fared during Covid 

The EFC is encouraging pastors and other local church ministry leaders to participate in RECOV-19, a University of Montreal study exploring how religious groups fared during Covid. The study findings will be of interest to Canadian evangelical leaders and will help policymakers understand how public health decisions affect religious communities. Click here to take the 15- to 20-minute survey. 

Faith Today turns 40

Faith Today magazine has been evolving for the last decade to serve both our print and digital audiences. Together we are facilitating Canada's Christian conversation on social media, podcasts, through our mobile app, on home coffee tables with our print magazines, on computers through our website, and even through TV screens with Faith Today TV. Walk through our third decade by reading a new blog post by editor Bill Fledderus.

How to empathize

Empathy is deceptively simple, but how many of us know how to truly practise it? Carolyn Klassen challenges our assumptions about empathy in this article, the latest in our Faith Today Fellowship Skills series.

Coming Events at TheEFC.ca/Calendar

→ Understanding Generation Alpha, those born 2010-2024 (Alpha Canada), online, Nov. 22  → Lausanne Listening Calls (Lausanne Canada), online, Nov. 25, 27  → Stories of Transformation in Canada (Transform Our World Canada), online, Nov. 28, Dec. 26  → The Challenge of Evangelism (Forge Canada), online, Nov. 30  
→ Advent in the Neighbourhood (Forge Canada), online, Dec. 4  

Submit your upcoming regional or national event for a free listing on our community calendar.