EFC and Allies Applaud Court Decision on Prostitution Laws
A national working group of survivors of prostitution, service providers and advocates, including the EFC, released a joint statement on Friday responding to a court ruling in a major cause that challenged Canada’s prostitution law. "Many of us intervened in the case in support of Canada’s progressive prostitution laws which seek to denounce and prohibit the purchase of sexual services, with the aim of reducing the demand for prostitution. This decision is a victory for the dignity, human rights and equality of women and girls in Canada." Read the full joint statement.
Ask Your MP to Support Bill to Reverse MAiD for Mental Illness
Bill C-314, which would reverse the law allowing medical assistance in dying for people with mental illness alone, is expected to be come up for a vote in the House of Commons this fall. This vote could take place as early as next week. Please consider contacting your MP’s office – calling, leaving a message, sending an email or writing a letter. You can also circulate a petition in support of Bill C-314 and return it to your local MP. For more resources including sample wording for a brief letter or call, visit TheEFC.ca/C314.
Prayer to Stop MAiD for Mental Illness
The EFC is inviting churches across Canada to pray collectively on Sunday, Oct. 22, for a stop to euthanasia for mental illness. The clock is ticking quickly down to March 2024, when, barring any last-minute changes, MAiD for mental illness is scheduled to become legal in Canada. Will you mark this date in your calendar and join us in asking for God’s intervention in reversing this legislation? The EFC has resources available for churches who want to be involved at TheEFC.ca/MAiDPrayer.
New EFC Ottawa Office Location
The EFC’s Ottawa office has moved to a new location at 275 Slater St, Suite 810, Ottawa, ON, K1P 5H9. This new office is a short walk from Parliament Hill and houses the Centre for Faith and Public Life and the Centre for Research on Church and Faith. With its new media studio, the office is also now the hub of the EFC Communications Team and the location of the EFC President’s Office.
Ignite Prayer Event in Vancouver this November
Join us Nov. 17 at Broadway Church for Ignite Vancouver, a prayer gathering for unity and awakening, the latest in a series that has already come to Ottawa, Calgary, Kelowna, and Regina this past April and May.
The afternoon will include a free pastors and ministry leader seminar (registration required), followed by a complimentary dinner. A free public and worship and prayer summit will take place in the evening and is open to all, no registration required. Ignite is co-sponsored by the EFC, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association of Canada, National House of Prayer, Peace and Reconciliation Network, and Vineyard Canada.
Visit the TheEFC.ca/Ignite for schedule, speakers and registration for seminar and dinner.
Is Your Charity Producing a Christmas Gift Catalog?
Is your charity producing a Christmas gift catalog? Faith Today hopes to once again prepare a listing of available online catalogs from Christian ministries in Canada to share with our generous readers. Here's an example from 2021: faithtoday.ca/GiftCats2021. If you work at a charity or just want to call one to our attention, please contact Sammy at socialmedia@theefc.ca.
Seeking Stories About Community Service at Christmas
Does your church do a community service project at Christmas? Faith Today would love to hear about it for possible coverage in our magazine’s Church in Community series. Email us at editor@faithtoday.ca and let us know what you have planned.
EFC Global Liaison Publishes Book
Phil Wagler, global director of the Peace and Reconciliation Network as well as EFC global liaison, has published a new book, Live Your Assignment: Being Christ's Ambassador in 7 Spheres of Life, which unpacks God's highest purpose for the Christian life. All proceeds from the sale of this book support the work of the World Evangelical Alliance's Peace & Reconciliation Network.
Four Apps That Save Time This Fall
If you’re a busy user of digital tools and social media, have you ever wanted to find apps that actually save time? Thriving in Digital columnist Joanna la Fleur shares about some apps “which actually save me time and decrease pain points in my life.”
Read more columns like this in the Sept/Oct Faith Today.
Sign up at FaithToday.ca/SubscribeFree for a print subscription within Canada.
This Week’s Prayer Prompts
This week’s prayer request is about education. Pray for parents, who have primary responsibility for nurturing and educating children. The Bible tells us that we are responsible to teach our children about what God has done.
Pray also for strength and wisdom in teachers in contemporary elementary and high school classrooms where students may have difficult home lives and may be challenging to teach, discipline and guide. Pray for the students in these classrooms, that they will have opportunities to grow to the fullness of their academic and social potential. Pray for wisdom for teachers in Christian universities, that they would instil in their students a Christian perspective as they learn about the world around them.
This week's EFC affiliate highlight focuses on our 33 educational affiliates, including many different Canadian Christian universities and colleges. You can find the list of educational affiliates on our website.
You can always find the week’s prayer prompts at TheEFC.ca/TakeAction.
→ Stories of Transformation in Canada (TOWC), online, Sept. 26, Oct. 24
→ The transformative power of God’s manifest presence (WT), online, Sept. 27
→ Canadian International Faith & Family Film Festival (CIFF), Toronto/online, Sept. 28-30
→ Mid-Life Business Leaders Getaway (MBC), online, Sept. 27-29
→ A Night with the Persecuted Church (Open Doors): Calgary Sept. 28, Grande Prairie Sept. 29, Redwater Sept. 30
→ Christian Parenting & Grandparenting (West Highland Baptist), Hamilton, Sept. 30
→ Toronto + GTA Ministry & Business Leaders Afternoon (Missions Canada), Oakville, Sept. 30
→ Life Chain (CLC), nationwide, various locations, Oct. 1
→ Preachers’ Refresher (Timothy Trust), O’Leary, P.E.I., Oct. 2-4; Canmore, Alta., Oct. 21-23
→ Hayward Lectures: The Redemption of the Land: Rethinking the Place of Salvation, (Acadia Div), Wolfville, Oct. 2-4
→ Victorious Festival (CBS), Calgary, Oct. 7
→ Called Leadership Gathering (WT), Guelph, Oct. 12-14
→ Equipped Women’s Getaway with Andrea Thorn (MBC), Huntsville, Oct. 13-15
→ Change Conference (YFC/Youth Unlimited), Toronto, Oct. 13-14
→ Refocus Writers Retreat (The Word Guild), Guelph, Oct. 16-19
→ Kentro Regional Workshops, Toronto, Oct. 17; Abbotsford, Oct. 25
→ Global Leadership Summit (various sites, simulcast from Illinois), Oct. 19-20
→ Canadian Youth Pastor Summit West, Vancouver, Oct. 23-25
→ Growth is a Choice: Building a Fundraising Roadmap to Scale Your Mission (CCCC), online, Oct. 25
→ EFC Presidents Day, Calgary, Oct. 26
→ Apologetics Canada Leadership Summit, Sasquatch Mountain, B.C., Oct. 27-29
→ Change Conference (Youth Unlimited), Ottawa, Oct. 27-28
→ Gospel Music Industry Hub Artist Showcase (GMIH), Mississauga/online, Oct. 27
→ Life Shared Summit (Alpha/Groundswell), Truro, Oct. 27
In Case You Missed It
→ Job Openings: Red Deer, Montreal, Brampton, Saint John, Ottawa and more (FaithToday.ca/Classifieds)
→ Hastened Death for Mental Illness Needs to Be Stopped (EFC info and call to action)
→ Resource on Disability and Belonging in the Church En Français (EFC resources)
→ Rights and Responsibilities (Faith Today article)
→ Safe Places for Patients in an Era of MAiD (EFC blog post)
→ Faith Today Writers Win Nine New Awards