EFC Update Newsletter October 8

Vibrant church event 

“What will a healthy and vibrant Canadian Church look like in ten years?” If you are an EFC donor or friend, you are welcome to attend an Oct. 23 evening public discussion in Toronto on this question with EFC President David Guretzki, Lee Beach of McMaster Divinity College, and Dorothy Pang of Tyndale Intercultural Ministries Centre. A Q&A session will follow the discussion.  
   
Register online now or contact events@theEFC.ca or 1-866-302-3362 ext. 300. Depending on space, you may also be able to walk in and register. 

Reducing the Risk conference 

The Reducing the Risk conference, which will provide abuse awareness and prevention training, will take place Nov. 2, 2024 in Toronto. This conference will be hosted by the Abuse Awareness and Prevention Network launched by the EFC in 2021. Find more information or register here to join these interactive, insightful and creative training sessions. 

Webinar on keeping youth safe online  

The EFC joins Defend Dignity in presenting a series of webinars offering information, tools and strategies for protecting children and youth online. Register now for the first webinar in this series with Chris McKenna, founder and CEO of Protect Young Eyes on Oct. 15.  

EFC policy director discusses protecting kids online    

Julia Beazley, the EFC's director of public policy, will be on an episode of The Perspective with Mike Sherbino on Friday, Oct. 11, to discuss why we need to protect kids and teens online and why age assurance technologies are needed. It airs at 12:30 p.m. ET on Miracle Channel, 3:30 p.m. ET on Daystar Canada and 3:45 p.m. ET on YouTube.

Serving pizza to Happy Valley-Goose Bay high schoolers    

“Sometimes we think we have to do this big thing to reach those who don’t know Jesus. Sometimes it’s just a simple slice of pizza,” says youth pastor Jennifer Austin of Bethel Pentecostal Tabernacle in Happy Valley–Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador. The church serves pizza to local high school students once a month.  

Read more church outreach stories like this in our Faith Today Church in Community series or sign up to receive a free bimonthly print subscription to Faith Today. 

Coming Events at TheEFC.ca/Calendar

• Organizational Culture – Power Dynamics (Tyndale), online/in-person in Toronto, Oct. 9

• Church Mental Health Summit 2024 (Hope Made Strong), online, Oct. 10 

• Weekend of Prayer and Action Against Hunger (World Vision), worldwide, Oct. 11-13 

• Digital Dignity Webinars (EFC, Defend Dignity), online, Oct. 15, 29, Nov. 12, 26

• Called Canada Forum for Ministry-Minded Women (Women Together), Guelph, Oct. 17-19 

• Refugee Highway Partnership North America Roundtable, Winnipeg, Oct. 17-19 

• Calgary Leadership Prayer Breakfast (Vishal Mangalwadi), Calgary, Oct. 17 

• Change Conference (YFC Youth Unlimited), Toronto, Oct. 18-19 

• Harvest Conference 2024 for Women (Faith Eury Cho/Suzy Silk, Kings

  Church/Moncton Wesleyan Church), Moncton, Oct. 18-19 

• North American Baptist Fellowship annual meeting, Nashville, Oct. 18-19 

• Toward a Justice that Transforms Workshop (Dismas Fellowship Toronto), Toronto, Oct. 18-19 

• Connect Ottawa Conference (Connecting Streams, Canadian Bible Society, Love Ottawa), Ottawa, Oct. 18

• Compelled Worship Conference (Eyes Up Worship), Burlington, Oct. 19

• Mental Health and the Church Seminar (Agora Network Ministries), Niagara Falls, Oct. 19

• Next Conference (CBAC), Moncton, Oct. 19

• Sharpen Your Writing Skills (TWG), Ottawa, Oct. 19

• Mental Wellbeing in Organizational Life (Kentro), online, Oct. 23-24

• ELO Forum Winnipeg 2024 (ELO Network), Winnipeg, Oct. 23

• Pastors Gathering (EFC), Toronto, Oct. 25

Additional EFC speaking events   

• EFC senior ambassador Bruce J. Clemenger attending conference Forum Foi et Espace Public, Quebec City, Oct. 9

• EFC president David Guretzki, keynote speaker on “The Church in Plain Sight” at the Prairie District annual conference of the Evangelical Free Church of Canada in Lethbridge, Oct. 18-19

• David Guretzki preaching at Evangelical Free Church of Lethbridge, Oct. 20  

• EFC prayer ambassador Roger Helland, keynote speaker on Presence-Centred Leadership and Prayer, Pastors National Retreat, Canadian Church of God Ministries, Calgary, Oct. 21-Oct. 24  

• David Guretzki speaking alongside Lee Beach (McMaster Divinity) and Dorothy Pang (TIM Centre) at the EFC’s Vibrant Church Event, Toronto, ON, Oct. 23

• Bruce Clemenger, keynote speaker at Sylvan Lake Mayors Prayer Breakfast, Oct. 23

• David Guretzki and centre directors Rick Hiemstra, Julia Beazley, Joel Gordon, Karen Stiller, speaking at EFC Presidents Day in Toronto, Oct. 24

• David Guretzki speaking at Denominational Leaders Gathering, Toronto, Oct. 25 

• Roger Helland teaching workshop on Life of Prayer, Centre Street Church, Calgary, Tuesday evenings Oct. 1-Nov. 5