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March 20, 2018

20 March 2018

Canada Summer Jobs Motion Vote Report

Yesterday, March 19, MPs voted on an Opposition motion on the Canada Summer Jobs program. EFC staff attended the vote and today posted a blog about it. The motion would have affirmed that organizations that do non-political, non-activist work should be able to access summer student funding regardless of their private convictions and whether or not they sign the attestation of values and beliefs. This motion was defeated 93 to 207 yesterday evening in the House of Commons.

How did your MP vote on the motion? Find a link to the voting results as well as more EFC resources, including our talking points to help you explain the issues to your MP or someone else, at TheEFC.ca/SummerJobs.

New Audio Podcasts: How Two Churches Are Dealing with the Canada Summer Jobs Grant Changes

Our two latest podcasts are interviews with Chad Nickerson of Calvary Temple Church in Saint John, N.B. and Emily Reesor of Fort Langley Evangelical Free Church in B.C. They discussed how their churches have been responding to the Canada Summer Jobs grant controversy.

Listeners can listen to individual episodes of The EFC Podcast or subscribe to download each new episode automatically at Google Play, iTunes, SoundCloud, and RSS (Feedburner). You can find a full list of recent episodes here.

Contest: Send Your Pastor to Dinner!

There are less than two weeks left in our Send Your Pastor to Dinner contest! If you appreciate all your pastor has done for your church and community, there’s still time enter them in our draw to win a gift card for a dinner out! Our Mar/Apr Faith Today cover story The Healing Plate inspired us to create this contest to send some Canadian pastors out for dinner! Email us the name of your pastor by March 31, tell us what their ministry means to you and your community, and we’ll enter them in our draw for $50 dinner gift cards, one for a pastor in every province and territory.

New Brian Stiller Book Launches Today

From Jerusalem to Timbuktu: A World Tour of the Spread of Christianity is the latest book by Brian Stiller, global ambassador for the World Evangelical Alliance and former president of the EFC. In this new publication, Stiller traces Christianity’s recent growth throughout the Global South, including Africa, Latin America and Asia. The EFC’s David Guretzki read the book recently and just today posted his thoughts on it.

Toronto City Mission Forges Ahead Despite Canada Summer Jobs Grant

Toronto City Mission is another organization impacted by the recent changes to the Canada Summer Jobs grant. Dave Addison, TCM's executive director, shared the latest developments at the mission, how the Christian community is stepping up and what the next steps are for Toronto City Mission. Read more, including a link to our podcast interview with him,

Leadership Lessons from the Life of Jesus

Preston Manning is a well-known Christian with a long history of political involvement. The Mar/Apr Faith Today features an edited excerpt from his latest book, Faith, Leadership and Public Life. Manning writes: “There are those in our courts and legislatures today whose prejudices against religion would lead them to banish from the public square any public discourse, policies or actions based on such religious teachings – thereby denying large numbers of Canadians the freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief, opinion and expression supposedly guaranteed by our Constitution…. Let us ensure people of faith in this country will never have to pray – as Jesus Himself was once obliged by the unjust decision of a prejudiced Roman court to pray – ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’”

Trusting God in the Face of Acne

In the latest Love Is Moving magazine, Morgan Clark writes on learning to trust God amid the pain, annoyance and frustration that come with severe acne. “Just a few months ago, I finished my last dose of Accutane. Other than some scars, you would never know I struggled with cystic acne. Do I still wonder why I ever had to have cystic acne? Absolutely. But I also see it taught me about myself, my identity in Christ, and the character of God. I learned beauty is not about the outward appearance, but that it is about your heart. I learned to trust God in new ways, that God will not let me down, and that He works in mysterious .”

EFC Staff Coming to Verona, Ont., and to Winnipeg

David Guretzki, the EFC’s Executive Vice-President, will be speaking at Verona Free Methodist Church in Verona, Ont., March 25.

Don McNiven, the EFC’s Director of Affiliate and Donor Relations, will be in the Winnipeg, Winkler, Steinbach and Morden area the week of April 16-20. Contact his assistant Bonnie Knoll to RSVP or to set up a personal visit.

Coming Events at TheEFC.ca/Calendar

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→ Living Entanglement and Revisionist Ecotheology, Hamilton, Mar. 21
→ Jesus to the Nations Conference, Halifax, Mar. 23-25
→ Promise Keepers "All In" Conference, Regina, Mar. 23-24
→ Thomas Merton Talk & Retreat, Vancouver, Mar. 23-24
→ Strategic Management Course (first of four Saturdays), North York, Mar. 24
→ Principles & Practices of Mentoring Course (first of four Saturdays), North York, Mar. 23-24
→ Freshwind Youth Conference, Toronto, Mar. 29-31
→ Seminary & Theological Grad School Virtual Fair, online, Mar. 29
→ Be Ready Apologetics Conference, Calgary, Apr. 6-7
→ Ottawa Christian Writers’ Conference, Ottawa, Apr. 7
→ Expanding the Ekklesia Vortex, Toronto, Apr. 7
→ Empowered to Connect: Conference on Adoption and Connection, various Canadian locations (simulcast from Oswego, Illinois), Apr. 13-14
→ Iron Sharpens Iron Men’s Equipping Conference, Coquitlam, Apr. 14
→ Passionnés pour notre mariage/Passionate About Our Marriage, Laval, Apr. 14
→ Responding to the World Refugee Crisis One Family at a Time, Waterloo, Apr. 14
→ Promise Keepers Canada Legacy Equipping Conference, Cambridge, Apr. 14