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EFC Update Newsletter July 20, 2021

20 July 2021

Art Contest Encourages Hope 

This spring Faith Today invited Christians to take up their pen, brush and other creative materials to express where they see Hope Through the Pandemic. Last week we made two posts on the Faith Today website showing entries that were submitted. Please visit to be inspired and encouraged by the God-given creativity of so many people: (1) Poems and Prose, Music and Audio. (2) Visual Art

We're Hiring!  

The EFC is expanding our team to include a full-time digital media manager. As part of the communications team, the digital media manager will help direct the EFC’s online presence from conception to implementation. The work can be done from our offices in Ottawa or Richmond Hill, Ont., remotely, or a combination of those locations.  Application deadline is August 1. 

See details on this position and on our other job opportunities including Major Gifts Officer Eastern (Ontario to Maritimes) and Major Gifts Officer Western (BC to Manitoba) at TheEFC.ca/Jobs.  

New EFC Weekly Prayer Prompts  

Prayer is essential to any effective action. Each week at TheEFC.ca/TakeAction we rotate through a prayer request from each of these five areas: Sanctity of Life, Care for the Vulnerable, Church and Mission, Family and Community, Religious Freedom. We also list an EFC affiliate group to pray for.  

This week’s prayer request is about seniors. As pandemic restrictions for long-term care homes across the country begin to relax, continue to pray for the conditions and quality of care inside long-term care homes, that the mental and physical health of long-term care residents remains the priority of those in charge. Pray also for seniors who are isolated, widowed, shut-in or struggling with health concerns, that the church may be a tangible presence in their lives. 

You can learn more on these issues at TheEFC.ca/Seniors.   

This week's EFC affiliate highlight focuses on Yonge Street Mission

Covid 19 and the restrictions have a significant impact on our lives. The EFC continues to offer new Friday@4 pandemic-focused prayer suggestions each week at TheEFC.ca/Covid-19.  

Conflict Reimagined: New Post on the Reconciling Blog 

Sarah Nicholas of The Colossian Forum introduces resources to help Christian leaders transform cultural conflicts into opportunities for spiritual growth and witness. Her post is part of a series at FaithToday.ca/Reconciling. The series is produced in collaboration with the World Evangelical Alliance Peace & Reconciliation Network.  

Gaps in My Resume: Faith Today Guest Column by Lindsay Callaway 

Have you ever felt you had to read the “right” Christian books or follow popular preachers just to fit in at church? As guest writer for David Guretzki’s regular column, EFC researcher Lindsay Callaway explores our quest to fit in among our fellow Christians: “Attending the right conferences, name dropping admired theologians, having a hot take on the latest Twitter debate, even down to the Bible translation I chose were the ‘virtues’ that made me feel right with other people and therefore right with God.” 

Get more unique Canadian Christian journalism like this by signing up at FaithToday.ca/SubscribeFree.  

Nouvelles ressources en français / New French-language resources

Au travail pour protéger les enfants de la pornographie (5 juillet)
Sur la colline du Parlement de juin-juillet 2021 (30 juin)
Au travail pour la protection de la conscience (29 juin)
Mise en chantier d’une communauté scolaire chrétienne à Québec (24 juin)
→ Quel est l’avenir de l’Église au Québec ? (11 juin)

Coming Events at TheEFC.ca/Calendar 

→ World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, online July 30 
→ EFC’s David Guretzki speaking at Edmonton church, Aug. 7-8
→ Jesus-Centred Essentials: Theology Rooted in the Radical Reformation (Jesus Collective), online Aug. 4, 11 
→ Youth Ministry Online Summit – Staff (Alpha/YWC/Change Conf.), online Aug. 11 
→ Safe Adventures in the Outdoors: Webinar for Field Trip Organizers (Plan to Protect), online Aug. 12 
→ Gospel Impact Canada 2021 (Shareword Global / Gideons International), online, Aug. 13-14
→ Ending Poverty Together (Food for the Hungry Canada), online, Aug. 14
→ Connect with the Jesus Collective, online, Aug. 18
→ International Day Commemorating the Victims of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, Aug. 22

In Case You Missed It 

→ Ethics Committee Recommends Government Take Action to Hold Commercial Pornography Sites Accountable  
→ Conversion Therapy Bill Advances in the Senate 
Filmmaker Dallas Jenkins on The Chosen (Faith Today article)
Faith Today Writers Shortlisted for Awards
→ Reconciliation Proclamation (video version) (print version)
Statement on Targeting Places of Worship
→ New director at Baptist mission agency reflects on new strategy (Faith Today blog)
Resources for the Reconciliation Learning Journey (on EFC website)