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EFC Update Newsletter - November 23

23 November 2021
 

Church Responses to B.C. Floods

Read the behind-the-scenes experience of one pastor and his church’s response to the recent B.C. floods, including air-dropping supplies, on our Faith Today blog. An unrelated post on this topic, “A Flood of Relief from Churches,” is available online as well and shares how B.C. churches and pastors are responding to needs in B.C.

EFC President Gives 700 Club Interview

EFC President Bruce Clemenger’s interview on the 700 Club Canada airs today. The focus is on caring for the persecuted church globally.

New Parliament Begins

MPs met in the House of Commons yesterday to begin the new session of Parliament. Please join us in praying for new and returning MPs as they carry out their important roles. See EFC’s newly updated Civic Engagement Kit, available as a free download, for suggestions on how to pray and for ways to engage with your MP, TheEFC.ca/EngagementKit.

New Faith Trends Podcasts: “Clergy Resilience,” “Making it Count”

It’s a good time to ask: “What makes pastors resilient in ministry?” In Faith Trends, the EFC’s new podcast, EFC researchers Lindsay and Rick speak with Margaret Clarke, Briercrest Seminary faculty member and recent PhD graduate about her research on clergy wellbeing. Pass it along to a church or minister who might need to hear this encouraging conversation.

Also available on Faith Trends is a fascinating look into how the changing religious landscape in Canada is measured and recorded. Also, why does it matter? In this episode Rick talks with Bruce Guenther, professor of church history and Mennonite studies at Trinity Western University's ACTS seminaries, and Jonathan Chadwick, graduate student at Trinity Western.

Faith Trends Podcast is brand new and will help better connect research with its ministry implications for the Church in Canada. We invite you to listen and share.

Faith Today Podcast: Habits that Can Help Us Grow

Do you feel sluggish in your spiritual life? Wonder if you're growing or stalled? Author and pastor Darryl Dash shares good news and good habits in interview with Karen Stiller. His insights into identifying a "good church" is worth the listen alone.

What Does It Look Like for a Congregation to Flourish?

Watch a recording of our Nov. 18 webinar with sociologist Joel Thiessen of Ambrose University, co-author of the book Signs of Life: Catholic, Mainline, and Conservative Protestant Congregations in Canada. In the webinar we discuss 11 categories of possible flourishing in a congregation. This discussion is easy to follow and learn from even if you haven’t read the book.

WEA Global Ambassador Dispatch on the Holy Spirit and Worldwide Church

World Evangelical Alliance Global Ambassador Brian Stiller writes, “For those in Europe and North America, fed by an assumption that the church is in decline, it is helpful to see what is emerging within the leadership of both classical Pentecostal and Charismatic communities. There is a rising generation of able and creative leaders who live within the claims of the Gospel promise that when the Spirit comes, he will enable and empower. When asked what all this is about, they reiterate Peter’s response: ‘This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel…’ (Acts 2:16).”

Now Hiring: Major Gifts Officer for Eastern Canada

The EFC is seeking a major gifts officer to work in Eastern Canada (Ontario and Maritimes). We recently revised the position description (Oct. 20, 2021). Get details on this full-time position at TheEFC.ca/Jobs.

New EFC Weekly Prayer Prompts 

This week’s prayer request is about protecting children in front of and behind the screens, especially from online pornography. Pray for freedom from the bondage of pornography; for healing in relationships affected by porn; for wisdom in teaching our kids; and for legislators to recognize the public health impacts of porn and take steps to restrict its harms.

You can learn more on this topic at TheEFC.ca/Pornography. Each week at 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, we highlight Defend Dignity, which exists to end all forms of sexual exploitation in Canada.

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.

Coming Events at TheEFC.ca/Calendar

→ HR Practices and Consulting Services Info Session (Cdn. Centre for Chr. Charities), online, Nov. 24
→ On Bringing Love (Imago/Intriciti), online, Nov. 24
→ Lessons from a Church Engaged with Muslims in their Neighbourhood (LMT), online, Nov. 24
→ Ending Poverty Together Workshop (Food for the Hungry), online, Nov. 27
→ EFC Presentation at Red Deer Church (Living Stones Church), Alberta, Nov. 28
→ Married to the Minister: Being Well in Good Times and Bad, online, Nov. 29
→ Soul Care in Age of Disconnection (The King’s University), online, Nov. 29
→ Married to the Minister: Being Well in Good Times and Bad (JFM/Karen Stiller), online, Nov. 29
→ Entrepreneurial Leaders Organization National Forum (ELO), online, Nov. 30
→ Canadian Indigenous Realities and the Church (Ray Aldred/FFTH), online, Dec. 1
→ EFC Speaker at Kingston Church, Ont. (Bethel Alliance), Dec. 5
→ Watercooler Break for Communications Workers (CCCA), online, Dec. 10
→ Tips from the Winning Christian Communicators: Writing Categories (CCCA), online, Dec. 17

In Case You Missed It 

EFC Civic Engagement Kit (newly revised info on how, why and when to contact government)
Be Kind to Your MP Campaign
Reconciling Blog: Moving on from November 11

Church Responses to B.C. Floods

Read the behind-the-scenes experience of one pastor and his church’s response to the recent B.C. floods, including air-dropping supplies, on our Faith Today blog. An unrelated post on this topic, “A Flood of Relief from Churches,” is available online as well and shares how B.C. churches and pastors are responding to needs in B.C.

EFC President Gives 700 Club Interview

EFC President Bruce Clemenger’s interview on the 700 Club Canada airs today. The focus is on caring for the persecuted church globally.

New Parliament Begins

MPs met in the House of Commons yesterday to begin the new session of Parliament. Please join us in praying for new and returning MPs as they carry out their important roles. See EFC’s newly updated Civic Engagement Kit, available as a free download, for suggestions on how to pray and for ways to engage with your MP, TheEFC.ca/EngagementKit.

New Faith Trends Podcasts: “Clergy Resilience,” “Making it Count”

It’s a good time to ask: “What makes pastors resilient in ministry?” In Faith Trends, the EFC’s new podcast, EFC researchers Lindsay and Rick speak with Margaret Clarke, Briercrest Seminary faculty member and recent PhD graduate about her research on clergy wellbeing. Pass it along to a church or minister who might need to hear this encouraging conversation.

Also available on Faith Trends is a fascinating look into how the changing religious landscape in Canada is measured and recorded. Also, why does it matter? In this episode Rick talks with Bruce Guenther, professor of church history and Mennonite studies at Trinity Western University's ACTS seminaries, and Jonathan Chadwick, graduate student at Trinity Western.

Faith Trends Podcast is brand new and will help better connect research with its ministry implications for the Church in Canada. We invite you to listen and share.

Faith Today Podcast: Habits that Can Help Us Grow

Do you feel sluggish in your spiritual life? Wonder if you're growing or stalled? Author and pastor Darryl Dash shares good news and good habits in interview with Karen Stiller. His insights into identifying a "good church" is worth the listen alone.

What Does It Look Like for a Congregation to Flourish?

Watch a recording of our Nov. 18 webinar with sociologist Joel Thiessen of Ambrose University, co-author of the book Signs of Life: Catholic, Mainline, and Conservative Protestant Congregations in Canada. In the webinar we discuss 11 categories of possible flourishing in a congregation. This discussion is easy to follow and learn from even if you haven’t read the book.

WEA Global Ambassador Dispatch on the Holy Spirit and Worldwide Church

World Evangelical Alliance Global Ambassador Brian Stiller writes, “For those in Europe and North America, fed by an assumption that the church is in decline, it is helpful to see what is emerging within the leadership of both classical Pentecostal and Charismatic communities. There is a rising generation of able and creative leaders who live within the claims of the Gospel promise that when the Spirit comes, he will enable and empower. When asked what all this is about, they reiterate Peter’s response: ‘This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel…’ (Acts 2:16).”

Now Hiring: Major Gifts Officer for Eastern Canada

The EFC is seeking a major gifts officer to work in Eastern Canada (Ontario and Maritimes). We recently revised the position description (Oct. 20, 2021). Get details on this full-time position at TheEFC.ca/Jobs.

New EFC Weekly Prayer Prompts 

This week’s prayer request is about protecting children in front of and behind the screens, especially from online pornography. Pray for freedom from the bondage of pornography; for healing in relationships affected by porn; for wisdom in teaching our kids; and for legislators to recognize the public health impacts of porn and take steps to restrict its harms.

You can learn more on this topic at TheEFC.ca/Pornography. Each week at 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, we highlight Defend Dignity, which exists to end all forms of sexual exploitation in Canada.

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.

Coming Events at TheEFC.ca/Calendar

→ HR Practices and Consulting Services Info Session (Cdn. Centre for Chr. Charities), online, Nov. 24
→ On Bringing Love (Imago/Intriciti), online, Nov. 24
→ Lessons from a Church Engaged with Muslims in their Neighbourhood (LMT), online, Nov. 24
→ Ending Poverty Together Workshop (Food for the Hungry), online, Nov. 27
→ EFC Presentation at Red Deer Church (Living Stones Church), Alberta, Nov. 28
→ Married to the Minister: Being Well in Good Times and Bad, online, Nov. 29
→ Soul Care in Age of Disconnection (The King’s University), online, Nov. 29
→ Married to the Minister: Being Well in Good Times and Bad (JFM/Karen Stiller), online, Nov. 29
→ Entrepreneurial Leaders Organization National Forum (ELO), online, Nov. 30
→ Canadian Indigenous Realities and the Church (Ray Aldred/FFTH), online, Dec. 1
→ EFC Speaker at Kingston Church, Ont. (Bethel Alliance), Dec. 5
→ Watercooler Break for Communications Workers (CCCA), online, Dec. 10
→ Tips from the Winning Christian Communicators: Writing Categories (CCCA), online, Dec. 17

In Case You Missed It 

EFC Civic Engagement Kit (newly revised info on how, why and when to contact government)
Be Kind to Your MP Campaign
Reconciling Blog: Moving on from November 11