Defending Prostitution Laws
The EFC has submitted written arguments in support of the existing laws against buying sexual services. A court challenge of the prostitution laws will be heard in the Ontario Superior Court this fall and the EFC will submit arguments as an intervener, or friend of the court. The EFC’s factum points out that Parliament’s objective in passing these laws was to reduce the demand for prostitution. Parliament intended to discourage entry into prostitution, deter participation in it and ultimately abolish it to the fullest extent possible in order to protect communities, human dignity and equality.
EFC Research Director to Speak at Online Conference
Rick Hiemstra, EFC Director of Research, will be speaking on the early findings of the family faith formation research the EFC is conducting with its affiliate partners at the Relentlessly Outbound online conference today, August 30. This conference is part of the Church Vitalization Summit, is hosted by the Alberta district of the PAOC, and takes place August 30-September 1, 2022. EFC affiliates are welcome to register and join this free event.
Redeeming the Word "Evangelical"
Have you felt uncomfortable calling yourself an evangelical lately? Faith Today senior writer Patricia Paddey explores changing societal attitudes to the term “evangelical,” and how Christians should respond, in a new feature article in the Sept/Oct Faith Today: “Evangelical carries a lot of unpleasant baggage that makes it more of a hindrance than an asset in meaningful conversations with those who don’t share my beliefs.”
Sign up at FaithToday.ca/SubscribeFree for a Faith Today print subscription to read more articles like this. For subscribers, the Sept/Oct Faith Today will be in your mailboxes soon. You can now read selected articles from the new issue online at www.faithtoday.ca.
Bill to Verify Age and Consent on Pornography Sites
Bill C-270 is a private member's bill that would require commercial pornography sites to verify the age and consent of people depicted before posting their images or videos. Not long ago, the EFC sent a letter of support to the sponsoring MP Arnold Viersen. Join the EFC in asking your MP to support Bill C-270. Learn more and find a sample letter you can use to write your MP at TheEFC.ca/C-270.
Action Kit to Halt Expansion of MAiD
People with mental illness as their sole underlying medical condition will become eligible for medical assistance in dying (MAiD) in March 2023. This change was passed into law in 2021, with a two-year delay before the change would take effect. Many Canadians are seriously concerned about this change, including the EFC. Please join us in asking MPs to halt this expansion of MAID for mental illness alone. The EFC now offers a kit showing how each of us can take action at TheEFC.ca/MAIDreview
Early Christmas Request
Does your church do something creative to serve your community at Christmas? Faith Today magazine would love to hear about it for our Nov/Dec issue. Contact the editors at editor@faithtoday.ca
This Week’s EFC Prayer Prompts
Each week at TheEFC.ca/TakeAction, we rotate through a prayer request from five areas. This week we’re praying about Palliative Care.
Pray for those at the end of life, who have received a terminal diagnosis or who have suffered a traumatic injury, and their families. Pray for our culture to be life-affirming and compassionate. Pray for our churches to be known for supporting and caring for loving those at the end of life. Pray for all Canadians to have access to high quality palliative care.
Also, we offer pandemic-focused prayer ideas we call Friday@4, which we suggest you pray through on Fridays at 4 p.m. local time. Find new ones each month at TheEFC.ca/Covid-19.
→ Consumed - A Sacred Quest 3-year spiritual growth program (Renovaré), online weekly with 2 retreats a year in Saskatoon, Sask., starts Sept. 1
→ Jesus in the City Parade, Toronto, Sept. 10
→ Perseverance: Moving Towards Greater Mental Wellness (Agora), online Sept. 10
→ Business as Mission Global Conference (BAM Global), online Sept. 15
→ Write! Canada/The Word Awards, online, Sept. 16-17
→ Canadian International Faith & Family Film Festival, online and in-person in Toronto, Sept. 16-18
→ Life Shared Summit, in-person in Toronto Sept. 22-24
→ Inscribe Christian Writers Fellowship Fall Conference 2022, Edmonton, Sept. 22-24
→ Prayer for Ukraine, Oct. 19, 11:00a.m. on Zoom, led by the EFC, Peace & Reconciliation Network, & Catch the Fire Partners, with Ukrainian leaders.
In Case You Missed It
→ Job Openings: Justice and mercy coordinator; leadership centre director of programs; pastoral leader; director of philanthropy; pastor; director of human resources; and more (FaithToday.ca/Classifieds)
→ Podcasting as a Community-Building Exercise (Faith Today article)
→ Defending Prostitution Laws (EFC website article)
→ Teen Athletes Encouraged to Meet Christian Pros (Faith Today blog)