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EFC Update Newsletter May 3, 2022

03 May 2022

Parents Invited for Study on Faith Formation

Are you a parent with children under 18? You can help churches better understand how you pass your faith to your children. The EFC has teamed up with 15 other groups to learn about the experiences of evangelical parents and the role that faith plays in the home. Survey participants can win one of three $250 Amazon gift cards. Click here for the survey in English or French.

Pastors Navigating Medical Assistance in Dying: Faith Today article

When physician-assisted suicide, also known as Medical Assistance in Dying or MAiD, first became legal in Canada in June 2016, the media focused on individuals, but less attention was focused on their surrounding community. Our May/Jun feature article is Part One of a two-part serious that interviews clergy, chaplains and spiritual care professionals as they grapple with the spiritual and ethical reality of participating, even from a distance, in physician-assisted suicide.

Human Trafficking Penalty Should Not be Reduced: EFC Brief to Government

The EFC has asked the Justice Committee not to allow conditional sentencing, or house arrest, for a human trafficking-related offence. In a short written submission on Bill C-5, the EFC urged the committee to treat human trafficking as the grave human rights violation that it is and not to treat it as a less serious offence.

Becoming a Trauma-Friendly Church

Our cities, towns, neighbourhoods, schools, workplaces and, yes, churches are filled with people who have experienced large and small traumas. These invisible scars have rippling and significant repercussions on us and the people we do life with. Could your fellowship become more equipped to help in this area, to embody the hope of Jesus’ reconciliation and to embrace God’s ministry of reconciliation?

The Peace & Reconciliation Network in with trauma therapist Brenton Diaz invites you to join a mini-course on becoming a Trauma-Friendly Church. Learn more at FaithToday.ca/Reconciling.

Podcast: Thank You. I’m Sorry. Tell Me More

Thank you. I'm sorry. Tell me more. They are such simple phrases, but they carry a lot of meaning. Author, psychologist and pastor Rod Wilson unpacks them for us in this latest Faith Today podcast and shares some practical tips on how to do all three well.

New EFC Job Opening at LIM Magazine

The EFC is looking for an innovative, creative person to fill a part-time position of marketing and community relations coordinator for Love Is Moving, Canada’s young adult magazine. The role involves promoting and facilitating initiatives that network and support the creative and spiritual lives of Christian young adults in Canada. Application deadline is May 13. Learn more at TheEFC.ca/jobs.

Faith Today Readers, Please Take Our Survey

Faith Today, Canada’s Christian Magazine, wants to hear from our readers. What are we doing well? What would you like done differently? Take our reader survey, and you could also win one of 10 coffee-shop and bookstore gift cards. You can visit www.FaithToday.ca/ReaderSurvey.

This Week’s EFC 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 religious freedom. Pray for freedom to worship in places around the world where that freedom is restricted. Thank God for the freedom of religion we currently enjoy. Pray for boldness to follow God’s calling to be salt and light. Pray for our nation to allow religious communities to exist and flourish.

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

This week's EFC affiliate highlight focuses on Open Doors Canada, which is strengthening persecuted Christians in more than 70 countries. The organization provides Bibles, Christian resources, church training, emergency aid, and more. In Canada, it works to raise awareness of global persecution, mobilizing prayer, support and action among Christians.

Covid-19 continues to 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 

→ Church Hurt and Healing with Christine Hoover (Married to the Minister/Karen Stiller), online, May 3
→ City Impact Tour (City Mvmt, WayBase) – Ottawa May 3, Montreal May 5, Brampton May 10, Waterloo May 11, London May 11, Hamilton May 12, Toronto May 19, Burlington May 26, Regina May 31, etc.
→ Pastor’s Conference (Ambrose University), Calgary, May 5
→ World Evangelical Alliance Business Coalition webinar, online, May 6
→ Unite 2022 (Jesus Collective), online/Oakville, May 5-6
→ Marriage Enrichment Retreat (FOTF), Huntsville, Ont., May 6-8
→ Canadian Christian Communicators Association annual conference, online, May 10-13
→ EFC Prayer Gathering for Educational Institution Affiliates, online, May 11
→ Kentro Relief and Development Forum 2022, Mississauga, May 11-13
→ Beautiful Gospel Conference 2022 (INIM), online/New Mexico, May 11-14
→ FamilyLife Weekend Getaway Marriage Conference, Moncton, May 13-15
→ Watercooler Break for Communications Workers (CCCA), online, May 13
→ Ending Poverty Together Workshop (Food for the Hungry), online/Burlington, Ont., May 14
→ Perseverance: Moving towards Greater Mental Wellness (Agora Network), online, May 14
→ Tyndale Preaching Conference 2022, Toronto, May 24
→ New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale, New Hamburg, Ont., May 24
→ Impact Conference (City Dream Centre), Surrey, B.C., May 27-28

In Case You Missed It

How to Help Those Affected by the Russia-Ukraine War (EFC blog post)
Awards for Faith Today Work in 2021 (Faith Today blog post)
“What Are You Free to Do Because Your Dream Died?” (Faith Today podcast)
Challenged by Climate Change (Faith Today article)
Christian School Grateful for Quebec City Expansion (Faith Today blog)
Bill to Protect Minors from Pornography Gets EFC Support (EFC brief on Bill S-10)
Human Trafficking Penalty Should Not be Reduced (EFC submission on Bill C-5)