The EFC Calls for Prayer for Saskatchewan Tragedy
The EFC offers its condolences to the families and communities who lost loved ones in the shocking violence that devastated the James Smith Cree Nation, the village of Weldon and surrounding communities in Saskatchewan last week. We pray for God’s comfort and presence as loved ones mourn and as communities begin the slow process of healing. We encourage all Canadian churches and Christians to join in prayer for those impacted by this tragedy.
Defending Prostitution Laws
The EFC has submitted written arguments in support of the 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 is submitting 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.
Faith and Mental Health (Faith Today article)
Markku Kostamu writes about how his church community has helped him live well and even flourish with bipolar disorder in this Faith Today feature article.
Sign up at FaithToday.ca/SubscribeFree for a Faith Today print subscription to read more articles like this. Print subscribers should find the Sept/Oct Faith Today in your mailboxes soon. Anyone 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 and ask 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 as children go back to school, we’re praying about Education.
The classroom is an important place for children to learn about the nature of the world and their role in it. All education is based on an understanding of the world and what is ultimately important; in other words, all education is based on faith beliefs of one kind or another. A secular worldview, which restricts religion to private life, has become the prevailing framework of many public school systems.
Pray for parents, who have primary responsibility for nurturing and educating children. Pray also for teachers and for them to be respectful to other points of view beyond a secular worldview.
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.
→ Preventing/responding to sexual misconduct by church leaders (New Leaf, MCC), online Thursdays: Sept. 8 to Oct. 6
→ 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
→ Nationwide Prayer for Ukraine (EFC, Peace & Reconciliation Network, Catch the Fire Partners), online, Sept. 19, 11:00 a.m. Eastern
→ Women Together Mentoring Course, online Tuesdays from September 20 to October 25
→ Life Shared Summit, in-person in Toronto Sept. 22-24
→ Inscribe Christian Writers Fellowship Fall Conference 2022, Edmonton, Sept. 22-24
→ Rencontre au sommet / French online prayer – L’Alliance évangélique du Canada (Evangelical Fellowship of Canada), en ligne/online, Sept. 26
→ Central Canada Preacher’s Refresher – Timothy Trust, Landsdowne, Sept. 26-28
→ Faith Driven Entrepreneur and Investor Conference – Trinity Wealth Advisors, online or in-person in Toronto or Ottawa, Sept. 28-29
→ Redeemer University’s 40th Anniversary Celebration Weekend, Hamilton, Sept. 30-Oct. 1
→ Redeemer U. 40th Anniversary Concert: DOE + Paul Baloche, Hamilton, Sept. 30
→ Victorious Festival 2022, Toronto, Sept. 30
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)
→ Redeeming Evangelical (Faith Today article)
→ Defending Prostitution Laws (EFC website article)
→ Teen Athletes Encouraged to Meet Christian Pros (Faith Today blog)