Largest Research Collaboration Yet: Parenting Faith Will Help Ministries and Parents
Seventeen Canadian ministry organizations and denominations have been partnering over the past few years on a research project with the EFC Centre for Research on Church and Faith – the largest EFC research partnership so far! This month they published Parenting Faith: Faith Formation of Children in the Home, which presents uniquely Canadian research on what helps and hinders the transmission of faith from this generation of parents to their children. Download the free report, executive summary (aussi en français), key findings summary and more at TheEFC.ca/ParentingFaith.
EFC Research Profiled in Podcast on Rural Ministry
EFC research is being discovered and profiled outside of Canada’s borders. Researcher Lindsay Callaway was a guest on the Rural Renewal Podcast to highlight the small church research study Significant Church recently published by the EFC Centre for Research on Church and Faith and 11 partner organizations. She discussed with Vermont pastors Kathleen and Chris Blackey how to prepare for the unexpected opportunities in rural ministry.
EFC President Attending Yom HaShoah Ceremony Today
At the invitation of the National Holocaust Monument Committee, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, and the Embassy of Israel, EFC President David Guretzki attended a ceremony in Ottawa this morning commemorating Yom HaShoah, observed as Israel’s Day of commemoration of the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. A recording of the ceremony should be available at Facebook.com/CIJAinfo.
Ignite Prayer Summits—Kelowna Signup Deadline Today, Calgary Event Livestreams This Thursday
Christians in four regions are holding Ignite Prayer and Worship Evenings this April and May to pray for unity, spiritual awakening, church vitality and healing. Earlier the same day, pastors and other church leaders will gather in a seminar to focus on cultivating a strong culture of prayer in each local church.
For those who can't attend in person, livestream will be available for the Calgary evening prayer and worship summit only, 6:30-9 p.m. Mountain time (8:30-11 p.m. Eastern) on April 20 at cschurch.ca/ignite.
Here are updates for the four locations:
→ CALGARY (April 20, Centre Street church) - Registration is still open for the seminar-only option. Dinner registrations have closed. The evening of prayer and worship (6:30–9:00 p.m., with doors open from 6:00) is open to the public and no signup is required.
→ KELOWNA – The Kelowna seminar-and-dinner registration and seminar-only registration are both still open (April 28 event at Trinity Church).
→ REGINA - Register by this Thursday for the Regina seminar-and-dinner (May 5 event at Regina Apostolic Church).
→ OTTAWA - The Ottawa summit on April 14 drew over 300 attendees.
There are no fees for the events including the meal, although advance signup for the meal is required. Co-hosts include the EFC, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association of Canada, National House of Prayer, Peace & Reconciliation Network, and Vineyard Canada.
For more details and to register for an afternoon seminar/dinner, visit TheEFC.ca/Ignite.
Growth and Cooperation Behind Ignite Prayer Summits (Faith Today Podcast)
Canadian prayer networks have flourished in the past two or three years. In the latest Faith Today Podcast, three national leaders address how their networks developed and how they have come to cooperate for initiatives such as Ignite Prayer and Worship Summits. This episode includes Chris Byberg (National House of Prayer), Roger Helland (EFC) and Dale Winder (Billy Graham Evangelistic Association).
Palm Sunday in Jerusalem (All Things Reconciled blog)
The annual Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem was held this year amid heightened political unrest and violence. Salim Munayer, a resident of Jerusalem and regional coordinator for the Peace and Reconciliation Network, reflects on the experience in the latest post at FaithToday.ca/AllThingsReconciled.
Protection of Vulnerable Canadians: The EFC and WEA Raise Issues at UN
The EFC and the World Evangelical Alliance are calling for better protection of persons with disabilities in Canada, for prostitution laws to be upheld, for protection for children from online pornography, and for conscience protection for healthcare professionals. The EFC and the WEA jointly submitted a brief to the UN in its review of human rights in Canada. The brief asked the UN committee to hold Canada to international standards on religious freedom, sexual exploitation and persons with disabilities. Read the brief.
Hastened Death for Mental Illness Delayed – But Needs to Be Stopped
A bill has passed delaying the expansion of assisted dying for mental illness until March 2024. The justice minister introduced Bill C-39 to give doctors more time to prepare. The EFC welcomes the delay but does not believe a delay is enough. The EFC is asking for MAiD for mental illness to be stopped altogether.
The EFC supports a new private member’s bill that would reverse the law allowing MAiD for mental illness alone. MP Ed Fast introduced Bill C-314 in the House of Commons in February. See the EFC’s letter of support and a sample letter you can use to contact your MP at TheEFC.ca/C314.
EFC Staff Speaking in Sask., B.C., Ont.
EFC President and CEO David Guretzki is a convocation speaker on April 22 at Briercrest College & Seminary in Caronport, Sask. The following weekend, he is speaking at Vernon House of Faith in Coldstream, B.C., and at First Baptist Church, Kelowna, B.C. on April 30.
EFC Senior Ambassador and President Emeritus Bruce Clemenger is speaking at First Baptist Church in Barrie this Sunday, April 23.
Interfaith Conference on Politics and Religion Coming May 7-8
EFC Senior Ambassador Bruce J. Clemenger and EFC Director Of Research Rick Hiemstra will be speaking at the upcoming Our Whole Society Conference being held May 7-9 by the Canadian Interfaith Conversation. Participants will explore how to address the causes of division within our society and how to foster dialogue, justice and find common ground in Canadian civil society along with academic, community and religious leaders. The registration page includes more details (two days of keynote addresses, plenary panels, workshops and lunches for $125). Student rate is $65. There’s an online option with limited access. In-person events are at Martin Luther University College, Waterloo, Ont.
Adding Basketball Hoops to a Church Parking Lot
Have you ever considered using your church’s parking lot as a place for young people to hang out and play basketball? Learn about this creative idea from North Kildonan Mennonite Church, Winnipeg.
Sign up at FaithToday.ca/SubscribeFree for a print subscription to read more articles like this. A sampling of articles from the latest issue are also available at FaithToday.ca.
Three New Articles Now in French // Trois nouveaux articles traduits
Don’t miss our latest French translations. From the upcoming Apr/May issue of Canada Watch, there’s the lead story about challenging hastened death for minors, a feature on why we measured the faith-related activities of 3,000 children, and a roundup of news from Parliament Hill.// Ne manquez pas nos dernières traductions en français. Traduit du numéro d'avril/mai de Canada Watch, vous trouverez l'article principal sur la contestation de la mort accélérée pour les mineurs, un article sur la mesure des activités liées à la foi de 3 000 enfants, et un résumé des nouvelles de la Colline du Parlement.
Regardez TheEFC.ca/actions-evangeliques.
This Week’s Prayer Prompts
This week’s prayer request is about collaboration.
As a national association, the EFC plays a unique role in promoting collaboration among churches, ministry organizations and higher education institutions. Pray for our work with other evangelical ministries and leaders to collaborate for good. Pray also for unity among the church, as Jesus’ followers and for them to be known by their love, as we work out our common calling and service together, as salt and light to those around us.
Catch up with some of the EFC’s latest initiatives in this area at TheEFC.ca/Collaboration (click “What’s Happening”).
This week's EFC affiliate highlight focuses on OMF Canada. OMF Canada is a global fellowship of Christians with a heart for East Asia.
You can always find the week’s prayer prompts at TheEFC.ca/TakeAction.
→ Survey: Young Christians Want Church Action on Creation Care (Tearfund), online/Vancouver, Apr. 19; online/Toronto, Apr. 20
→ Ignite Prayer Summit, Apr. 20, Calgary/online; Apr. 28, Kelowna; May 5, Regina
→ Running an Alpha Program Q&A (Alpha Canada), online, Apr. 20
→ Hold Me Tight Couples Weekend Workshop (Shalem), Hamilton, Apr. 22-23
→ Secularism and the Pursuit of Transcendence: A Church & Culture Conference, Hamilton, Apr. 27
→ Business as Mission Global Summit (BAM Global), online, Apr. 27
→ Awakenings: Disruption in the Life of the Church (Missio Alliance), online/Evanston, Ill., Apr. 27-29
→ Hopeful Living in an Anxious Age (Grandview Church), Kitchener, Apr. 28-29
→ Redeeming Money (Kingdom Advisors), Langley May 2, Edmonton May 4, Toronto May 11
→ Canadian Sexual Exploitation Summit (Defend Dignity), online, May 3-5
→ Ontario Christian Home Educators Connection Conference (includes New to Homeschooling Intro Session), Hamilton, May 4-6
→ Apologetics Canada Leadership Summit, West Guilford, Ont., May 5-7
→ Missions Fest Alberta, Edmonton, May 5-7
→ Scripture and Theology Colloquium (Wycliffe College), Toronto/online, May 5
→ Faith Igniting Creativity: A Christian Writing Conference (SCW/TWG/Inscribe), Surrey, May 5
In Case You Missed It
→ Job Openings: pastor (Montreal, Brampton, Toronto, Ottawa, Sault Ste Marie); Montreal director of leadership programs; and more (FaithToday.ca/Classifieds)
→ Churches and the Conscription Crisis, 1917-1918 (Faith Today column)
→ Imagine There’s a Heaven (Video of Commissioning Address by New EFC President)
→ We Are Those Who Mourn (All Things Reconciled Blog)
→ MAID Roundtable Including EFC President