THE EFC UPDATE - 2015.01.12
Uniting Evangelicals to bless Canada in the name of Jesus
Sign up to receive the EFC Update via email every Tuesday to keep up with current news from The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
NEXT WEBINAR: CLERGY WELLNESS
Registration is now open for the next free EFC webinar, to be held Jan. 20, 2016 at noon Eastern Time. What is the state of mental and emotional health of our clergy in Canada? What does wellbeing look like in a busy pastoral life that is often full of demands and ripe for burn-out? How can churches care better for their ministry leaders? Bring your questions and concerns to our experts from Shalem Mental Health Network and Wycliffe College. Get details and register today at theEFC.ca/webinars.
THE EFC ADDRESSES ISSUES ON TV SHOW
EFC President Bruce J. Clemenger is a featured guest this week on the half-hour program Jim Cantelon Today. Tune in or plan to record the channel Vision TV at 11:30 a.m. today (Jan. 12, Sanctity of Life), tomorrow (Jan. 13, Religious Freedom) and Thursday (Jan. 14, Canada's Aboriginals/Truth and Reconciliation Commission).
WIN A FREE RETREAT FOR YOUR PASTOR
Nominate your pastor for a rejuvenating retreat. One winner in each province! Details on this Faith Today contest in English at FaithToday.ca/contest or en français à FaithToday.ca/concours.
EUTHANASIA DECLARATION: FROM 2,000 TO 10,000?
Will you join the call to protect vulnerable Canadians and improve palliative care? Sign the Declaration on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide at euthanasiadeclaration.ca! Reaching a target of 10,000 signatories by February 6 will demonstrate to federal and provincial legislators that there is cross-Canada support for limits to euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. This declaration was developed in October by the EFC and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and has just surpassed 2,000 signatures.
EUTHANASIA LAW: MORE TIME FOR PARLIAMENT?
The EFC was in the Supreme Court yesterday as the federal government made its request for more time to produce new legislation on assisted suicide. EFC President Bruce J. Clemenger reports at theEFC.ca/blog.
EFC SPEAKER IN CORNWALL, ONT.
The EFC’s Rick Hiemstra will be speaking in Cornwall, Ont., this Sunday at Fellowship Baptist Church, an EFC affiliate congregation. He’ll be giving a presentation on church and faith trends in Canada and preaching on the sanctity of human life and physician-assisted suicide in the Sunday morning service. Consider inviting an EFC speaker for your group or church at theEFC.ca/speakers.
COMING EVENTS AT THEEFC.CA/CALENDAR
→ Training for Adoptive and Foster Parents (first of nine weekly sessions), Edmonton, Jan. 12
→ Earlybird Deadline for EFC Quebec Prayer Summit, Jan. 15
→ Marriage and Chronic Illness, Calgary, Jan. 15
→ A Climate for Change: Paris and Beyond, Toronto, Jan. 16
→ Missional Community Seminar, Mississauga, Ont., Jan. 16
→ Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Jan. 18-25
→ Romans: Understanding Paul’s Theology for Today’s Church (first of eight weekly sessions), North York, Ont., Jan. 18
→ EFC Clergy Wellness Webinar, online, Jan. 20
IMPROVING OUR INFLUENCE FOR CHRIST
Do you want to start the new year better connected, informed and equipped? Subscribe to Faith Today, Canada’s Christian magazine, published by The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. Subscriptions now also include our free new youth magazine, Love Is Moving. Our free trial offer gives you two issues at no cost before deciding on a subscription. Details at FaithToday.ca/RiskFreeor toll-free 1-866-302-3362.
LATEST POSTS AT BLOG.FAITHTODAY.CA
→ Film crew reports from the frontlines of a Syrian refugee camp, by Luke McKee
→ Memories of the Christian Brethren, by John G. Stackhouse, Jr.
IS YOUR CONGREGATION AN EFC AFFILIATE?
Congregations that affiliate with the EFC take a public stand for religious freedom, collaboration for ministry effectiveness, and the importance of bringing biblical principles to issues of Canadian law and public policy. Join hundreds of other congregations from more than 40 denominations at work in “uniting Evangelicals to bless Canada in the name of Jesus” at theEFC.ca/affiliate.
SUPPORT OUR YOUTH
Have you seen the new magazine Love Is Moving, published by the EFC’s new youth initiative? It’s written by youth to encourage each other to put faith into action. You can add your encouragement (whatever your age) by uploading a photo of yourself to any public social media channel using the hashtag #loveismoving. We’ll uses these photos in an animated Love Is Moving mosaic we are building to highlight the collaborative character of this movement (see a one-minute video). Pass along this invitation – and the link to our latest issue – to some Christian youth in your church.