THE EFC UPDATE - 2016.05.31
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PRAYER REQUEST: TWU LAW SCHOOL APPEALS
The next legal battles over a proposed law school at Trinity Western University (an EFC affiliate) will be heard this week in British Columbia (June 1-3) and next week in Ontario (June 6-8). The EFC is intervening again jointly with Christian Higher Education Canada to support religious freedom in Canada. Please pray for all involved in the hearings. Lawyer Geoffrey Trotter will be presenting oral arguments in B.C. on Friday, and lawyer Albertos Polizogopoulos will present in Ontario. Both are appeal cases, and likely to be appealed one last time next year to the Supreme Court of Canada.
ASSISTED-SUICIDE BILL: TWO URGENT ACTIONS
Bill C-14 is expected to move to the Senate this week. The House of Commons has added supportive language about conscience protection into the bill, but it still lacks strong, specific support to protect health care providers and institutions. Action 1: Call Senators from your province this week to ask them to include strong, specific conscience protection. Get details, including tips for contacting government, at the EFC’s Urgent Action page. Action 2: This Friday, June 3, is the last day to sign the Declaration Against Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. The declaration opposes euthanasia and assisted suicide, and calls for conscience protection and improved palliative care. Now is your last chance to join your voice with almost 25,000 others!
PORNOGRAPHY: A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS
Watch a recording of our May 24 webinar on how we can help our families and communities to resist sexual exploitation. It features Julia Beazley, EFC director of public policy, presenting an overview of the problem of pornography and its connection to human trafficking. Beazley argues porn is not just a moral issue between an individual and God. She also points to a number of hopeful signs for needed social change in this area.
COMING EVENTS AT THEEFC.CA/CALENDAR
→ Women of Grace Retreat, Huntsville, June 3-5
→ Umbrella Conf. on Disabilities, Calgary, June 3-4
→ Equipped for Exc. Human Resources Seminar, Oakville, June 3
→ Christian Peace Officers Conf., Moncton, June 3-4
→ Writing Workshops, Kelowna, June 4
→ Salon du livre chrétien évangélique, Montréal, June 4
→ EFC Town Hall, Moncton, N.B., June 6 (see description below)
→ EFC Ambassador Paul Hilsden, Barrie, Ont., June 12
→ Free EFC Webinar: Youth and Church, June 16 (see below)
→ World Refugee Sunday, June 19 or 26 (see description below)
→ Write Canada, Toronto, June 23-25
WORLD REFUGEE SUNDAY, JUNE 19 OR 26
We are currently in a global refugee crisis. The United Nations has designated June 20 as World Refugee Day. Join others around the world to commemorate the strength, courage and resilience of those who have suffered under this crisis. Resources including videos, posters and images for screens and projectors from Mennonite Central Committee Canada and RefugeeHighway.net are available to help you include this in your worship service June 19 or 26.
NEXT EFC WEBINAR: YOUTH AND CHURCH
Why do young people leave the Church? Why do they stay? It’s been five years since Hemorrhaging Faith: Why and When Canadian Young Adults are Leaving, Staying and Returning to Church was released by The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada and several partners. You are invited to dig back into the research with us during our next free webinar, Thursday, June 16, 2016 at noon Eastern Time. Are youth still leaving? Are they coming back? What worked? What didn’t? What can your church do now to keep this generation of young people? Add this to your calendar now.
COMING TO MONCTON, JUNE 6
EFC President Bruce Clemenger and Don McNiven, the EFC’s director of affiliate and donor relations, will be conducting a “Town Hall”-style meeting in Moncton June 6 at 7 p.m. AST, hosted by Hillside Baptist Church (an EFC affiliate). Topics including euthanasia and religious freedom and their impact on the church and society. Local EFC affiliate churches have been sent formal invitations, but anyone is welcome to attend.
MEET YOU IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
Don McNiven, the EFC’s director of affiliate and donor relations, is visiting New Brunswick and Nova Scotia the week of June 6. His itinerary also includes Alberta in July, Ontario in August, PEI and Nova Scotia in September and Ontario in October. He would be delighted to visit with supporters in those places to discuss the programs of the EFC and current research initiatives. Email him or call 416-902-9110.
TROUBLED TIMES AT GOSPEL FOR ASIA
Faith Today editor Karen Stiller looked into allegations of spiritual abuse and financial mismanagement that have been swirling around one of the world’s largest mission agencies for the past two years. She shares what she found in the May/June issue.
“SPRING” FAITH TODAY ON SOMEONE YOU LOVE
Want to order a subscription for someone to Faith Today, Canada’s Christian magazine? It makes a great gift that lasts all year. Faith Today, the EFC’s bimonthly magazine, helps readers to be better informed, equipped and connected! As an added bonus, subscriptions now also include our free new youth magazine, Love Is Moving. Details and ordering online or toll-free at 1-866-302-3362.
LATEST POSTS AT FAITHTODAY.CA/BLOG
→ How a correspondence ministry helps inmates know Jesus, by Rosemary Redshaw
→ Pornography most common sexual sin of Christian men, by Kirk Giles