donate

November 24, 2015

23 November 2015

THE EFC UPDATE - 2015.11.24
Together for influence, impact and identity

Sign up to receive the EFC Update via email every Tuesday to keep up with current news from The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

EUTHANASIA DECLARATION GROWS: ADD YOUR SIGNATURE
An EFC joint statement on euthanasia and assisted suicide has grown to more than 1,200 signatures. This 900-word declaration says “any action intended to end human life is morally and ethically wrong” and calls our federal government to improve palliative care. You can add your signature. This declaration was co-published by the EFC and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops on Oct. 28.

REFUGEE HIGHWAY PARTNERSHIP MEETS
EFC staff from our Middle East Refugee Resettlement Initiative will participate in a Refugee Highway Partnership Summit taking place Nov. 25 in Hamilton, Ont. RHP North America is a Christian network that connects and mobilizes leaders, churches and organizations to effectively engage with refugees. If you are interested in attending, get details. You may also want to read the news story “Evangelical Churches Stepping up to Refugee Crisis,” the latest post at Blog.FaithToday.ca.

HOW CAN EVANGELICALS BLESS CANADA?
“Uniting Evangelicals to bless Canada in the name of Jesus” is the revised mission statement of the EFC. President Bruce J. Clemenger explains in a recent interview at theEFC.ca/blog (reposted from the latest issue of Canada Watch).

UNDERSTANDING TRENDS IN CHURCH AND SOCIETY
Download a free, informative, 80-slide presentation on Canadian church and faith trends by EFC Director of Research Rick Hiemstra. It comes from a seminar he gave at the Fellowship (Baptist) National Conference earlier this month (the conference webpage also includes audio recordings of event keynote presentations by Thom Rainer and Steve Jones). Consider Rick Hiemstra or another EFC speaker for your group or church at theEFC.ca/speakers.

COMING EVENTS AT THEEFC.CA/CALENDAR 
→ Adoption Awareness Month, nationwide, Nov. 1-30 
→ Our Samaria: Cross-Cultural Church Planting in Canada, Toronto, Nov. 27-28 
→ First Sunday of Advent, Nov. 29 
→ Diaspora Church Planting in Canada, Toronto, Dec. 4-5 
→ Urbana Missions Conference, St. Louis, Dec. 27-31

IS THE EBOLA CRISIS OVER? WHAT DID WE LEARN? 
“I can’t answer why someone survives and someone else doesn’t, because that’s within God’s sovereignty. What I can do, though, is respond,” says Dr. Azaria Marthyman, a B.C.-based medical internist who volunteered to help treat Ebola patients in Liberia. An article in the Nov/Dec issue of Faith Todayshares the reflections of various Canadians involved in fighting the outbreak of that deadly disease. Preview the story at FaithToday.ca/digital.

3-FOR-1 GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS!
Faith Today, Canada’s Christian magazine, has an amazing Christmas offer to make your gift shopping easier. Give a gift that will help your loved ones be better connected, informed and equipped by giving them a subscription to the national magazine of The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. Details at FaithToday.ca/subscriptions or toll-free 1-866-302-3362.

CONTINUED PRAYER NEEDED
The EFC continues to call Canadians to pray and to show respect and kindnessto neighbours of all faiths after the terrorist attacks in France and elsewhere.

TAMING THE CHAOS OF CHRISTMAS
The Christmas season can be a time of love, joy and peace if we don’t let holiday plans overload us, writes Tammie Burak at the EFC website Christianity.ca, Canada’s Christian library online. She uses the acronym NEWSTART to remind herself about the importance of Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunshine and more during the busy advent season.