THE EFC UPDATE - 2016.11.29
Uniting Evangelicals to bless Canada in the name of Jesus
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IN THE SUPREME COURT THIS WEEK
This Thursday (Dec. 1) the EFC and the Christian Legal Fellowship will be in the Supreme Court as co-interveners in the Ktuxana case. This case raises important questions about how religious freedom protections in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is understood and respected by governments and the courts. As always, prayers are welcome. Here are five ways to learn more:
→ Blog introducing the Ktuxana case
→ Recent letter to supporters (PDF)
→ EFC-CLF legal arguments (PDF)
→ Legal details at the Supreme Court website
→ Webinar from Oct. 20 discussing the issues TheEFC.ca/WebinarArchives
ASK YOUR MP TO CHALLENGE PORN’S IMPACT
A vote is expected in the next few weeks on whether to ask the parliamentary health committee to study the impact of easily accessible, violent and degrading sexual images online. Support is growing across party lines for MP Arnold Viersen’s motion M-47, and the motion has a chance of passing in the House of Commons. The EFC offers a sample letter you can use to ask your MP to support this motion. The EFC and Defend Dignity are hosting two special Parliament Hill presentations today for MPs about the public health impacts of pornography.
PRACTICAL VIDEO: PORN AND PUBLIC HEALTH
What’s the price of the widespread use of pornography to our society – especially on the developing brains of our young people? What can churches and parents do? Visit TheEFC.ca/Webinars to watch last week’s practical presentation by Julia Beazley, the EFC’s director of public policy, and Glendyne Gerrard, director of Defend Dignity.
HELP BLESS OUR NATION’S YOUTH
Love Is Moving, the EFC’s youth initiative, is launching a gift guide in tandem with the international day-of-giving initiative, Giving Tuesday. This gift catalogue includes opportunities to sponsor young writers and to provide free copies of Love Is Movingmagazine to students (or even to an entire church youth group for a year). #GivingTuesday is the social media hashtag and LoveIsMoving.ca/Giving-Tuesday is the link that you can use to spread awareness about the opportunity to give to this forward-looking initiative.
COMING EVENTS AT THEEFC.CA/CALENDAR
→ Entrepreneurial Leaders Conference, Vancouver, Nov. 30
→ Indonesia Mission Lunch, Toronto, Dec. 1
→ Re-Imagine Vancouver, Vancouver, Dec. 2-3
→ Threshold Ministries Advent Social, Quispamsis, N.B., Dec. 3
→ Canada Chinese Christian Winter Conference, Calgary, Dec. 27-31
→ P2C+ Student Conference, Toronto+Calgary, Dec. 28-31
ACTING TO PROTECT CONSCIENCE RIGHTS
What can we do to protect the conscience rights of Canadian doctors who have religious objections to physician-assisted suicide? Larry Worthen is executive director of the Christian Medical and Dental Society of Canada, an EFC affiliate organization tackling this issue. Read a four-page interview with him in the Nov/Dec issue of Faith Today, Canada’s Christian magazine. Or subscribe now to get a printed copy.
THREE CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE
Limited-time offer! Canada’s Christian magazine lets you give two gift subscriptions free if you buy a third subscription for yourself or someone else! Get details at our 3for1 webpage or by calling toll-free 1-866-302-3362. EFC magazine subscriptions are great for all ages, since they include both Faith Today and our youth magazine, Love Is Moving.
UNDERSTANDING CHANGES IN CHURCH AND SOCIETY
Rick Hiemstra, the EFC’s director of research, recently visited the TV show 100 Huntley Street to share new insights into the changes that Canada and our churches have been going through in recent years. Part of his visit will be broadcast on tomorrow’s episode, and another part aired last Thursday. Meanwhile Hiemstra will actually be in Washington, D.C., to attend a meeting of the Forum of Bible Agencies. You can also invite an EFC speaker to your school, worship service or other group.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
→ Now hiring (deadline Nov.30): EFC executive vice-president
→ The EFC denounces anti-religious vandalism in Ottawa last week
→ Interfaith call for high-quality palliative care (aussi en français); sample letter to write your MP
→ EFC blog post: Too Many Victims: Child neglect and the response of our churches