National Housing Day 2016: A call to prayer

In the spirit of the 2013 Joint Assembly Declaration, we call on members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) and the Anglican Church of Canada (ACoC) to pray for safe, affordable and adequate housing for all on November 22, National Housing Day.

Gifts for Mission: Install a solar suitcase in a health clinic

Women in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa face a range of challenges during childbirth. One of the most significant is a lack of electricity that powers critical equipment—a loss that can strike at the most critical moments. During a 2008 trip to Nigeria, Dr. Laura Stachel, an obstetrician-gynecologist, , witnessed night-time deliveries that were often … Continued

Advent Devotions 2016

October 31, 2016 All this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has giving us the ministry of reconciliation. – II Corinthians 5:18 Dear sisters and brothers in Christ: Today in Lund, Sweden, the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church will inaugurate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. … Continued

Congregational development: ‘To be a witness to the kingdom’

The following is part of an ongoing monthly series on congregational development, which features reflections from Anglicans on how they are responding to the challenges facing churches today. Whether at the local level or higher, the notion that the church faces a crisis today is a commonly held belief across many Christian denominations. As congregational … Continued

Gifts for Mission: Help in the battle against suicide

The epidemic of suicide casts a shadow over many Indigenous communities across Canada. Young people are particularly at risk, with First Nations youth being five to seven times more likely to take their own lives than non-Indigenous youth, according to Health Canada. The need to prevent future suicides and to heal grieving communities prompted the … Continued

Theology of Money resource tackles economic ‘idolatry’

The Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011 brought economic inequality and its attendant social ills to the forefront of public conversation, marked by its language of the ‘99 per cent’ and the wealthiest one per cent. Five years later, the questions raised by the movement continue to resonate. Within the Anglican Church of Canada, the … Continued

Diocese of Kootenay funds education on Aboriginal health-care barriers

Unique challenges face many Indigenous people seeking access to health-care services in Canada. Systemic racism and other forms of discrimination form a poisonous cocktail that creates barriers to treatment including a disregard of Indigenous voices and lived experiences. This can impact the quality of care and discourage many Aboriginal people from pursuing care at all. … Continued

Pray for Aleppo

“I am praying, in fact I am screaming at God to send his holy angels to protect the city. I rail at Him to please intervene”[1]. So read an urgent appeal for prayer for the people of Aleppo, which I received yesterday. How timely as the Church keeps the Feast of St. Michael and All … Continued

Congregational development: On the importance of leadership

The following is part of an ongoing monthly series on congregational development, which features reflections from Anglicans on how they are responding to the challenges facing churches today. More than any other factor, the Ven. Christopher Pappas sees effective leadership as the single most vital quality of developing parishes and congregations. “We need good clergy … Continued

Companions on the Way begin year of monastic life with sisterhood

Five young women are blazing a new path forward as inaugural participants in the Companions on the Way program. They have officially commenced a year in residence living alongside members of the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine (SSJD) at their convent in Toronto, Ont. On Sunday, Sept. 11, the sisters, joined by Bishop Linda … Continued

Intercultural ministry program expands to new locations

As British Columbia and Quebec join the growing list of locations hosting the Deepening Understanding for Intercultural Ministry (DUIM) program, Anglicans across Canada are invited to broaden their horizons and perspectives of ministry. Organized by the Canadian Churches Forum for Global Ministries (CCFGM), DUIM is a five-day ecumenical gathering that offers clergy and lay leaders … Continued