Your ramp is not enough
| |

Your ramp is not enough

“Where’s the lectern in your church?” It seems like a simple question, but Dr. David Pereyra has a profound point to make. Are there stairs on the way to the lectern? How high is it? Who typically reads the Bible at your church? Look around: how many people with disabilities are there? And that’s just…

The tracks of Newcastle
|

The tracks of Newcastle

Last January we found a creek down by the lake that had frozen smooth, just over three kilometres of it, perfect for skating. For a few wonderful weeks, the temperature stayed cold and skies were clear so we skated almost every day for hours. We were on the ice again by January 11 this year….

Small churches
|

Small churches

“I have to admit I’ve been putting this off,” one pastor says. “Being labelled a ‘small’ church carries with it so many connotations – you must be doing something wrong or you’d be so much bigger. There’s also anxiety about what that means for the future.” “It’s not hard to see that what were small…

From the Editor

From the Editor

One of the first articles Dena Nicolai wrote for Christian Courier was eerily prescient: “Ripe for Revolution in Egypt,” we called it. It was late Fall, 2009, and the article was based on Dena’s observations from three years of living and working in Egypt. I remember crafting the title with her and hunting for the…

The Virus Ninja
| |

The Virus Ninja

Before the pandemic, Dr. Benjamin tenOever was used to blank stares after telling people he worked in virology. But now that virus research and vaccine technology are crucial in stopping the spread of COVID-19 – not to mention prevalent in our everyday vocabulary – that has changed dramatically. TenOever no longer has to explain his…

COVID etiquette

COVID etiquette

I just started reading The Madness of Crowds, the newest Louise Penny book. It’s part of a quintessentially Canadian murder mystery series set in fictional Three Pines, Quebec. Penny’s books are beautifully written, tightly woven, plot-driven masterpieces; and she’s put out a new one every summer since 2005 like clockwork. Last year, while writing The…

After Roorda’s dismissal, CRC pastors in Canada ask Board to explain, listen
|

After Roorda’s dismissal, CRC pastors in Canada ask Board to explain, listen

,

On July 7 it was announced on the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) website that Rev. Dr. Darren Roorda had been dismissed from his position as Canadian Ministries Director by the Canada Corporation – the Canadian section of the governing body known as the Council of Delegates (COD). The news release recounts his…

Our homeschool year
| |

Our homeschool year

August 2020 The approach of September, six months into a global pandemic, is terrifyingly complicated for almost everyone we know. Will schools stay open? Are they safe? Will our kids learn enough at home? What will they miss? “They’ve decided to homeschool.” My mom is talking to a friend on the phone. “Grades 4, 8…

Onley’s insights
| |

Onley’s insights

He holds honorary degrees from 10 Canadian universities; he’s received both the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada; he’s in the Terry Fox Hall of Fame, and the town where he was born named a park after him. Yet when he answered the phone for our interview, the Honourable David Onley sounded like…

Build empathy, fight racism
| | |

Build empathy, fight racism

Who catches your eye first – the boy or the man? Brian Liu put himself in this design twice, though his adult outline is almost eclipsed by his serious six-year-old face. That photo was used on his passport when he immigrated from Hong Kong to Canada in 1993. Adult Brian, partially obscured by the collage…

Introducing our new mission statement

Introducing our new mission statement

,

“Christian Courier’s independent Canadian journalism inspires action, builds community and influences culture for Christ.” Last summer, as we were busy behind the scenes building our new website, we took a hard look at our mission statement. Printed on page 4 of every issue, you may have seen it before: “Established 75 years ago,” it said,…

‘Don’t leave your faith behind’
| |

‘Don’t leave your faith behind’

CC: You describe yourselves as “two white, American, millennial, gay and bi Christian women.” Yet your first Car Chats video is about vegetarian tacos, your favourite Harry Potter characters, music, pet peeves, personal quirks. Why did you begin your channel like that?Joey: I really wanted to bring it down to the most basic human level….