New ways of being church in the twenty-first century
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New ways of being church in the twenty-first century

“What does being a church look like in the twenty-first century?” The Strays, Orphans, and Exiles podcast of Two Rivers Church based in Guelph, Ontario seeks to answer this question. They describe themselves as a diverse community of people, some “connected to church for many years,” others having left but “cautiously returning” and still others…

Hope-filled energy
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Hope-filled energy

Forbes Africa named Sandra Chukwudozie a trailblazer in their 30 Under 30 Class of 2022. Chukwudozie is the founder and CEO of Salpha Energy. “This was a company born out of a desire to tackle injustice,” wrote Forbes Africa. Salpha Energy addresses energy injustice by working towards a future where solar energy is accessible to…

Foster families urgently needed as pandemic lingers
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Foster families urgently needed as pandemic lingers

“Now, more than ever, we need to be helping our kids. If you have a spare room, consider it,” Trever Elliot says. He’s a foster provider, advocate and care home provider in the UK. “Ultimately, whatever’s going to happen with this virus,” he says, “we’re either going to get through it together or on our…

Need a Darth Vader cake pan or a backpack with binoculars?
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Need a Darth Vader cake pan or a backpack with binoculars?

Over the past year of lockdowns and restrictions, public libraries have figured out countless creative ways to continue serving their communities during a pandemic. In addition to regular lending services, libraries across Canada now offer online programming, news subscriptions and entertainment as well as curbside options such as printing services, free Wi-Fi, activities and community…

‘Countering the Throwaway Mindset’
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‘Countering the Throwaway Mindset’

Have you ever noticed that it’s cheaper to replace certain appliances than to fix them? Have you wondered what types or how much garbage your household produces? Digging into these questions can help us figure out how much of the waste we produce is preventable. And the good news is that it’s not hard! COVID-19 has irrevocably altered our daily routines. Maybe this will help speed up current trends in recycling and reducing waste, as we all figure out new methods of sustainability.

Foster Families Needed as Restrictions Lift
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Foster Families Needed as Restrictions Lift

“We remain in a state of urgent need,” Melanie McLearon of Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexion, an Ontario child welfare agency, told Christian Courier in an interview. “We desperately require new families to care for children.” “While most children in the country are dealing with the frustrations of missing their friends, a hiatus in sports seasons and closed playgrounds, others worry about the very real possibility of homelessness, abuse or neglect,” writes Chris Palusky in Christianity Today. An influx of children in some form of foster or extended family/kinship care is anticipated as the COVID-19 lockdown measures start to ease up.

Faith in Action

Faith in Action

“The right to adequate housing should not be interpreted narrowly. Rather, it should be seen as the right to live somewhere in security, peace and dignity,” according to the United Nations (UN). Certain populations face greater challenges exercising this right, the UN says, namely women, children, the displaced, persons with disability, persons experiencing homelessness, and Indigenous groups.

Dispensing Hope
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Dispensing Hope

An estimated 235,000 Canadians experience homelessness each year, roughly 35,000 each night. Last month, the federal government launched a $40 billion National Housing Strategy with a goal of “50 percent reduction in chronic homelessness over the next 10 years.” A Huffington Post article states, “It’s time to develop solutions that address the causes and consequences of homelessness as a whole.” While bigger picture strategies are at play, local efforts in Quebec are making a big impact for those in need in their downtown neighbourhoods.

Protect the Peel
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Protect the Peel

The Peel Watershed, rich in natural resources and wonders, sprawls over 68,000 square kilometres throughout the Yukon wilderness. On December 1st of last year, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of First Nations and environmental groups to commit to the Watershed land use’s Final Recommended Plan, a plan the Yukon government had threatened to “derail” after years of research and public consultation by an independent commission. Yukon Premier Sandy Silver called the ruling “a victory” and stated, “We believe that when people look back at this moment in time, they’re going to see this as the beginning of a new era, one that’s based upon reconciliation” (CBC.ca). Now there are two months of public consultation remaining; the Yukon government plans to release the Final Peel Watershed Land Use Plan in January 2019.

Sex-Ed Debate Continues
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Sex-Ed Debate Continues

In Ontario, the new Conservative government has implemented a revised interim health education curriculum, with some sections being reverted to the 1998 version, which is to be used while a province-wide consultation is underway to create new curriculum. The interim curriculum replaces material from 2015 that included information about sexting, consent and same-sex marriage.