CC: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your new job? Henderson: My name is Carl; I started in June 2024 as the executive director here at Friendship Ministries Canada (FMC). We create spaces for inclusivity and accessibility for people with disabilities all over Canada to experience faith, friendship and belonging. It’s…
Last August, Toronto immigration lawyer Paul Vander Vennen was honoured with the Bikila Award for Professional Excellence for decades-long service with the Ethiopian community. The award is named after marathoner Abebe Bikila, the first African to win an Olympic gold medal. Paul is the son of Mary, a splendid concert pianist and therapist, and the…
CC: Where is the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) in the landscape of the global church? Are we having the same conversations as other Christians around the world? Charles Oh, Philippines (Attended in-person): From where I stand, the CRC is definitely part of the broader conversation in the global church. We’re talking about social justice, poverty…
In his book, Daniel Bowman Jr. describes wanting to crawl out of his skin when someone touches him without warning at church. Altar call, coffee hour and “popcorn prayers” are equally hard – a “gauntlet of unspoken rules and expectations requiring vigilant navigation” (p.112). We asked Bowman to elaborate on what churches can do differently….
Some time ago, Nandy Heule, now based in Ottawa, Ontario, purchased the painting ‘Cowboy Landscape,’ from Timothy deVries, a painter in Hamilton whom she had met at First Christian Reformed Church in Toronto. After reconnecting by email in July 2024, Timothy invited Nandy to participate in an art collector interview. Following a number of questions…
Bruce Adema was the Director of Canadian Ministries for the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) from 2006-2012. He pastored two churches after that, then retired from CRC ministry and, in January 2024, started working as Executive Director for the Henri Nouwen Society. Christian Courier’s Editor spoke with Adema recently about his new role…
CC: How would you summarize the key decisions made at Synod 2024? What was the overall mood (or tone), in your impression? Rev. Al Postma: Summarizing is difficult as there were many items on the agenda. Specifically regarding the discussion on sexuality, my impression is that Synod 2022 was primarily about the Christian Reformed Church’s…
At the end of January, Alberta’s government implemented a set of policies that require schools to communicate more with parents about sexual orientation and gender identity issues. Teachers in the province now need to give parents notice before covering any human sexuality topics. Students under the age of 15 also need parental permission if they…
Jonathan Boone is vice principal at Vernon Christian School and a frequent Christian Courier writer. As discussions about parental rights continue to unfold in our communities this school year, we reached out to Jonathan to talk about some of the underlying issues – trust, justice and healthy communication. Christian Courier: What topics in your courses…
Canadian artist Amanda Le Blanc is creating a series of hyper-realistic watercolour images of crucified birds, embodying the hurt church has caused. “Even though it is immediately very jarring and visceral, what can come out of the conversations around these pieces can be very hopeful,” she said. Le Blanc graduated Redeemer University as an art…
In this interview, John Vanderstoep spoke on behalf of a new initiative advocating for more – and perhaps full – independence for the Canadian side of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC). This is a debate that regularly gets addressed in Christian Courier (CC)’s pages. Operating autonomously from any denomination, CC is, without taking sides, the…
This past year, CBC News reported a story of a Newfoundland senior who received a panicked call from her grandson, saying he was arrested for drug possession and needs to be bailed out of jail. Jane, the grandmother, agreed and confirmed a payment of $58,000 over the phone. One major problem . . . the…
|
Uploaded
Failed
|
 |
