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Christ-centred. Creative. Canadian.
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Last week at church, a CC reader had exciting news to share: “My son picked up your latest issue!” The headline that caught his eye was "Built on faith and hockey" an interview with Henry and Linda Staal from Thunder Bay, Ontario. Their son Jordan Staal won his second Stanley Cup in June.
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"Well, he'll be excited to know we have a follow-up story in our October issue. Jim managed to get an exclusive interview with Jordan," I responded, eager to lock down a new Gen Z reader.
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Jordan Staal, captain of the 2026 Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes, is Henry and Linda’s son. When Jim asked Henry and Linda if there was a chance their famous son would have the time of day for us, they told him it was unlikely. But Jim doesn’t give up easily. As a former pastor in the Staal brother’s hometown, he reminded them, “Well I’m not really the media, am I?”
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Jim’s persistence paid off! Amidst summer training, Staal made time to chat with Jim for an hour, sharing behind-the-scenes details about a fellow player becoming a Christian and the spiritual disciplines that keep him rooted in faith. Staal closed the call with this priceless line: “I really don’t get what the big deal is about. I’m just a sod farmer from Thunder Bay.”
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It fills our hearts with joy when we hear that new readers are picking up CC – so don’t forget to leave your copy in the way of someone who needs redemptive journalism! They might start by reading an interview with a professional athlete and find themselves accidentally getting informed on creation care vs. fast-tracked pipelines.
Do you enjoy the wide range of stories we cover? Let us know! We have a reader survey running until October 20. It should take you no more than 10 minutes. Let us know what you think!
Peace,
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Did someone forward this newsletter to you?
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GOD IN THE HURRICANES' LOCKER ROOM
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Thunder Bay native Jordan Staal speaks to CC about faith, family and winning the Stanley Cup.
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Jim Dekker
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Jordan Staal not only won his second Stanley Cup in June, but he is also, at age 37, the oldest hockey player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, which recognizes him as the most valuable player of his team, the Carolina Hurricanes, in the playoffs. In a phone call in mid-July, Staal and I discussed his physical and spiritual journey over 30-some years of hockey, from his family’s outdoor rink to the NHL.
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MATTHEW HOUSE MAKES ROOM
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Alexis Jacklin
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“Getting to Canada is only the beginning,” says Kailee Brennan, Executive Director of Matthew House Ottawa. Her organization runs 26 reception and transition homes across Ottawa where refugee claimants can stay for three to six months after they first arrive. Every night more than 240 people enjoy a bed, food and family-style support thanks to Matthew House.
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PLIGHT
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John Terpstra
Sorrow
is backed up at your border
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It is another day in the life of the world
on its head
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Sorrow and need
are lined up . . .
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TOWARD CANADA KEEPS MOVING FORWARD
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Neal DeRoo
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On September 16 to 19, Toward Canada (formerly known as Toward CRC Canada) gathered in St. Albert, Alberta, for a conference entitled: Waymaking. Concerned about the Americanization of the Christian Reformed Church of North America, this expanding movement of Christian churches, organizations, missions and individuals is exploring a new association or network of Canadian churches.
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COBALT STAIN IN CHARTRES
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Katie Munnik
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That day, I’d been to Chartres to see the cathedral’s famous medieval stained glass. Legend says that the method for making this blue glass has been lost or even hidden. But this is only a legend. The recipe has been on European library shelves without interruption since the twelfth century. We can read how the craftsmen added cobalt to the melting glass to create a deep saturation because the resulting colour was in the glass.
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QUICK APPROVALS: WHAT GETS LOST IN FAST-TRACKING MAJOR PROJECTS
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Kathy Vandergrift
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In July, a federal discussion paper, “Getting Major Projects Built in Canada,” raised concerns about due process in how the Building Canada Act will be implemented. What is being lost are the essential tools of good governance that prevent the kind of abuse of power and autocratic rule we now see south of the border. Trust in Mark Carney or Pierre Poilievre right now does not justify making it easy for an autocratic leader to seize near-absolute power in the future. This path will erode public trust in government decisions, which is already low.
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We love hearing from you: what you love about CC and what you'd change. Take our reader survey! It takes 10 minutes and you'll even have the option to give us a story idea for 2027.
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If you're a digital reader thinking, "I wish I knew why the majority of CC readers answering the survey say they love reading in print" why don't you subscribe and see if you prefer it too? For the price of a cup of coffee, you get a 24-page issue of Canadian journalism. It's almost as stimulating as the caffeine!
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