Leafing through the fall 2023 edition of Presbyterian Connection, the denomination’s quarterly newsletter, I find plenty of stories about social justice and activism: racism, aboriginal rights, climate, poverty, hunger, sexuality and affordable housing. There’s content on church business: use of property, social media, travel tales, congregational renewal and stewardship. There’s the usual multi-page spread of … Read more
Download the entire Fall 2023 issue of Renewal News in PDF format, or read and comment on the individual articles as follows:
- A new front emerges – Opposition to Physician Assisted Suicide/MAID by Rev. Andy Cornell
- Bread in the wilderness by Rev. Sandy Copland-Dufour
- Physician Assisted Suicide: Readers respond
- Retreat needs financial support by Rev. Andy Cornell
- Go to the desert road by Rev. Dr. Joon-ki Kim
- Good news, but challenge remains
- Thanks to our Supporting Congregations!
- Become a Supporting Congregation
- Christianity and Liberalism by Rev. Andy Cornell
A new front emerges
Opposition to Physician Assisted Suicide/MAID. Like a typical town hall meeting, Renewal Cafés provide a glimpse into the mind of Christ within the evangelical wings of The Presbyterian Church in Canada. We send an invitation, accept RSVPs and open the door. The conversation then takes a life of its own. The invitation to the July … Read more
Bread in the wilderness
Dear Fellow Followers of Jesus, I recently came across a prayer/poem of Walter Brueggemann. It begins: “On our own, we conclude: there is not enough to go around, we are going to run short of money, of love, of grades, of publications…” (1) We are living in a time of “shrinkflation.” We see packaging change to accommodate … Read more
Retreat needs financial support
The Queen of Apostles Renewal Centre in Mississauga will again be the setting for our PCC Pastor’s Retreat from Nov. 6-8. Teaching will be led by Rev. Dr. Richard Topping of Vancouver School of Theology with a worship team led by Rev. James Yang and friends. The good news is that all the pieces were … Read more
Go to the desert road
Message to General Assembly during morning worship, June 7, 2023. A divine command steered Philip. As a preacher he was to go to the desert road which was not a road, in fact. But Philip followed the command with a childlike innocence and profound trust in God’s mystery. So, there he was, in the wilderness … Read more
Good news, but challenge remains
Decline slowed after increased financial support from congregations. Thanks to our faithful supporters, the decline in our finances for the first half of 2023 was not as bad as we had expected. Renewal Fellowship lost $17,288 from January to June compared to a budgeted loss of $26,552. Part of the reason for this is the … Read more
Thanks to our Supporting Congregations!
For many years, congregations have formally indicated their partnership in our ministry with a minimum annual gift of $100.00. From September 2022 to the end of August 2023, Renewal Fellowship received a total of $18,514 from 14 congregations. Amounts ranged from $100 to $3,499 in lump sums or installments. Here is a listing of supporting congregations for 2022-23 … Read more
Being a Supporting Congregation
A Supporting Congregation receives (a) the satisfaction of knowing that it is furthering the Renewal Fellowship's mission, (b) a listing among the Renewal Fellowship's Supporting Congregations for those looking for a new church, (c) priority consultation with the Executive DIrector (d) free use of the Renewal Fellowship's logo … Read more
Christianity and Liberalism
Classic 1923 text by J. Gresham Machen comes to life again. In this diverse world of ours, we live side-by-side with colleagues, friends, neighbours and even family members who hold sometimes radically different political views, lifestyles and opinions about life. The Presbyterian Church in Canada has never been wholly unified. Progressives and traditionalists have been … Read more