Canada

Since its founding in 2010 Destination Church has found it easy to share the gospel around food.  This approach to gospel witness has informed how we approach our diaconal work as a community.  Seeing the increase in food insecurity in St. Thomas has prompted us to take several actions.  

What does it mean to live inside Jesus’ story?  The novelist Margaret Atwood has said that in the end, we will all end up as stories.  For those of us claimed by the love of God made flesh in Jesus, it is Jesus’ story that determines and guides our own. 

In a sermon titled ‘Life Draped in Hope’, the Rev. Dr. Willie James Jennings offers helpful insights into what it means to live inside the story of Jesus.  

“To bring justice to the children who never made it home is to be able to identify who they are, bringing peace to the families and truth about the children’s passing,” said Kúkpi7 Rosanne Casimir of the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc.  

On May 27, 2021 Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc confirmed an unthinkable loss—the remains of 215 children who were students of the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc is the home community of the largest school in the residential school system. 

Am I strange or have you also left a website open in your browser just because you couldn’t bear to close it?  For five months after the event ended, I kept the EventBrite page open and I smiled every time I saw it.  This open tab reminded me of the amazing time of preparation for and the celebration of the Broken Walls concert held on Sept. 30 (The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation) in Belleville, On.

In recent months, several headlines have pointed to the alarming number of refugee claimants struggling to secure housing in major Canadian cities, often leaving them relying on overburdened shelters and being forced to sleep in the streets. These headlines stand in stark contrast to Canada’s reputation as a country that is welcoming to newcomers.While there are many programs in place that provide a fulsome welcome to resettled refugees, there are significantly fewer resources, and more barriers for those submitting a refugee claim in-country. 

Back in World War Two, the United States military had a problem: many of their bombers were being downed by the German counter-air defence. Numerous American flight crews were dying. A solution was devised to add more armour to the planes. However, this slowed them down and made maneuvering difficult. So, the military decided to add increased armour to only the wings and fuselage. This made sense because when the bombers returned from intense fighting in Europe, these were the most bullet-riddled areas.

"The craftsmen of Solomon and Hiram and workers from Byblos cut and prepared the timber and stone for the building of the temple." 1 Kings 5:18

"Charity, a word that comprises love and justice, may well be the most sublime of all Christian virtues."- Diana Butler Bass

In the face of an imminent environmental crisis, a powerful climate justice movement is rising from the heart of faith communities across Canada.

Worship that has integrity refuses to divorce praise of the Creator from love of creation. Hands that are raised in praise of Creator God must seek to also reach out in actions that defend the welfare of creation. Anything less risks expressing empty words of adoration devoid of committed action.

Child poverty is on the rise in Canada, putting over 1 million kids at risk