First United Church is in the midst of a major redevelopment – and they want to make sure the final result visually represents the local community. The church has been serving their Downtown Eastside neighbourhood for nearly 140 years. Here…
Cardus released a report November 12 which all pastors and church leaders should keep tucked away somewhere. In the face of increasing demands that churches should be taxed, ‘Why Religious Tax Exemptions Benefit All Canadians’ provides a convincing argument that…
A new book and a just-released study offer some fascinating insights into the positive role of religion in Toronto – and suggest some avenues for exploring the role and value of local congregations in Vancouver. Revisiting ‘Toronto the Good’ demonstrates…
This is my second round-up of 2024, covering 11 newly published books from the local Christian community. Again there is a range of topics. The write-ups are generally from Amazon and publisher / author sites. I often begin with academic…
Deb Judas is woman of many talents – retreat facilitator, soul care practitioner, Neighbourhood Value Pastor at The Neighbourhood Church (in Metro Vancouver) and Director of Formation with Forge Canada. And author. Last fall, Cultivating Shalom, (WestBow Press) was published.…
The church is resilient, not fragile. There are signs of decline, but also of renewal. Religious congregations contribute billions of dollars to the good of our nation. Such are the findings of two recent studies by WayBase and Cardus, and…
Church-goers know the many benefits of participating in a congregation. Outsiders might not be convinced – and sometimes even feel that churches (mosques, synagogues, temples) are parasitic and should be paying taxes. Now there is a good way to assess the…
This comment first appeared in the April issue of the Tamarack Institute’s online magazine Engage! The Tamarack Institute highlights research and stories which encourage community change and help to end poverty. One of the significant challenges that community development faces today…
Cycling through Nepal. True, it’s hard to come up with a venture less ‘around town.’ But a film about the ride will be shown locally in November – so look for a date. It will be worth watching. Six riders…
A new study estimates the value of religion to Canadian society at $67 billion each year. A September 21 article by Tyler Dawson in The Vancouver Sun described ‘The Hidden Economy: How Faith Helps Fuel Canada’s GDP’: Even as the…