Many supporters of local ministries and churches will Ride for Refuge on Saturday.
While some are Walking the Wall (see accompanying story about International China Concern) many others will be Riding for Refuge. Groups all over the Metro Vancouver area, and across Canada, will be on their bikes raising money for a variety of good causes this Saturday morning (September 29).
The Vancouver ride involves 893 participants, 121 teams, 26 charities and 81 volunteers. Already, as of Wednesday night, they have raised 82 percent ($247,492) of their joint $300,000 goal.
One ministry, Journey Home, which serves newly arrived refugee claimant families, hosts this Ride for Refuge, as well as having several teams registered which look set to raise tens of thousands of dollars.
Teams represent a wide range of ministries, but here are a few team names: Fairview Ratanak Riders, Saddles for Soya, Dragons on Fire for Kinbrace, Willingdon Roadrunners, Wheelie Polite Cyclepaths and Easy Riders.
PDWRF for CFGB
You have to be good with acronyms – though not necessarily Anglican – to join this group. PWRDF stands for Primate’s Relief and Development Fund (this is where it helps to be Anglican – ‘Primate’ is another name for the Archbishop of Canada).
Here’s why they’ll be riding:
This year funds raised will go to increase PWRDF’s equity in the Canadian Foodgrains Bank whose objective is to end world hunger. . . .
Funds will also be directed for microfinancing programs provided by the two PWRDF partners in Guatemala, Madre Tierra and Ixmucane. These organizations were established at the time when Guatemalans were refugees in Mexico in the 1990s. They have been partners of PWRDF in the spirit of accompaniment since then as Guatemalans returned to their home country.
They are led by women with the chief objectives of building basic sustainable livelihoods for women and their families while providing supports to promote leadership and empowerment of women.
The Vancouver Ride for Refuge actually starts from Richmond Christian School, with staggered start times depending on how far you will be riding, or even walking.
The Forest Archive (aka Jason Wood)
I have hosted several comments by and about Jason Wood and his work with Earthkeepers: Christians for Climate Justice over the past few years. His abiding concern for the environment remains, but he has stepped back from Earthkeepers for the time-being and is in the midst of crowd-funding for his first album.
Friends and supporters can help Wood record A Garden Green (“grassroots folk worship, inspired by the Psalms”) on FundRazr. At the time of posting this story, $4,615 of the $7,500 goal had been pledged. The deadline is October 1.
Wood, who runs Red Clover Farms in the Downtown Eastside, said this about the project:
As a farmer, I spend a lot of time thinking about plants and seeds and what it takes for them to flourish. The right combination of water, sunlight and soil makes the farm I tend come alive with juicy raspberries or humongous zucchinis. There are few things as energizing as standing amid the farm in full bloom, surrounded by the abundance of the earth’s harvest. To know: I’ve been part of this flourishing – I planted these seeds, I watered them – and yet it’s so much bigger than me at the same time.
A Garden Green
Last year as I was reading through the Psalms, certain phrases began to stick out to me, particularly from a portion of the Psalms called the Songs of Ascents. These are the songs pilgrims would sing as they made the journey up toward Jerusalem and its temple, the place in which they believed YHWH had chosen to dwell with them.
Listen to some of these words: “From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me. Let all Israel repeat this: From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me, but they have never defeated me.” Or again: “Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.”
Each of the Songs of Ascent is quite different. Some groan with longing, some give thanks for the LORD’s deliverance, some celebrate resilience, and still others express ongoing commitment to the well-being of Jerusalem. But through them all is a common theme: What does it mean to flourish as a people? As such, they transcend the modern tendency to spotlight the individual, present even in much of today’s worship, and instead invite us to a corporate response of faithfulness and hope in the God who acts for the flourishing of the world.
Over the last year, meditation on these Songs of Ascent has inspired me to write my own collection of songs. I wanted to attempt to capture the heartbeat of these ancient Psalms, while translating them to language and music that felt fresh and alive. For me, that meant drawing on the energy and instrumentation of grassroots folk – think guitars, banjos, mandolins, and the like. . . . I wanted to create songs communities praying and working for the flourishing of their own places could sing together – simple and catchy, while at the same time deep, thoughtful and true.
If you want to check out Wood’s music in person, he will be performing with a couple of other people during Music Night at Jacob’s Well in the Downtown Eastside this Friday (September 28).
TWU’s modular housing
A September 24 Business in Vancouver article pointed out that a new “modular wood-frame residence at Trinity Western University is the tallest in Canada”:
With thousands of names on waiting lists for student housing at British Columbia universities, the skyrocketing demand in an already crowded and expensive rental market has inspired an innovative solution at Trinity Western University (TWU).
The private Christian liberal arts university in Langley, BC, did something recently that no other university in Canada has ever done. The school hired Metric Modular, a B.C. based modular builder, to build the tallest wood-framed modular student housing complex in Canada.
The entire five-storey structure of Jacobson Hall was completed in just nine months, adding housing for about 220 students who moved into their new residence in September, just in time for school.
With a total enrolment of about 4,000 students, TWU only had on-campus housing available for less than 25 percent of its students.
“The university needed more beds, and they needed them quickly,” said Rodger McLean, Senior Manager of Innovative Solutions for Metric Modular.
For the full (sponsored) article go here.
Santa Ono at Tenth
UBC president Santa Ono
I follow UBC president Santa Ono on Twitter, so I know how much he gets around. Very energetic person! So it is good to see that he makes quite a bit of time for churches in his schedule.
This Sunday (September 30) he will speak four times(!) on servant leadership at Tenth Church – three at the main building in Mount Pleasant and once at their Fraser Street location.
Ono spoke at all the Tenth services last September as well.
Last week he spoke at Origin Church on the UBC campus, and on the 14th he and Tenth pastor Ken Shigematsu addressed a full house at UBC’s Chan Centre for Chapel UBC.
Sep 2018
Mark Noll: Christians & Politics Lecture Series – September 26, 2018 - September 27, 2018 at All DayCLF National Conference – September 27, 2018 - September 30, 2018 at All Day
Journey with God Retreat: Facilitated by Leah Kostamo – September 27, 2018 - September 29, 2018 at All Day
The Convergence: An Ishmael and Isaac Reunion – September 27, 2018 at All Day
Symposium on Religion, Law & Human Rights – September 27, 2018 at 7:00 am - 8:00 pm
Mark Noll: Triumphs of Anglo, American & Canadian Christian Politics – September 27, 2018 at 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Allegory in Narnia, or being Edmund and finding Jesus – September 27, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Mark Noll: Tragedies of Anglo, American & Canadian Christian Politics – September 27, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Ignite (awesome worship night) – September 28, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Jason Byassee: Prophetic Listening – Listening to God, One Another & the Neighbourhood – September 28, 2018 - September 29, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Music Night at Jacob's Well – September 28, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Voice of Thunder Prophetic Conference – September 28, 2018 - September 29, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Ride for Refuge: Journey Home Community – September 29, 2018 at 7:00 am - 12:00 pm
MinistryLift: The Trust Bubble – September 29, 2018 at 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Walk the Wall Vancouver – September 29, 2018 at 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Healing School with Jamie Rauch – September 29, 2018 at 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sale of Used Theological Books – September 29, 2018 at 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Happy 21 Years Worship Invasion! – September 29, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm
Faro – September 29, 2018 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Dr. Santa Ono: Servant Leadership (four services) – September 30, 2018 at All Day
Vancouver Life Chain – September 30, 2018 at 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Jazz Vespers: Ben Lockwood – September 30, 2018 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Oct 2018
Jonathan Kuttab: Hope for Change in Palestine / Israel – October 1, 2018 at 3:30 pm - 5:30 pmJonathan Kuttab: New Thinking for Post-Oslo Palestine Challenges & Opportunities – October 1, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Jonathan Kuttab: The Holy Land – International Law & Scriptural Perspectives – October 2, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Reduce the Demand for Buying Sex – October 2, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Steve Trullinger: Father's Touch – October 2, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Reduce the Demand for Buying Sex – October 3, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Edith Krause: Adam/Adamah – October 4, 2018 - October 5, 2018 at All Day
ACTS Seminaries Open House – October 4, 2018 at 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Kim's Convenience by Ins Choi – October 4, 2018 - October 6, 2018 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Forever and Ever, the Christian Musical – October 5, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
A Skeptical Look at Atheism with Dr. Andy McIntosh – October 5, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Chris Woods' Way of the Cross Painting Seminar – October 6, 2018 at 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Creation: The Cardinal Truths & the Wonder of Hearing with Dr. Andy McIntosh – October 6, 2018 at 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
The Intricacies of Flight with Dr. Andy McIntosh – October 6, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Homelessness Action Week – October 7, 2018 - October 13, 2018 at All Day
Creation and Biblical Infallibility with Dr. Andy McIntosh – October 7, 2018 at 9:00 am - 10:30 am
Creation and the Cross with Dr. Andy McIntosh – October 7, 2018 at 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
An Evening with Ari Sorko-Ram – October 7, 2018 at 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Jeremy Benjamin: I Am Not My Own – October 7, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Connecting the Ends (part of Homelessness Action Week) – October 8, 2018 at 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Webinar: Renegotiating Faith – October 10, 2018 at 9:00 am - 10:00 am
Missions Pastors Roundtable Discussion – October 10, 2018 at 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Anglicanism & Indigenous Spirituality (Wednesday evenings) – October 10, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Inklings Institute of Canada: Book Night: The Tao of Right and Wrong – Rediscovering Humanity’s Moral Foundations – October 10, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Colleen McLaughlin Barlow: Whale Dreams – October 11, 2018 - November 16, 2018 at All Day
Kairos Course (Thursday evenings, plus Nov 23-24 weekend) – October 11, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Sharing Stories with Indigenous People (Thursday evenings) – October 11, 2018 - November 1, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Windows into Heaven: Epiphany Sacred Arts Guild 15th Anniversary Exhibition – October 12, 2018 - October 20, 2018 at All Day
Elevate Conference 2018 – October 12, 2018 - October 13, 2018 at 6:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Life on the Margins Workshop – October 12, 2018 - October 13, 2018 at 6:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Saturate Everyday – October 12, 2018 - October 13, 2018 at 6:30 pm - 2:30 pm
The Marriage Course (Friday evenings) – October 12, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Revival Meeting with John Razz – October 13, 2018 - October 14, 2018 at All Day
Wonder Worship Conference – October 13, 2018 at 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
DivorceCare (Saturday mornings) – October 13, 2018 - November 17, 2018 at 10:15 am - 12:15 am
Supreme Court Decision in the TWU Law School Case: Implications – October 13, 2018 at 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Alzheimer Café – October 13, 2018 at 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Blessing of the Animals – October 14, 2018 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Jazz Benefit Concert for Homeless Action Week – October 14, 2018 at 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Village Missions Funraiser – October 14, 2018 at 5:30 pm - 9:00 pm
A Night of Worship with Martin Smith – October 14, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Journey 101 (Tuesday evenings) – October 16, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Bruce Hindmarsh: Re-enchanting the Universe – Evangelicals & the Rise of Science – October 16, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Dao Zi: Turning Blood into Ink – October 17, 2018 - November 16, 2018 at All Day
Dao Zi: Turning Blood into Ink – Opening Reception – October 17, 2018 at 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Craig Allert: Early Christian Readings of Genesis One – October 17, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Our Children, Our Future: Educating for Tomorrow – October 17, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The Global Leadership Summit – October 18, 2018 - October 19, 2018 at All Day
Dao Zi: Blood & Ink – a Chinese Christian Vision for the Arts – October 18, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Ken Shigematsu Book Launch: A Survival Guide for the Soul – October 18, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
The Wolves by Sarah DeLappe – October 19, 2018 - November 10, 2018 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Disciple-Making Movements: Why Not Canada? – October 20, 2018 at 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Adam Robert Thomas & Band – October 20, 2018 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Alongsiders Update with Craig Greenfield – October 21, 2018 at 12:45 pm - 2:30 pm
Taizé Contemplative Service – October 21, 2018 at 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
C2C Network Celebration Evening – October 22, 2018 at 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
New Hope Annual Gala – October 22, 2018 at 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The Game of Love and Chance – October 23, 2018 - November 3, 2018 at All Day
Experience Regent for a Day – October 23, 2018 at 9:45 am - 4:00 pm
Myron Penner: The Bible, Science & Human Flourishing – October 24, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Dmytro Bintsarovkyi: Union with the Unknown – John Meyendorff on the Essence-Energy Distinction – October 25, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Dr. Caroline Leaf – October 26, 2018 - October 28, 2018 at All Day
Into the Neighbourhood – October 26, 2018 - October 27, 2018 at 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
NightShift 12th Annual Gala of Light – October 26, 2018 at 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Hallelujah Night – October 26, 2018 at 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Ignite (awesome worship night, special speaker, refreshments etc) – October 26, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Y2Y Nite of OMF Heart for Asia Conference – October 26, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
City in Focus Breakfast with L'Arche: Transformation Through Togetherness – October 26, 2018 at 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Jacob Moon – October 26, 2018 at 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
MinistryLift: Responsible Discipline – October 27, 2018 at 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
OMF Heart for Asia Conference – October 27, 2018 at 9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Right Here, Write Now – October 27, 2018 at 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Ember – October 27, 2018 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm