The urgency of dealing with climate change has been sidelined by COVID-19, but A Rocha has been active both locally and on the international scene to retain focus on issues related to our environment. A Rocha Canada is offering the…
Last Sunday (September 20) was a momentous day for three Vancouver churches. All closed their doors, but each will retain a presence, though in quite distinct ways. Bethlehem Lutheran Pastor Fred Rink led a decommissioning service for Bethlehem Lutheran Church,…
Gordon T. Smith: Wisdom from Babylon: Leadership for the Church in a Secular Age (InterVarsity Press, 2020) Gordon Smith’s new book has received praise from several quarters – including from David Fitch, which pretty much assures quality – but I…
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…
UBC’s board of governors announced August 11 that Santa Ono has been appointed to a second five-year term as president and vice-chancellor. On the 20th, Vancouver School of Theology principal Richard Topping interviewed him on issues related to leadership and…
For the past 50 years the annual MCC Festival for World Relief in Abbotsford has raised funds for uprooted and vulnerable people around the world. This year, thanks to the pandemic, the September 19 – 20 event will be a…
Taylor, an 18 year old, tech-talented youth from Maple Ridge, is no stranger to hardship and pain. She’s had challenges with identity and acceptance, spent her life juggling two households, and barely graduated high school. Her mental health was constantly…
Now that young people are returning to school, is it time for the provincial government to loosen restrictions on places of worship? Dr. Bonnie Henry has stated that “Keeping schools closed has a cost well beyond education.” But she has…
When everything is ‘unprecedented,’ it’s tough to choose just a few highlights for an Around Town column after taking a two-month summer break (which was very pleasant). Thus I have just decided to focus on several law-related stories, news of…
Last week we wrote about how Vancouver churches are responding through community food programs to the physical and spiritual hunger that COVID-19 is exacerbating. Prior to the pandemic, approximately one in 10 households in British Columbia were experiencing inadequate or…