Many years ago, I developed an unhealthy bond with one of my favourite cars. It was a 25 year old BMW but I loved it immoderately! I always took it to a third generation local car repair shop called Tremblay’s…
The Bell: God and the mechanic
Category: Community
Around Town: Regent College transition, Mission Fest, Crescent Beach miracle . . .
Regent College has chosen one of its own to take on leadership of the school. Their Board of Governors announced November 3 that Dr. Paul Spilsbury has been appointed as the sixth President of Regent College. He is currently Vice…
UGM is again offering Transforming Communities Grants
Union Gospel Mission is again offering Transforming Communities Grants to help local churches support their neighbours more effectively. Leslie Rosenau-Lai, UGM Advisor, Church Relations, describes the nature of the program. Demonstrating the love of Christ, Union Gospel Mission is determined…
The Bell: Is sex sacred? It all starts with how we value human dignity
The word sacred can sound a bit dusty and intimidating. Like an old cathedral with signs everywhere saying “do not touch” and “please be quiet.” We might call something sacred if it has been dedicated to a specific religious practice or…
Around Town: Salim Munayer: Journey of Peace, Christmas fairs, Hockey Priest
The Peace and Reconciliation Network (PRN) is hosting Dr. Salim Munayer during an Advent tour of southern BC – The Journey of Peace. He will be speaking at several locations in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley December 3 –…
Around Town: First United art campaign, Halo Effect, Worship / Converge . . .
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…
Full report due soon: ‘Mental Health and Illness in Canadian Congregations’
Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries and Flourishing Congregations Institute joined forces earlier this year to survey nearly 1,000 Canadian church participants in order to determine how effectively churches are responding to people experiencing mental health challenges and illnesses Following is a part…
The Bell: When our questions are the same; thoughts after MAiD conversations
Recently I was part of a team that put together a conference on MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying). Two ministers that I know approached me and the non-profit organization with which I work, to see if we might together plan…
Around Town: The Hobbit, Not Alone, Sheets of Scattered Sand . . .
The Hobbit as a two-man show? Seems a major challenge – and Pacific Theatre’s brief description of the play doesn’t make it seem any less so: Two actors, and a dragon’s hoard of theatre magic, bring JRR Tolkien’s storytelling masterpiece…
The Halo Effect: society receives more benefit when churches not taxed
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…