This week while making my way to UBC I came to a brief but dangerous standstill on 41st Avenue. In the approach to Cambie a driver had straddled two lanes and was stopping, starting, then stopping again and again. What…
While most denominations and churches implemented Dr. Bonnie Henry’s new COVID-19 guidelines for last Sunday’s services, at least one did not. Last Thursday (March 10), Dr. Henry said churches could immediately return to full capacity and that face masks were…
Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t seem to have heard much about the Vancouver Plan lately. I hadn’t heard a peep about the second stage of the process – ‘Envision the Future’ – which apparently began last October and…
One of the streets being created around the new St. Paul’s Hospital complex will be named after Nora Hendrix – a founder of the Black community’s first church (and grandmother of Jimi Hendrix). Vancouver City Council approved the proposal from…
On the evening of October 1 the north face of Vancouver City Hall was lit up with green lights, to kick off Islamic History Month celebrations. A couple of days later, Vancouver’s online opening ceremony featured several Indigenous welcomers and…
United Way of the Lower Mainland is making a special effort to find out how church communities are doing during the COVID-19 pandemic, and offering support for churches/people who want to help out in their communities. Many churches have organized…
One highlight at last weekend’s Missions Fest was hearing from a couple of city officials about how Christians, and faith groups in general, can have a better rapport with their city. The How Can We Inspire City Officials with God’s…
There are always so many good workshops at Missions Fest that it’s hard to choose where to go. This year – Friday and Saturday (January 31 – February 1 at the Vancouver Convention Centre) is no exception. But there’s one…
City hall usually seems to have already made up its mind by the time we hear about its various initiatives. But Vancouver Plan looks like a real opportunity to have some input. The City of Vancouver is asking all its…
In the 15 years I’ve been helping churches and municipalities engage with one another, I’ve never been more hopeful that genuine dialogue is keenly desired on both sides of the table – nor more convinced that time is running out…