Prayers of the world unite

The annual 'Week of Prayer for Christian Unity' taking place January 18 - 25 is a worldwide expression of the ecumenical movement, seeking to heal divisions within the church. It promotes dialogue among churches and Christian communities and encourages Christians everywhere to better understand and reflect the implications of "one Lord, one faith, one baptism." The theme for the 2009 event comes from Ezekiel 37:15-28: "That they may be one in your hand." To help coordinate the week, BlogTalkRadio will offer praise and worship each morning, followed by 15 to 30 minutes of preaching by representatives from various denominations and continents.

WEA pleas for peace

The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), of which the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada is a member, has issued a call for peace in Gaza, urging all members of the WEA to pray for God's peace to reign in the Holy Land: "This appeal for peace by the WEA leadership is made on behalf of all those affected by the conflict, both Israeli and Gazan residents alike. May the God who gives peace to all who ask, grant this request to the populations living in Israel and Gaza."

New date, new place

MissionFest Toronto has announced both a new location and a new date for its major annual gathering. This year's event has the theme 'For His name's sake' and will take place at the International Centre April 16 - 18. The keynote speakers will be Tony Campolo (Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education), Shane Claiborne (The Simple Way), Benjamin Devadason (SIM Canada), Charla Pereau (Foundation for His Ministry, Mexico) and Chris Marantika (Vision Indonesia 1:1:1).

I dream of a mechanical goat

'Do you Dream' is a North Korean awareness night and benefit concert to be held January 24 at the University of British Columbia. The aim is to raise $4000, the cost of one 'VitaGoat' -- a machine that produces enough soymilk to feed about 1,000 children per day. The evening will include video clips about North Korea, performances of traditional and contemporary Korean culture, and a presentation by speaker Susan Ritchie, the founding director of First Steps. As of last November, First Steps is providing soymilk to more than 70,000 North Korean children daily. First Steps is a registered Christian humanitarian organization.

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Cash for research

The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada's Centre for Research on Canadian Evangelicalism is looking for research proposals on the growth, development and mission of transdenominational and extra-denominational evangelical ministries and networks in Canada. The deadline for proposal applications is June 22. Grants will be awarded for amounts between $3,000 and $20,000.

Witness on the web

Dozens of churches around the world, including Canada, are planning to participate in a 'missions trip' that will bring Christ and his message to a huge community where the gospel is rarely welcomed. Nearly 2,000 teens have signed up for the 'Online Missions Trip' with the goal of "bombarding" popular social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and Twitter with stories about God February 1 - 14. Pre-trip training on how to effectively get messages about Christ out using social networks began January 4 and will continue until January 31. -- ASSIST News Service

Rocket rocks!

December's Charisma magazine featured well-known former NFL receiver Raghib 'Rocket' Ismail. According to the magazine, Ismail appears in reality TV programs and "helps his wife with her Christian recording company." Ismail accepted Christ at a Leon Patillo concert at age 13.

Novalis hires no ordinary Joe

Novalis, Canada's leading publisher of religious books and resources, has hired Joseph Sinasac as its new publishing director. Sinasac has been with the Catholic Register since 1995, serving as publisher and editor. At Novalis, he will oversee the development of a strategic plan for English language publications.

January 15/2009