Leprosy Mission raises $100,000
The Leprosy Mission Canada (LMC) announced November 11 that $100,000 was raised in an emergency fundraising campaign to aid the 30 million flood victims of India and Bangladesh. “Canadians immediately responded with compassion to help leprosy affected people and their neighbours, whose homes and livelihoods had been destroyed,” said executive director Peter Derrick. LMC has been working with victims of the disease since 1892 and has served thousands of people in more than 30 countries with life-changing treatment and rehabilitation.
Clemons & Friends Gospel Explosion
CFL Football players will join top Gospel music acts November 23 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for the first ever ‘Diane Clemons & Friends Gospel Explosion‘ during the CFL Grey Cup Week celebrations. ‘Pinball’ Clemons — Argos head coach and husband to Diane — and Cheryl Nembhard will be hosts. Diane has said that her husband’s “positive, happy disposition” is “grounded in his Christian faith.” Proceeds for this event will go in part to the Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons Foundation that funds the Christian Blind Mission’s Kumi Hospital project in Uganda.
Catholics oppose privatization of water
Development and Peace, the official international development organization of the Catholic Church in Canada has launched a petition to recognize water as a basic human right. They say 1.4 billion people currently lack access to drinking water and a further 2.6 billion lack access to basic sanitation facilities, which in turn has direct and harmful consequences on the levels of health, education, poverty, social development, along with gender equity in the lives of the world’s poor. The petition will be presented to the federal government in 2008.
TWU soccer success
The Trinity Western University (TWU) mens soccer team, the Spartans, narrowly missed becoming the first Canadian Inter-university Sport men’s soccer champions, when they lost a penalty-kicks shootout to the Western Ontario Mustangs November 6. TWU midfielder Nick Perugini was named the Canadian university men’s soccer player of the year and is the first Spartan to win the Joe Johnson Memorial Trophy since Trinity Western joined the CIS in 2001.
Global ecumenical gathering
The Global Christian Forum is a unique gathering of over 250 high level church leaders which, the organizers claim, is the broadest range of Christian traditions ever represented at a global meeting. They met November 6 near Nairobi, Kenya. The theme, ‘Our Journey with Jesus Christ, the Reconciler,’ addressed what Christians are called to do, together if possible, in the world today. All main Christian traditions were represented with around a half of the participants being Evangelicals and Pentecostals.
Legal challenge to BC curriculum
REAL Women, a pro-life, pro-family, non-denominational, non-profit, non-partisan, grassroots women’s advocate organization, has joined the chorus of protest over the BC provincial government’s special agreement with two homosexuals, Murray and Peter Corren, which gives them unique input into the BC educational Curriculum. Real Women has joined with others in retaining a lawyer to explore a legal challenge with the government.
United Church campaign for peace
November 4 marked both Peace Sunday and the official launch of The United Church of Canada’s two-year ‘United for Peace‘ campaign. The campaign, which will focus on education, advocacy, and fundraising, has set a financial goal of $2 million. Half of the monies raised will be designated to peacebuilding initiatives in Israel and Palestine, and the remainder will be used to support peace projects that are proposed by the United Church’s partners in Canada and around the world. It will run until December 31, 2009.
Online Catholic liturgy
The National Liturgy Office of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) has issued an online version of the 2007-2008 Liturgical Calendar. The PDF file is available here.
Youth meet MPs
My Canada, a faith based group of young leaders that seek to intercede and encourage politicians in Ottawa, is bringing together a ‘Josiah team.’ Young leaders from different parts of Canada will meet with 40 – 60 MPs and Senators during the week of November 25 – 30.
United Church moves archives
The United Church of Canada is has announced a new home for its extensive archives. In early 2008 they will move from the Victoria University campus at the University of Toronto to United Church of Canada’s General Council Office at 3250 Bloor Street West in Toronto’s west end. Currently the United Church of Canada supports a regional network of archives situated in 10 different locations throughout Canada. Nora Sanders, General Secretary of the General Council, said: “I want to assure all those who value the rich heritage of the United Church’s archives of my personal commitment, along with that of the General Council, to the careful stewardship of this unique archival collection.”
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