A publication of the Renewal Fellowship

Channels

Introducing Channels Magazine

The Renewal Fellowship within The Presbyterian Church in Canada was founded in May 1982, and during the next year, plans were made to begin a magazine to reassure isolated and sometimes discouraged Presbyterians in Canada who wanted renewal that they were not alone. Word associations with media, communication, and television channels resonated with the old hymn, “Channels only, blessed Master”, and suggested the name Channels. And so, Channels – intended to be an instrument of blessing for The Presbyterian Church in Canada – debuted in the fall of 1983.

Over the next 23 years, some 66 issues were published. Channels succeeded in placing the Renewal Fellowship within a broader national and international context. Publishing articles written by internationally known authors such as Eugene Peterson, James I. Packer, Michael Green, Darrell Johnson, and John G. Stackhouse Jr. helped members of the Renewal Fellowship to realize that they were a part of a much wider movement.

Recognizing the high quality of this magazine prompted a desire to make a digital archive of all 66 issues. Each article is presented in text format, and at the bottom, a searchable, downloadable PDF copy of the issue opens at the page where the article originally appeared. Enjoy!

Ecumenism

The 6th Assembly of the WCC: An Evangelical Appreciation

By J.H.(Hans) Kouwenberg. The 6th Assembly of the W.C.C., meeting in Vancouver, B.C. July 24-August 10 this year was such a rich, diverse affair that it is hard for those of us who attended to gather our impressions together. Hence the narrow focus of this article. One of the significant and interesting strands in the tapestry of the ecumenical movement is the growing awareness of and appreciation for the renewed evangelical movement in the church of Jesus Christ. … Read more

Reviews Worship

A Consumer’s Guide to Preaching, by Jay Adams

Reviewed by Blaine W. Dunnet. Here is a book for your church library. No! It is a book for every worshipper in your church. Put it in their hands, librarians. It is subtitled “How to Get the Most Out of a Sermon.” Preachers expend energy in the preparation of sermons, but did you know that as a listener you must expend energy too? The author, Jay Adams, claims that his book is the only one devoted to genuine concern for preaching from the listener’s point of view. During Sunday lunch have you ever found yourself saying: “I couldn’t get the drift of the sermon” … Read more

History

The 1999 Annual Meeting

Photos by Jack Harewood. Brian Stiller, President of Tyndale Seminary and College was the plenary speaker, pictured on the cover. In spite of the snow, a warm of time of fellowship, learning and worship was enjoyed by all on March 5 and 6 at Bridlewood Presbyterian Church, Scarborough, Ontario. … Read more

Daily Faith Youth

Culture College

By Dwight Strain. Culture College is an imaginative program that involves the maximum number of youth and the minimum financial and human resources. This Waterloo North Presbyterian Church program targets different age groups with programs such as instrumental music, wood carving, baking, cooking, and model building. … Read more

Biography History Mission

Celebrating Our Cross-cultural Evangelistic Missionary Heritage: The Centenary of James Ira Dickson

By Rev. Dr. A. Donald MacLeod. The tireless efforts of James Dickson, a Canadian Presbyterian missionary, were seminal in the advancement of Christianity in Taiwan, especially among the hill tribes. His wife, Lillian Dickson, began the Mustard Seed Mission, emphasizing sturdy church buildings, adequate child care, orphan protection, and vocational training. … Read more