A Testimony to Answered Prayer
By Paul McLean. On Thursday, May 27, members of the Renewal Fellowship were asked to pray for the publication of the Hakka New Testament and Psalms on the exact day when missing verses were found and had to be corrected hurriedly to meet a deadline. … Read more
Who Are We Listening To?
By Bryn MacPhail. If The Presbyterian Church in Canada is to have any hope of resolution on the issue of homosexuality, the discussions must aim to bridge the gap between the differing approaches to Scripture, as opposed to focusing on the contrary conclusions reached by each side. … Read more
Living Churches: Emmanuel Church, Nottawa
Neal Mathers describes the three-year process of prayer, discussion, argument, planning and preparation that began in 1986 and transitioned three congregations into Emmanuel Presbyterian Church. They are committed to prayer and lay leadership, and have grown from 70 to 180. … Read more
Hath God Said …?
Dr. Edith Humphrey outlines the scriptural vision for human sexuality as a basis for her sober analysis of attempts to relativize Scripture and tradition at the point where they deal with homosexual practice as an abomination in the sight of God. She closes with reflections on a proposed rite for the blessing of same-sex unions. … Read more
Living Churches: A Celebration in Whitby
By Ron VanAuken. Celebration! Presbyterian Church began on April 19, 1992, as a mission to the unchurched. A faith mission, it is being supported by the gifts of individuals and congregations who have a vision for the renewal of the church and its mission and a desire to reach others with the good news of Jesus Christ. … Read more
Worship: A Breath of Fresh Air
By Calvin Brown. I have often been asked how to introduce new worship styles into a very conservative or tradition-bound congregation that needs a breath of freshness. The answer, of course, is “prayerfully and very carefully!” There are definitely ways in which this can be done effectively … Read more
Reverend Walter Ellis
By Ian Rennie. Walter Ellis exerted a profound influence upon Fairview Church in Vancouver BC, although he had passed away twenty years before the author arrived in 1964. He was a forebear of those in the Renewal Fellowship within the Presbyterian Church in Canada today. … Read more
1990 Annual Meetings: A Photo Essay
On March 2nd and 3rd many of us met in Knox Church on Spadina, in Toronto. Roy Bell, from Carey Hall/Regent College in Vancouver, also pictured on the cover, spoke on “Renewal in the Christian Family.” Here are a few glimpses; photos by Jack Harewood. … Read more
Evangelicals at Vancouver: An Open Letter
Although this open letter does not include everything that might be said by evangelicals about the WCC 6th Assembly – it was authored mid-way through the meetings – the general consensus of those who wrote it was that some positive things should be said even while we held continuing critical apprehensions. … Read more
Would You Know My Name? by Howard and Esther McIlveen
Reviewed by Ken Kutney. This mix of prose, poetry, theology, song lyrics, eulogy, and even a poignant letter from two girls in farewell to their deceased father is a truthful, compassionate aid for those who grieve, helping us process our losses healthfully – one of the greatest lessons in life. … Read more
Pastors (Off the Record): Straight Talk About Life in the Ministry, by Stefan Ulstein
Reviewed by Kit Schindell. Ulstein hopes that these stories of everyday pastors will help pastors and their congregations to break through the walls of professional expectation, careerism, and petty politics that keep the Church from being all that it can be in Christ. … Read more
The General Assembly of the PCUSA
By Judy MacLeod. A Canadian Presbyterian is immediately struck by the size of the gathering, the sophistication of its procedures and administration, and the complexity of the issues facing this representation of some two and three quarter million congregants. … Read more
Please Come Home. It Must Hurt a Lot. Don’t Look at Me. I Can’t Talk About It, by Doris Sanford
Reviewed by Elizabeth Zook. Multnomah Press has released four children’s books which attempt to deal sensitively with areas of potential childhood pain. … Read more
Encouragement – The Essence That Gives Us Buoyancy
By Esther Mcllveen. Children and adults alike blossom and grow when the atmosphere is full of encouragement — when we determine to seek to draw forth each other’s gifts and delight in them. … Read more
On Being Reformed: Distinctive Characteristics and Misunderstandings, by I. John Hesselink
Reviewed by J. H. (Hans) Kouwenberg. This is a fairly easy-to-read primer on the topic of what makes up the essential Reformed distinctives of the church. … Read more
A Presbyterian Lay Training Centre
Rev. Cal Brown, Convenor of the B.C. Synod Committee on Church Growth, outlines the plans for the development of a Presbyterian Lay Training School, to be located in British Columbia, with the encouragement of the National Church Growth Committee and the General Assembly. … Read more