Moderator, in my brief time before the court, I will provide several reasons to vote against these remits. I will demonstrate that they will not bring peace to our divided denomination. They will not advance the Kingdom. And they are not in God’s will. I will approach this from three points of view: theological, practical, … Read more
Jesus is alive and well, and active even in the life of a confirmed New Ager, Buddhist, Tarot card reader, and astrology devotee. Unlike most New Agers, Gabriele knew that there was a higher being, a God in charge of the universe. … Read More
We love what’s new – cars, homes, clothing, technology. It’s what fuels the entertainment industry and the news business. It explains the vast success of the Internet, social media, fashion and entertainment industries, and our appetite for news. It also (partially) explains why many in the church are so vocal in their campaigns to change … Read more
A year ago, in the June Record, I shared about the 2014 Encouragement Road Trip I took through Western Canada. Because the trip was so well received and because the support of individuals and churches exceeded the expenses by a good margin, I floated the idea of a trip east this year. The response was … Read more
The Canadian vernacular has several expressions, such as paradigm shift, watershed or game changer to describe a significant alteration in life. Things will now be radically different. The Christian Church has long contended that the historical shift in human existence is Jesus’ resurrection. Jaroslav Pelikan, a renowned historian, expressed this truth thus: “If Christ is … Read more
NOTE: The roots of renewal are in our congregations. We hope that sharing the brief story of a vibrant congregation may be encouraging to you. Zion, as it’s commonly referred to in PEI, has been serving its congregation for the past 172 years. There has been a distinguished cadre of senior ministers occupying its pulpit … Read more
The articles that were published online by the Renewal Fellowship from 2008 to 2016 are indexed on this page. … Read More
In January of 2012, I attended one of a series of roundtable discussions that Gordon Haynes conducted across the country on the issues facing the church in the next 10 years. What impacted me the most was the introductory comment by Gordon indicating that there are already on file precisely 16 similar reports to the national church dating from 1964 on, indicating that change needs to happen in the Presbyterian Church in Canada to reverse our declining membership … Read More
I had the opportunity to hear Rodger Nishioka (Associate Professor, Christian Education, at Columbia Theological Seminary) speak this past fall. One story he told was about a research interview he did with a woman who lived in an apartment building across from a church. She told him that nothing that happened there had any effect on her life. She said that if that local church ceased to exist, it wouldn’t make any difference to her. Dr. Nishioka then challenged us to think about whether … Read More
Renewal Fellowship’s Living the Name prize has been awarded annually since 2010 to Knox College students who show interest and promise in evangelism and mission. Congrats to this year’s recipient, Sonia Brulé. We invited her to share her testimony as she begins her call to ministry. Sonia Brulé My name is Sonia Brulé and I … Read more