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Unshakeable faith
The Langley Times published a July 16 front page profile of Gary Stevenson, the Campus for Christ
worker who was badly injured November 8, when a bomb wrapped as a present was
left on his doorstep. The article focused on the faith of Stevenson and his
wife Lynda. They spoke of the peace God gave them; their gratitude that Gary
survived, and no one else was injured; their conviction that God will use the
evil incident for good; and their forgiveness of the perpetrator. It is still
not known who planted the bomb, or why.
A monk’s miracle?
The Catholic Church is investigating a healing in Vancouver, after Peter
Andersen inexplicably recovered from flesh-eating disease in July 2008 when he
was in a coma and expected to die. Andersen began to recover after his priest,
John Horgan, visited him and placed a relic of a 19th century monk, Blessed
Marmion, on his head, heart and diseased leg. Against the odds, Andersen has
almost fully recovered, to the point of being able to walk and drive. If the
church declares Andersen’s recovery a miracle through Marmion’s intercession, the monk will be canonized.
Fundraiser for fugitive
Almost 100 people gathered for an indoor barbecue at First Lutheran Church in
Vancouver July 17. The event was a fundraiser for Mikhail Lennikov and his
family, to help with living expenses and mounting legal costs. Lennikov, a
former KGB agent who is under threat of deportation from Canada, is being kept
in sanctuary by the church. Peter Julian, MP for Burnaby-New Westminster, was
in attendance.
A good Cry
The Cry (www.thecry.ca), an interdenominational prayer movement of young
Canadian Christians, is hosting a major prayer event in Vancouver August 15.
Some 5,000 people are expected to gather at Lumberman’s Arch in Stanley Park from 9 am to 7 pm. Worship will be led by Heather Clark,
Sandy and Russ Rosen and Tracy Rahn. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has sent a ‘letter of blessing’ to be read at the event. The crowd will be invited to move into the city for a
prayer walk after the gathering. A pre-event launch will be held 7 pm August
14, at Glad Tidings church; an arts outreach and a closing service will take
place August 15.
The bus stops here
A July 10 unanimous Supreme Court of Canada ruling against bans on political
advertising is good news for Bus Stop Bible Studies, the ministry says. Bus
Stop Bible Studies, which seeks “to see Bible studies sponsored and placed inside every bus, streetcar and subway
car in Canada,” has until now been denied approval to post its short studies in Mississauga,
Ont., and throughout B.C. The July 10 ruling concerned BC Transit bans on
certain political ads.
Teacher charged
Martin Careen, 49, a popular teacher at St. John Brebeuf, a Roman Catholic
secondary school in Abbotsford, has been charged with one count of inviting a
young person to sexual touching and one count of communicating via computer to
lure a child. The charges relate to email and cellphone communications with a
female student reported to police in April. Careen has been placed on paid
administrative leave by the school and is scheduled to appear in court August
6.
Mennonites worth studying
On June 24, the University of the Fraser Valley signed an agreement with the
Mennonite Faith and Learning Society to establish a Centre for Mennonite
Studies at the university. The centre would encourage research and study of
Mennonite beliefs, traditions and contributions. Mennonites originated as a
persecuted Christian sect in Europe in the 1500s. A quarter of the population
of Abbotsford are now considered religious and/or cultural Mennonites.
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Take the Night Shift
Night Shift, a front line street ministry helping the homeless in the Whalley
area of Surrey, is asking for worship musicians to come out any night of the
week to help with its evening services. Worship is done outdoors under a big
tent, where food is served and then a message is given. There is a sound
system, but musicians are asked to bring their own instruments. Contact:
nightshiftministries.org
Servants fight slavery
Former Christian Heritage Party leader Ron Gray has a new passion. “Human trafficking and sexual slavery are going on today, right here in Canada,” he writes. “Imagine what you would do if your daughter were held captive and forcibly raped,
day after day.” Gray is urging concerned individuals to support Servants Anonymous Society, a
Surrey ministry which provides shelter, safety and education for victims of
trafficking. Contact: 604-590-2304 (ext 229), or sasurrey.ca
Chaplains needed
Retired pastor Howard Hayden of Port Coquitlam wants churches to take up the
slack for health care cutbacks that affect seniors’ care home chaplains. He envisions various denominations establishing a
foundation to offset the cutbacks. “Spiritual life in seniors’ homes is as needed as medical attention,” he said. He invites anyone interested in the project to contact him at
604-942-2270.
MusicFest goes sacred
Lovers of faith-based classical music will appreciate several offerings at
Christ Church Cathedral, as part of this year’s MusicFest Vancouver. Felix Mendelssohn’s Te Deum will be performed August 4; Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Mass in G Minor and J.S. Bach’s Jesu Meine Freude will be sung August 7; and Arvo Part’s Kanon of Repentance is scheduled August 10. For more details, go to: musicfestvancouver.ca
Keats corrections
The article ‘Keats Camps back from brink of disaster’ in the July BCCN contained inaccuracies, according to a spokesperson for the camp. Rob Ogilvie
said inadequate information had been given to writer Jim Coggins. The article
stated there were only two dozen usable beds left available in the camp’s newest facility. In fact, the Pilot House contains 60 camper beds, and all 60
beds were usable. The article also said Keats was “facing the possibility of closing.” Ogilvie stated that, even though the challenges were great, “closing has never been a serious option.”
The envelope please . . .
BC Christian News won five awards in the 2009 Canadian Church Press (CCP) competition – including first place for John Cody’s music columns. BCCN also won seven Fellowship of Christian Newspapers awards, tied for the most
wins in a competition that includes Christian newspapers from across North
America. The paper received an Award of Merit in the overall excellence
category; and a first place award for Peter Chattaway’s movie review columns. Options , Christian Info Society’s youth magazine, won two CCP awards.
September 2009
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