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A TWU Christmas
 More than 10,000 people made their way to the second annual Great West Life Spirit of
Christmas Celebration at B.C.'s Trinity Western University this past
weekend. One key attraction was a uniquely Canadian 'Living Nativity.'
Visitors were also treated to a variety of other entertainment, from kids'
singalongs and African drumming to hip hop and gospel. The event was
enhanced by the area's first snowfall of the year. Proceeds went to the
Salvation Army.
Meeting their MPs
It has been a busy time for the Josiah Team on Parliament Hill. In early
December, the 4MyCanada initiative in
Ottawa sent 22 young people from across Canada to meet various political
leaders. "In total," the ministry asserts, "we had 41 sit down meetings
with MPs and Senators." Among other things, Josiah members talked to the
politicians about raising the age of sexual consent, childcare, poverty,
international peace issues, drug trafficking and reducing TV violence.
Climate care rally
Faith communities join a broad coalition of environmental organizations
calling upon the federal government to honour Canada's commitments under
the Kyoto Protocol at a public rally December 8, outside Vancouver's
Central Library. "The debate on climate change is as much about ethics and
morality as it is about science," stated Anglican Church of Canada
representative David Dranchuk. Faith communities, he added, "cannot be
silent . . . Environment is a huge issue for people of faith. And we will
hold politicians accountable for their inaction." Contact: 604-684-6306,
Ext. 221.
Progress on poverty
Kairos, an ecumenical
social action coalition, recently said it sees "some progress towards
poverty reduction strategies" in Canada. It commended the federal Liberal
party's commitment that, if elected, it will aim to reduce child poverty
by 50 percent over five years. Kairos also said it is encouraged by the
re-elections of Newfoundland premier Danny Williams and Ontario's Dalton
McGuinty, both of whom pledged to do more in the area of poverty reduction
during their election campaigns. Kairos is asking Canadians to contact
these politicians and "urge continued progress in developing and
implementing poverty reduction strategies with targets."
Christmas in a shoebox
Toy cars, pencils and a toothbrush may seem trivial, even insignificant
items to the average Canadian; but for a child who's never before received
a gift, they mean the world. For 15 years, Operation Christmas Child has
inspired Canadians to pack shoe boxes with various gifts for children
living in desperate circumstances due to war, poverty, famine and natural
disaster. The boxes are collected by local churches and businesses. For
more information on how to pack a shoe box, where to send it once it's
finished, or other details about Operation Christmas Child, contact
1-800-303-1269.
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Open House for Christmas
During the Christmas season, according to Lutheran Church - Canada,
"people are more likely to think about church, especially if they have a
connection with a congregation." Its online survey at WhatYouBelieve.ca "shows that what
a church believes, the sermons, and the friendliness of people, are
top-of-the-list when deciding on a church." Therefore, the church is
urging its congregations to extend special Christmas invitations to their
neighbours, in various forms of media.
Thinking about values
MakeYouThink Studios, based in
Uxbridge, Ontario, is offering "character-based DVD resources on the
issues that matter most to today's youth." The company produces films
which "help provide foundations for making good decisions." The Values
Collection is described as "a library resource for teachers, parents
and leaders, enabling them to inspire their students through relevant
media."
A Christmas Carolyn
Each year, for the past decade, popular recording artist Carolyn Arends
has written a new song for her church's Christmas Eve service. Eight of
them were featured on her 2004 release, Christmas: An Irrational
Season. Since then, she has written two more: 'What Kind of King is
This' and 'Everything Changes at Christmas.' The first is available for
free downloading at FeedTheLake.com,
and the second should be available by mid-December.
50 years of Global support
A small rural church near Saskatoon is marking a milestone: 50 years of
continuous support for MCC's Global Family Program. Among other things,
the congregation of Tiefengrund Rosenort Mennonite Church has raised money
to sponsor seven students' attendance at a high school in India; and 11
students at a school in the West Bank, in Palestine. This sponsorship
program includes exchanging gifts of cards, letters, drawings and
photographs.
December 6/2007
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