News briefs

Documentary on religious satire

Nailin' it to the Church, a Canadian documentary on the iconic religious satire magazine The Wittenburg Door, will have its premiere at the Dallas Film Festival in early November. Director Murray Stiller from Vancouver is a former resident at the Canadian Film Centre with a master's degree from Regent College. Stiller, who teaches filmmaking at Capilano and Simon Fraser universities in BC, is also the son of prominent Canadian evangelical leader Brian Stiller, and grandson of a Pentecostal preacher. "Who better to understand satirizing the church?" says Stiller. The film, like the magazine, employs satire to critique televangelists, politicized Christians, the mega-church and phenomena such as the prosperity gospel movements. "The film exposes the fear that I think is all too common in the Church that keeps people from venturing beyond their homogenized culture," says Stiller.

One loonie feeds a village

Last year, 12-year-old Tessa Meyer of Abbotsford, BC filled out a prayer card at a Family Life Network 'Beautiful Unique Girl' (BUgirl) event. Her dream was to fill a stable with goats, hens, rabbits and other animals for hungry people. When she got home she wrote her church, asking them to join her in raising $1,200. Tessa exceeded her goal, collecting $2,000. In addition to filling a stable for a hungry village, she was able to stock a clinic with medical supplies, clothe 50 children, and provide a family with clean drinking water. "The BUgirl experience challenged me to not just dream but to take steps to make sure that I live it," says Tessa. She won the the BUgirl 'Power of One' prize that includes $1000 and a Power of One Fundraising Concert with BUgirl musician Charmaine Champion. All money raised will purchase more life-saving stables full of animals for the developing world.

Religious freedom case

Hutterities, a separatist Christian sect in Alberta, are engaged in a landmark legal case that could have implications for religious freedom across the country, writes Bruce Clemenger of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. Hutterites, who believe photography violates the commandment against making "graven images", are suing for the right to have driver's licenses without photo ID. The Hutterites' request "can be reasonably accommodated," says Clemenger. "If we cannot accommodate religious communities that pose no threat, break no law and which seek to live out their faith in peace and integrity, then our religious freedoms are fleeting indeed."

Wendy Nelles, co-founder of The Word Guild, at Word on the Street.

Queen's Park in Toronto was transformed into a booklover's paradise September 28. The Word on the Street is a marketplace of more than 258 book and magazine exhibits, 248 of Canada's top authors, poets, story-tellers and presenters and 198 readings, performances, workshops and other events. Christians were represented by The Word Guild booth, viewed by hundreds of thousands.

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School of Strategic Prayer

The Greater Ontario House of Prayer is bringing their School of Strategic Prayer to the Durham region this fall. The goal of the school is to raise up City Prayer Teams that will steward their communities through prayer in relationship with the prayer pastors in their areas. The House of Prayer is seeking to equip strategic prayer teams from Ajax, Pickering, Oshawa, Kingston, Peterborough and Toronto with an interest in city transformation. The school will begin on October 18, and then will convene on the 2nd Saturday of each month, through June 13, 2009.

KAIROS election resource

Kairos Canada, an interdenominational ministry of social justice, has released an online election resource to help Canadians learn more about the candidates' stand on the issues. The resource includes thoughts and suggested questions on issues that have an impact across Canada and around the world, along with helpful links to their members and partners.

Rosebud Theatre nominated

The Canadian tourism industry has included the Rosebud Theatre in Rosebud, Alberta among its finalists for the Air Canada Business of the Year Award. Created by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada and presented by the Globe and Mail, the National Awards for Tourism Excellence recognize the best of the industry's products, services and individuals. The awards are presented to companies and individuals in thirteen categories each year during a gala dinner at Canada's Tourism Leadership Summit, which this year is at the Hilton Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, Quebec.

New Mennonite Sask director

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), Saskatchewan has appointed Claire Ewert Fisher as its new executive director, effective September. Ewert Fisher has served on the MCC Saskatchewan board for some years has recently chaired the ministries commission of the Mennonite Church of Saskatchewan. She replaces Bruno Baerg who has accepted a call to become a regional director for MCC in Africa. -- Canadian Mennonite

October 2/2007