The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada

Open letter opposes euthanasia Bill C-7: The EFC has joined 120 disabilities groups and other signers in an open letter at https://go.theefc.ca/2ZLofY3 asking MPs to reconsider this dangerous and discriminatory bill. Learn more, including tips how to contact your MP, at www.TheEFC.ca/C-7.

Euthanasia law update: Canada's justice minister is now agreeing to allow medical assistance in dying for mental illness alone, but in 2 years instead of 18 months as the Senate had proposed. He is rejecting the Senate amendment for advance requests. Read a report by The Canadian Press News : https://www.ctvnews.ca//government-agrees-mentally-ill-sho. Keep up to date at www.TheEFC.ca/C-7.

PressProgress, a news website "promoting social democratic values," recently published a constructive commentary on how the planned changes to Canada's assisted dying law threaten people with disabilities, at https://go.theefc.ca/3shduJb. The EFC has also been highlighting these issues, for example see our November material on "defense of human rights" at www.TheEFC.ca/C-7.

How did the Senate actually worsen Bill C-7 on assisted suicide? Events are moving so quickly it can be hard to keep up, but here's a quick summary from Grandin Media: https://go.theefc.ca/2MexhtB. If you haven't contacted your MP on this issue, the next two days or so are probably the last chances to do so before the House of Commons votes -- and you can find suggested wording and a simple explanation of how to send an email at www.TheEFC.ca/C-7.

Last week, Parliament designated Feb. 22 as a new annual National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. (The USA has a similar awareness day it holds each Jan. 11.) Learn more on this issue in this article "It's Happening in Plain Sight" https://go.theefc.ca/2NQivK0 from The Toronto Star.

Bill C-7 declares an entire class of people, those with physical disabilities, as potentially appropriate for suicide that their lives are potentially not worth living, he said. Indeed were it not for their disability, we would not be willing to end them. I cannot imagine a more degrading and discriminatory message for our society to communicate to our fellow citizens living with disabilities. Read the full National Post article.... #billc7 #diabilities #suicide #Canada See more

About 68 per cent of Canadians are concerned about expanding MAiD, in particular around safeguards for people with disabilities, according to a new Angus Reid poll. The same amount are concerned expansion may lead to people with mental health issues like depression choosing death rather than dealing with the underlying causes of their condition. About 55 per cent say religious hospitals should be free to refuse to participate in MAiD on moral grounds, moving patients who want an assisted suicide to another facility. Read more about the report at IPolitics - https://go.theefc.ca/38Qf2TX Read more about the EFC's concerns with the proposed expansion and what you can do at www.TheEFC.ca/C-7

The lives of people with disabilities are as necessary to the integrity of the human family as any other dimension of humanity. And this threat to the lives of people with disabilities is a threat to us all. - Krista Carr of Inclusion Canada - Watch Krista's full remarks https://go.theefc.ca/2IT4wkB Learn more about Bill C-7 on our resources page: TheEFC.ca/C-7... #Billc7 #disabilities #integrity https://go.theefc.ca/2IT4wkB See more

The EFC asked disability rights advocate Taylor Hyatt for her opinion on the expansion of MAID in Canada. "We should be horrified that our government representatives are attempting to expand the eligibility criteria for life ending measures in the middle of a pandemic which exacerbates existing barriers and creates new ones." Video transcript: www.TheEFC.ca/Taylor-Hyatt-C7... More on the bill: www.theEFC.ca/C7 #MAID #Billc7 #Canada https://go.theefc.ca/3nAVs2r See more

REGISTER - Leading Beyond the Blizzard is a series of free workshops for Canadian faith-based organizations. It's hosted by Wycliffe College. "We need to draw from our collective wisdom to meet the challenges at hand. We hope that this series of workshops will help gather FBOs, create space to learn together, and start to build organizational capacity around critical areas of work." Nov. 24 Stop Strategic Planning: Why Leading Requires a Radical Shift. --Lisa Slayton... Dec.15 The Future of FBO Funding and Management. --Dave Toycen Jan. 19 Racism, Poverty and Hope. --TBD Feb. 9 Navigating and Implementing Organizational Change. --Andy Crouch #workshop #faith #racism #finance #leadership #organization

Will you rise to the defense of human rights? In EFC's new blog, disability rights advocates describe Bill C-7 as their worst nightmare and ask who will join them and rise to the defense of human rights. https://go.theefc.ca/36XWYVo #disability #Billc7 #rights #Canada #blog

Call to prayer and action. When someone is suicidal, Canadians naturally try to pull them back to life and get treatment. Why would we want a law that encourages suicidal people who are disabled or medically challenged to end their lives? Watch this video to see Catherine Frazee unpack this question in her compelling recent testimony about Bill C-7. Contact your MP & ask for change to this proposed expansion of euthanasia. Sample text is available at www.TheEFC.ca/C-7. #Billc7 #Canada #MAID

Congratulations to the Canadian Foodgrains Bank for being once again named as a Top 10 Impact Charity by Charity Intelligence Canada for 2020. Charity Intelligence Canada is an independent organization that rates Canadian charities. Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of 15 churches and church agencies, at least half of which are EFC affiliates. Congratulations to all the CFB member organizations who share in this, including EFC affiliates Canadian Baptist Ministries..., The Christian and Missionary Alliance, ERDO (Emergency Relief & Development Overseas), Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, Mennonite Central Committee - MCC, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, The Salvation Army in Canada, and World Renew Canada. #charities #top10 #Canada

REGISTER NOW to join our Dec. 3 webinar. We'll each pour a coffee, tea or hot chocolate and chat and learn together about how church and ministry leaders are faring during these challenging days. Date: Thursday, December 3, 2020 Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST Register: https://go.theefc.ca/38UT4za... Our guests include: Margaret Clarke of Briercrest Christian Academy, College, and Seminary. She is an assistant professor of marriage and family therapy with a particular interest in clergy wellness Tim Day, the national engagement director for WayBase, an online platform that helps Christian ministries partner together. It also conducts research on the impact of Covid-19 on churches and ministries across Canada. Audience questions and comments will be encouraged and prioritized by our host, Karen Stiller. #webinar #pandemic #challenges https://ww3.evangelicalfellowship.ca/site/Calendar