Shadows on the Day of Atonement: Balancing Jewish Tradition, Canadian Antisemitism, and the Complex Reality of Israel
For many practicing Jewish individuals, one of the few fleeting comforts of Yom Kippur—the Day of Atonement and the holiest day on the Jewish calendar—is the ability to temporarily disconnect…
Janet Anstead wants a new vision for Canadian christianity
On September 1, the Canadian Council of Churches (CCC)—the nation’s largest ecumenical body, representing a vast majority of Canadian Christians—welcomed a new leader to its helm. Reverend Janet Anstead officially…
From Pulpit to Stage: Ins Choi Explores Faith, Family Legacy, and Art in Son of a Preacherman
For playwright and creator Ins Choi, the cadence of preaching is a family inheritance. Growing up, Choi was surrounded by relatives for whom the pulpit was a natural home; his…
Called to Be Small: How The United Church of Canada is Rethinking Faith, Scale, and Resilience
By Julie McGonegal (With files from Alanna Mitchell) The church community arrived without fanfare, sign-up sheets, or a sprawling architectural legacy. It occupied an unassuming storefront space in Barrie, Ont.,…
A Church Transformed: How a Small B.C. Congregation Fills Community Gaps and Forges a Path Toward Reconciliation
PORT HARDY, B.C. — The future direction of St. Columba’s Anglican-United Church changed unexpectedly during an unusually cold winter in 2021. On Dec. 21, temperatures in Port Hardy, situated on…
The Chatterbox: How a Vintage Trailer and a Ostracized Church Found Connection Through Storytelling
GRUNTHAL — On a crisp, sunny Sunday morning, David Balzer parked his vintage 1978 Triple E Surfside camper trailer on a local church lot and prepared to listen. Resembling an…
Redefining Church Growth: Why Small Congregations Are Thriving Through Connection Rather Than Numbers
When most people picture church growth, their minds automatically drift toward traditional metrics: expanding membership rosters, surging Sunday morning attendance figures, and larger budgets. For generations, religious institutions have measured…
German Church Leaders Face an Uncertain Future After Breakthrough Far-Right Election Victory
BERLIN — Church leaders across Germany are grappling with a profound new political reality following a historic and polarizing election in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, where the far-right Alternative…
Global Churches Add the First New Liturgical Festival in More Than 40 Years to the Shared Calendar
For the first time in more than four decades, Christian churches worldwide have welcomed a brand-new festival into their shared calendar of worship. On September 6, congregations across various denominations…
Five Decades of Change: Sociologist Reginald Bibby on Canada’s Shift Toward Radical Freedom and the Crisis Facing Mainline Churches
For half a century, Alberta sociologist and prolific author Reginald W. Bibby has held a magnifying glass to the evolving contours of Canadian society, with a particular focus on the…