Losing a mother
05/15/2023

Losing a mother

God’s presence amid interwoven joy and sorrowWords by Zammie KingGrief is an honest meeting. It is to break and become undone—to sit in the fragility of our humanity and let God hold us together. As believers, we know that death is not the end, yet the gore of pain still presses on our hearts and cr

  Zammie King
Plugging into community
05/11/2023

Plugging into community

Written by Morenike AjidagbaAs a self-professed introvert, I like the idea of community without the commitment of actually plugging into one when I need it. But then I started struggling in school, especially with the research portion of my degree program. I hoped to complete the degree without much

  Morenike Ajidagba
Unpredictable gifts and other gardening lessons
05/01/2023

Unpredictable gifts and other gardening lessons

What planting and cultivating a piece of earth can teach us about lifeWritten by Elizabeth DuarteEach February, my mom fills boxes with earth and put them in a warm area of the house. The dirt is dark and empty—not unlike the canvas God looked at before creation. Then, she starts to plant. Hundreds

  Elizabeth Duarte
Spoiler alert: how storytelling techniques hook us
04/25/2023

Spoiler alert: how storytelling techniques hook us

When finding out how the movie ends isn’t worth itWritten by Jaclyn WhittThe most memorable movies are the ones where we experience a week’s worth of emotions in just two hours. We laugh, cry, ache, cringe, fear, hope, and hold our breath over characters we were introduced to just minutes earlier. H

  Jaclyn Whitt
Transformation amid grief
04/18/2023

Transformation amid grief

Written by Luke CrawfordThe winter of 2023 marks ten years since the suicide of my friend Greg. Like a blow to the chest, his death left me with a gaping emotional and spiritual wound. As I grieved his passing, the silence of the divine was deafening, and my response quickly followed suit. Personal

  Luke Crawford
To my younger, incel self
03/16/2023

To my younger, incel self

Written by Jesse KaneThat shame you feel from being blacklisted by a whole women’s dorm at college—it’s haunting you. It’s nakedness without a fig leaf. It’s humiliation on a high place. Granted, asking several of your ex’s friends out directly after your breakup wasn’t the best choice. But belabour

  Jesse Kane
Praying with strangers
03/13/2023

Praying with strangers

The unexpected ways prayer can foster unity and connectionWritten by Ilana ReimerThe Calgary church sanctuary was dimly lit, blue lights creating a soft glow on the stage. I could hear a woman in the row behind me crying quietly. I hesitated. Possibly the last thing she wanted was to be approached b

  Ilana Reimer
Wayfaring with creation
03/07/2023

Wayfaring with creation

Cultivating hope and action in the muddy and mundaneWritten by Laura Naftel I work and live at an A Rocha creation care centre in the Pacific Northwest. Nestled next to a threatened forest of towering Douglas fir trees that are being encroached by cookie-cutter suburban sprawl, A Rocha is working to

  Laura Naftel
Living faithfully now
03/01/2023

Living faithfully now

Entrusting our dreams to God one day at a timeWritten by Riley TridhardtIn the book of Ruth, when Naomi was left a widow and without sons in Moab, she resolved to return to her hometown in Judah. She insisted that her daughters-in-law should return to their Moabite families where things would be eas

  Riley Trithardt
Stewarding friendships
03/01/2023

Stewarding friendships

Prioritizing friends is worthwhile workWritten by Bethany BrownAll my life, I’ve wanted a friend like the one Proverbs 18:24 describes: one “who sticks closer than a brother.” However, such a friendship does not simply pop into existence. Just as we must work continually on our relationship with God

  Bethany Brown
Slowing to the speed of love
03/01/2023

Slowing to the speed of love

How stewarding the small moments can open our eyes to othersWritten by Taeryn NovakHow many of us, when waiting in line, can’t help but glance at our phones to see what we’re missing? But maybe what we’re actually missing is all that is here in the present moment. There was a time when I found mysel

  Taeryn Novak
Mending two identities
03/01/2023

Mending two identities

An Aboriginal Christian perspective on illuminating sin and creating new unityWritten by Diego Bascur To be Aboriginal, to be Christian. These identities conflict with each other; brokenness defines their relationship. A break that should have never occurred, a manipulation of faith that scars one p

  Diego Bascur
What’s in your hands?
03/01/2023

What’s in your hands?

Stewardship turns our focus toward what we have, not what we don’tWritten by Lindy BrownIn April, we see proof of the strange truth Jesus demonstrated for us at Easter: new life comes out of sacrifice. Small seeds given away in hope, later producing a harvest. Jesus who had no earthly possessions ga

  Lindy Brown
Relevant and necessary churches
03/01/2023

Relevant and necessary churches

Written by Shawn NaylorOne year as the spring equinox approached, I was hiking on a friend’s farm. I left the cornfields into a field of grass with the forest as the backdrop. Scattered throughout all the green I saw different coloured flowers. I was confronted by two sequential questions: Are these

  Shawn Naylor
Give your time
03/01/2023

Give your time

The blessing of volunteering at churchWritten by Mike GordonA few years ago, my church had a healthy roster of weekly volunteers. From older people to young adults, the church thrived off generous people who intentionally donated their time, talents, and skills to the church. Some, especially the yo

  Mike Gordon
Making the most of introversion and extroversion
03/01/2023

Making the most of introversion and extroversion

Seeing temperaments as gifts not limitationsWritten by Abby Ciona While my university roommates have a dance party in the living room, I bake cookies by myself in the kitchen. When my friends have long chats past midnight, I prefer reading in my bedroom or going for a walk alone.Sometimes I wonder i

  Abby Ciona
On human dignity
02/28/2023

On human dignity

This interview with Taylor Hyatt, a disability rights activist, was orginally published in a resource called Life Together: Disability and Belonging in the Church. Reprinted with permission.Q. Why is Christian witness/Church teaching on human dignity important for disabled people in particular?A. As

  Taylor Hyatt
Letting go so new things can grow
02/23/2023

Letting go so new things can grow

Saying no is a necessary part of stewarding our resourcesWritten by Sarah RobinsonSometimes stewardship means stopping. Or at least pausing. But more often than expected, stewardship looks like letting go of good things. Especially when it comes to ministry roles and activities, good things can be h

  Sarah Robinson
Why self-love matters to God
02/21/2023

Why self-love matters to God

More than a popular buzzword, loving ourselves is a profound acceptance of our God-given identitiesWritten by Stephanie MassicotteIn Mark 12:29-31, Jesus states that the first most important commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and strength and the second is to love our neighbours as

  Stephanie Massicotte
Online ministries: Why we need them more than ever
02/13/2023

Online ministries: Why we need them more than ever

Despite challenges, internet platforms are key for reaching those who are isolated or home-boundWritten by Elizabeth DuarteWhen pandemic mandates were lifted in Canada, we breathed a collective sigh of relief. For some, life returned to what they would consider normal. For others, “normal” remained

  Elizabeth Duarte
Tips for being a good mentor
02/02/2023

Tips for being a good mentor

Intentionally mentoring younger generations is a key part of building up the ChurchWritten by Emily LaRoseLife is complicated, especially at a young age. Often, what youth need is someone who’s a few years ahead of them who they can relate to, and who can guide them. Looking out for younger people i

  Emily LaRose
Mobilizing women in the Canadian Church
01/16/2023

Mobilizing women in the Canadian Church

The need to reach and equip Christian women is only growingWords by Cathie Ostapchuk A few years ago, as I flew home to Canada from yet another American women’s conference, I reflected on a challenge offered by one of the speakers, Eugene Cho: “The grass is always greener on the other side,” he said

  Cathie Ostapchuk
A beacon in the darkness of Advent
12/06/2022

A beacon in the darkness of Advent

God’s presence can be embodied through community Written by Zammie KingI used to be an “I don’t need people” person. I was hesitant to ask for help due to the hurt of past experiences where people dismissed my groans, and my pain was not welcomed or heard. For too long, I believed that my suffering

  Zammie King
Mental illness and a flourishing faith
11/29/2022

Mental illness and a flourishing faith

Sana’ Watts, the author of Fragile and Flourishing on the healing process of writing a memoirWritten by Emily LaRoseIn the summer of 2019, Sana’ Watts wrote a poem titled “Fragile.” The poem was about struggling with anxiety and suicidal depression as a Christian and how God used this experience for

  Emily LaRose