January 2011
First off: Calvin is not a Secularist. What do I mean by that? There is a temptation where it comes to the doctrine of the Spirit to confine the Spirit's operations to church, scripture and the Christian life: to do so, however, is to leave a great swath of human life absent of the operations of the Spirit. Calvin resolutely does not do this. Although Calvin takes sin and the fall very seriously he sees the Spirit at work in the whole of creation. At the most general level, the Holy Spirit is the very life force of the world, animating creation and infusing the whole of the world with life. "For it is by the Spirit who, everywhere diffused, sustains all things, causes them to grow, and quickens them in heaven and on earth . . . in transfusing into all things his energy, and breathing into them essence, life and movement, he is indeed plainly divine." (Institutes 1.13.14). The Holy Spirit is divine and is the effective power by which the whole of creation is sustained. But this doesn't mean that the Holy Spirit of God is an impersonal force in the world. Read more-->
Bill was a Presbyterian confessionalist, deeply committed to the standards of the denomination, and a doughty and brave controversialist who fearlessly made his position known without rancor or bitterness. Moderator of the Presbytery of Montreal in the tumultuous years 1994-5 he courageously maintained the church's position on chastity and faithfulness in marriage. He was a frequent contributor to the Presbyterian Record, always on timely subjects. His successor, Rev John Vaudry, wrote of his seventeen years at Cote des Neiges: "During that time he carried out a faithful ministry of Bible teaching, pastoral care and diligent involvement in the courts of the Church. He was very concerned to uphold Reformed doctrine and Presbyterian practice in both congregation and presbytery. Undoubtedly, the long hours of work and the tension encountered in many of the meetings he attended had an effect on his health." Read more-->
Panel members will each share in an introductory way one aspect of dealing with the topic. The panel members are:
For more information and to register online go to the Annual General Meeting And Renewal Day webpage.
Calvin's Ladder: A Spiritual Theology of Ascent and Ascension by Julie Canlis, published by Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 2010, 286 pp. Professor Topping's Book review is a challenging read on its own. Do take the time to enjoy it, and then move on to the book he so highly recommends. You're in good hands with these two scholars. - Kit Schindell The burden of this superb piece of theological work is to demonstrate
the centrality of the descent and ascent of Jesus Christ to Calvin's
understanding of salvation as human participation in the life of God. In
a precise statement of what she aims to demonstrate through the
exposition of the works of Calvin, Canlis writes:
E-Male is a free quarterly publication of the Renewal Fellowship's Men's Network that looks at things from a man's perspective. Women who wish can also subscribe. For a free subscription, contact the editor, George Ryder, at <george.ryder@sympatico.ca>. 
Theme: Christian Character: The Writing Is On The Wall
In exploring the theme, Christian Character: The Writing is on the Wall, we will consider why Christian character has apparently fallen out of favour in our culture today and what we can do to recover and restore Christian character in its unique representation and significance in our own lives and in the world around us. Cost is $30 if notification is received by Thursday, March 17 by mail, email, online, fax, or telephone. After March 17, the cost increases to $35. The registration fee includes lunch and arrival/morning snacks. You can register online (below) by MasterCard or Visa, or you can mail, email, fax, or phone your name, address, phone, e-mail, congregation, and the conference name to the Renewal Office by March 17 for the rate savings. Make cheques payable to The Renewal Fellowship and mail to:
For more information and to register online go to the Southwest Ontario Men's Spring Conference webpage. Director's e-mail: <cbbrown@bell.net> Participate in eChannels
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This edited article is the second of a three-part series originally
presented in a ninety-minute keynote session by the Rev. Dr. Richard
Topping, St. Andrew's Hall Professor of Reformed Studies at the
Vancouver School of Theology, Vancouver BC, at the Renewal Day in
November 2009 at St. Andrew's Newton Presbyterian Church in Surrey BC.
Take the time to enjoy this wonderful article. Part Three will be
published in the next edition of eChannels. - Kit Schindell
The 2011 AGM of the Renewal Fellowship within the Presbyterian Church in
Canada and the accompanying Renewal Day will be held at St. Andrew's
Presbyterian Church in Islington, Ontario, on Saturday, March 5, 2011.
The day begins with registration at 8:30 a.m. and the AGM will start at
2:30 p.m. The theme is The Coming Of The Kingdom And The Future Of
The Church. We are excited to announce that Dr. Dale Woods of
Presbyterian College and a Panel of church leaders will lead in the
event. Dr. Dale Woods, Professor at Presbyterian College will share with
us a critical look at what futurists are saying the church will look
like in the next couple of decades and suggest how we can get ready for
the changes. His talk will address: The future of the church; Seeing the
bigger picture and thinking globally about the church. He will as look
at the challenges of the church especially within the Presbyterian
Church in Canada and suggest possible ways forward.
Calvin Brown, the Executive Director of the Renewal Fellowship (RF)
reported to the Board that Lillian Deline of St Andrew's, Islington, had
left a bequest to the Renewal Fellowship. She had designated $20,000 in
her will to the Fellowship and most of that gift has been received.
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