UCC in Focus
United Church’s General Council Executive closed its doors on media. What now?
How we plan to cover United Church news with less access
June 2023
In this issue:
- An ordained minister’s experience in the kink community
- Diving into the legacy of Albert McLeod, champion of the Two-Spirit movement
- Reimagining the overlooked disciple, Mary Magdalene
Scroll down for more content from the June 2023 edition. When/if a story appears online, the headline will be bolded and clickable. Want to read everything from our magazine?You can subscribe here.
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In This Issue
Cover Story
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Spirituality
Why over a third of Canadians now claim to have no religion
"Leaving Christianity" co-author Brian Clarke explains Canada's secular shift
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Spirituality
Why more Indigenous people are leaving Christianity
"I just realized that it’s so much bigger than this white man’s church,” says one Ojibwe woman of losing her religion
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Spirituality
Religions on the rise: Islam, Hinduism and Sikhism are thriving in Canada
Immigration's impact on Canada's religious makeup has changed over the last two decades
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Spirituality
Black immigrants find belonging and community in faith spaces
These churches provide spiritual and material help for Canada's newcomers despite declining church affiliation across the country
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UCC in Focus
The United Church’s numbers have dropped more than any other denomination
The denomination's general secretary on why people may be distancing themselves from the church
Snapshot
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Ethical Living
“Me PaPa” [My Father] (print exclusive)
"Being a dad is 24/7. I wanted to shed light on dads just out there being dads — the heroes we don’t see," says Byananse
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Justice
First commissioner of Indigenous languages takes office (print exclusive)
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Ethical Living
Choirs that celebrate inclusion (print exclusive)
These musical ensembles do more than hit the right notes
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Ethical Living
How to save on groceries (print exclusive)
Tips from Janice Bartley, founder and executive director of the Foodpreneur Lab in Toronto.
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Justice
Survey says: safe drinking water in Indigenous communities (print exclusive)
In 2015, the federal government promised all long-term drinking water advisories in Indigenous communities would end by March 2021. Here is the status of that promise as of February 2023.
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Ethical Living
Sustainable biofoam (print exclusive)
"The good thing about cellulose is it's always biodegradable," says University of British Columbia assistant professor, Feng Jiang.
Perspective
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Ethical Living
Can filming good deeds do more harm than good?
What happens when we treat people in need as content for an algorithm
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Ethical Living
Canada’s updated MAiD program is appealing to ‘desperate’ Canadians, advocate says
Left without sufficient supports, more and more people with disabilities are applying for medical assistance in dying
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Spirituality
How joining the kink community has made me a better preacher
This minister says playing with a dominatrix helps them connect better with others
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Spirituality
Diana Butler Bass’s viral sermon changed the way thousands think about Mary Magdalene
The American historian and author is helping to reshape our understanding of this overlooked disciple
Features
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Justice
Proposed prison has turned these rural residents and abolitionists into allies
Rural Ontario residents and abolitionists are protesting the Eastern Ontario Correctional Complex in Kemptville
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Justice
After 30 years, Albert McLeod continues to blaze a trail for queer Indigenous people
Despite overcoming many obstacles, the grandmother of Manitoba's Two-Spirit movement says there's still more work to be done
Spotlight
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Spirituality
What this classic disaster movie taught me about salvation and leadership
"The Poseidon Adventure" illustrates different ways to be Christ-like while in survival mode
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Ethical Living
‘We Meant Well’ explores saviourism and complicity in international aid
Erum Shazia Hasan's debut novel brings an insider's intimacy to the power dynamics of charity work
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Ethical Living
Margaret’s moment (print exclusive)
Judy Blume's beloved coming-of-age novel arrives on the big screen.
UC in Focus
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UCC in Focus
The United Church has an ambitious climate goal — but it needs help from congregations
The Faithful Footprints program aims to give 500 churches grants for green buildings
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Justice
Alberni locates suspected unmarked graves (print exclusive)
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UCC in Focus
General council executive closes doors to media, public (print exclusive)
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UCC in Focus
Executive approves $4M deficit budget (print exclusive)
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Ethical Living
How to stop a clique from taking over (print exclusive)
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UCC in Focus
Ministers explain the problem with the word ‘mission’
The church's colonial past can make sharing faith with marginalized communities harmful
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UCC in Focus
The high of tree climbing (print exclusive)
