Purpose of The Pulse

Some years ago, the editorial committee established as its purpose for The Pulse the following: The Pulse magazine contributes to the health of our churches by connecting EFCC believers through the telling of inspiring and instructive stories about people engaged in ministry in our local churches and in national and international endeavours. We predictably fill The Pulse with news from districts, EFCCM, Women's Ministries, Trinity Western University and Seminary, Prayer Ministry and National Ministries. We also apprise readers about occasional hot button topics, not in an attempt to be controversial but to inform with food for thought. While we do not have a letters to the editor column, we do receive reader response letters which are always welcomed and answered. Feedback influences the way we plan for future issues.

Two articles that received some negative feedback were Phil Zylla’s Are We an Emerging Church in the Winter 2006 issue and Adela Bergen’s Listening Prayer, in the Spring 2007 issue. In both instances, the topics were selected to be enlightening rather than provocative. Further, exposing readers to opinions is not synonymous with an EFCC endorsement of every content nuance. We expect our readers to be judicious readers. You have my assurance that we will always seek to be wise in what we print.

A PS at this point. The title of D. A. Carson's book Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church (Zondervan, 2005) expresses the reason why we wanted readers to have the opportunity to distinguish stereotypes and misconceptions about the ‘Emerging Church’ movement from accurate definitions of what it is and where it has validity or grounds to be criticized. I still think you want to be conversant rather than oblivious. Listening Prayer is not immediately suspect simply because it is an unfamiliar term. Most of us have said, "God spoke to me." Most of us have sat in silence with an open Bible or knelt in silence to hear the voice of God inaudibly impress on us His will. Something that is uncommon to us need not automatically be distrusted. We are encouraging prudent assessment.

Dr. Ron Unruh serves as president of the Evangelical Free Church of Canada.

Multi-Cultural Ministry

Multiculturalism began as an official policy in English-speaking countries, starting in Canada in 1971. It has profoundly affected our nation and the way churches design and affect ministry to their communities. A review of The Pulse over the past decade reveals an awareness of the challenge of our multicultural world and nation. More recently in the 2007 Spring issue the National Ministries page established the case for calling Canada a mission field by reminding us of the diversity within our Canadian borders. In the Summer 2007 issue of The Pulse we are developing the theme of multicultural ministries. Three Korean congregations have begun in the BC lower mainland. More could begin in Toronto. We have 17 Chinese churches in Canada. A new Mandarin church began last year in Toronto. Many people from our churches are working in First Nation and Aboriginal ministries. We need to be aware and we need to champion the Gospel among the vast population landscape of our country.

EFCC President Ron Unruh