Campus Crusade for Christ Canada P2C follows its American counterpart into the social gospel

For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Acts 20:29-30

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. II Corinthians 6:14-18

I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:6-9

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. II Timothy 3:5

"Most people are devoted to causes which are neither significant nor lasting."
--Howard Hendricks, from the promotional film for the Campus Crusade for Christ conference KC '83.

Sites such as the blog Enemies Within the Church and the YouTube channel Conversations That Matter have done excellent work in recent months in reporting on the rapidly-increasing liberalism of the U.S. campus ministry Cru, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ. Submitted for your approval, the following items from those sites and others:

Jeff Maples
Campus Crusade Social Justice Agenda Exposed in New Video (September 27, 2019)

The Social Justice Movement Takes Over CRU19 (September 27, 2019)

Conversations That Matter (Jon Harris)
The Month in Review: CRU, Josh Harris, SBC Seminaries, and Approaching Your Pastor



Trevor Loudon
The Social Justice Movement Takes Over CRU19 (September 27, 2019)



Conversations That Matter (Jon Harris)
CRU Goes Down the Woke Hole (September 27, 2019)



Breaking: Cru Leaders Soft-Peddling Homosexuality, Pushing Marxism (October 3, 2019)

Conversations That Matter (Jon Harris)
A Deeper Dive into Cru's Decline (October 3, 2019)



Internal Documents Prove Cru Leaders Officially Promoting Social Gospel (October 8, 2019)

Conversations That Matter (Jon Harris)
King David a Rapist? & Confirmed: Cru Endorses Social Gospel (October 8, 2019)



Cru’s “Social Justice Bible Studies” (October 15, 2019)

Whistleblower Speaks Out on Cru’s Leftward Drift (October 29, 2019)

Conversations That Matter (Jon Harris)
Former Cru Intern Shares Story about Ministry's Leftward Drift (October 28, 2019)



Giving Tuesday, Cru Staff Speaks Out, & Matthew Hall on CRT (December 3, 2019)
Conversations That Matter (Jon Harris)



It comes as a disappointment, but no surprise to this blogger, that Power to Change, (P2C for short), the Canadian offspring of Cru, is following its parent organization into social gospel apostasy. I've been warning about this since the Canadian organization announced its "new paradigm" in May 2006. I was involved with Campus Crusade for Christ as a student in the 1980s; I eventually developed misgivings about some of their methods and characteristics, but I have fond memories of my involvement with the movement and of the people I was associated with, and at least Campus Crusade was reasonably clear on what the gospel is.

In those days, there were separate Christmas Conferences in eastern and western Canada, with the exception of 1983, when there was one big North American conference in Kansas City known as "K.C. '83." I went to several Christmas Conferences in western Canada, as well as K.C. '83. The keynote speakers at all the conferences I attended were distinguished Bible teachers such as Ralph Alexander, J.I. Packer, and Howard Hendricks, and their talks generally consisted of examining characters from the Bible, and looking at characteristics that we should emulate (or avoid). The group sessions were on topics such as sharing your faith and having a successful discipleship group, i.e., topics associated with the gospel and the Great Commission.

Some years ago, P2C dropped the word "Christmas" from its conferences, and began calling them "Winter Conferences." Now, they don't even do that anymore, and just have one national annual conference. The one for 2019, known as "P2C Plus," is taking place in Toronto from December 28-31, with the apparent theme "first." A quick glance at the list of speakers and topics shows more emphasis on the social gospel and less on the true gospel and the Great Commission:

Workshops
Our workshops encourage students to take a deep dive into a broad range of focused topics that intersect faith and culture like: leadership and mentorship, spiritual growth and disciplines, prayer, discernment, discipleship, evangelism in local and global contexts, personal growth, relationships, mental health, gender identity, addictions, trauma, shame, suffering, grief and loss, healing, health, humanization, racism, world religions, financial stewardship, hospitality, vocation, technology and design, creativity, apologetics, and the church.

The "lesser" speakers (I don't mean that as a derogatory term) seem mostly okay, but some (not all) of the keynote speakers rang some alarm bells with me, such as the following examples.

Alison Buchan, MSW, RSW, CSAT

Alison is a recognized skilled clinical social worker, in the strengths-based approach in the treatment of mental health issues, addictions & trauma. She has been in practice for over 15 years and has assisted adults and adolescents experiencing a wide range of emotional, relational and behavioural difficulties...

...She has completed training at Toronto Institute of Relational Psychotherapy (TIRP), Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute and The Ferentz Institute. Additionally she has enhanced training in trauma treatment in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing), cognitive behavioural therapy, Internal Family Systems therapy; and specialized training from the International Centre of Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and has received certification in smoking cessation from the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health.

In terms of her clinical orientation, she uses a insight-oriented cognitive-behavioural psychodynamic, solution-focused psychotherapy. Integrating mindfulness-based approaches in all her work.

"Mindfulness" comes from Buddhism. I see no Christian content of any kind in Ms. Buchan's resume.

John Van Sloten

About me

I am a pastor, teacher and writer who lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. All I want in life is to know God more (and to read everything he’s written). For the past 20 years I’ve been exploring a worldview that seeks to discern God's voice in all things: the Bible, the arts, sport, science, film, music, literature, history, mathematics, nature and human nature. My first book, The Day Metallica Came to Church: Seeing the Everywhere God in Everything (Square Inch, 2010), listened for God's whispers in pop culture. My second book, Every Job a Parable; What Walmart Greeters, Nurses and Astronauts tell us about God (Navpress/Tyndale (US) and Hodder and Stoughton (UK), 2017), listens for God's words at work. I have been awarded two John Templeton Foundation sub-grants to explore the intersection of faith and science in the context of preaching, and am currently writing my third book on how science can help us know God more.

There are things that Mr. Van Sloten says that I agree with. However, it concerns me when I read that he's received grants from the John Templeton foundation (at least Mr. Van Sloten is honest enough to say where he's obtaining his funding--there are those in evangelical circles who aren't as forthcoming). Mr. Van Sloten's grants are for something called The Steam Project, funded by the John Templeton Foundation and Fuller Theological Seminary:

The John Templeton Foundation serves as a philanthropic catalyst for discoveries relating to the Big Questions of human purpose and ultimate reality. We support research on subjects ranging from complexity, evolution, and infinity to creativity, forgiveness, love, and free will. We encourage civil, informed dialogue among scientists, philosophers, and theologians and between such experts and the public at large, for the purposes of definitional clarity and new insights.

STEAM is also supported by Fuller Theological Seminary, the host organization also committed to the integration of Christian faith and science.

Jon Corbin

According to his website:

Jon Corbin is a Canadian hip-hop artist, spoken word poet, speaker, band leader, writer and DJ based in Milton, ON. Since 2001, first under the name The Runaway, Jon has blessed stages big and small with lyrical themes of faith, love, family, social justice, and personal growth.

Corbin is a veteran artist who has quietly carved a niche in Canada’s hip-hop community, collaborating with multiple Polaris Music Prize nominee Shad, Juno Award winner Caroline Brooks of The Good Lovelies, and many other revered emcees on both sides of the border.

As a speaker, Corbin speaks passionately on topics of identity, race and racism, mental health and community connections. As a musician, Jon provides a dynamic show that stays true to the basic tenets of hip-hop: peace, love, unity, and having fun!

I don't know if Mr. Corbin is a Christian or not, but I certainly don't see any Christian content on his site.

Katharine Hayhoe

Katharine Hayhoe, the wife of pastor Andrew Farley, is a climate scientist, who on her site, goes on and on about her qualifications until the MEGO (My Eyes Glaze Over) syndrome sets in. She's presumably at the conference to promote action on climate change as a priority for Christians. As I said in a recent post, if you're on the same side of an issue as Justin Trudeau and George Soros, I suggest you rethink your position; and Christians should beware of those who are on the same side as Justin Trudeau and George Soros.

Alyssa Esperaz

This young woman particularly inspires a negative reaction from me. According to her website:

I am Chinese-Filipino-Canadian and live in Toronto, Canada.

I am studying International Development at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Critical Development Studies.

Another alarm bell went off for me when I saw the name of the place where Miss Esperaz is studying. The word "critical" used in an academic context is usually a synonym for Marxist, and a quick glance at their website confirms my suspicions (look at the course content).

She has a blog; I read just two entries--this one and this one--and that was enough to give me an idea of what she's about. Miss Esperaz tells so many falsehoods that it's only the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that's restraining me from using foul language to describe this lying little [insert pejorative term here]. It would take too much time to go into a detailed account of Miss Esperanza's false propaganda, but one in particular sticks out at me, when she says that all kinds of people fought for Canada in two world wars. She's right in saying that Canadian Indians fought for the country, but it's absolutely not true to say that all kinds of people did, because the country wasn't composed of all kinds of people. The men who fought for Canada in World Wars I and II were overwhelmingly white Europeans, mainly of British ancestry, because that's what Canada was. They were fighting to preserve the country they had then, not to produce the non-nation that passes for Canada now. The "greatest generation" made the horrible mistake, a quarter-century after World War II, of handing the country over to Pierre Trudeau, who refused to fight in the war. He's the one who turned Canada into a multicultural monstrosity, which should really be renamed "Trudeaupia" to reflect its post-1968 reality.

Blogger Vox Day's third law of social justice warriors is: They always project. This especially manifests itself in accusing others of what the SJWs themselves are guilty. SJWs love to hurl nasty names at people, so I'm pulling the Jerry Seinfeld trick of heckling the heckler. I accuse Miss Esperaz of not only being a liar, but a racist. She refers to her "Asian-Canadian identity" and supports racist immigration and refugee policies which favour those of her and other non-white groups, with the intention of making Canada less white, more like the lands of her ancestors, and less like the country that those who fought in the world wars were fighting to preserve (see above comment regarding Justin Trudeau and George Soros). I'm not going to mention that one of the countries of her ancestors--let's call it "China"--has never been known for being openly welcome to foreigners. From the SJW point of view, it's okay for Miss Esperaz and those of her ilk to support anti-white policies; but if I support policies designed to preserve the country I was born into, I'm a "racist," without Christian compassion. As a Canadian whose roots in this country go back more than 240 years, I can't tell you how much I appreciate Miss Esperaz, a "first generation Canadian," presuming to give lessons in history and tolerance to real Canadians. If this is what Campus Crusade for Christ Canada Power to Change has become, I want no part of it.

It should be kept in mind that Campus Crusade for Christ P2C conferences have traditionally been used to recruit people to go on summer projects, which in turn, are used to recruit prospective staff members; which is to say, these conferences are where the future leaders of the movement receive training in addition to that which they receive in their regular campus activities. If Campus Crusade for Christ Canada P2C continues in this direction, they'll end up as liberal--and irrelevant--as the thoroughly apostate Student Christian Movement of Canada, which is associated with mainline liberal "Christianity," is irrelevant to God's purposes, and is now ignored. If you're moving in the same direction, you'll end up in the same place.

July 19, 2022 update: Jon Harris conducts another interview with former Cru staffer John Anderson:



See also my posts:

Campus Crusaders, Sodomites, and Potheads Together (January 13, 2009)

Campus Crusaders and Atheists Together (March 1, 2009)

Campus Crusade's Power to Change's mission is to boldly go where the United Church of Canada has gone before (May 8, 2010)

More social gospel, works-based righteousness from Campus Crusade for Christ Power to Change: shaming people into supporting humanitarian aid (September 24, 2010)

Campus Crusade for Christ Power to Change Canada uses its 2019 Canadian summer project to promote contemplative spirituality (December 31, 2018)

Campus Crusade for Christ Cru19 staff conference promotes enneagram, contemplative spirituality, secular psychology, native spirituality, and social gospel (August 16, 2019)

Campus Crusade for Christ Cru19 staff conference promotes enneagram, contemplative spirituality, secular psychology, native spirituality, and social gospel

In May 2006, when Campus Crusade for Christ announced a "new paradigm," I predicted that they would henceforth be heading in a more liberal direction; the following therefore comes as no surprise to this blogger.

The organization historically known as Campus Crusade for Christ changed the name of its American campus ministry several years ago to "Cru"--a name that isn't even a word, and has no meaning. When an organization changes its name, it's often a sign of a change in direction.

Cru continues the practice of holding annual summer conferences for staff. This year's conference, Cru19, took place in Fort Collins, Colorado from July 19-25. There was much, such as Josh McDowell's apologetics, that seems to be good; other people have warned about some things or people who seem questionable, and I noticed a few others.

Cru19 included workshops, described as "...interactive, hands-on, smaller group presentations...an hour in length and facilitated by authors, pastors, CEOs, missionaries, Cru staff members, faculty, and many others."

The use of the enneagram is becoming popular in evangelicalism, and Cru is no exception (bold in original):

Saturday, July 20, 1:30-2:30 PM

Going Deeper With the Enneagram

Gina Butz | LSC 382

So you know your enneagram type. Now what? Come here thoughts and practices for how to use the enneagram to go deeper in your personal and spiritual growth.

The use of the enneagram is a New Age technique. See The Enneagram— Does It Have A Place In Christianity? and other information on the subject at Lighthouse Trails Research Project.

Contemplative spirituality was promoted in this workshop, taking place at the same time:

Creating Space to Hear God’s Voice: Solitude and Silence

David Neibling & Paul Lucido | Clark A104

Silence and solitude help us to counteract the noise and busyness of our daily lives, creating space for us to experience God’s presence, hear His voice and be transformed. Come and learn about these spiritual practices as they relate to quieting our minds and hearts, deepening our relationship with God and impacting our capacity to connect with others.

Several of the blogs on my blogroll have useful information on contemplative spirituality; I particularly recommend Lighthouse Trails Research Project.

Secular psychology was promoted in this workshop:

Thursday, July 25, 2:45-3:45 PM

Birkman, Because ...

Cy & Diane Farmer, Francine Smalley & Mark McGowan | Clark A201

Those attending this workshop will learn that Birkman can be used to encourage personal growth by acknowledging strengths and challenges alike and how individuals and teams benefit from the Birkman Method through better communication and a clearer understanding of people’s interests, needs, usual behaviors and stress behaviors. Birkman can be used to help fulfill the admonishment in Galatians 6:4, "But each one must carefully scrutinize his own work (examining his actions, attitudes, and behavior), and then he can have the personal satisfaction and inner joy of doing something commendable without comparing himself to another.” (AMP).

Birkman is a company promoting a method of organizational psychology originated by Dr. Roger Birkman, and includes personality assessments. It's unfortunate that Cru doesn't regard the Bible as sufficient for personal growth, and has to adopt unbiblical methods.

Cru19 also included "Super Seminars," described as "select, large group, lecture gatherings." This one caught my attention:

Wednesday, July 24th | 1:30-3:00 p.m.

Shalom and the Community of Creation

Randy Woodley | Lory Student Center Ballroom Grand Ballroom B

Materialism. Abuse of nature. Injustice. War. The problems facing America today are staggering. We need restoration. But how?

Randy Woodley offers an answer: the Native American “Harmony Way,” a concept that, like shalom, can bring reconciliation between Euro-Westerners and Indigenous Peoples, connectedness with Creator and creation, justice, an end to imperial warfare — and a more authentic spirituality. Rooted in redemptive correction, Dr. Woodley calls for partnership through the co-creation of theological systems that foster wholeness and peace.

I'd never heard of Randy Woodley, but the description of the seminar immediately set off alarm bells with me. The idea that Native Americans are in harmony with the environment is politically correct nonsense that ignorant white people are happy to believe. As Canadian journalist Stephen Hume--a man generally sympathetic to Natives--pointed out in his book Ghost Camps (1989), the reason that Natives haven't slaughtered all the wildlife long before now isn't because of their respect for the environment, but because they lacked the technology. A quick search for Dr. Woodley turned up the following resume for him at Portland Seminary, affiliated with George Fox University (bold, links in original):

Randy Woodley, PhD

Distinguished Professor of Faith and Culture

Director of Intercultural and Indigenous Studies

Introduction

Rev. Randy Woodley (PhD, Asbury Theological Seminary) is a Keetoowah Cherokee (legal descendent) teacher, poet, activist, former pastor, missiologist and historian. Woodley received his baccalaureate degree from Rockmont College in Denver. He was ordained to the ministry through the American Baptist Churches in the USA in Oklahoma after graduating with a Masters of Divinity degree from Eastern Seminary (now Palmer Seminary) in Philadelphia. Randy's PhD is in intercultural studies from Asbury Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.

Woodley’s books include The Harmony Tree: A Story of Healing and Community, 2016 (Friesen Press), Shalom and the Community of Creation: An Indigenous Vision, 2012 (Eerdmans) and Living in Color: Embracing God’s Passion for Ethnic Diversity, 2004 (IVP). He has authored numerous book chapters and contributed essays and articles in compilations such as the Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics (Baker Academic), An Emergent Manifesto of Hope (Baker), The Justice Project (Baker), and The Global Dictionary of Theology (IVP).

Professor Woodley is active in the ongoing discussions concerning new church movements, racial and ethnic diversity, peace, social justice, interreligious dialogue and mission. He regularly blogs in these areas and publishes his own blog, Ethnic Space and Faith. He is also a regular contributor to God's Politics Blog: Jim Wallis and Friends, Emergent Village Voice and The Huffington Post’s religion page.

He also hosts the "Peacing it all together" podcast about journey and place with Bo Sanders.

Rev. Woodley was pastor of the Eagle Valley Church in Carson City, Nevada, which for many years served as a unique role model as an authentic Native American Christian church. He and his wife Edith, cofounders of Eagle's Wings Ministry, are considered early innovators in what has been dubbed the “Native American Contextual Movement.” The Woodleys have spent over 25 years of culturally contextual service in Native North American communities.

I don't even need to click on the links to see what Dr. Woodley is like. The American Baptist Churches (formerly the Northern Baptist Convention) are the liberal Baptists; this is the denomination that includes people such as Tony Campolo and Ron Sider. Jim Wallis, who seems to have been around forever, is someone I've long regarded as a Communist masquerading as a Christian; he hasn't changed, but evangelicalism has moved so far to the left in recent years, that it's caught up to him. Just the words "Emergent Village Voice" speak volumes; it should be noted that George Fox University is named after the founder of the Quakers, and is thus naturally likely to be favourable toward contemplative spirituality. And of course, The Huffington Post is hardly a bastion of biblical Christian doctrine.

Campus Crusade for Christ founder and president Bill Bright (1921-2003) had his faults, but I doubt if he would have approved of some of the things now being promoted by the movement that he founded; he must be turning over in his grave.

October 3, 2019 update: Jeff Maples at Reformation Charlotte has an excellent post on the cultural Marxism-infested social gospel content of CRU19, as shown in this video:



HT: The Watchman's Bagpipes

Campus Crusade for Christ Power to Change Canada uses its 2019 Canadian summer project to promote contemplative spirituality

Power to Change is the Canadian ministry of what used to be known as Campus Crusade for Christ. For several decades, they've been having national and international summer projects for students. In the 1980s, the national projects went from early May to mid-August; students found a job during the daytime, and evenings and weekends were spent on Bible study and evangelistic activities. The 2016 Canadian project lasted only five weeks from late May-early July--not enough time to work at a job in the community--and I don't think there was any Canadian project at all in 2017.

I look at Power to Change's site just a few times a year to see what they're up to; I noticed that they have a Canadian project scheduled for 2019, but it lasts only four weeks, and now goes by the name Praxis Summer (bold, links in original):

PRAXIS SUMMER
Cost: $3950 (only includes flight from Summer Missions Launch in Guelph, ON to Victoria, BC)
Location: Victoria, BC
Date: April 29, 2019 to May 27, 2019
Deadline: January 31, 2019
APPLY

prax·is | \ ˈprak-səs: the practical application of theory. The exercise or practice of an art, science, or skill

Why PRAXIS?

We so often live fragmented lives, where our ‘being’ is disconnected from our ‘doing.’ It’s easy to view missions as something to “do” versus something to “be”. Can we be missional, living lives on mission wherever we are?

Jesus invites us to come to him and to learn from him (Matt. 11:28-29). In Jesus, we see the perfect union of being and doing; Jesus’ ministry activity always was an overflow of his rich and abundant connection with his Father.

PRAXIS is not just a “personal development” trip; rather, it is a unique missions opportunity that offers participants the space to apply the formational and developmental lessons they are learning in a missional context.

The rhythm of our day will integrate all that we’re learning. For example:

Mornings: focus on leadership development and spiritual growth

Afternoons: missional engagement on campus

Evenings: rest, community, and mentorship


What Will We Be Doing?

Through PRAXIS, we will experience and learn what it looks like to integrate both our exterior world (the “doing”) with our interior world (the “being”) — identifying and being attentive to how God is at work in our lives. We desire that this will result in the transformation of how we engage missionally with those around us.

Through exposure to formative spiritual practices, practical leadership training, and life-changing mentoring relationships, we will seek to transform our approach to how we engage missionally with our contemporary culture. We will also seek to partner with local and international partners as we participate in Missio Dei — the mission of God.

Missional Engagement

. Learn how to share your faith in a post-Christian context with other students
. Experience listening to the Holy Spirit as we seek to share our faith
. Cultivate a vision for lifelong ministry, as we partner with other organizations

Leadership Development

. Experience and learn principles of biblical leadership
. Practice time and people management skills
. Work on a team and learn how to effectively resolve conflict

Spiritual Growth

. Learn about how to develop daily spiritual rhythms
. Engage with God’s word through mind and heart
. Experience various approaches to prayer

Through PRAXIS, we hope that we will form foundational practices and perspectives to help us take steps toward a greater embodiment of what it looks like to love God and love others.

Let’s Trust God to Do Something Extraordinary

Do you long for more? Do you recognize that your life is compartmentalized, but desire to live more holistically? Do you want to mature in your faith and in how you participate in God’s mission?

Join us as we endeavour to create space in our lives for God to transform us, and those around us.

Questions? Email praxis@p2c.com

BEGIN THE ADVENTURE

Alarm bells went off in the head of this blogger at the sight of this announcement. There are a lot of buzzwords and phrases that never used to be used in evangelical circles. The word "praxis" is ones of those words that religious liberals use when communicating with one another, and is seldom heard outside those circles. When it comes to "practical application," the summer projects in the old days of the '80s had plenty of practical application.

"Missional" is a word I never heard until about 2003, when the Emerging Church came along ; it seems to have replaced the word "missionary." "Missional" seems to include a connotation of man building the Kingdom of God on Earth. "Holistically" is a word that's always been popular with New Agers.

"Formative spiritual practices," "daily spiritual rhythms," "various approaches to prayer," and "foundational practices," sound like contemplative spirituality, i.e., Eastern spiritual practices masquerading as Christian. For information on contemplative spirituality, I especially recommend Lighthouse Trails Research Project and Herescope.

When I wrote to the email address above, I received an admirably quick reply, but without the clarity I was hoping for. I was told, "Cultivating a posture of receptivity to God’s leading is found in disciplines that include but are not exclusive to: Bible study, memorization and contemplation of God's word, personal and corporate prayer, time with God in song, in nature, in fellowship of other Christian believers."

Bible study and memorization are certainly good things, as is contemplation of God's word--if the word "contemplation" refers to the use of one's conscious mind to ruminate over the objective truth of God's word. However, the use of the phrase "not exclusive to," combined with the terms mentioned above, still leaves me suspicious that Power to Change Canada is not completely forthcoming in what this project involves. I didn't receive an answer to my request for information on what organizations Power to Change is partnering with in this project. If I receive any further or clearer information, I'll revise this post accordingly. I suggest the reader email Power to Change Canada for information.

December 31, 2023 update: There will be a PRAXIS project in Edmonton in 2024, and the language used is clearer than in previous years in showing that P2C is continuing further down the Social Gospel and contemplative path (bold, links in original):

PRAXIS Edmonton

Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Date: May 1, 2024 - June 10, 2024
Cost: $4350
Application Deadline: January 31, 2024

Why go on the PRAXIS mission trip?

PRAXIS Edmonton is an opportunity to practise being a whole person who lives an integrated life.

You’ll experience a balance of actively engaging with spiritual development, meaningful missional engagement, and growth in community.

You’ll have ongoing opportunities to intentionally reflect and process with peers and P2C-Students staff.

And you’ll be equipped to show and share the gospel in unique contexts.

Edmonton itself is a great place to learn about urban ministry in Canada. You’ll come alongside local partners who are showing and sharing who Jesus is to a variety of subcultures. Because you’re learning in a Canadian context, it will be relatively easy to translate your experiences to your own city after PRAXIS.

PRAXIS is for those who want:

. More in their spiritual journey
. To live missionally through hands-on experiences of compassionate care and gospel witness
. To live in a community on mission

What happens on PRAXIS?

A typical weekly schedule will include three main components:

1. Spiritual practices

You’ll develop healthy spiritual rhythms to enrich your faith and be with God. You’ll grow in recognizing God’s voice through times of prayer, silence, and reflection. You’ll experience spiritual practices like retreat, sabbath, silence and solitude, daily Examen, and Lectio Divina.

These spiritual rhythms are integrated with missional activities, so you can learn to both show and talk about the good news of Jesus.

2. Community You’ll be part of fostering an environment of trust and community. Together we will practise a communal “rule of life” to develop consistency and depth in our shared spiritual rhythms.

You’ll also grow as a leader as you take opportunities to guide your teammates in worship, prayer, meals, missional activities, Bible studies, and team building.

3. Missional Opportunities

Each week, you’ll engage in God’s mission by partnering with local organizations. You’ll serve vulnerable populations in Edmonton’s urban setting, often crossing cultures.

These opportunities will broaden your understanding of God’s work of restoration. They will allow you to wrestle with the fullness of God’s mission, the holistic and embodied nature of living as a witness, and the contextualization that’s needed in evangelism.

In the past, this looked like:

.Helping newcomers to Canada
. Caring for creation
. Learning about Indigenous–Settler reconciliation
. Serving at-risk youth

For a deeper understanding of a PRAXIS mission trip, check out this Prezi presentation.

Note: Trip cost includes housing, food, and mission trip activities. Participants will have the option to raise additional funds to cover their travel to Edmonton.

How will this trip deepen roots and widen horizons?

Deepen your roots as you:

. Live out—and not just know about—the good news of Jesus
. Explore your life story, and learn from the stories of others
. Live with integrity in all aspects of life, provoking spiritual curiosity in others

Widen your horizons as you:

. Learn life skills (e.g. time management, food planning and prep, sharing living space and life with others)
. Live in community, serving teammates and stewarding spiritual friendships
. Become aware of the breadth of God’s redemptive work in a Canadian city

Note on applying: To protect the privacy of your personal information, our online project application tool (the “PAT”) now uses two-factor authentication from Okta. You’ll find instructions on how to use and troubleshoot Okta when you apply.

10 years ago: The death of Islamic apologist Ahmed Deedat

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Proverbs 14:12 (also Proverbs 16:25)

On August 8, 2005, Indian-born South African Islamic missionary and apologist Ahmed Deedat died at the age of 87. Mr. Deedat began his missionary work in 1942 and co-founded the Islamic Propaganda Centre International (IPCI) in 1957. He became known for debating Christians in South Africa and throughout the world. A prominent example was his debate before 4,000 people at West Ridge Park Stadium in Durban, South Africa in August 1981 with Campus Crusade for Christ apologist Josh McDowell on the topic Was Christ Crucified? Click on the link for a free download of the book The Islam Debate (1983) by Mr. McDowell and John Gilchrist, which includes the entire text of the debate. Click on the link for a free download of the book Mr. Deedat wrote in response, Crucifixion or Cruci-fiction. It hardly needs to be said (but I'll say it, anyway) that the issue of whether or not Jesus Christ was crucified isn't a minor point of contention between Christianity and Islam, but a life-or-death difference:

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; I Corinthians 1:23

For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. I Corinthians 2:2

That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah"; - but they did not kill him, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they did not kill him: - The Qur'an, Surah 4:157

Mr. Deedat was awarded the King Faisal International Prize in 1986 for his 50 years of missionary work, but began to attract increasing criticism when he increased his own criticism of other religions. It was said that Christians in South Africa warned Mr. Deedat that if he didn't stop his attacks on Christianity, God would strike him down. I don't know if South African Christians issued such warnings--that may be an urban legend--but Mr. Deedat was indeed struck down by a severe stroke on May 3, 1996, leaving him with "locked-in" syndrome, bedridden and unable to communicate except through moving his eyes. This may very well have been the Lord's way of getting Mr. Deedat's attention in order to encourage him to repent; tragically, Mr. Deedat continued to promote the false gospel of Islam during the remaining nine years of his life.

State legislators defend rights of Christian groups on U.S. campuses

As reported by Kate Hardiman in The College Fix, April 9, 2015:

Some conservative state lawmakers have begun to take a stand against public universities that derecognize Christian groups for refusing to allow non-Christians to lead their campus clubs.

Kansas State Sen. Steve Fitzgerald (R-Leavenworth) recently sponsored SB-175, which passed the Senate handily 30-8. The legislation “prohibits state universities from taking action against student religious groups that require members to adhere to the group’s religious beliefs.”

In Missouri, state Rep. Elijah Haahr (R-Springfield) has proposed similar legislation, which was approved by the house and is now awaiting a vote in the Missouri Senate.

If these measures pass, they will join a handful of others states that have passed laws to protect religious student groups’ association rights in the last few years.

States such as Oklahoma, which passed a law last year that declares:

A. No public institution of higher education may take any action or enforce any policy that would deny a religious student association any benefit available to any other student association, or discriminate against a religious student association with respect to such benefit, based on that association’s requirement that its leaders or members:

1. Adhere to the association’s sincerely held religious beliefs;

2. Comply with the association’s sincere religious observance requirements;

3. Comply with the association’s sincere religious standards of conduct; or

4. Be committed to furthering the association’s religious missions, as such religious beliefs …

But not all attempts at passing such laws are successful. An effort in Colorado to pass a higher education Freedom of Association Act bill was shelved in February.

Supporters say these measures protect religious freedom on college campuses, while opponents argue they allow student groups to discriminate against those who hold beliefs contrary to the group but still seek membership.

Sen. Fitzgerald drafted the bill after universities in several states denied recognition and funding to student religious groups who did not comply with the school’s anti-discrimination policies.

“Animosity against religion, particularly Christianity and most especially Catholicism, is rising and becoming a new orthodoxy. This is caused mostly by a desire to be without rules. It is narcissism and self-indulgence with a vengeance,” Sen. Fitzgerald told The College Fix in an email.

Universities’ anti-discrimination policies, also called “all comers” policies, have wreaked havoc on many Christian clubs across the country.

All 23 California State University schools require that Christian groups allow non-Christians to lead their organizations, even individuals with beliefs antithetical to the clubs’ missions. Subsequently unrecognized, denied free access to university meeting space, and prohibited from advertising on campus and in dorms, among other hindrances, Cal State University Christian clubs have witnessed declining membership.

Rep. Haahr told The Associated Press these “all comers” policies are popping up around the country, adding “these policies are being used for one purpose. They are used to target religious groups.”

Meanwhile, clubs such as Cru, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, have declined to change their constitution to comply with California State Universities’ all-comers policies.

San Luis Obispo Missionary Leader Jamey Pappas previously told The College Fix that “we have no issue with anybody of any kind of race or religion coming to our weekly meetings and being a part of who we are. It’s a question of who’s going to be leading our students in a Bible Study, mentoring them individually, or deciding what kind of content goes into our weekly meeting, and we want people who agree with what we’re about.”

The controversy is reminiscent of the 2010 case Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, in which the Supreme Court upheld University of California, Hastings College of the Law’s policy requiring student groups to accept all students regardless of their status or beliefs.

The Christian Legal Society required members to subscribe to a “Statement of Beliefs” in which students promised to refrain from certain behaviors, some of which were contrary to the lifestyle of LGBT students. Hastings denied the Christian Legal Society recognition when they declined some students’ club membership due to their unwillingness to sign the statement. The Christian Legal Society ultimately lost their legal battle, and were forced to comply with Hastings’ anti-discrimination policies or lose their recognition.

Sen. Fitzgerald said he believes a pressing need exists to protect student religious groups.

“In Kansas we had a case in which a club was challenged by student government because of exclusivity based on religious belief. The case ended well. But, there are increasing numbers of cases around the country that are resulting in religious clubs and associations being forced off campus. Regretfully, it appeared that something had to be done to protect student rights in Kansas,” Senator Fitzgerald told The Fix.

Former Campus Crusade for Christ benefactor Nelson Bunker Hunt dies at 88

Nelson Bunker "Bunky" Hunt, who famously said, "A billion dollars isn't what it used to be," died on October 21, 2014 at the age of 88 (see The New York Times obituary here). The former billionaire was one of Campus Crusade for Christ's heftiest supporters, financial and otherwise; for more on his involvement with CCC's efforts to fulfill the Great Commission worldwide by 1980, see my previous post.

More social gospel, works-based righteousness from Campus Crusade for Christ Power to Change: shaming people into supporting humanitarian aid

"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:1-4 (NIV)

It comes as no surprise to this blogger to see the increasingly liberal direction of Power to Change--the name under which the organization traditionally known as Campus Crusade for Christ now operates in Canada--since I predicted this when they announced a "new paradigm" in May 2006. Their latest stunt is a contest called "Paid vs. Aid," in which post-secondary students fill out a survey in order to have their names entered in a draw for $1,000 in tuition or $1,000 to be given to their choice of one of three humanitarian works. Here’s how Power to Change puts the options, in their own words (the contest rules may be found here):

PAID vs. AID – Can A Choice Change A Life?

This fall on university campuses across Canada is a contest like no other. You could win a choice between: 1) WATER: help drill a water well in Benin 2) TUITION: $1000 towards your tuition 3) SHELTER: provide shelter for 2 families in Haiti or 4) ORPHANS: support 22 orphans in Tanzania.

Each and every day, we make choices. We make choices about our base needs: what to eat, what to wear, how many cups of coffee we want to drink. We make choices about relationships: Who we want to befriend, who we love, how we want to be loved.

Have you ever thought about how you make choices? The conscious or unconscious thoughts that drive you towards one decision or another?

Here’s a thought: maybe the decisions we make in life all stem from our cravings deep within. How much I experience a craving or hunger for food will dictate:
How much of it I consume
What kind of food I will consume

In the same way, what my soul craves the most will sway large decisions in life.

If you had a choice to choose from the following four options to bring change what would you choose?
Water in Benin. Can a choice change Abeiuwa’s life? Abeiuwa lives in a small village in Benin. Every day she must walk to get water that is brown and dirty. Sometimes it has dried up before she arrives. She knows that this water makes her sick when she drinks it, but she has no choice. With help, a nearby water well can be built that will be easy to get to and will always be clean, so Abeiuwa and a thousand others can be healthy again.
Homes in Haiti. Can a choice change Jacques’ life? Jacques lives in Cite Soleil, Haiti. After the earthquake, Jacques and his family made a makeshift shelter from things they found. With no bed, Jacques and his family sleep on the ground. When it rains at night, they cannot even stay inside of their shelter because it is not waterproof. It could be months before the government allows construction of permanent shelters. Before then, help Jacques get his life back by providing him and his family with a proper temporary shelter.
An Education for an African Orphan. Can a choice change Ayubu’s life? Ayubu is 8 years old. Both of his parents died from HIV Aids when he was very young, Ayubu is now living at the Upendo orphanage in Tanzania. Your choice can help change Ayubu’s life and the lives of 21 of his friends by providing them food, clothing and school supplies. As we all know education helps give the poor and marginalized children of Tanzania a brighter future.
$1000 Towards your Tuition. Can a choice change your life? Education is a valuable investment, and an expensive one at that. A thousand dollars seems small, but it could make a difference on whether you need to take that second summer job – or not. It also goes toward putting your degree to work so that you can be the change you want to see in the world. Invest in your education today so that you can make a change in the world tomorrow.

Paid vs. Aid is a contest running on campuses across Canada. Each winner will win a choice between WATER, SHELTER, ORPHANS or TUITION. Presented before you is a choice; it’s not a simple choice of what to eat or what to wear. It’s a choice that has ramifications for your future and for the future of others. The choice between money for tuition, or money to go towards those living in underdeveloped nations isn’t cut and dry; it isn’t meant to be a moral guilt-trip.

We know that the decision is hard. So why present a choice?

We want you to think about what drives you to make your decisions in life. What does your soul crave?

Do you crave success? Security? Meaning? Justice? These cravings all end up impacting decisions to pursue a certain type of career, choices to subscribe to a religion, or to enter a relationship.

Which craving ultimately wins out?

Which choice would ‘satiate’ these cravings?

When we’re presented with a choice, and brought to a place where both options have their merits and flaws, apathy is no longer possible. We’re forced to reevaluate life and those things that we crave.

Until we take note of our cravings, they may never be quenched.

To read this, you're not sinning by taking the money--but you really are (even the title "Paid vs. Aid" implies that you're opposed to helping the poor and are robbing them of much-needed aid if you opt to take the tuition money--the contest isn't titled "Paid or Aid"). If I were still a student, I'd have no qualms about taking the money--I'd know exactly who it's helping, and I'd know exactly where it's going. I don't know who's donating the prize money, but if they're so concerned about these aid projects, why don't they just donate the money directly to them or make a direct appeal on their behalf instead of holding this contest?

What strikes me most about "Paid vs. Aid" is the complete lack of any distinctively Christian content. The aid is described as "humanitarian aid," not "Christian aid." The appeal is to everybody, not just Christians. The name of Jesus Christ isn't mentioned even once. Any secular charity could devise a similar contest, and it would look exactly the same.

I don't often agree with opinions expressed in the columns of the University of Alberta student newspaper The Gateway, but I agree with Alexandria Eldridge:

The Campus for Christ "Paid vs. Aid" contest simply perpetrates a narrow-minded view of what makes a "good" choice, without doing any real good to those participating in the contest.

This scenario can only pan out in one of two ways; either the winning student chooses to help one of the three charities offered to them, and they’re viewed as a hero and an overall good person, or the student chooses to take the $1,000 in tuition, and they’re seen as selfish and greedy.

Even if Campus for Christ didn’t mean for the contest to end up that way, that will inevitably be the result. And while that may not be the view that Campus for Christ as an organization has of the winning individual, the public perception is going to be either the condemnation or the celebration of the contest winner based on their choice.

That’s the main problem with the contest — the judgment that accompanies choosing the tuition money...

...All this contest demonstrates is that it’s right to give money to charity and wrong to take money for yourself. But not everybody can afford that at this stage in their lives and there should be nothing shameful or wrong about that.

Campus Crusade's Power to Change's mission is to boldly go where the United Church of Canada has gone before

"Most people are devoted to causes which are neither significant nor lasting."
--Howard Hendricks, from the promotional film for the Campus Crusade for Christ conference KC '83.

It comes as no surprise to this blogger to see the continuing liberal direction taken by Power to Change (more familiar to those of us of a certain age as Campus Crusade for Christ, Canada). It’s what I predicted would happen after they announced their "new paradigm" in May 2006. An example of this is the unlikely issue of bottled water. At a general council of the hopelessly apostate United Church of Canada in Thunder Bay in August 2006, a resolution was put forward against "commodification" of water supplies that included a request that UCC congregations and members boycott bottled water. However, as reported by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation:

Ironically, the church's delegates are drinking bottled water this week at its meeting at Lakehead University. The conference facility was not equipped to provide drinking water.

The Calgary Herald, in an editorial, offered a dissenting view:

Of course, delegates attending a conference in Thunder Bay, Ont., can stroll to the nearby shores of North America's largest freshwater lake, Superior, and have all the water they want for free. They can even take it out of the taps for nothing more than the utilities charge. What they're really paying for is the cost of purifying it, packaging it and delivering it.

That's not commodification, it's fee-for-service.

On November 30, 2006 the UCC issued its policy position on water, which included:

Discourage the purchase of bottled water starting within its courts and congregations where possible;

The UCC social policy position page includes the link to their report titled Water: Life before Profit.

Flash forward to April 2010, and the Power to Change site contains a blog post by Claire Colvin titled Raise a Glass for Earth Day, which advises:

Yes, drinking bottled water when you’re out somewhere is healthier than drinking pop. But drinking water from a tap is even better, for all of us. This year for Earth Day, instead of turning something off, turn something on. Head to the sink and pour yourself a delicious glass of tap water. You’ll do us all a favor.

More Books and Things contains some excellent commentary (e.g., this post) on Power to Change’s use and promotion of the materials of Erwin McManus. Few of the blog posts on PTC’s Soul Cravings page mention the gospel of Jesus Christ or contain anything that’s distinctively Christian; most of the posts could have been written by any secular motivational speaker or writer. It’s almost enough to make one nostalgic for the formulaic writing of Bill Bright. The current emphasis of Power to Change is an excellent example of what Chris Rosebrough is talking about (go to Fighting for the Faith and search for "3D Theology") when he says that the material principle of modern evangelicalism, i.e., what it’s really about, has gone from "Jesus Christ crucified for our sins" to "the changed life," while the formal principle, i.e., the source of the material principle’s authority, has gone from "sola scriptura"--the Bible as our only guide of faith and practice--to "the Bible as guidebook"--containing principles for practical living.

If their website is any indication, Power to Change is becoming just a self-help movement, and is increasingly unrecognizable as Christian. To see where this sort of development has come from and where it’s headed, read the text of Samuel Tow’s prescient address from 1983 titled Today’s Evangelicals, Tomorrow’s Liberals.

Campus Crusaders and Atheists Together

When I was a student involved with Campus Crusade for Christ at the University of Alberta in the 1980s, we occasionally brought in a guest speaker to debate a volunteer skeptic (usually a U of A professor), but we never teamed up with the skeptics in order to support a mutually agreed-upon cause. The extent to which things have changed is shown by the following:

Event Details
Debate: "Does God Exist?"
A formal debate on the existence of God between atheist Paul Zachary Myers, biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris, and theist Kirk Durston, national director of the New Scholars Society and PhD. candidate at the University of Guelph. Debate will be followed by a question and answer period.
Tickets will be sold at the door $2 students, $10 non-students

Welcome to the University of Alberta Atheists and Agnostics
[Atheists] Does God Exist Debate, featuring PZ Myers
The University of Alberta Atheists and Agnostics, and Campus for Christ are co-hosting a debate on the existence of God. Arguing that a God does exist is Kirk Durston, national director of the New Scholars Society and PhD. candidate at the University of Guelph, and arguing the other side is Dr Paul Zachary Myers, biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris, as well as famed author of the blog, Pharyngula.
Date: Monday, January 26th
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: ETLC E1-001
The cost for students is $2, non-students, $5. CFI Friends of the Center are free. All profits will be donated to a local charity.
The debate will last approximately 2 hours, with the second hour being audience questions.

The charity wasn’t publicly specified. In my day the proceeds weren’t given to any charity, because admission was free. I wouldn’t pay $10, $2, or any other price to hear these two speakers (especially since I used to be able to hear Kirk Durston in the ‘80s without paying anything). If the article in The Gateway and this blog review are any indication, it doesn’t sound as though it was much of a debate; both speakers got off topic, especially Professor Myers. For another blogger's view of the debate, go here and here.

Another difference between the debates of the ‘80s and those of today is that the topics were more interesting then. I well remember a large crowd turning out on a Thursday night (March 5, 1987, to be precise) to hear Jeff Amano of Probe Ministries (author of The Reincarnation Sensation) and Edmonton Buddhist priest Fred Ulrich debating reincarnation vs. resurrection. To debate whether or not God exists is to dumb things down to a kindergarten level.

The New Scholars Society is affiliated with Power To Change (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ, Canada).

Campus Crusaders, Sodomites, and Potheads Together

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Ephesians 5:11

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? II Corinthians 6:14

It came as no surprise to this blogger to read that the Campus Crusade for Christ ministry at University of Central Florida is partnering with the campus sodomites and lesbians in an HIV/AIDS education campaign. Ingrid Schlueter has a good post on this item at Slice of Laodicea.

This is one of the results of the "new paradigm" that Campus Crusade announced in May 2006 (an example of which may be found here--when I read such language in the '80s, I knew I was reading something by a New Ager). To see the extent of the current influence of dominionism on Campus Crusade for Christ, go here. The whole emphasis seems to be on what we must do to change the world, rather than on what God has done to change individuals. Campus Crusade for Christ's current mission seems to be to boldly go where the liberal, mainline churches have gone before (about 30-40 years ago).

If, as Milton Friedman said, sincerity is the most overrated virtue in America today, "compassion" may be the most frequently mislabelled. What's compassionate about affirming people in a lifestyle that God condemns? And why are you considered to be lacking in compassion if you hold to a Biblical position on homosexual behaviour, while you aren't likely to face similar criticism if you criticize sinful heterosexual behaviour? It must be kept in mind that the Lord Jesus Christ upheld all of the teachings of the Old Testament on sexual behaviour. When these teachings are upheld in the New Testament epistles (see, for example, Romans 1:18-32), the apostles are writing with the full delegated authority of Jesus Christ.

On December 31, 1983, at the Campus Crusade Christmas Conference in Kansas City known as KC ‘83, Howard Hendricks issued a warning to young evangelicals that maybe the greatest weakness that they would have to come to grips with was their strong desire to please:

"That has a strength and it has a weakness to it. The strength is that if you ever caught on to pleasing God, you'd have it made. But the danger is we spend all of our time wetting our finger trying to find, 'You like this, oh that does, oh, that offends you, oh ho ho', and we get bent out of shape."

25 years later, it's obvious that Campus Crusade for Christ isn't heeding the warning.