Magazines 2014 May - Jun Tools for thinking

Tools for thinking

25 June 2014 By FT Staff

When the Canadian Bible Engagement Study was released, we brainstormed how we could help Faith Today readers make sense of the data.

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When the Canadian Bible Engagement Study was released, we brainstormed how we could help Faith Today readers make sense of the data.

The report is a troubling examination of how much – or how little – Canadians use the Bible. Even most of us who identify as Christians rarely read it!

But that didn’t seem to ring completely true to our experiences with church small groups. Wouldn’t those of us who meet weekly with a small group be more likely to engage regularly with Scripture?

Exactly which aspect of small groups makes the difference hasn’t been proven. Peer pressure? Deadlines to completing a Bible study? The sheer power of community?

Whatever the combination, we found small groups to be an important story. Read on to find out how they work and – most importantly – why.

Our treatment of soldiers struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was a story longer in the making.

We started discussing it in early 2014 when it seemed a week did not go by without the tragic news of soldiers or veterans taking their own lives. We realized we really didn’t understand the nuances of PTSD. We set out to learn and draw out some ways the Canadian Church can help. Let us know what you think of the results.

We believe this issue’s entire package of features, news and reviews will get you reading, thinking and maybe even debating. Check out “Evangelicals and the Pope” if you need some dinner party discussion fodder!

As you consider these articles at your leisure this summer, Faith Today staff are already deep into the fall issue. We’re involved in an exciting creative process with a designer who is helping us reimagine what Faith Today could look like. You’ll see the results in the Sep/Oct issue, along with a new tagline: Canada’s Christian magazine.

After all, that’s what we are.