Religious Liberty Sabbath

     hile the designated Religious Liberty Sabbath in the North American Division was on January 13, wanting to keep our focus on the 10 Days of Prayer emphasis at that time, we have adjusted our annual focus on religious liberty to this Sabbath.  Of course the importance and value of God-given liberty and freedom of choice is something that is important and precious every single day of the year.  And as the liberty campaign materials this year state:  “Liberty has never been more fragile”.  Bettina Krause, editor of Liberty magazine, notes that while “the threats to religious freedom may look different” from 1906 when our denomination first began publishing the Liberty magazine in light of the political call for a national Sunday observance law in the United States, nevertheless the threats today are “just as troubling.”  And certainly within the last decade or so, there have been  – and continue to be – plenty of troubling situations regarding religious liberty right here in Canada.

     We already distributed the religious liberty offering brochure and collected the official religious liberty offering on January 13.  However, as with almost all offerings we collect, you can make donations toward them on basically any day of the year.  With regard to the religious liberty campaign – which determines how many subscriptions at a subsidized price can be sent to thought leaders across the continent, and how many we can specifically support at College Park – it is the donations received from January 1 – March 9 that are used to make that calculation.

     So allow me to briefly reiterate in writing what I said during the offering call on January 13:

• If you would like to subscribe to Liberty magazine for yourself, check the appropriate box on the Liberty brochure (which is available at the Welcome Desk in the Foyer).  The subsidized subscription cost is $7 CDN for a one-year subscription of six issues beginning with the May/June edition of the magazine.
• Any donation you give beyond $7 is eligible for a charitable donation receipt – but the $7 for your own personal subscription is a payment, not a donation.
• If you would like to sponsor a subscription for one or more friends or thought leaders in the community, please donate the required amount, and provide in the envelope the name and address of those for whom you are sponsoring subscriptions.
• If you would like to suggest the names/positions of thought leaders in our community who we could consider adding to the list of individuals for whom College Park is sponsoring subscriptions, please include the necessary information in the envelope attached to the brochure, or alternately, provide that information to the church office.
• Again, to receive a Canadian donation receipt for your support, it is preferable to donate through the local church over using the online or toll-free number options listed in the brochure.

     Just as Jesus performed miracles for both Jews and Gentiles, honouring the faith of those He encountered – likewise we have a part in upholding the right of individuals in our society to live according to their faith and beliefs, whether similar to or different from ours.  Let’s help preserve and protect for everyone the liberties we currently enjoy while we still have them.