There’s More to St. Patrick’s Day Than Green Beer!
So it’s coming, St. Patrick’s Day. It’s kind of a big deal in our city. An excuse to hit the pub, have a beer and maybe be adventurous and go for a green one. All of this in honour of the patron saint of Ireland, Patrick. Okay most of us aren’t Irish but any excuse […]
Doug’s Missional Canadian Blog Has Moved … Would you consider resubscribing?
Hey there, thanks for being a regular reader of my Missional Canadian blog. Well at least you were until well over a year ago before I moved the hosting of my blog from WordPress to Transforme Communications of Ottawa and my good friend James Giroux!! (http://transformecommunications.com/) In the process of moving, close to 300 of […]
From Running Nude to Flowers: The Story Behind St. Valentine’s Day
So Happy Valentine’s Day!! And men, it’s your move today, so do it right! Buy those flowers, make that call, take her out for dinner. Dads don’t forget about your daughters. Sons don’t forget about your mother and sisters. It’s become a big deal in our culture! And it’s truly a wonderful opportunity to express […]
Moose Calling and Living Life To The Full!
Jesus said, “I am come that you might have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10). But what does that mean? Well deep down you probably have some sense of what it means. It’s this yearning found at the core of your being to experience life that is meaningful, invigorating and even a […]
Is Jesus A Riders Fan?
There’s a picture circulating on the Internet of Jesus gently displaying a melon before a young girl, wearing a Riders jersey under his white robe. What, Jesus a melon-head? Jesus a Riders fan? Many who are a part of the Rider Nation are absolutely convinced! As we look forward to Sunday’s epic Grey Cup between […]
Halloween: Let’s Enjoy it!!
When I first entered full time ministry as a youth pastor, I vividly remember the tension — our church had to have an alternative to Halloween, a “Harvest Party,” — even though there was almost no one in the church who was doing much harvesting. This created a dilemma for my Senior Pastor who had […]
Thanksgiving: It Just Might Be Originally Canadian!
Since 1623, North Americans have taken time at the completion of the harvest to give thanks to God for His abundant provision. Okay I get that here in Wood Buffalo our cash crop bitumen, is a continual harvest. So all the more to be thankful for!! It’s true that Thanksgiving including turkey and pumpkin pie […]
Tracking Moose & Experiencing God
I remember well the very first time I, well let’s use the politically correct term, “harvested” a moose. It was a clear crisp autumn morning; the leaves were just beginning to turn a brilliant yellow and orange. Between my friend the veteran moose hunter and myself we had a cow and a calf tag. We […]
Life! Transformation! Adventure!
I often get asked by people outside of the Fort McMurray Alliance Church family, what the three tag words: “Life. Transformation. Adventure.” mean as we use them to describe our church family. Well first off they just create an image that makes church sound just a little bit different than what you may have […]
The Alliance in Canada: Navigating Change & Diversity with Courage
What an exhilarating but bumpy week we had at the Alliance in Canada’s General Assembly held just over a week ago in Winnipeg. Sure I could get all uptight about the tense debate over the issue of ordaining women and the potential fallout that could come from that historic decision. But when I put that […]
