On December 6, 2025, believers from every denomination will gather in Toronto for a landmark Christian Heritage Month Unity Event—an evening of worship, testimony, and fellowship celebrating Jesus Christ as the cornerstone of North American faith and heritage.
February 10, 2016
By Jim Tune I”m not overly patriotic. Most Canadians aren”t. We have no equivalent to country singer Lee Greenwood”s song “God Bless the U.S.A.” with its nationalistic and stirring refrain, “I”m proud to be an American where at least I know I”m free.” All that said, a news flash popped up in my Twitter feed a few months ago that made me extraordinarily proud of my country. Originally tweeted by Neville Park, this message quickened this Canadian”s pulse: “MEANWHILE IN CANADA: Syrian refugees arriving. Airport is worried they will be overwhelmed by well-wishers.” Syrian refugees? Overwhelmed by well-wishers? Yes!
November 13, 2014
By Jennifer Johnson “You know, if we”re going to spend all this time and effort in planning a convention, it would be great for it to have a long-term impact,” remarked Tim Cole in a planning meeting for the 2015 International Conference on Missions. Cole, director of church planting at Virginia Evangelizing Fellowship (VEF), says he can”t take credit for what happened next; some members of the team suggested the churches in Virginia plant a church, then some others suggested they plant one on every continent, then someone else mentioned Antarctica might be a challenge. Today the plan is
January 27, 2014
By Jennifer Johnson Meet Our Contributing Editors: This month we talk with Jim Tune, senior minister with Churchill Meadows Christian Church in Toronto, Canada, and director of Impact Canada about why he still believes in the Restoration Movement and thinks you should, too. You”ve developed this reputation as “the Restoration Movement guy.” And I”ve always appreciated your balanced perspective on it; on the one hand, you live in a post-Christian country and you”re more interested in telling people about Jesus than engaging in doctrinal battles. At the same time, you have a high value for the movement. What”s the story
July 8, 2013
KURT KUYKENDALL Pastor, Westcoast Christian Church, Surrey, British Columbia Determined, diligent, and faithful are words that come to mind as I consider the ministry of Kurt Kuykendall””and he”s just getting started! Kurt grew up in a small town in northern Alberta but felt called to serve in the “big city” of Toronto. In his first full-time ministry, Kurt served with me as a youth minister and then felt called to serve on the launch staff of a new church plant I was undertaking in Greater Toronto. This was quite a project and a huge step of faith for this young,
June 15, 2013
By Jennifer Johnson It started slowly. Seven years ago, Jeff Wedge, a member at Churchill Meadows Christian Church in Ontario, Canada, wanted to recruit a team to deliver food and other necessities to the homeless. He approached CMCC senior minister Jim Tune about developing the outreach as a ministry of the church. Tune said no. “Hey, we”re totally supportive of feeding hungry people,” Tune says with a smile. “We encouraged Jeff to start his ministry, but as a church we focus on a few major community projects around the holidays.” Today “Feed the Street” reaches hundreds of homeless people throughout
December 8, 2012
By Jennifer Johnson Building wheelchair ramps for the disabled . . . leading VBS sessions in South America . . . digging wells in Third World countries . . . all of these are popular short-term mission trips. But volunteering at a trade show for the sex industry? Although this type of mission experience is far less common, it was the focus of a four-day trip for several women from SouthBrook Christian Church (Miamisburg, OH) last month. “For the last four years we have partnered strategically with XXX Church, an organization that offers resources and support to fight porn addiction,”
By Jennifer Taylor “When you first get here, even the most basic things can be difficult,” says Javier Bustillos, who is originally from Cali, Colombia, and lived in the United States before arriving in Toronto, Canada, in 2003. “You don”t know where to shop for food, what school your children should attend, where to live. It”s a confusing time.” Bustillos and a small group of other Spanish-speaking members from Churchill Meadows Christian Church (also in Toronto) began visiting a local shelter to become friends with the refugees and immigrants. “We didn”t begin with a plan,” he admits. “We just listened
May 23, 2012
By Kent E. Fillinger Toronto, Canada, is the most ethnically diverse city in the world. On the west side of Toronto, where Churchill Meadows Christian Church meets, 55 percent of the population speaks a language other than English in their homes. All totaled, more than 140 languages and dialects are spoken in the city. People of Muslim and Hindu backgrounds outnumber the people with any form of Christian background. Additionally, only 4 percent of the population is churched, which means the majority of people have no frame of reference for Christianity. Culturally, Canada resembles Western Europe more than the United
July 1, 2011
By Jennifer Taylor According to Jim Tune, senior minister with Churchill Meadows Christian Church and director of Impact Ministry Group (both Ontario, Canada), the area is home to only six other Christian churches””and their combined attendance is less than 500. So CMCC”s new building””and the more than 1,200 people who attended the opening services in March””is a milestone for Canadian church planting. “Churches are closing faster in Canada than any other area, including Western Europe,” Tune says. “Church just isn”t on the radar. In fact, people assumed our building was an industrial complex or school because they don”t have
January 31, 2011
By Jennifer Taylor Impact Canada is working with Jose and Regina Fernandes to plant a church in the Brazilian community in Toronto. As reported in the August 22 Buzz, Impact Canada continues to work toward a merge with Global Missionary Ministries and is pursuing approval of its new name, Impact Ministry Group. www.impactcanada.org ________________ Jennifer Taylor, one of CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s contributing editors and bloggers, lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Do you know of a church breaking new ground or leading innovative ministry? Contact bu**@*********ub.com.
September 30, 2010
By Darrel Rowland The elders are from the United States and the Philippines. The deacons include a member from the Caribbean. The pastor and musical director are Canadian. And the congregation looks like a mini-United Nations. Sure Keele Street Christian Church is located in one of the most multicultural cities of the world, Toronto. But the church”s tremendous diversity wasn”t an accident. “Are we intentionally multicultural? Absolutely,” says pastor Grant MacDonald. “Those who are here at Keele are here because they want to be part of a multicultural church. There are other options in Toronto to be sure. You can
November 27, 2005
By Jim Tune I recently heard a church planting consultant tell a story about seal rehabilitation. Apparently the average cost for dry cleaning a seal and reintroducing it to the wilds after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska was $80,000. At a special ceremony, two of the most expensively rehabilitated animals were released into the wilds amid cheers and applause from onlookers. Less than a minute later, in full view of all those in attendance, a killer whale came up and ate both of them! This experience is well understood in church planting circles, as many planters face
August 21, 2005
A look at “momentum-makers” fueling church planting in Central and Eastern Canada—from rapid growth at Churchill Meadows to Impact Canada’s national strategy, partnerships, and creative multisite experiments in unexpected community spaces.
August 21, 2005
A look at Keele Street Christian Church in Toronto’s Junction—its 1800s roots, changing neighborhood, multicultural congregation, and the practical challenges and ministries of doing church in a major city.
July 31, 2005
A Toronto-area church plant shares practical lessons for becoming intentionally multicultural—moving from accommodation to celebration and reaching the nations locally. Includes a sidebar story of Mustafa and Sheela’s journey to Christ at CMCC.
April 7, 2026
John B. Penrose Jr
April 7, 2026
David Faust
March 27, 2026
Rick Cherok