agreed and new church curricula were adopted that challenged old truth claims and abandoned the importance of evangelisation in favour of social reform. Baby Boomers of those churches heard the siren call of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll and began to leave the churches that frowned on such a lifestyle. The Catholic Church (particularly in Quebec) suffered from being viewed as rural and paternalistic and its believers were challenged by the Vatican’s ban on artificial contraception that was stated so definitively in the decree Humanae Vitae in 1968. Though most Catholics continued to still claim to be members, attendance at masses dropped sharply and the numbers
of young people who chose to be priests or nuns almost evaporated. Only in some conservative Protestant churches did the decline not occur. A few numbers should illustrate the plight of Christianity in the 21st Century. In the 1991 census, 83 per cent of Canadians identified themselves as Christian; that number was 77 per cent in 2001; in 2011, it was 67 per cent. Over that 20-year span the United Church of Canada lost a million members while the Anglicans shrank from 2.1 million to 1.6 million. Mainline Protestants in 1991 made up 25 per cent of the population; in 2011 that was 14 per cent. The 3.4 million claiming no religion in 1991 grew to 7.8 million in 2001, almost a
quarter of the nation’s inhabitants. Muslims outnumber the combined total of Presbyterians and Lutherans. Conservative and evangelical
TEN WAYS EVERY CHRISTIAN MAN CAN INFLUENCE CANADA
How can we be “fewer but better” Christians who build the foundations for spiritual renewal in Canada? 11. STRENGTHEN YOUR OWN WALK WITH GOD As a man, you will only have real eternal influence in the world if your own walk with God is healthy and growing stronger. Grow in spending time with God in prayer and in meditating and studying His Word. Be shaped more by God than you are by the world. 22. BUILD A STRONG MARRIAGE Marriage was always designed by God to be a picture of the love Jesus has for His Bride—the Church. When we pursue a stronger marriage with our wife, we are doing so much more than just building a strong marriage—we are being witnesses to the grace of God who makes us one with Himself. Strong marriages model for our neighbours what love, grace, forgiveness, passion, and joy were always meant to look like—and they point people to the God who had this whole idea in the first place. 33. BE A GREAT DAD Fatherless children are increasing in our country. When a child comes from a fatherless home, they are more likely to face a very difficult life including poverty, homelessness, and temptations towards suicide. By being a great dad, you will help create a healthier and stronger future for Canada.
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44. TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN TO BE INFLUENCERS Every day our children are influenced by the education system in our country. Jesus sent us into the world to be salt and light. Imagine if we trained our children to love Jesus and be ambassadors for Jesus—right where they are. Teach them to ask difficult questions that show the places where their education has obvious holes in it. Teach them to represent the heart of God and the truth of God; support them to be influencers in the world. 55. SEEK THE BENEFIT OF YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD What can you do to be a benefit and blessing in your neighbourhood? Can you throw a neighbourhood BBQ party this summer? Can you help a family in need? Influence happens through relationships, and too many of us don’t even know our neighbors—so how else are we going to influence them and point them to Jesus? 66. BE GENEROUS The world has many priorities on how to spend time and money. As Christians, we are called to a life of generosity in response to the generosity God has shown us. Do not just give the bare minimum—be generous. Support causes that are both Christian
