Wednesday, August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day.   In our latest podcast, Rev. Milton talks to Missy McLean from "Moms Stop the Harm" about how attitudes about drug addiction and current laws have fed a crisis that kills 21 people a day in Canada. Even the words we use, such as "overdose" and "drug addict" contribute to the problem. Take a listen to see this issue from another more compassionate angle, for substance users, and their families and friends ..read more

Stay out! : How Canada and the U.S. are locking out refugees.   Canadians take pride in being a country that welcomes refugees, but this year, Canada and the US revised the Safe Third Country agreement making  it harder than ever for refugees to get in without an invitation. To find out what's going on, we talk to experts in Toronto, Texas and Halifax to learn how the new rules work, and what they mean practically and ethically for refugees fleeing violence and climate change at home ..read more

Rev. Roberta speaks to Tim Kennedy and Jeanette Unger, chaplains with the Ecumenical Chaplaincy at U of T, who are a part of the critical piece of spiritual care for young adults. "Each year, thousands of students start at universities and colleges across Canada. Many are away from home, family and friends, and are learning who they are as adults for the first time. It can be a stage of both real anxiety, and also real growth.    Professors and TAs will work hard to keep their brains working. But who is looking after their hearts? Today we speak with Tim Kennedy and Jeanette Unger, c ..read more

In this edition of the Rooster Crows Podcast, Rev. Stephen Milton poses a simple question: if a healthy person were forced to live on the streets tomorrow, what would happen to their health? Stephen interviews Roxie Danielson, a street nurse in Toronto who works with people who are experiencing homelessness. Roxie has been doing this work for nine years, and used to sit on the steering committee for the Shelter and Housing Justice Network in Toronto ..read more

For as long as humans have been around, there have been people that we would identify today as a part of the LGBTQ2S+ community. Cultures and histories from across time and space have shown people resisting oppression, creating families and communities, exploring the depths of human emotion through arts, and sharing stories.  The Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, now called the ArQuives, has worked for the past 50 years to preserve this history in the Canadian context. Roberta had the pleasure of interviewing their research archivist, Daniel Payne, on how the LGBTQIA2S+ community h ..read more

In our final podcast of the year, we feature some of the weird backstories behind Christmas traditions. Why did kids have to go on strike to get  Christmas vacations? Who was the real Saint Nicholas?  If you haven't been following Stephen's daily emails about Christmas, this is a good way to catch up, and get some killer trivia for Christmas dinner.  ..read more

What is it like to live on an Indigenous Reserve in Canada? Rev. Stephen talks with Leo Atlookan, a member of the Eabametoong first nation in Fort Hope, Northern Ontario. Like many reserves, the water from the taps is not safe to drink. Leo shares with us his experiences of living on a reserve that people love, but which many must leave due to a persistent lack of safe housing. The podcast is available on Apple, Spotify, Google Play and our website at www.lawrenceparkchurch.ca ..read more

Rev. Roberta speaks with Joseph Lauren of Restorative Justice Housing Ontario (RJHO) who assists former prisoners by providing safe, affordable housing. This gives them the stable foundation they need to become positive members of their communities. It will also lead to lower rates of re-offence and safer neighbourhoods, which helps the city as a whole.  In Canada, when someone is no longer incarcerated, they often have little support. Without access to their community, income, or housing, the chances are very high someone will return to prison. The Restorative Justice Hous ..read more

This episode we are continuing our discussions around death, specifically Medical Assistance in Dying, with two important voices. Heather Morgan is a disability advocate and shares her concerns and hopes around MAiD as the disability community contends on health care and MAiD. Anne Simmonds is one of the leading voices on dying and grieving in the United Church of Canada, having published articles, led lectures for future faith leaders, and has been on panels throughout her careers around spirituality, death, and community. Her insights on how we treat death are important for anyone who will ..read more

In a special Halloween edition of the Rooster Crows, Stephen and Roberta dive into some ghost stories that come from United Churches across the country. Why do so many churches have ghosts? What does the UCC think about ghosts? And why are they so focused on the pipe organ ..read more