What's Inside
It's June, and we're already halfway through the calendar year. For many CCCC Members, summer brings a change of pace. Some ministries are slowing down programming in tandem with the school year's summer break, while others are preparing for one of their busiest seasons as staff, volunteers, children, and families return to camps and summer activities. And for many ministries, daily operations continue steadily regardless of the season. Wherever your ministry fits in this mix, this month, we've focused our Bulletin on legal affairs to keep you informed as you navigate increasingly complex legal and regulatory issues.
In this issue, meet Deina Warren, CCCC's Director of Legal Affairs, and learn about how her team supports CCCC members across the country. Our legal team contributes to many areas of CCCCs work, helping members stay informed about legal matters that are key to preserving their ministry focus. This month, we've highlighted several recent legal resources, including five court decision summary documents now available in CCCC's Knowledge Base for our members. In addition, we've featured the Legal Defence Fund which exists to protect and promote the freedom of Christian charities to serve in accordance with their beliefs. We hope these resources equip and encourage your ministry throughout the summer season.
Please note the upcoming webinar on Lobbying & Advocacy and join us. This session will provide practical guidance to help your organization determine whether lobbying registration requirements may apply to your activities and how to engage responsibly in advocacy. We will also discuss CCCC’s role as an intervenor before Canadian courts through support provided by the Legal Defence Fund.
CCCC has been blessed by many faithful and long-serving staff members who have served our members with excellence and care. This summer, we are saying farewell to James Metcalf after 11 years of dedicated service as Chief Operating Officer. His steady leadership, wisdom, and kindness have left a lasting impact on both our members and the CCCC team. James consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to supporting ministries and strengthening the work of CCCC. We are deeply grateful for his faithful service and the care he showed to everyone around him. Please join us in thanking James and wishing him every blessing and joy in retirement.
Deina Warren
Director of Legal Affairs
“Lawyer” may not be the first role that comes to mind when we think about ministry, but I truly believe law is a God-given calling and one way to seek the welfare of our cities as Jeremiah 29 exhorts. Since 2019, I’ve had the privilege of doing just that as part of CCCC legal team.
In my role as Director of Legal Affairs, I work together with Simone Waller, our Associate Director of Legal Affairs, to support CCCC and you, our members. That can include providing legal advice to CCCC, writing blog updates, creating Knowledge Base resources, reviewing content for legal accuracy, and keeping up to date on all the latest legal developments.
I also have the privilege of leading our public advocacy work. Whether intervening in court cases to protect freedom of conscience and religion, meeting with the CRA Charities Directorate, making submissions to Parliament, writing articles or giving presentations, this work is a responsibility I don’t take lightly and one that is truly a great joy.
Thank you for your ongoing support of our advocacy as we seek to faithfully engage in the public square!
Court Decision Summaries
Ministries are navigating increasingly complex legal and regulatory issues. Did you know that CCCC Legal Affairs regularly provides court decision summaries for our members to help them stay informed about cases that are especially significant to the Christian charity sector? Five court decision summaries have been published in our Knowledge Base (KB) in the last month. Each document has been cross-posted to the relevant Legal Education menus of various KB categories (noted below). We hope this helps you find what you need. If you'd like to see the summaries all in one place, we've also prepared a page for this purpose here.
- Horley Estate, 2025 NSSC 190 - KB Category: Charitable Gifts & Receipts
- Prince Albert (City) v. Embassy Church Inc., 2026 SKCA 18 - KB Category: Charity Taxation
- Coram Deo Foundation v. Canada (Minister of National Revenue), 2026 BCSC 123 - KB Categories: Charitable Activities; Charity Governance
- Stamford Kiwanis Non-Profit Homes Inc. v. Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, 2025 ONCA 450 - KB Category: Charity Taxation
- Fodjo v. NufiCanada, 2025 ONSC 6330 - KB Category: Charity Governance
Theory of Change
At The Studio, ministries are choosing to focus on refreshing or developing a "theory of change." A theory of change is a simple but powerful way to explain how and why your work is expected to make a difference.
It answers questions like:
- What problem are we trying to solve?
- What changes do we hope to see?
- What actions will lead to those changes?
- What assumptions are we making along the way?
Once you have a theory of change, you can then build your strategy on top of it. Please read: Theory of Change - Pathway to Mission Fulfillment by Rev. John Pellowe to learn more about how it informs all mission-related decisions for your ministry.
Good Governance: The Key to Organizational Performance
Governance of any charity is both relational and legal. Whether your ministry is led by a board, elders, or deacons, strong governance can strengthen your ministry and support its mission. It is more than a legal requirement. Healthy governance helps organizations to thrive. The Studio gives your ministry practical support to build healthy leadership and governance structures. Start with our overview article on Good Governance: The Key to Organizational Performance to take the next step on the journey of ensuring you have the right governance structure for your ministry.
CCCC Legal Defence Fund
With a mandate to protect and promote the freedom of Christian charities to serve in accordance with their beliefs, the Legal Defence Fund allows the Canadian Centre for Christian Charities (CCCC) to advocate on issues that matter most to our members. Our Legal Affairs team engages with government officials, informs ministries about important changes, and intervenes in significant court cases affecting Christian charities across Canada. We invite you to explore our latest Legal Affairs Update to learn more. Your gifts and prayers help CCCC advocate for churches and charities' essential role and to maintain a faithful Christian presence in Canada’s public square. Thank you for your generosity and partnership.
Read more
The Canada Revenue Agency Releases Updated Guide on Writing Charitable Purposes
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has released a new “Short Guide” about how to write charitable purposes, whether for an organization’s application for registration or for amending its purposes. The Guide explains three key elements of charitable purposes:
- The category (or purpose) of charity: relief of poverty, advancement of religion, advancement of education, or other purposes beneficial to the community.
- The scope of the activities: how the charity furthers its purpose.
- The eligible beneficiaries. who will benefit from your charitable activities.
The Short Guide outlines best practices and common mistakes when drafting charitable purposes. It also gives specific recommendations about how to draft charitable purposes for making gifts to qualified donees or grants to non-qualified donees.
The CRA also released a long list of examples of charitable purposes. These sample purposes are helpful but need to be carefully reviewed and modified to make sure they accurately reflect your organization’s activities.
For further clarity on charitable purposes, please see CRA’s detailed guidance on charitable purposes of a registered charity.
2026 Federal Spring Economic Update
On April 28, 2026, the Federal Government released its 2026 Spring Economic Update (Update). The Update included a statement about upcoming changes to the charitable sector, pledging to “undertake an exercise to modernise the framework for the charitable sector in 2026-27.” It is unclear exactly what the government means by modernizing, but the Update references “advances in technology and digitisation” as part of the reason for its proposal. The first step of the process will be consultations with key stakeholders and agencies to give feedback “and align with best practices adopted by other G7 countries.”
Given the lack of clarity in the Update, CCCC reached out to CRA for further information. No additional details are currently available, but we will keep you informed through updates on our blog.
Quick Picks
CCCC staff are constantly reading news, reports, and other resources to stay on top of developments in the charitable sector. We think you'll find these picks helpful!
- Alberta's Bill 18 Passes Third Reading in Legislative Assembly
- ChatGPT Violation of Federal and Provincial Privacy Legislation
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner - Joint Investigation of OpenAI OpCo, LLC
Events
Accreditation Application Workshop
June 3, 2026 | 2:00 pm EDT (Webinar)
Accreditation can feel like a significant step, with many details to consider. If that feels familiar, you are not alone. We are here to support you. We are hosting a live Accreditation Application Workshop on June 3 at 2:00 pm ET. In this session, our team will guide you through the application form. You will see what each section requires, how to approach it, and how to move forward with confidence. This session is designed for ministries planning to complete their application in the coming months. It offers a practical way to build clarity and momentum.
Lobbying & Advocacy
June 17, 2026 | 2:00 pm EDT (Webinar)
Join us for an important webinar designed to help Christian charities navigate recent developments in Canada’s federal Lobbying Act. This session will provide practical guidance to help your organization determine whether lobbying registration requirements may apply to your activities and how to engage responsibly in advocacy. We will also discuss CCCC’s role as an intervenor before Canadian courts because of support provided by the Legal Defence Fund.
Leading Projects in Churches & Charities: Project Management for Non-Project Managers
July 15, 2026 | 2:00 pm EDT (Webinar)
Join Jordan Nobel, CCCC Head of Project Management, to learn about tools and techniques of project management that you can implement in your ministry. Various case studies will be explored, featuring different types of projects you may encounter and how to skillfully move them forward to completion.
Other Notable Upcoming Events
Next Equipped Leg | September 22 & 23 (Saskatchewan), September 24 (Manitoba), October 20-22 (Ontario) (In Person Event)
Gather with Christian charity leaders and pastors for a day of learning, insights and connection at Equipped by CCCC. Learn from the CCCC team and from other ministries through a mix of keynote presentations, table discussions, and breakout sessions. Registration includes the full-day event, lunch, and refreshments. Ministry workers from organizations that are not currently CCCC members will receive a non-member rate. Registrations are non-refundable but are transferable up to one week prior to the event. Each attendee must complete a separate registration. Registration closes one week prior to the event date.
Accredited Member News
Congratulations to the Accredited Members listed below who recently participated in a scheduled accreditation review and demonstrated their ongoing commitment to CCCC Accreditation standards. We are proud to have you as part of our Accredited Member community! To find out more about CCCC Accreditation and our Accredited members, visit giveconfidently.ca.
- Crossworld – Crossworld is a Christian missions organization of disciple-makers from all professions bringing God’s love to life among the least-reached.
- International Justice Mission - International Justice Mission is a global organization protecting the poor from violence throughout the developing world. IJM partners with local authorities to rescue victims of violence, bring criminals to justice, restore survivors, and strengthen justice systems.
- Fellowship of Faith for the Muslims - Fellowship of Faith for the Muslims wants to help you pray and work for the salvation of Muslims everywhere, including the ones next door.
For more information see CCCC Accreditation, Accredited Members, and/or visit giveconfidently.ca.
Questions Regarding Temporary Employment
How should temporary employment be handled when short-term help is needed for camps, staff vacations, or busy ministry seasons? The discussion offers helpful insight on fairness, transparency, worker classification, and important safeguards when serving vulnerable people. Join the conversation to learn from other ministries, share your experience, and consider how your organization can approach temporary hiring with wisdom and care.
Read moreQualifications Policy for Positions of Trust
A member on The Green HR Hub recently asked how ministries approach qualifications policies for positions of trust, especially when seeking to protect children, youth, seniors, and vulnerable people while also thinking carefully about grace, repentance, and accountability. This discussion invites members to reflect on how abuse prevention policies, screening practices, and clear role expectations can help ministries make wise, consistent, and caring decisions.
Read more
AI Notetaker Recommendations
A new topic on The Green discusses what AI notetaker tools ministries are using for meetings and offers helpful peer insight on options like platform transcripts, Google Recorder, OneNote, Copilot, Fathom, and Granola. Members also raised an important caution: before recording, transcribing, or summarizing meetings with AI, ministries should think carefully about privacy, consent, data storage, sensitive conversations, cost, and how well the tool fits their team’s workflow.
Read moreServices
A Pro When You Need One
The professionals listed in our Professional Associates Directory provide services to charities and practice in four general areas: law, accounting, insurance, and consulting.
CCCC Benediction
James Metcalf, Chief Operating Officer
May the Lord grant you wisdom and discernment as you steward the responsibilities entrusted to your ministry and organization. In this season of summer transition and renewed rhythms, may He strengthen you with healthy legal awareness, guiding your decisions with integrity, care, and peace. And may you be encouraged knowing that faithful leadership—grounded in both compassion and wisdom—honours Christ and serves others well.
Contact Details
Canadian Centre for Christian Charities
PO Box 335 STN Waterloo
Waterloo, ON N2J 4A4
(519) 669-5137
