Ah, the ‘60’s! While I was trying to figure out a lot of things about God that have always been above my pay grade, I was also trying to figure out love and vocation. Lest I give you the impression that life was all seriousness, I also got introduced to jazz during that time and played lots of sports with the guys.

This first reflection begins with 76 years of my rich family history and 40 fruitful years of spiritual exploration that produced the entity we call Touchstone – offering encouragement, and teaching friendship in Christ among leaders in the business, political, arts, and spiritual marketplaces.

Pop the corks & pass the butter tarts; June 2024 will mark Touchstone’s 40th birthday.

1984. That year, Apple launched the McIntosh, its first consumer computer; the brand-new video game Tetris was released; then Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau announced his resignation; and a group of friends empowered me to start what would become Touchstone.

Over the past four decades, Touchstone grew into a ministry that offers, encourages, and teaches friendship in Christ among leaders in the business, political, arts, and spiritual marketplaces.

Over the years, friends and colleagues encouraged me to write about my spiritual journey as it has woven together with Touchstone’s. After contemplating this for some time, I realized that I have a storeroom of treasures that ought not to be archived or stowed away, rather, they are tools, treasures, which I’ve brought out again and again, to help people who are part of our community.

This Introduction will serve as the first of several chapters recounting that story, which will be released in podcast and blog formats over the coming six months, culminating in a digital book and print version.

It will also lead up to Touchstone’s 40th Birthday Party on June 9th, 2024, when we will celebrate the Touchstone years one last time. And, you’re all invited.

Welcome to another of our sporadic and intermittent “On Further Reflections with Norm Allen.” I’m Norm Allen and with me is ErInn Oxford, the executive director of The Dale Ministries. I’m excited to have Erinn with us today, because we’ve been friends for 12 years or something like that, and I have been friends with her husband Dion for longer - but we share ministry in the city, and ministry to people who have needs – I’m on one side of the street - and Erinn is working a different side of the street, with a different kind of person in her enclave in Parkdale.

Welcome to another of our occasional and sporadic video blogs. Today I’m delighted to have Stacey Campbell with me - CEO of Prison Fellowship Canada.

It’s a week since Ash Wednesday, a day of penitence and preparation for our journey toward Easter – a time of reflection leading to hope and reconciliation. I’m inviting you into a conversation of hope and reconciliation I enjoyed with Canada’s first National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop Mark MacDonald.

I’ve been thinking about the context in which we’re living at the moment, and the fear, anxiety and anger that seems to be part of our whole cultural experience.

This is a conversation I shared with two people who are very close to me. Dr. Ken Derksen who is close to me - maybe because he’s my neighbour and my doctor. We share our journey in Christ together. He’s also a board member on one of the larger churches in our area.

Heidi Allen is - has the misfortune for several decades to be my daughter. She’s a graduate of Western University in Music, a graduate of Regent College in Theological Studies, and has a degree now in Psychotherapy, so she has her own psychotherapy practice.

Today, my friend Mike Janzen – musical artist, writer and composer - and I are going to discuss his new two-volume Psalms project. It’s not just the Psalms project that is of interest, but also because it’s an expression of his journey out of darkness into light as part of his recovery from a concussion injury that he suffered 5 years ago.

Today, my friend Mike Janzen – musical artist, writer and composer - and I are going to discuss his new two-volume Psalms project. It’s not just the Psalms project that is of interest, but also because it’s an expression of his journey out of darkness into light as part of his recovery from a concussion injury that he suffered 5 years ago.

A conversation with Hugh Brewster