What churches can do to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day

A pastor is sharing five ways churches can acknowledge and celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day.

Marty McLean, the lead pastor at Encounter Life Fellowship in Winnipeg, says churches and Christians can celebrate and honour Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday. He is sharing how change can happen in Canada.

Listen to all five recommendations here

"It is the reality that we Indigenous peoples live in today. We are actually the third generation removed from the first people that went to residential schools and so it is something that we live and breath every day," McLean says. "It is really exciting for people to get involved, especially this weekend."

He says seeing the church take action and acknowledge what happened is a true act of reconciliation.

Land Acknowledgements

McLean says understanding where your church is located and which nations call the land home is a way to acknowledge where you are.

Remembering and reflecting on Residential School Survivors

In light of recent discoveries in Kamloops, McClean is recommending people take a moment to reflect and acknowledge the dark chapter in Canada's history.

Pray

The pastor is asking people to pray for the Indigenous peoples of the land. He says prayer is a "universal language" and believes Christ would want us to pray for continued healing.