As many in this Diocese are aware, the month of June was set aside as a Month of Mission.  It began and ended with Worship services led by our Archbishop, and included a Day of Prayer and Fasting, and five Spark Sessions once a week, to discuss a Mark of Mission Devotional written by members of the Mission Action Plan Committee.  The five Marks - Evangelism, Teaching, Outreach, Social Justice and Creation Care - all point to offering the Good News to the world around us.  

Isaiah 61:1 - 2 says, "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;...to comfort all who mourn..."  Whether it be in sharing our stories and listening to others, in educating new Christians, in reaching out to the hurt and helpless in our society, in striving for changes for fairness, justice and reconciliation, or in caring for the elements of this planet that we call home, we each have a Mission to fulfill.

As the summer begins and our thoughts turn to relaxing and refreshment, let us not set aside our call to Mission, and let us be the ambassadors for Christ that we are called to be, wherever we happen to be.

Diocesan PWRDF Coordinator:

Our long-serving Coordinator for the Primate's World Relief & Development Fund, Alison Longson, has announced her resignation as of July 31, to return to New Zealand.  Serving since 2005, Alison has been passionate about the programs and events which have enabled the work of the PWRDF to thrive in this Diocese.  We wish Alison and Chris all the best as they begin their next chapter of their faith journey.

Clergy Movements:

The Rev. Matthew Perreault has announced his intention to step down as Curate of All Saints, Cochrane, to answer the call to serve as the Rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Eustis, Florida, in the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida, as of July 18.  His pastoral care, genuine heart for our Lord, and the detail he has brought to not only his parishes where he has served, but also the Missional Coaches, the Mission Action Plan and the Diocesan Cursillo Movement, were gifts to us.  We wish him and his wife Linzie all the best in their new home, and we ask God to bless his ministry there.

The Diocese is pleased to announce that on Tuesday, June 29, Archbishop Greg led a Service of Ordination for six people to the order of Deacons:

Betty Nadurak, of St. Peter, Calgary, Vocational Deacon

David Bull, of St. John the Divine, Acme, Vocational Deacon

David Ginther, of St. Edmund, Calgary, Vocational Deacon

Dean Hartung, of St. Aldhelm, Vulcan, Transitional Deacon

Gillian Breckenridge, of St. Augustine, Lethbridge, Transitional Deacon

Jason Carroll, of St. Augustine, Lethbridge, Transitional Deacon

Please pray for each one as they continue to serve our Lord, now in ordained ministry.

Please find below the letter from Archbishop Greg regarding the latest updates as we await Stage 3 of the summer reopening.

Hard times continue in the wake of the devastation caused by the volcanic eruptions on St. Vincent.  Returning evacuees to their homes is a challenging problem as much of the north end of the island is covered in thick layers of volcanic ash.  Houses have been destroyed under the weight of the ash and this year’s crops have been devastated. Farmland could take years to recover.

Thank you to parishes of the Diocese of Calgary who have responded to the crisis with compassion and have raised funds to help with the relief effort. This week we would like to highlight the effort of two parish communities in the north end of the diocese who recently engaged in a bit of friendly rivalry: Grace Lutheran Church, Bentley and Church of the Epiphany Anglican Church, Rimbey.

In the early days of the disaster, Grace Church took up a special collection for St. Vincent relief. Grace is a small but very active congregation with much past involvement with relief work in our Companion Diocese of the Windward Islands. They were able to raise a little over $2000 for the Primates World Relief and Development Fund’s St. Vincent appeal. Following that, they challenged their sister parish of Epiphany, Rimbey to do better.  Epiphany rose to the challenge and recently reported raising $2335 for the PWRDF.  Both parishes would like to extend the challenge to other parishes in the Diocese of Calgary.  Are you up for the challenge?  The need continues in St. Vincent. 

Financial Donations can be made through the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund by clicking here.

Once again, we are offering a Spiritual Autobiography Workshop. Sometimes called a spiritual memoir, this is an opportunity to explore our life story and the places where God interacts with us. It is a beautiful exercise where we explore the themes of our lives and work with others to discern the working of the Spirit.  The workshop will take place over 3 Saturdays (August 21 & 28, and September 4 from 9:00 - 12:00 noon). Please contact Cathy to register.  When registering, please include a contact phone number and the name of your parish.

Registration deadline is July 25, 2021.

Fr. Jerrod McCormack has been offering the Rosary Gathering via Zoom on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, open to all who wish to participate.  This will now be changed to Thursdays at 2:00 pm.  For the Zoom link or more information, please email Fr Jerrod.

EfM is a four-year program (enrolled one year at a time) offering study of Scripture, church history, and practical theology to laypeople interested in deepening their knowledge and practice of Christian faith.  The curriculum is self-study (no exams) with weekly small group meetings for worship, fellowship and discussion.  Respectful encounters with differing perspectives in what we study and in fellow Christians opens our eyes to the richness of our faith tradition.  Practicing 'theological reflection' connects the readings with lived faith, and keeps us listening for God's call in our lives.

Course runs September to June.  Cost is $350/year (bursaries are available).  Contact EfM Mentor Jennifer Solem (403-804-2768) with questions or to register.  Deadline for September enrollment is July 31, but inquiries will be accepted any time.  More information can be found here.

The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer is inviting all AFP Reps from each Deanery and each Church in the Diocese to a Prayer Retreat via Zoom, on Saturday, September 11, from 9:30 to 11:30 am.  If you do not have a designated AFP Rep for your parish, please select someone to attend.  To register and receive the Zoom Link, please contact The Rev. Deacon Betty Nadurak.

Now that we can gather together in person, we are excited to announce plans for our next “Companions of the Bishop” Dinner.  This event, to be held once again at The Ranchmen's Club, raises funds for the Bishop’s Discretionary Fund, which covers expenses that the Bishop incurs that are not covered by the Diocesan budget, especially in supporting clergy of the Diocese.  Please consider attending to support this worthy cause.  Any questions can be directed to The Rev. Deacon Marcus Herrel.

Based on the success of the Say Yes! to Kids campaign, the Anglican Foundation of Canada (AFC) is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) that contribute to the physical, intellectual, emotional, or spiritual well-being of children, youth, or young adults within Canada.  

Grants for both ongoing and emerging projects will be considered:  

*             Category A grants, of up to $5,000 will be considered based on impact and how they support young people in a local context.  

*             Category B grants of up to $15,000 will be considered based on how they support the overall mission and service to children and youth in a city, diocese, or region.  

Eligible uses of funding include, but are not limited to, administrative expenses, equipment, technical costs, remuneration, honoraria, and food. Proposals will be accepted from September 1 to October 1, 2021.   Proposals submitted in response to this RFP will not count as one of the three submissions each diocese is allowed per year.   To read the full news release click here.   For the 2021 RFP Criteria and Application form click here. 

It is hoped that soon, outdoor church signs will be available for purchase on the ACC eStore.  In the meantime, people looking to purchase or replace the Anglican Church parish signs will need to reach out to at Gilmore Global (the company which the ACC works with in managing the eStore). The Customer Operations Manager, Robin (who can be reached here), can assist with placing a sign order.   An info sheet for the signs, to see which templates are available and which customizations can be made (or what information is required to create a sign) can be requested here. The instructions to “Customize” the sign will not be accessible on the eStore since the product isn’t live yet, but Robin can gather the details for any sign(s) and have artwork drafted for the order placer to review before finalizing the order.   These signs are created to be durable and are printed on metal, with grommets at the top corners for hanging, but the eStore folks can walk anyone through the details/options. The signs are available double-sided or single-sided; the double-sided signs are $165 + taxes and order fee. (Free shipping since the order is above $50.) Gilmore (eStore) can confirm on the pricing.   We’re keen to make the product more automated for ordering online in the next month or so. 

Restart BC, announced May 25, “is a careful, four-step plan to bring B.C. back together.” The provincial public health plan is “focused on protecting people and safely getting life back to normal”. At the Sorrento Centre, we are extending our arms in a joyous and generous welcome as we confirm plans for a healthy and happy summer on the shores of the beautiful Shuswap.  

At the heart of our summer is our Five Weeks of Summer, a diverse range of activities and events:        

Week one (July 11-16): Wild Church and, back for the 21st year, 21st Century Pilgrims: Walking on Holy Ground with Phil McIntyre-Paul.    

Week two (July 18-23): Creative Journaling with Kathy McDuff and Blessings Upon Blessings with Celtic harpist Jeff Stockton.      

Week three (July 25-30): Watercolour Everywhere! with Karin Huehold and Divine Dancing with Sheilagh McGlynn.     

Week four (August 1-6): Introduction to Weaving with Alison Hurlburt and How to Read the Bible and Not Kill People with Rev. David Taylor.   

Week five (August 8-13): Abiding in God’s Presence with Lorie Martin and Katherine Murray and Birding and the Holy Spirit with Jessica Schaap.   Stay tuned for other special events and activities over the summer.  To find out more, click here.

This two-week intensive leadership development module is a practical, holistic, hands-on, learning community experience which will transform you (in a good way!)

This Course takes place August 16 to 27 online (full days with Saturday and Sunday off).  Cost is $1680.  Bursaries are available by application.  For more information about the Course, click here.  To register, please contact the Registrar.

We are interested in what is happening in your parish and would love to highlight those events and news in our newsfeed.

We look forward to your contributions - feel free to forward your event announcements, your parish news, your stories.  Send in your details and pictures to ctubman@calgary.anglican.ca.

Please remember in your prayers:

- our clergy and churches as we continue to find our way forward in these days of loosening restrictions;

- those who are sick, suffering, fearful or in need, remembering those suffering from the Coronavirus and their caregivers, those feeling isolated and those who are vulnerable;  

- for Michelle, Paige, Monica, Jane, Aus, Bill, Anne and James;

- those who have died and those who mourn;

- the victims of violence and natural disasters and victims of racial attacks; 

- our Indigenous brothers and sisters, especially remembering their hurt and grief at this time; 

- the forest fires in BC, particularly the community of Lytton;

- our Companion Diocese of the Windward Islands and their Bishop Leopold Friday, especially during these stressful days of volcanic activity on the island of St. Vincent. 

Request a prayer:

Send prayer requests to ctubman@calgary.anglican.ca to let us know how we can pray for you.  We will only use first names which will be removed after two or three weeks.  We will also pray for you during our regular Chapel services each week.  Please ensure that you have permission from those whose names you are submitting for prayer, and that they understand their name will be made public to all who subscribe to the Newsletter.