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Missional MinuteHow Firm a Foundation What a week this has been! The news has been especially dire this week: forest fire threats, Taliban resurgence, Haiti's earthquake then hurricane, Covid case numbers on the rise. These days make many people tremble in fear, along with feelings of sadness, despondency and heartache. What are we to do? We are, however, a people of faith and hope. We know that we have a living God who is in control. We know our God is greater than any problems that the world can throw at us. We have, as the old hymn says, a firm foundation. "Fear not, I am with you, O do not be dismayed; for I am your God, and will still give you aid." We are also a missional people, and we must shine God's light to the world around us. Though the days seem very dark, we can testify to our firm foundation, and bring hope and assurance to our families, our friends, our neighbors. We are called to lift those around us from the mire they are in, and walk with them in faith. You can read the words to the hymn here and rely on God's promises to get us through these times. |
Diocesan Announcements
Clergy Updates: St. John the Evangelist, Claresholm: Archbishop Greg Kerr-Wilson has appointed The Rev. Tim Webster as Incumbent for St. John the Evangelist as of August 1.
Christ Church, Calgary: After serving in the Diocese of Ottawa for several years, The Rev. Commander John Wilcox will be returning to Calgary, and has been appointed as Interim Assistant Priest for Christ Church beginning September 1.
St. George, Calgary: Archbishop Greg has appointed The Rev. Greg Clark as Interim Priest, part time, for St. George, beginning September 1. Also, we are delighted to announce that The Rev. Deacon Joan Carson of St. George will be ordained to the Order of Priests on Tuesday, September 14 at St. George.
We ask for your prayers as each of these faithful ministers transition to these new roles. |
Mask MinistrySt. Michael Anglican Church, Canmore Over the past year, St. Michael's has hung out a clothesline of face masks in front of the Church. People are encouraged to take a mask if they need one. Free of charge, these handmade masks are washable and, therefore, reusable. The ten masks offered most weekdays always disappear with our prayer for God's blessings and safety to the wearer. That's over 2500 masks! The COVID 19 pandemic frightened us all with its rapid transmission. Washing our hands frequently, social distancing and wearing masks have become a part of our culture. We now find ourselves emerging from the crisis, with reduced fear and fewer restrictions, but the safety practices we have learned may well be prudent to keep, and indeed, hard to shake. St. Michael's will continue to provide masks, free of charge, as long as people want them. |
Making a Difference in Meota Parish
At a time when money is tight and bills need to be paid, two ladies from St. George, Turner Valley came up with some fundraising ideas. During a recent parish Zoom meeting, Carol started turning her camera around her living room for her fellow parishioners to see her many plants. She decided to sell them and donate the money to the church. The amount came to over $1000. Then the idea of selling pies was proposed, and Carol, along with her fellow parishioner Janet, took on the task of baking and selling about 90 pies. This, too, raised almost $1000. Now, in the month of August, there was another bake sale last week, and this time there were 120 pies available for sale. These two women are true Disciples - using their time and talents to give back to their parish. Well done, Carol and Janet! |
AFP Prayer RetreatSeptember 11, 2021 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. |
Companions of the Bishop DinnerSave-the-Date! October 4, 2021 Now that we can gather together in person, we are excited to announce plans for our next “Companions of the Bishop” Dinner. This event 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. We are excited to announce that this year's guest speaker will be our Primate, the Most Rev. Linda Nicholls. Information on ticket orders and donations will be forthcoming. Any questions can be directed to The Rev. Deacon Marcus Herrel. |
Dying to KnowFall Sessions 2021 Hospice Calgary's Dying to Know education program is for family caregivers, patients, volunteers working in any setting and anyone who is interested in the variety of topics from living with uncertainty to self-compassion. The sessions are free on Zoom on the third Tuesday of each month from 6:00 to 7:30 pm, and feature professional, expert speakers. Tuesday, September 21 - What is Hospice and Palliative Care? Tuesday, October 19 - Advanced Care Planning To download the printable schedule, click here. |
Mental Health First Aid (Basic) CourseSt. Andrew Anglican Church - September 17 to 19, 2021 This course focuses on the four most common mental health disorders including substance-related, mood-related, anxiety and trauma-related, and psychotic disorders. Participants who take this course are well-prepared to interact confidently about mental health with their family, friends, communities, and workplaces. Cost is $140/attendee. Click here to RSVP. |
Light for Every Birth ProjectFundraising with the YYC Helping Hands team The PWRDF is fundraising to purchase and install solar suitcases for 50 rural health clinics in Mozambique. Each suitcase costs $5800 including transportation, installation and training. The village health clinics have no electricity. By donating to this project, you will reduce the incidence of baby and mother mortality during birth. Marlene Wiens and her team, YYC Helping Hands, will be riding to raise funds. To join the team or donate, please click here. For more information on this amazing project, view here. You can contact Marlene directly here. |
The Wisdom CentreTwo Fall Events As we continue to live in uncertain times, these two new events will be virtual. Registration opens September 1. Freeing Jesus: Conversations with Diana Butler Bass about Re-Imagining Faith - October 20 & 21, 2021, 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Holy Wisdom, Mother of God: Exploring the Divine Feminine - Friday, November 5 at 6:00 pm and Saturday, November 6 at 10:00 am. To find out more, please contact The Wisdom Centre. |
Say Less, Communicate MoreA Flocknote video The Anglican Diocese of Calgary uses a texting app called Flocknote as one means of broadcasting information out to the diocese. Flocknote often produces worthwhile videos to motivate the Christian community. We're excited to offer one this week on effective communication. Please find the link here. |
Basically Babies
Basically Babies is a registered charity that supports families with newborns living in situations of extreme need in our community. Our purpose is simple: to outfit newborns in need. Through this, we communicate worth, value, dignity and hope to the recipient families by providing a beautiful and practical, color-coordinated, appropriately-sized and season-specific "layette" that will outfit the baby for his/her entire first year of life. Each layette contains approximately 110 items including summer and winter clothing, snowsuits, jackets, hats, mittens, sweaters, socks, shoes, slippers, sleepers, undershirts, blankets, towels, washcloths, toys, books and much more. We use gently used baby items that are donated by the community. We are working hard to grow our Calgary donations so that we can continue to help more families with newborns who are living in situations of extreme need in the greater Calgary community. Basically Babies is now seeking a donation drive/collection in the form of clean, good quality, gently used or new baby clothing (sized 0 to 24 months) and small baby supplies and items. The demand for our layettes is constantly increasing. If your church is able to help us meet this need, we will provide materials and collection boxes and work together to create a donation drive that works for you and supports our needs. Please contact Jennifer or phone (587) 436-2843 to set up a phone or Zoom meeting to discuss working together. For more information about our work and the families we serve, please visit our website. |
Item to DonateUpright Piano The Diocese Office has had an offer of a Heintzman upright piano. It is in very good condition, and available to any church in need of a piano. Sunday school? Choir room? If you are interested, please contact the Diocese Office for contact information. |
Items NeededSt. Edmund Anglican Church St. Edmund's is in the process of transforming our Rectory into a gathering space for the church and the community. We are in need of gently used padded office chairs/visitor chairs. If you are able to help us out, please contact David. |
Earth Jam 2021
From September 8 to October 8, join us for a series of events to participate in activities to engage with the climate emergency and be part of the change. To register or for more information, please click here. |
Diocese of Montreal Open Enrolment Learning OpportunitiesFall 2021 Our open enrolment courses equip students for life in a changing church. Open to anyone interested in deepening their Christian faith and knowledge, and cultivating leadership skills in the church, we hope you will find in these offerings something that will help you grow as a follower of Christ. You can register as an individual but we encourage people to learn together, with a group rate and share the Zoom link to discuss the resources provided. Reading the Bible in the Season of Creation: Christian Discipleship in a Time of Climate Crisis: Tuesdays, 7:00 to 8:30 pm ET, September 21 to October 12. Luke: A Journey with Jesus: Tuesdays, 7:00 to 8:30 pm (ET), October 26 to November 23. Accountable Preaching for the Church and World: Thursday evenings, 7:00 to 9:00 (ET), October 21 to November 4. Information on these courses can be requested here. |
Sorrento Centre
WYLD - September intake is now open. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE Imagine.... an amazing eight months at beautiful Sorrento Centre, living rent-free, earning and learning, and resume building, and making memories. Don't miss out - find out more here.
"All Verdant Greening" - The Right Rev. Dr. Lynne McNaughton, Bishop of Kootenay, will lead a retreat to explore the art and writing of Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) from October 22 to 24. Themes of God's energy in Creation will inspire and resonate with those finding a life-giving spiritual path. Get the details here. |
The Anglican Foundation of Canada launches Requests for Proposals (RFP)September 1 to October 1, 2021 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. |
Call Out for Submissions for the 2023 Canadian Church Calendar
Calling all shutterbugs! It's NOT too early to submit photos for the 2023 Canadian Church Calendar. If you haven't purchased your 2022 copy or wish to submit photos, details can be found on our website. |
We'd Like to Hear from You
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. |
Prayer Requests
Please remember in your prayers: - our clergy and churches as we continue to find our way forward in these strange times; - 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, Larry, James, Barb, Howard; - those who have died and those who mourn; - the victims of violence and natural disasters and victims of racial attacks. We pray especially for the countries of Haiti and Afghanistan. - our Indigenous brothers and sisters, especially remembering their hurt and grief at this time; - the forest fires in BC and throughout Canada and the US; - 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. - for our country as we face a Federal Election on September 20. 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. |