Like many people this week, my attention was drawn to the flooding happening in BC.  I watched the videos from flyovers of broken highway and rail line sections.  I saw the photos of lakes where there used to be cities.  I read harrowing tales from drivers, evacuation alerts from media sources and Twitter feed posts from frightened, astonished, and displaced persons, as well as the ever-present doom sayers.

And in the midst of these troubling times, there are sparks of hope: a restaurant owner offering free pizza to stranded drivers; the diner owner who opened his doors, allowing people camping in the parking lot to have a warm, dry place to sleep; the closed summer camps that opened to feed and house wayfarers.

Watching, I wondered, what can I do?  How can I help?  First, I can offer encouragement and a listening ear to those of my friends and family in BC.  Several are not anywhere near the lower mainland, but they are affected by supply lines to their grocery stores this week.  They need to hear that others are concerned and willing to listen.  As well, as one is able, now is the time to send funds to verified online or local church organizations who are on the scene and likely in need of financial resources.

And we can pray.  We know our God is in control.  He is there with each person, literally in the storm.  He is bigger than the rising waters.  We can turn to Him in our worry and fear, knowing He is the author of peace and courage and strength and hope.  In the midst of the devastation, and the relief and rebuilding that will need to occur, He is there.  This is an opportunity to see His power at work, if we choose to look for it.

Eternal God, we ask at this time for Your presence to be with the people of southern BC.  Bring them relief and aid, comfort those who are fearful, give peace to those displaced, strengthen those who have lost so much.  We ask for Your Spirit to be with the leaders, the emergency workers, and all those working to rescue and restore.  We hold each one up to you.  Make haste to help them.  Amen.

New Property Assistant: 

Archbishop Greg and the staff of the Diocesan Office are pleased to welcome Frank Corbett, our new Property Assistant.  With a background in carpentry and trades instruction, as well as property management, Frank brings experience, leadership and knowledge of construction and infrastructure improvements.  We look forward to working with him, as he helps the Diocese assess, maintain and improve our property assets.  Welcome, Frank!

Regional Dean of Glenmore:

Archbishop Greg has appointed The Rev. Capt. Derwyn Costinak as the new Regional Dean of Glenmore.

Two new Priests:

We are delighted to announce that on Sunday, November 21, God willing, Archbishop Greg will be ordaining The Rev. Deacon Gillian Breckenridge and The Rev. Deacon Jason Carroll of St. Augustine, Lethbridge, to the Order of Priests, at St. Augustine, Lethbridge.

Two new Transitional Deacons:

We are delighted to announce that on Wednesday, December 8, God willing, Archbishop Greg will be ordaining Adam Bedford of St. Laurence, Calgary and Rob Petkau of Holy Trinity, Calgary to the Order of Deacons, at the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer.    

Interim Priest at St. Andrew, Calgary:

We are delighted to announce that, God willing, as of November 18, 2021, The Rev. John Chuol, who has been studying at Emmanuel St. Chad Seminary in Saskatoon, will become the Interim Priest for St. Andrew, Calgary.  

Associate Priest at St. James, Calgary:

We are delighted to announce that, God willing, as of December 1, 2021, The Rev. Dr. Carmen Maier, who has been Interim Priest for the Parish of St. Martin, Calgary, will become the new Associate Priest for St. James, Calgary.

We ask for your prayers as each of these faithful ministers transition to these new roles.

Diocesan Office:

The Diocesan office staff are mostly working from home at this time.  Staff are available by email.  Please email diocese@calgary.anglican.ca for confirmation of contact information on the staff person you are wanting to reach.

As St. Martin’s has been moving into their new church building and going through the items that have been in storage, they had a number of items to sell.  They are now down to one item - a pew chair (shown above).  Solid oak, in very good condition, and St. Martin's is asking $100.  It can be yours by emailing here. 

What does it mean to be an instrument of peace in times of crisis and chaos?

Join The Most Rev. Greg Kerr-Wilson, The Ven. Alan Getty, The Ven. Dr. Pilar Gateman, The Ven. Dr. Stephen Hambidge, and The Rev. Joan Schellenberger for opportunities for Silent Reflection, Discussion and Prayer.

Register here.  A Zoom link will be sent to registrants. 

We are happy to report that parishioners of St. George's in Turner Valley are once again baking for a good cause.  As a fundraiser on November 13, they held a quiche sale and made almost $1300!  Well done!

Now they are announcing their Christmas Bake Sale coming up on December 11.

For more information on how to purchase the wonderful baking, please click here.

The parishes of St. Mary’s, Ponoka and the Church of the Epiphany, Rimbey, are looking for their next rector! These two rural parishes are looking for an enthusiastic, shared rector ready to begin a new stage of their ministry.

Please email Jennifer Alexander to request the parish profiles. If you are interested in applying for this position, please forward your CV and response to the parish profile by November 22, 2021. We thank you for your interest; however, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

St. Martin's is one of the original Anglican parishes in Calgary and is located in an established community on the western edge of the city.  Our unique new building, to which we have recently moved, has been extensively renovated.  This offers exciting new opportunities for both Parish and community involvement.  

We aspire to be a vibrant, multi-generational community of Christian faith, grounded in our Anglican heritage, yet open to innovation.  We respect diversity in the Church and in the world, are responsive to those in need, and have a humble appreciation for the mystery of God.

We are looking forward to welcoming a new incumbent who will support us as we grow into our new Parish home.  We are still accepting applications, and will continue until we have a successful candidate.

Other information is also available on our webpage.

Our profile is available upon request; please email The Ven. Dr. Pilar Gateman.

The Medicine Hat Ecumenical Campus Ministry Society seeks a Christian Chaplain for a half-time position providing spiritual counsel and support to the Medicine Hat College community.

Interested persons should contact Dick Bide at (403) 528-2401 for a detailed job description.  Deadline is December 31, 2021.

Prior to Christmas, we can devote a lot of time and thought to Christmas shopping.  At a time when we are focused on gifts, let us spend some time this Advent looking at the Spirituality of giving.  Deacon Elizabeth of All Saints, Cochrane will guide you through four sessions looking at such topics as the Whys of Giving, Priority, Seeing Myself as a Gift, Gratitude, and Celebration.

Please register here so that we have numbers, and to receive the Zoom link if you are attending those sessions.  For details, click here.  

In challenging times, it is good to come away from daily life for a time of quiet and contemplation.

Join us as we travel in spirit to Taizé, a community of faith in Southern France.  This retreat will leave your spirit refreshed and at peace, as we slow down our pace and spend time in community, quiet reflection and singing the prayers that Taizé is known for. 

Facilitators: Alicia and Terry Dykstra (King's Fold Community Members)

Please click here to register, or if you would like more information.

This day marks the international day to build support and community for those left behind.  Organized by the Canadian Mental Health Association, Calgary.  Join the event here.

Many are fearful and anxious about their future as the pandemic lingers.

A free eBook created by St. Luke, Calgary continues to circulate, bringing encouragement and Good News to more than 1,000 readers.  To download and share, please click here.

Mental Health First Aid - In Person, St. Andrews Anglican (1611 St. Andrews Pl NW) - December 3rd (7:00 PM - 9:00 PM), December 4th (9:00 AM - 4:00 PM), December 5th (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM)

Mental Health First Aid (Basic) is intended for adults interacting with adults (18 years and older). 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. 

Note: Because of a grant we have received to support Mental Health work, we can offer this training for a reduced fee of $60 (usually, this course would cost $195 to the general public) to our members.

Register here.

This event was originally scheduled during the fourth wave. It has been rescheduled to the beginning of December.

The University of Calgary is offering two online lectures with Dr. Warren Kinghorn of Duke University, hosted by the Calgary Public Library.

- Friday, December 3, 3:00 - 5:00 pm: What Do Emotions Mean?  Aquinas, Descartes, and Modern Mental Health Care

- Saturday, December 4, 1:00 - 2:30 pm: Why Mental Disorders Are Not Brain Disorders (Alone): A Holistic Christian Approach to Mental Health Care (The Chair of Christian Thought Lebel Lecture in Christian Ethics)

For more information, contact Dr. Carolyn Muessig, Chair of Christian Thought, Department of Classics & Religion.

To register for Friday's event, click here.  To register for Saturday's event, click here.

Advent Retreat: Finding Hope in Liminal Times - Join Bishop Anna Greenwood-Lee and musician Deb Koning as we begin the Advent season with an examination of what it means to be in liminal times.  Advent has much to teach us about waiting, about preparation, about ambiguity, about hope, about daring to be incarnate despite the chaos and uncertainty of our world.  Over the weekend, we will read texts and watch videos to explore the theology of Advent.  We will also use poetry and art as a way to explore the themes of Advent.  Begins Friday evening, November 26 until Sunday morning, November 28.  More information and to Register.

Once again, there have been several phishing attempts reported to the Diocesan Office in the past few weeks.  If you receive a request from one of our staff asking for your help, and you are suspicious, please do not respond and delete the email.

We ask two things:  1.  ALWAYS read the email address the message is coming from; all of our correspondence comes only from @calgary.anglican.ca    2.  Know that the Archbishop, or the our staff will never ask you for money or the purchase of gift cards on our behalf.

These emails are not harmful to your computer, just annoying. 

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 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, Monica, Barb, Howard, and Travis;

- those who have died and those who mourn;

- the victims of violence and natural disasters, remembering the people of Southern BC, and the island of St. Vincent in our Companion Diocese of the Windward Islands, and victims of racial attacks;

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

- refugees, remembering those fleeing the Taliban regime.

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.