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Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year
On behalf of the Staff of the Diocesan Office, we wish you a blessed Advent season, a merry Christmas, and peace, health and joy in the New Year. |
Missional Minute
Luke 21:5-9 5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.” 7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?” 8 He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” Each time I see or read of rocks and stones in the Bible, I envision one of God’s creations playing a vital role in His stories. There are numerous references to rocks and stones throughout the Bible: Moses striking a rock to quench the Israelites' thirst; the stone that David hurled from a sling to fall Goliath; perhaps it could be the stone that Jesus picked up to illustrate "he who is without sin" to keep the crowd from throwing it at a sinner; or in the case of today’s story, the loose stone that formed a wall of a once great and beautiful temple and later tumbled during an imagined destruction. There are enough stories about rocks and stones to keep a geologist or biblical scholar busy for a lifetime. My favourite story of a rock was from a priest in our own church. During his sermon, he held up a rock and began to tell the story of what he held in his hand. He said that a friend had brought him a rock back from an educational study trip to Israel. In fact, to be more specific, it was a rock taken from the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The rock was just a plain rock and not even ornately wrapped as you might see if it were purchased as a souvenir. Just a rock. When asked about the significance of the rock, the friend said he wasn’t sure but he thought that Jesus had stepped on that rock when he called the fishermen as his disciples. Andrew agreed that it was possible; in fact, he speculated Jesus may have even stubbed his toe upon the rock. This story illustrates the simplicity of many stories we have from the Bible. A young simple girl who bore the Son of God. Fishermen who become His disciples to spread that faith through the world. One of those disciples even became known as the Rock. The simple story of a simple rock that transformed our son’s imagination and helped form his faith. I Am A Rock - Simon and Garfunkel |
Diocesan Announcements
Incumbent Priest at St. Stephen, Calgary: We are pleased to announce that, God willing, as of December 20, 2021, The Rev. Nicole Janelle will begin her ministry as the Incumbent for St. Stephen, Calgary.
St. Luke, Calgary: The Rev. Gordon Pontifex, Incumbent Priest of St. Luke, Calgary, will be stepping down as of December 31, 2021. We are thankful for Gordon's ministry over the past two years, and wish him well in his future endeavours.
Executive Assistant: Ms Cathy Moore joined the staff last year as Assistant to the Executive Officer, as well as taking on property issues and safe church training. She will be stepping down at the end of December as she is moving to the U.S. Her hard work and assistance have been true blessings to us. Thank you, Cathy, and best wishes in the future. We ask for your prayers as each of these faithful ministers transition to new roles.
St. Alban, Brooks: At the request of the parishioners of St. Alban, Brooks, Diocesan Council concurred with the motion to disestablish the Parish. The church will remain functioning at this time as a rental property for a Mennonite group. Please pray for the former parishioners as they discern their way forward.
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. The Diocesan Office will be closed from December 23 to January 4, 2022. Emails will be read occasionally. |
National Advent Service of Lessons & CarolsFriday, December 17, 6:00 pm MST The National Church will be hosting an Advent Lessons & Carols Service on Friday, December 17, at 8:00 Eastern (6:00 MST). Please register with Eventbrite through the National Church Website to attend this online service. |
Christmas Eve Service from the CathedralFriday, December 24 at 8:00 pm A livestreamed Christmas Eve Service will be held at the Cathedral, with singing. Archbishop Greg will be preaching and presiding. A second later Service will not be livestreamed and will not have singing. |
Online Service List
Although many churches have re-opened for in-person services with limited capacity, there may be those who do not wish to attend in-person services at this time. Please follow this link to our list of parishes offering online services. |
Decorated Christmas Tree Sale a Success!Christ Church, Nanton On November 22, our annual parish Christmas Tree endeavour to sell decorated trees to businesses across the community was well received and supported. Christ Church has been doing this for about 25 years. This year, we netted about $800 in support of our other activities. Details can be found on the Christ Church website. |
St. Martin, CalgaryIncumbent Position 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. Our profile is available upon request; please email The Ven. Dr. Pilar Gateman. |
Part-Time College ChaplainMedicine Hat Ecumenical Campus Ministry 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. |
Foundations of Preaching CourseCalgary School of Discipleship - beginning Saturday, January 15, 2022 For more infomation visit: http://calgary.anglican.ca/events/foundations-of-preaching-course/2022-01-15
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Anti-Racism CircleA Process for Decolonizing Self & Community - Monday, January 17, 2022 All are invited for this 8-week course which explores Canada's colonial roots, the insidious nature of racism in Canada, and the impact of racism on individuals, institutions, and our national identity. We introduce and develop anti-racist language, strategies, and tools to integrate diversity and inclusion into our organizations and communities to build regenerative and healthy workplaces. Flourishing Foundation: Global Women Seeking Change is a registered Canadian charity and non-profit organization committed to transformative education and focusing on capacity building for individuals and organizations to create equitable, inclusive, and flourishing environments. The Foundation's work crosses diverse sections of Canadian society and inspires learners to value diversity, communicate across differences, and transform injustices so that all members reach their full potential. We promote individual and community empowerment through education, entrepreneurship, and family reunification for refugee-immigrant, immigrant, and Indigenous women. This course will be held weekly, beginning on Monday, January 17, at 1:30 pm, and will continue for 8 weeks with no class on Family Day (February 21, 2022). For information or to register, please contact The Rev. Barb Borle. For more infomation visit: http://calgary.anglican.ca/events/anti-racism-circle/2022-01-17
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Pastoral Care Training in January 2022Course is full - sign up to be on a waiting list Do you have an interest, calling or are just curious about Pastoral Care? Maybe you want to be better equipped to support your church community, or friends or even your own family. We are all called to care and care deeply, as we are able, with one another. This could be a “brush up” opportunity or time for skill refreshing. There will be some reading and/or reflecting as preparation for each of the evenings. There might be learning through new information, sharing and skill development. This course, which begins on Tuesday evenings January 18 – March 1, 2022, 6:30 pm – 8:45 pm, has currently reached its maximum capacity of 15 people; however a waiting list is being taken. If there is a great desire to add a second course, there is a possibility. One way to determine that would be by creating interest on a waiting list. This can be done by contacting pastoralcare@calgary.anglican.ca. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses." Hebrews 4:15a |
Phishing Scams Happening Again
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 neither the Archbishop nor our staff will ever ask you for money or the purchase of gift cards on our behalf. These emails are not harmful to your computer, just annoying. |
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, Monica, Barb, Howard, Travis and Barbara W.; - 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; - 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. |