This past weekend, I had the opportunity to travel to BC.  While visiting my daughter, I was taken to see some areas where fires had burned undergrowth on the hills, frankly too close to her home for my liking.

On Sunday morning, I went to church at St. George, West Kelowna.  All the banners and movable treasures in the Sanctuary had been removed and stored in parishioners' cars, as the building was still in the Alert Zone.  Only the Eucharist vessels were on the altar.  

In her sermon, the priest spoke of how Christ is our home, even when our homes are threatened.  Although this parish was still on alert, even if it was lost, we would still find a spiritual home in our Saviour.  She also related how the parish's beloved family Bible camp had been lost.  All the buildings had been destroyed by the fire, but not the Cross at the end of the dock.  This symbol of hope, of the cross of Christ remaining, brought comfort and lifted the spirits of this grieving parish.  

May we too find our hope in the shelter of our Saviour when the ravages of life beset us, and remember that the Cross of Christ remains eternally.

Inductions:

Please mark these dates on your calendar and pray for these new Incumbents:

- Thursday, September 14 at 6:00 pm - St. Peter, Calgary - The Rev. Bonnie Luft

- Sunday, September 17 at 4:00 pm - St. Francis, Airdrie - The Rev. Daniel Joseph

- Sunday, September 24 at 4:00 pm - St. Andrew, Calgary - The Rev. John Chuol

Color for these services will be Red.  Licensed Clergy are to make these services a priority in their calendar, to support the ministries of their fellow clergy.

Clergy Announcements:

Archbishop Greg is pleased to announce the following appointments:

The Rev. Cmdr. John Wilcox will be Interim Incumbent of Holy Trinity, Calgary until August 31, 2024.

The Rev. Bryan Beveridge will be Interim Priest of St. Michael, Canmore until August 31, 2024.

Please pray for their ministries in guiding the parishes until new Incumbents are hired.

September 9: Parish Council Workshop, Holy Cross, Calgary

September 10: Bishop's Visit to St. Benedict, High River

September 13 & 14: Blackfoot Translation Project, Strathmore

September 14: Induction of The Rev. Bonnie Luft at St. Peter, Calgary

September 16: Diocesan Council meeting, Diocesan Office/Zoom

Septmeber 17: Joint Bishop's Visit with St. Aldhelm, Vulcan and Christ Church, Nanton, at Christ Church

September 17: Induction of The Rev. Daniel Joseph at St. Francis, Airdrie

September 19 to 23: RADVO Conference in Dallas, TX

September 10: St. Barnabas, Calgary - Welcome Back Sunday: A potluck lunch following the 10:15 am service

September 10: Holy Cross, Calgary - Potluck Lunch and Kids Klub Kick-off on Holy Cross Sunday

September 10: St. Stephen, Calgary - Sunday School Program will be starting

September 17: St. Stephen, Calgary - Welcome Back Sunday Service 

September 24: St. Barnabas, Medicine Hat - Back to Church Sunday, with a potluck lunch following the 10:30 service.

Address: 7 Sunmills Green SE, Calgary

Time: 10:30 am - Registration; 11:00 Eucharist; 12:00 Luncheon; 1:00 Speaker

Cost: $10.00

The Rev. Canon Erin Phillips of the Diocesan Refugee Committee will be the guest speaker.

All ladies of the Diocese who have received a Silver Cross are welcome to attend.  

Please call The Rev. Deacon Betty Nadurak (403-686-1110 or 403-818-9879) or email , or call Mary Dymond (403-512-0155) if you plan to attend.  Please advise if you have any dietary restrictions.

Come join us for a serene and uplifting experience at Evensong. This beloved tradition of choral music and evening prayer has been celebrated in cathedrals and churches for centuries, and this month you can share in this sacred service at the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer and the parish of Christ Church, Elbow Park.

On Sunday, September 24 beginning at 2:30 pm, St. Michael & All Angels will be hosting a representative from Effect Hope: The Leprosy Mission Canada as part of our Sunday afternoon service. 

Details can be found here or on their Facebook page found here.  

Please join us for an evening of prayer, silence and the beautiful music of the Taize Community.

All are welcome!  Join us afterward for conversation and a hot drink.

Sunday, September 24 at 7:30 pm.

St. Laurence Anglican Church - 5940 Lakeview Drive SW

The next Diocese of Calgary Clergy Day will be held September 26 from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at Christ Church, Calgary.  This event is required for full-time clergy.  All clergy are warmly invited and welcome to attend.  Please RSVP to execassist@calgary.anglican.ca.  

Christian music duo, Infinitely More, is bringing the "Keeping the Light On" Tour to our community.

Husband and wife duo, Allison Lynn and Gerald Flemming, bring their signature vocal harmonies, prodigious finger-style guitar, and infectious spirit to this new concert experience.  

The "Keeping the Light On" Tour is a celebration of God's unconditional love and faithfulness in all seasons.

Infinitely More is a full-time music ministry based out of St. Catharines, Ontario.  Allison and Gerald perform 100 events each year across every province in Canada.  Their original songs and CDs have been nominated for 15 national music awards, and have won two Covenant Awards for Collaboration of the Year and Folk Album of the Year.

Infinitely More concerts blend the old and the new, featuring favourite hymns and inspirational songs, as well as original music from the duo's brand new released ninth album: The Sum of All Love.

Join us Saturday, September 30 at 7:00 pm.  No tickets - freewill offering at the door.  Invite your friends and neighbours.

Planning for the 2023 Fall Cursillo Weekends is well underway.  Now is the time to consider sponsoring someone to attend for the first time.  Is there someone you know who is moving forward in their Christian walk, that just needs a little nudge to fully take up a leadership role?  Is there someone who already is a leader, who needs to experience what this Cursillo Weekend is all about?

Attending Cursillo is a wonderful and special next step in their Christian walk!

The Men's Weekend will be held Thursday, October 26 to Sunday, October 29.  The Women's Weekend will be held Thursday, November 2 to Sunday, November 5.  

For more information, please contact Lay Director Al Stretton or Secretary Stew Perram.

Join presenter Liz Rees for a weekend of silence and Centering Prayer at Kings Fold Retreat Centre.

This retreat will bring us together to pool our silence as we open ourselves to transformation.  There will be multiple sessions of Centering Prayer, opportunities for individual contemplation and nature walks, and wisdom teachings from Thomas Keating on the theme of finding the Sacred in what is seemingly ordinary.  We will share a conversational meal at the end of the retreat to celebrate our journey together.

Liz Rees is a presneter of Centering Prayer, commissioned by Contemplative Outreach.  She is an experienced retreat leader and contemplative guide.  Liz is also trained in Deeptime Leadership, Eco Ministry and Life Skills Coaching.  Liz lives in Calgary, Alberta.

To register, go to Deepening Silence

The housing crunch is impacting the youth of our communities and students in a terrible way. An article on this issue highlights how, for the second year in a row, the University of Calgary is facing full residences, with students scrambling to find alternatives.

Some are finding themselves homeless and living in their cars. Of note, the article delves into the housing task force, that was rejected by city council and then re-evaluated after significant public pressure. We expect another vote on these recommendations on housing affordability to come to council in September.

• By the way, if you have a spare room, the Students' Union at the UofC is a partner in running a website that is focused on student housing. Consider registering to advertise your spare room here.

• Our friends at Calgary's Future and ACORN are running a housing advocacy bootcamp, for taking action on housing affordability, in September. This is in lead up to the vote at council.

In this year of unprecedented wildfires from coast to coast, including those currently forcing evacuations in the Northwest Territories and British Columbia, PWRDF is establishing a fund specifically for in-Canada emergency response.  This new fund will allow us to respond quickly when a diocese asks us for support, rather than wait to raise funds for individual disasters.  Dioceses can access the new In-Canada Emergency Fund by requesting short-, medium-, and longer-term support.

Learn more about the In-Canada Emergency Response Fund.

The Vancouver School of Theology (VST) is hosting its annual Explorer's Weekend from October 5 to 7.  This is an opportunity for people who are considering degree-level (Diploma/Master) coursework in ministry and theology to attend class and worship, interact with current students, staff and faculty, and have some personal-communal discernment time on the beautiful UBC campus.  If you are curious about what it's like to be a graduate student at a collaborative theological school, then why not be an Explorer?  For more info, click here.  Registration deadline is September 24.

Please remember in your prayers:

- for peace within our country, and in the world, for victims of violence and natural disasters, and for areas of unrest and riots.  We ask for wise discernment in our leaders;

- for those who are sick, suffering, isolated or in need.  We ask for prayers for Barbara and Elizabeth;

- for those who have died and those who mourn;

- for the poor, the homeless, and the needy in our communities;

- our Indigenous brothers and sisters, and their leaders in our diocese and country; 

- refugees, remembering those fleeing regimes around the world, and those fleeing war in the Ukraine.

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.

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.