‘God becomes very close and personal to us when we can really understand the Bible. This happens when Scripture is in a language we understand, and we have the biblical background information necessary to be able to understand the author’s message.’  - Bible Translation Basics: Communicating Scripture in a Relevant Way

O’kii! Recently, it was my honor to travel with six elders from the Blackfoot Confederacy to the Guelph Bible Conference Center in Ontario for five days of immersive learning about Scripture translation.  Our instructors were from SIL International, Wycliffe Bible Translators, and The Canadian Bible Society. From Monday to Friday, we explored topics and hands-on practices, and were rewarded at the end of the workshop with a textual draft of Luke 2:1-7 in Blackfoot! It was a proud moment!

We were blessed to spend time with some members of the Naskapi from Northern Quebec who have been attending these workshops for several years. It was inspiring to see all the printed materials they have translated.

Translating Scripture, prayers, and liturgy into Indigenous languages is not new. We are grateful for all the work already done as we continue this important legacy. One project we have access to is a powerful ‘Jesus Film’ recounting of the Gospel of Luke, which had been translated into Blackfoot several years ago by well-known Blackfoot speakers from the community.

The translation process is hard work - the translation needs to be clear, natural, and accurate. There are lots of checks and revisions. Even so, it was a joyful work with a lot of laughter and fellowship. Our instructors are coming to Alberta in December, and our team is excited to continue.

In one of our sessions, we worked with a picture map indicating that the effort to keep Indigenous languages alive is like paddling upstream. The elders shared that it is encouraging that children and young people are learning Blackfoot in school and that there are focused efforts to revitalize the language. An essential part of that work for future generations is for the Bible to be available in Blackfoot.  We thank the Diocese of Calgary, SIL International, Wycliffe Bible Translators, and The Canadian Bible Society for supporting this valuable initiative.

Yours in Christ,

Ven. Jacqui Durand

Collation of Archdeacon:

Archbishop Greg is pleased to announce that, God willing, he will collate The Ven. Brian Vickers as Archdeacon of Bow Valley at an Evensong Service of Collation at the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer on Tuesday, December 12, at 7:00 pm.  Please pray for Ven. Brian as he prepares for his new ministry.  Color for this Service will be RED.

St. Mark & St. Philip, Calgary:

There will NOT be a service in our church on December 17, as the parishioners will join a Service of Christmas Lessons & Carols at St. Augustine, Calgary on that Sunday, beginning at 10:00 am.

Induction:

On Tuesday, December 19, Archbishop Greg will, God willing, preside at a Service of Induction for The Rev. Eyad Ajji. 

St. Peter, Calgary will be hosting this Service at 7:00 pm.  Color for this service is BLUE.  Please mark your calendars and pray as St. Mark and St. Philip, Calgary and their new Incumbent embark on this faith journey together.

December 6 to 8: Western Arctic Visit

December 9: St. Aldhelm, Vulcan - Ladies' Retreat

December 12: Glenmore/Palliser Deanery Meal

December 12: Evensong Service of Collation for Ven. Brian Vickers, Archdeacon of Bow Valley, Cathedral Church of the Redeemer, Calgary

December 17: St. Paul, Kainai - Service of Baptism and Confirmation

December 19: Induction Service for Rev. Eyad Ajji for St. Mark & St. Philip, Calgary, hosted by St. Peter, Calgary

December 20: Red Deer Deanery Luncheon

December 20: Deacons' Meeting via Zoom

Please hold Archbishop Greg in your prayers as he serves as our Bishop and Metropolitan.

The Reverend Jagdutt Singh offers thanks and praise to God for being able to serve in the Church of God.

He was ordained in the Cathedral Parish of Holy Trinity, Suva , Fiji, on St. Andrew’s Day, November 30, 1973.

He then served in The Diocese of Polynesia from 1973 – 1980, the Diocese of Edmonton from 1980 – 1992, and finally in the Diocese of Calgary from 1992 to the present day.

We are so grateful for his ministry within our Diocese - congratulations Jagdutt!!

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow;”

LEARN TO LOVE - How do we love our neighbours literally on our doorstep? Your Cathedral invites you to receive frontline training on how to care for the houseless, free-of-charge, every Sunday morning from experienced, professional workers. Inquire with our volunteer coordinator, Wendy, for more information. 

JOB POSTING: The Cathedral is seeking a Sunday School Teacher/Coordinator.  For information, please click here.

On Saturday, December 9th at 1:30 pm at St Paul's Anglican Church, 7 Sunmills Green SE, we will have a time especially designed for those for whom Christmas this year is a time of sickness, sadness, grief, loneliness, or wistful remembering. We will start with a time of reflection, sharing and support, then close with a simple service of anointing & healing. Everyone is invited to come, particularly all who are facing a difficult Advent and Christmas.

All Saints, Medicine Hat: Annual Christmas Tea & Bake Sale: Saturday, December 9: Admission is $7.00 per person, at the All Saints Community Hall.

To use the Zoom link, please click here.

Students will explore what we mean by spiritual formation, what ways we can take part in our formation through disciplines and practices and learn some of the components which contribute to our formation (personality, denominational experience, history, ...) Students will have the opportunity to have a broader perspective and appreciation for their own formation and how the formation of others adds richness to our common faith. 

This course will run January 9 and 23, February 6 and 20, and March 5 and 19 (every second Tuesday) via Zoom.

Register with Barbara Labrecque before January 2, but earlier is better for being prepared as students will need to purchase a book. 

To register for these book studies and to receive the Zoom link, please use the email address found here.

To register or for more information, please click here.

Food security has become a major symptom of the economic challenges facing all communities and the students on all campuses across Canada are no exception.  The Anglican chaplaincy, under the leadership of The Rev Dr Carmen Maier at the University of Calgary’s Faith and Spirituality Centre, continues to address this problem by cooking a nutritious meal and feeding the students in a Lunch & Lounge program every Monday.

With the joint support of the University of Calgary and the Anglican Diocese of Calgary, our team of three (Carmen Maier, Pat Herrel and Marcus Herrel) has the great pleasure of cooking and serving these nutritious and delicious meals for 50-60 students.  We are looking to develop more teams for the ministry and to possibly expand the program.  If you are interested in participating, please contact either Rev Deacon Marcus or Rev Carmen.  

The latest Ecumenical Campus Ministry Newsletter is now available here, or on our website, under Ministries - Campus Ministries - University of Lethbridge.

The Parish of All Saints, Cochrane had a new set of wireless microphones donated to them, but the mikes are not suitable for their needs.  Perhaps they may be useful to your parish?  Information about these mikes can be found here.

If you are interested, please contact the office at All Saints by phone (403) 932-6556 or by email.

Please find a link here to an article on PWRDF's support of Diocesan Refugee Coordinators.

We are so grateful for the work that our own Diocese of Calgary Refugee Committee does under the leadership of The Rev. Canon Erin Phillips, and it is a joy to read about the recognition of diocesan work being done throughout Canada.

Critical Indigenous Theory and the Study of Religion: Dr. Paul L. Gareau (University of Alberta) will give this 2023 Chair of Christian Thought Bentall Lecture on Education and Theology on Saturday, December 9, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm at the Patricia A. Whelan Perfomance Hall, Calgary Central Library.  This event is free but you must register to reserve a seat.  

As winter approaches, we are concerned about those who are having difficulty finding affordable housing or living on the street.

Please find attached a list of places where shelter can be offered and warming can take place.  

SAVE THE DATE for the 34th Annual Images of Spirituality gathering. Come join other women to celebrate God’s great gift of a creative spirit within each of us.
 
Date:        April 5 - 7, 2024
Place:       Entheos Retreat Centre
Theme:    Cultivating the Garden of Contentment reflecting on Philippians 4:12 

In a world that is constantly seeding discontent so that we will consume more and more products, how might we learn what it means to be truly content with all that God provides, and in all circumstances - without becoming complacent to the injustice around us.

Registration details and more information will be sent out in early 2024.
 
Blessings from your 2024 Images of Spirituality Planning Committee:   Alicia (chair), Connie, Joan, Nancy, Ruth, Maureen, and Marg

$2 Million for New Fund: The AFC Board of Directors has established a new Community Ministries Fund with an initial capital investment of $2,000,000.  The move is intended to increase AFC's capacity to provide financial support to parishes that are engaged directly in community ministries, and aligns with the shift in demand and granting in recent years in support of community ministries.

Q4 Grants Total $261,000: AFC has announced $261,500 in funding to support ministry projects across Canada in its fourth quarter of 2023.  This will be "the most generous year on record" for AFC.

For more on these announcements and other news from AFC, please visit their website here.

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 Israel and Palestine, and for Ukraine and Russia - for the end to war;

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

- 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.

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.