Beginning this month, our Missional Minute will be authored by one of our diocesan Missional Coaches.

This month's contribution comes from Dave Baker of St. Peter, Okotoks.

I recently heard that it takes two to three years for the effects of a pandemic to disappear. I know Covid isn’t completely gone and perhaps the way things are now is the new normal. Although Covid affected most of the world negatively, there were some good things that happened. Specifically, the church managed to continue functioning in a variety of ways which allowed people to continue worshipping. By using existing online tools, churches could reach congregants with live worship services and ways of communicating with each other, other than one-on-one phone calls.

 As we move into a post-Covid era, what if the church continued to engage people in the ways used during Covid, bringing a more missional mindset to the world? As the body of Christ, we simply don’t have time to wait for non-believers to come to us personally or in a physical church building. We must go to them.

But, has the work of the church continued to the pre-Covid level? As disciples, we are still called to do God’s work outside of the church. I would think that there are many people searching for something new in their lives, something better than the way it was before Covid. Jesus thought innovatively. Covid required us to think that way as well. Beginning in our own churches, let’s move forward by ministering creatively—finding fresh ways to be the “sent ones” Jesus has called us to be. Connect with someone, have coffee, share a meal or just listen to them. We are called to share the “good news” and it might just be exactly what someone wanted to hear.

Diocesan Comptroller:

Our Comptroller Mr. Blake Bolton will be stepping down on April 30th.  We are grateful for his service and wish him well in his future endeavours. 

Our office is in the process of hiring a new Comptroller.  Please pray as we find the right person to carry on this important role.  

February 11 - Baptism & Confirmation Service at St. Cyprian, Piikani

February 15 - BARDS meeting

February 17 - Diocesan Council

February 18 - Bishop's Visit to Christ Church, Nanton

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

The Most Reverend Gregory Kerr-Wilson is inviting applications for the position of Incumbent of Holy Cross Parish in Calgary, Alberta.

For more information or to request a Parish Profile, please contact Executive Officer, The Ven. Dr. Pilar Gateman.

Interested clergy are invited to provide a recent resume and written response to the profile if they decide to apply.

Clergy from other dioceses are required to have the permission of their own diocesan bishop before applying.

Applications will be received up to March 1, 2024.

Not By Bread Alone: Exploring Jesus’s Temptation in the Wilderness

Please join us this Lent for an in-depth exploration and conversation around the Temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness. After an initial exploration of the Biblical text in the first week, we will have five unique sessions focussing on how five different theologians and saints have approached Jesus’s Temptation, looking for their unique wisdom and insight to this event in Jesus’s life and ministry. We are excited, as well, to have each session led by a different person from the Diocese! Hopefully this study will enrich your Lenten journey. We’ll gather via Zoom on Thursday evenings through Lent, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Please contact Barbara Labrecque at the Diocesan Office to register for the study.

Schedule

February 15 – Rev. Br. Jason Carroll (Biblical Introduction)

February 22 – Rev. Greg Clark (Karl Barth)

February 29 – Most Rev. Greg Kerr-Wilson (Rowan Williams)

March 7 – Rev. Chris Roth (Church Fathers)

March 14 – Rev. Br. Jason Carroll (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

March 21 – Rev. Elizabeth Short (Deitrich Bonhoeffer) 

PLEASE NOTE: the previous email address for registration was spelled incorrectly.  If you have registered and not heard back, please resend your request Barbara Labrecque by clicking here.

These workshops will give students a basic understanding of the theology, structure and purpose of the Daily Office, the Eucharist and the associated rite of the Reserved Sacrament. Students will be trained to organize appropriate services from the Book of Alternative Services (BAS), the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), and locally developed service books approved by the Bishop. Students will be able to plan a service of worship effectively, taking into account the sacramental context and liturgical season, and selecting appropriate Propers, readings, hymns, prayers and collects. The course will also cover practical matters such as appropriate strategies to navigate unexpected events in worship and the use of appropriate postures for leading worship.

Date:                     March 16, 2024

Location:             In person at St. Augustine’s, Lethbridge, or on Zoom

Times:                   Morning & Evening Prayer 9:00am-12:00

                                Reserved Sacrament 1:00pm-4:00pm

Cost:                      $35 for either morning or afternoon sessions or $60 for the whole day

(If cost is an issue, please contact the CSD)

Instructors:         Ven. Dr. Pilar Gateman, Rev. Br. Jason Carroll

Registration:      Contact Barbara Labrecque 

Health and well-being - without one, the other simply isn't possible.  Likewise, the well-being of humans isn't possible without a healthy planet, something we are discovering every day as we face a growing and global climate crisis.

This theme is at the centre of PWRDF's 2024 Lent Resource.

Throughout the Lenten season, you will receive a daily email with a reflection from Dr. Sylvia Keesmaat, on what health, well-being and good living require of us in our lives and our relationships with one another, with creation and with God.

On this journey through Lent, PWRDF invites you to join Dr. Keesmaat as she walks with us, meditating on our current climate crisis and well-being of all creation, and offering lessons in repair and restoration that are both profoundly ancient and current.

Subscribe here.

Also, The Diocese of Calgary is seeking a Diocesan Representative for the national PWRDF.  If you would be interested, please contact the Diocese Office.

We are getting excited and making plans for hosting the Provincial Synod in our Diocese later this year.

Our volunteer opportunities are below:

- We are looking for individuals or churches who may wish to create greeting cards as a welcome gift for the delegates.  They should contain something simple saying, "Welcome to the Diocese of Calgary." We would need 100 cards for the total number of delegates attending.

- We are looking for volunteers to assist delegates getting on and off busses, greeting, and being a welcoming presence.  

If you are interested in helping with these activities, please let The Ven. Dr. Pilar Gateman know.

All Saints, Cochrane on Wednesday evenings beginning February 21 at 7:00 pm by Zoom

Topics and discussions will center around four themes: 

- How do we discern and make good decisions when faced with a life-limiting illness?

- How do we accompany and support those who are sick and dying?

- How do we provide compassionate care at the end of life?

- How does our faith in Christ help us to understand the human experience of dying and death?

To register, please contact Catherine at All Saints, or call (403) 932-6556.

The Church of the Good Shepherd, Calgary is offering an evening of fun and food, with their annual murder mystery dinner theatre; this year's offering is entitled "A Deadly Incentive."

You’re invited to Seamus O'Malley's Pub and Grub for a KILLER treasure hunt. It promises to be the adventure of a lifetime. The prize (assuming you survive, of course) is "A Pot of Gold." Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to solve a murder (or two) while the drama unfolds all around you.  Enjoy a three-course dinner while you put the clues together . . .

There will be four show times: Friday, February 9th and Saturday, February 10th, and Friday, February 16th and Saturday, February 17th.  All performances are held at the Church of the Good Shepherd (408 38th St SW, Calgary). Doors open at 5:30pm with the show beginning at 6:00pm. 

To purchase tickets, click on the link below. Be sure to indicate which show you plan to attend. There are only 36 spots available for each performance, so don't miss out:

• "A Deadly Incentive" Tickets

Note that this production contains adult themes, and may not be appropriate for children.

Join us at St. James for a weekend full of fantasy and adventure! We'll watch through all three Lord of the Rings films (extended edition of course!) with special commentary by our own Archbishop Greg! He'll give a little insight as to how Tolkein was influenced by his faith in his writing, and point out some of the biblical parallels we might see in the plot of the films! 

We'll gather together at 5:30 on Friday evening and start with some pizza before launching right into the first movie. We'll take a break to sleep for a bit in the middle before finishing up by 1:30 pm on Saturday. Breakfast will be provided on Saturday.

All youth and youth leaders/volunteers across the diocese of Calgary are welcome to attend!

For information or to RSVP, please contact James Lawton.

An event is being organized to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the ordination of Victoria Matthews as the first woman to be elected to the office of bishop in the Anglican Church of Canada. This important occasion will be marked by a webinar on February 26.

Please consider attending. Details of the webinar and registration can be found here.

Thank You to Donors!  "This is AFC's most successful annual campaign to date, by far," says Dr. Scott Brubacher, Executive Director of AFC.  "We know 2023 was not without financial challenges, but the growth of the annual fundraising program reflects a deepening bond between Canadian Anglicans and their national foundation."  Noteworthy was an increase of 15%  in the average donation amount from member churches.  Read more.

Save the Date! Join AFC & celebrate Say Yes! to Kids Sunday on June 2.  The 2024 SYTK campaign will launch on Tuesday, April 2 and close on Sunday, June 30. A new campaign component will be a liturgical resource to promote the celebration of Say Yes! to Kids Sunday on June 2. “This will provide a spiritual focal point for the SYTK movement,” says Brubacher, “and will be a flexible, adaptable resource that any church can use, whether it has an active campaign or not.”  To find out more, click here.

Leadership development is important. 

When we develop a community of skilled, knowledgable, connected leaders, our Alliance becomes stronger. 

The many trainings that the CACG provides are meant to be a chance for you, our leaders, to take the time to intentionally step back and reflect on yourself and the health of your institution: What is your purpose? Both yours and your organization's.  What are the things you care about enough to actually show up for? Personally and as a community. What are your skills, and where are your opportunities for growth? What's the most effective way to engage with members of your community? Who do you need on your team to make your institution stable/stronger/efficient? 

Our upcoming trainings, including Foundations for Community Organizing (February 7), and the online Anti-Racism Training by the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre (ACLRC) (February 21 & 28) are learning opportunities meant for leaders from across all of our member institutions, as well as people outside those institutions who are interested in relational organizing practices;  learning how to create spaces of belonging where people can listen to each other, find areas of common concern and shared purpose, explore power in their context, and then take action together for the common good. These trainings are opportunities to come together across the Alliance to learn from multiple perspectives, lived experiences, and best practices. 

Grace Presbyterian Church in Calgary will be hosting an opportunity to build Christian community in Calgary, in person and online, in this multi-denominational event, entitled Preaching Grace 2024 - Scripture: Play and Possibility.  Guest Preacher will be The Rev. Dr. Richard Topping, President of Vancouver School of Theology.

Friday morning, February 23: Clergy Masterclass 

Friday evening, February 23: Free Public Lecture

Saturday, February 24: Workshop and lunch 

To register, please click on the highlighted dates above.

For more information, please contact Amy Dunn Moscoso, Communications Director at Grace Presbyterian Church.

Ambrose Pastors Conference is an annual gathering designed to empower and uplift those in pastoral ministry.  At Ambrose, we appreciate the courage and care it takes to lead in the world of pastoral ministry.  That is why our theme for this year is "Handle with Care," an exploration of navigating the demands of ministry.

To Register, Click Here.

This is your invitation - come and join with other women to celebrate God's spirit amongst us.

This year's dates are Friday, April 5 to Sunday, April 7

Registration opens Friday at 6:00 pm with the program starting at 7:00 pm.  The gathering concludes after lunch on Sunday.

Location will be the Entheos Retreat and Conference Centre.

The Theme this year is Cultivating a Garden of Contentment: "I have everything that I need - the secret of being content."

Session Leader will be The Rev. Faye Reynolds.

The weekend will include sessions with Faye, small group discussions, meal breaks, and some craft time, as well as singing, worship, and fellowship.

Click here to learn more.

Early Bird Rate (before March 5) is $260.00 double occupancy or $285.00 single occupancy (limited availablity).  

After March 5, rates will be $280.00 double or $300.00 single.

We hope you can join us.

Once again, there have been several phishing attempts reported to the Diocesan Office.  If you receive a request from Archbishop Greg, a clergy person or one of our staff asking for your help or the purchase of gift cards, and you are suspicious, please do not respond and delete the email.

Phishing emails may look extremely authentic. Here are some tips on how to protect your confidential personal information:  

·         Do not click on links OR open attachments in emails or messages from people that you do not know.

·         Remember that the Archbishop or the staff would never ask you for assistance in this way.

·         Look out for spelling or grammatical errors.

·         Check the sender’s email address or the Reply email address. Is this address the same as you would usually see from this person or organization?

·         Be cautious with any unexpected messages. When in doubt, delete. 

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

The Anglican Church of Canada has published this prayer for King Charles:

God of mercy and healing grace, we long for the wholeness of mind, body and spirit that comes from you alone. Today, we ask your healing power to be at work through the ministrations of all who have the care of King Charles III as he undergoes treatment for cancer. May his caregivers be filled with the wisdom and discernment needed. May His Majesty be filled with courage and comfort in the time of his treatment , along with the entire Royal family. We entrust him to you, the Creator of all, through Jesus Christ our Lord with thanksgiving, that in all circumstances we may rest in your love.
AMEN.  

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 areas of our world where there is conflict and war, and for your peace;

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

- for those who have died and those who mourn;

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

- for those caught up in alcoholism or addictions, and those in recovery;

- 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.