This month's Missional Minute contribution comes from James Lawton of St. James, Calgary.

Recently in a conversation with a group at our church, one member brought up the story of his elderly mother-in-law who just received a stand mixer. When wondering how to best use it she heard the Lord tell her to bake for the church! It got me thinking about the role of food in our missional work as the body of Christ.

There are several stories of Jesus sharing a meal with people, and often these are moments where important truths are preached, love is shown, invitations are given. I think of Zachaeus and the transformation he experienced after his meal with the Lord. Meals bring us together, lighten the atmosphere, create space for discussion. Not to mention the act of feeding someone is loving in itself.

So in our churches we can see an opportunity arise. We can be invitational through our food! How many churches have some sort of coffee time before or after the service? In my experience just about every one. It doesn’t have to be complex to be good either. It is such a simple way to create space for conversation, maybe about what was said in the sermon or the prayer time of the service. Maybe checking in to see if someone is doing alright. When we step up to create these spaces, we also create opportunity for the body of Christ to draw closer together.

Of course, this can be applied outside of a Sunday morning. We can continue to create spaces that allow people to come together, whether that’s to discuss issues of faith or just to be loved. It could be a weeknight dinner for university students, or a pancake breakfast when Stampede rolls around. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, just intentional. There’s also the opportunity to help those in need by making freezable meals that can be given out when someone is in a hard spot. These simple acts of service can show the love of Christ to our communities, and perhaps even create an inroad by which the gospel can be shared!

Retirement:

The Rev. Inez Hannett has retired from active reserve ministry as of February.  We are grateful for her ministry most recently as Honorary Assistant at St. John, Olds.
May God bless her in her second retirement.

March 10 - Bishop's Visit to St. Aldhelm, Vulcan for joint service with Christ Church, Nanton

March 17 - Baptism and Confirmation Service at All Saints, Cochrane

March 17 to 19 - Diocese of Brandon for Consecration of their new Bishop, The Right Rev. Rachael Parker

March 20 - Deacons' Zoom Meeting

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

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

There is still time to join us this Lent for an in-depth exploration and conversation around the Temptation of Jesus in the Wilderness. We will have three more unique sessions focusing on how 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

March 7 – Rev. Chris Roth (Church Fathers)

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

March 21 – Rev. Elizabeth Short (Deitrich Bonhoeffer)

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 

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

Our volunteer opportunity is below:

- 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, please let The Ven. Dr. Pilar Gateman know.

The next Ultreya will be Friday, March 8 at St. Peter, Okotoks, starting at 7:30 pm.  St. Peter's is at 31 Riverside Way in Okotoks.

To attend by Zoom, please send an email request to the Diocese Office. 

Hope to see you there!

Often there are some great ideas within parishes relating to how a church might reach out beyond the church walls; however, sometimes funding those ideas is more difficult. A few years ago, as a way of assisting parishes, the Diocesan Council formed a Mission Funding Board (MFB) to receive grant applications for mission initiatives so that some of those great ideas could be brought to fruition. It was the hope of the Diocesan Council that the diocese might partner with parishes as they reached out in mission to those outside their church walls.

In 2023, the parish of Christ Church in Calgary received a Mission Funding Board (MFB) grant to assist them with their Messy Church ministry. Below is a good news report with an update on how that grant has made an impact.

Christ Church at Elbow Park has been running Messy Church for over a year, with the intent of inviting families who have varying levels of familiarity with church into a space of wonderment and hospitality. Each Messy Church service consists of a variety of arts and crafts, a home-cooked meal eaten together, and a celebration of God and life. With the help of a grant from the Missional Funding Board, our church has been able to expand Messy Church to be even more hospitable and invitational with added décor and advertising. In the four months since receiving funding, each new service has seen at least one new family from the neighbourhood of Elbow Park attend. One December evening, over 30 families attended to sip hot chocolate and make ornaments, with two children loving the event so much they subsequently returned in January with glowing praise. Our volunteers have seen the fruition of creating a space for families of all ages and faith stages; as a result, the team has grown both in joy and members.

If your parish is feeling called towards a new mission initiative that reaches beyond the walls of your congregation, but finding funds to bring that initiative to fruition is proving to be a challenge, we invite you to consider how the diocese might partner with you through a grant from the Mission Funding Board. The Spring deadline for MFB applications is March 30^th.  Resources relating to the MFB, including the grant application, can be found on the diocesan website by clicking here.

The Holy Cross Quilters Group has six hand-stitched Kneeler Covers available to a good home.  These unfinished covers were donated to the Group, but their numbers are too small to be able to finish them.

If you are interested, please contact the Diocese Office.

The Diocese is seeking a Diocesan Representative for the National Primate's World Relief and Development Fund.

If you are interested in working for this worthwhile organization along with other representatives from all over Canada, or would like more information, please be in touch with the Diocesan Office.

Do you know a promising young adult who God might be calling to serve the church - even if they don't know it yet? 

Consider encouraging them to apply to the Ministry Apprenticeship Program (MAP) at St. Paul's Bloor Street: a "discernment gap year" for young people to explore the possibility of ordained service in the Anglican Church of Canada.

This full-time, year-long program combines hands-on service in ministry, including church planting, theological education and spiritual formation.  It's also fully funded so that anyone can participate, regardless of means.  Apprentices receive room and board at Wycliffe College, plus a monthly stipend for living expenses.

The 2024 program starts in September and applications are now open.

For more information, contact The Rev. Dr. Tyler Wigg-Stevenson.

The Montreal Mission Internship is the opportunity of a lifetime for 18- to 25-year olds who are passionate about social justice to discern how they are called to serve God's kingdom.  If you know any young people who might benefit from this opportunity, spread the word!

What is the Montreal Mission Internship? 

Serve - at churches or social service organizations around the city, responding to some of the most pressing issues of our time, such as homelessness, migration and food security.

Reflect - with other interns during weekly group meetings on where God is working in and around you at your service placement and where God is calling you in your life.

Discern - how you are called to participate in God's work by learning from the unique challenges of doing ministry in one of Canada's most multilingual, multicultural, and secular cities.

An info-session on March 12 from noon to 1:00 pm (local time) hosted by Program Director Alan Ma will be available for prospective applicants.

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.

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.

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

Click here to learn more.

Summer programs at beautiful Sorrento Retreat Centre by Shuswap Lake are now available.  Come for one week, or come for them all.  You will find environmental and nature-based programs, as well as outdoor spirtuality and experiential spiritual teachings, including core Anglican, reconciliation and interfaith offerings.  As always, you will have the opportunity to enrich your heart and soul through arts and craft-based playful creativity.  

We still have the "five for four" promotion -When four individuals or families from the same church book during our five weeks of summer programming, a fifth family receives free accomodation.  It's a great way to help anyone facing challenges experience this wonderful place.  

Start planning 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 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.