Right off the bat, how many people get hung up with the word Missional? It appears to be a bit of a stumbling block for many, in understanding the word and how it applies to this question. I’m with you on that because I too struggle with the word.  Does it help to replace the words,  "Becoming more Missional" with the words "Living out our Apostolic Calling?" Yes? No? Meh?

First off, let’s take a look at what it isn’t and what it is.

What it isn't: A Mission Trip; What it is: A Mindset

What it isn't: A Mission Statement; What it is: An Awareness

What is isn't: A Project or a Program; What it is: Being aware of people around us, meeting their needs & sharing the love of God.

A little background: five years ago, a team was formed under the direction of the Bishop to help parishes in the Diocese embrace the scripture Mathew 28:16-20, better known as The Great Commission. This team would help facilitate discussions in parishes to help identify, analyze, and understand what is working well and what isn’t., thereby beginning the awareness of how this parish could live out their Apostolic Calling/the Great Commission.  The team doesn’t do the work of making plans, etc.; the parish does. We just help get the ball rolling, giving steps to follow towards a positive outcome. Because every parish is unique in its makeup, gifts and resources, the end result and how they got there is not always the same.

What about our personal lives? How can ‘We’ be more Missional or live out our Apostolic Calling?  I don’t think there is one suggestion or idea to this question.  However, one tool that may help is the workshop, “Sharing our Personal Faith."  Understanding where we have come from and how our faith has developed is key to having a ready response for situations and times when presented with Faith related comments or questions. I’ve heard it said having a ‘one minute Elevator ride’ summary/response in your back pocket can come in very handy in life. This workshop is recommended as the first one after the Foundations.  It just makes good sense to do it before jumping into some of the other topics despite the desire to begin addressing problems or change.

In summary, the Missional Coaches are equipped to visit parishes to help them reimagine and understand their parish and its gifts. In doing so it can also help parishioners create a new mindset on what their apostolic calling may be and how their parish and they themselves can become more Missional.

This month's Missional Minute contribution comes from Debbie Bradley of Holy Trinity, Calgary.

Inductions:

Archbishop Greg will, God willing, conduct several Services of Induction in the month of September:

The Rev. Simba Mutandwa as Incumbent of Holy Cross, Calgary, tonight, Wednesday, September 4, at 7:00 pm.

The Rev. Tony Hilling as Incumbent of St. Paul, Calgary, on Wednesday, September 25, at 7:00 pm.

The Rev. Rob Cowie as Incumbent of Christ Church, Nanton, on Thursday, SEPTEMBER 26, at 7:00 pm. (NEW DATE!)

Please mark these dates on your calendar.  Clergy who are part of the respective deaneries are expected to attend and support these Incumbents in their ministries.  Color will be Red.

Clergy Day:

Save-the-Date: Our next Clergy Day will be Tuesday, September 10 held at Church of the Good Shepherd, Calgary (408 - 38th Street SW).  We will gather at 9:30 and begin at 10:00 am, with an ending time around 2:30 pm.  

September 4 - Induction of The Rev. Simba Mutandwa at Holy Cross, Calgary

September 6 to 7 - Consecration of The Right Rev. Richard Reed as Bishop of the Diocese of Saskatchewan

September 8 - Welcome Back Sunday & 120th Anniversary Celebration of St. Benedict, High River

September 10 - Clergy Day at Church of the Good Shepherd, Calgary

September 10 to 12 - Translation National Event in Strathmore

September 12 - Companion Diocese Committee meeting

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

On Tuesday, September 3, Archbishop Greg inducted The Rev. Julio Simoes as Incumbent for Christ Church, Fort Macleod.

Please pray for Rev. Julio and the parish of Christ Church as they journey together in faith.

Interested applicants can send resumes to the Incumbent at St. Paul's.

Closing date for applications is September 13.

Start date is September 23.

Our Parish is seeking a part-time Sunday School facilitator to lead a Sunday morning program for children on two Sundays per month.  This will be a paid position.  

Closing date for applications is September 22.

For further information, please contact The Rev. Kersi Bird.

This basic introduction to the Scriptures is designed for those new to the Bibile, for someone who has never had the opportunity to dig a little deeper, or as a preparation for one of the upcoming OT/NT surveys that will be offered by the Calgary School of Discipleship.  This course will help you to understand what is in the Bible, how it is structured and the Bible's main concerns.  It will connect the main themes and narratives of scripture so that you have the tools to read the Bible as a part of a greater narrative, and within the historical context in which it was written.  The study of the Bible is a lifelong pursuit, and it is our goal to help you take the first step on that journey, and hopefully get you ready for deeper study in the future.  The course will be structured over seven weeks to cover both the Old and NewTestaments as well as to briefly look at the Bible's textual development and translation.

Date: Wednesday Evenings, from September 18 until October 30

Location: on Zoom

Time: 7:00 to 8:30 pm

Instructor: Rev. Br. Jason Carroll

For more information, contact Br. Jason.  

To register for this course, please contact Barbara Labrecque.

What is worship?   Why do we worship?  What constitutes Christian Worship?  This course will examine the Biblical and theological foundations of worship and its particular expression in our Anglican liturgical tradition.  Students will explore the theology, structure, and purpose of the Offices and sacraments, with a view to building connections between understanding and practice, and growing in sensitivity and reverence.  The course will also cover practical matters, including instruction about appropriate use of vestments, and appropriate liturgical forms according to Diocesan norms.

This course is one of the requirements for obtaining License A, B and C.

Date: Saturday, October 19, 2024, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.  Location will be via Zoom and in-person at Holy Cross Anglican Church, Calgary.

Instructor: The Most Rev. Gregory Kerr-Wilson

For in-person students, please bring a bag lunch.

To register for this course, please contact Barbara Labrecque.

Michael Harvey, co-founder of Back to Church Sunday in the UK, will be visiting the Diocese of Calgary in September.  He will be speaking on the ACORN Movement, a means of engaging with others in a simple, caring way.

There are still available times during the days he is here, should your parish leaders wish to have him visit.

The current schedule is:

September 17 - evening Zoom gathering with the Deacons of the Diocese

September 18 - evening event at All Saints, Cochrane

September 19 - evening event at Christ Church, Nanton

September 20 - evening event at Christ Church, Calgary

September 21 - morning gathering with St. George, Banff and St. Michael, Canmore, in Canmore, followed by an afternoon hike

September 22 - preaching at St. Michael, Canmore

Michael Harvey developed the concept of invitation as a mission tool across seventeen countries.  He is a dynamic speaker with enthusiasm and humor, providing exciting ideas for church growth.  An opportunity to hear him is truly a blessing.  Everyone is invited to attend these events.

Please note: This event will be taking place at ST. LEONARD-ON-THE-HILL, RED DEER, not St. Luke, Red Deer as previously announced.

This gathering will begin at 1:00 pm and will end at The Lord's Table around 4:00 pm.

For more information, please email afpfellowship@gmail.com

Please plan to join us for a special Service to mark our 110th Anniversary!

Archbishop Greg will be our Celebrant for this Service at 10:00 am, followed by a potluck lunch.

The gathering that was planned for Saturday, October 5 has been postponed.

A Pastoral Care Day will be planned for April 2025.

If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Tracey Stagg.

The Foodbank operates Monday and Thursday from 9:00 am to 12 noon (closed on statutory holidays).  We provide emergency hampers with basic food supplies to clientele in need in the Bowness area.

Basic routine Foodbank operations include receiving the hamper requests by phone.  The messages are noted and the client is called back on either Monday or Thursday, depending on when the message is received.  After confirmation that the hamper is being picked up, the hamper is prepared for the number of people requested, and a time of pickup has been determined.  A client may walk in to request a hamper, which is then prepared.

We are in need of someone to commit to either morning.

More information will be coming in November, regarding the Christmas Hamper Program and the need for extra volunteers.

As well, we will be holding our Christmas Tea and Sale on Saturday, November 30 - this is another opportunity for volunteers to help us set up, price items and assist at the sale, as well as donations of sandwiches and desserts.

We welcome your phone calls if you have any questions about volunteering at the Food Bank.  We can be reached during the Foodbank hours at (403) 288-6330.

We have had a lot of changes in the Diocesan Refugee Committee over the past few years.

We went from having one person handling all requests and interactions to an entire committee which included volunteers in different places around the Diocese.  These folks devoted their efforst to settlement help, translation, administration and more.  We got through some very challenging situations with certain refugees which caused many sleepless nights and required a lot of attention and care.  There has been a great deal of challenge, frustration and hard work in recent years.

We are now in a place where a larger group of people is helping with this invaluable work.  We have much of the administrative pieces in place.  This has been largely due to someone who has put a Herculean effort into all of this work.

The Rev. Canon Erin Phillips has put her passion, time, energy and love of humanity into this work and has literally transformed the way we care for and invite refugees into this Diocese.  Erin will be stepping down as of September 30th.  We are incredibly grateful for her hard work, commitment and love in all she has done.  

Thank you so much, Erin!

Five years ago, with the support of the Diocese and the Anglican Foundation, Ecumenical Campus Ministry Lethbridge (ECM-L) began a program to connect students with local families for community and support.  When Covid hit, we had to pivot, as they say, and we tried new ways to connect people from our churches with students.  And so was born "Smiles and Snacks!"

Volunteers sit in a central visible location on campus at a regular time and hand out snacks and lots of smiles to students!  Some students stop just long enough to grab a banana or granola bar and say hi.  Others bring their lunch and sit down for a good visit.  We have all manner of things to help folks relax and have a little break: art supplies, fidget spinners, prayer beads, games, crochet hooks and yarn.

One of the highlights of last spring was the student who showed up three months after one of our regular volunteers had shown her how to crochet to show off the beautiful afghan she was making!  Smiles and Snacks has become a wonderful way to create community on campus.  If you are in the Lethbridge area and are able to commit to coming on the university or college campus a few hours a month, please email us.

Photo: Allan Besplug from St. Augustine's in Lethbridge has just finished ten years on the ECM-L board.

There are lots of things happening in the Cursillo community this fall!

The upcoming Commissioning Service for the Fall Weekends will take place on Saturday, September 21 at Holy Cross, Calgary (2828 -19th Street NW) beginning at 9:30 am.

The Fall Weekends are - October 31 to November 2 for the Men's Weekend and November 7 to 10 for the Women's Weekend.

Now is a great time to sponsor someone who needs to experience a Cursillo Weekend!  Applications to attend and to sponsor can be requested here.

Please also remember to share your Cursillo experiences with others in your church community and continue to pray for the Cursillo movement in our Diocese and around the world!

We are still looking for more parish reps to share informaiton about Cursillo with their parishes.  If your congregation doesn't have a parish rep, that person could be you!

The next Ultreya will be held at Holy Cross, Calgary on Friday, September 13 at 7:30 pm.  There will be worship, a speaker, gospel-based discipleship, and DESSERT!  Everyone is welcome, and encouraged to bring a dessert to share. The Zoom link can be found here.

The Discernment Assembly is where we vote on the campaigns we will focus on going forward.  It is also when we create the teams that will develop the strategy to turn the concerns into winnable issues.

The Strategy Team is bring forward the following themes to vote on, based on the 2024 Listening Campaign: Affordable Housing and Cost of Living; Good Jobs; Mental Health; Environment/Climate Change.

If you are interested in workin gon one of these issues, please join us.

Monday, September 16 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm, at Scarboro United Church (134 Scarboro Avenue, Calgary)

Please remember in your prayers:

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

- for the Windward Islands recovering from Hurricane Beryl;

- for the Town of Jasper, and the people of the Parish of St. Mary & St. George, suffering the loss of their church home;

- for those who are sick, suffering, isolated or in need.  We ask for prayers for Barbara, Karen, Ruth and James, Kate, Rosemary, Janet, Victoria, Patricia, John, Joanna, and Wendy;

- for the Wall family - for peace and strength during this difficult time, and for Lily, that the Lord will keep her safe and cared for and that she will find a way to return home;

- for those who have died and those who mourn;

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

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

- for refugees, remembering those fleeing regimes around the world;

- thanksgiving for prayers answered: Dan.

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.

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