It's interesting at this time of year how many people join gyms or begin a new project with gusto only to return to their old habits within a few weeks. Neuroscientists and psychologists have a lot to say about this kind of phenomenon. Essentially, it's hard to change too many things at once. You cannot go from never having exercised to being in the gym for 2 hours every day and have it last. It is the 1% changes, the incremental ones that turn into long term sustained practices.  

It's the same with spiritual practices and missional mindset. It is one small piece at a time which eventually gives us an ability to think more missionally. One tiny consideration of how we are going about an event, a current practice, planning something that can turn something quite common for us into a missional something. A way to invite others into the loving embrace of the God. Gently, as if with a whisper. A small thing which could lead to someone else being transformed by the love we know. 

As missional coaches, we hope that you will consider a 1% change with us. A blessed New Year to you. 

Missionalcoaches@calgary.anglican.ca 

This month's Missional Minute contribution comes from The Ven. Dr. Pilar Gateman.

Clergy Changes:

Archbishop Greg is pleased to appoint The Rev. Sean Devlin as the Interim Incumbent for St. Benedict, High River beginning January 6.  We ask for your prayers as this parish and Rev. Sean journey together, and in seeking a new Incumbent.

Archbishop Greg is also pleased to appoint Mr. Luke Lima as Interim Lay Minister for the parish of Grace Anglican United in Blairmore, beginning January 2.  We ask for your prayers for this parish, as they and Luke discern the future of this parish.

Annual Returns:

All parishes are reminded to begin their preparations for the Annual Meeting of Parishioners.  These Meetings are to be held within sixty days of the end of the financial year, which is December 31, and Annual Returns are to be submitted to the Diocese Office within fourteen days of the AMP.  If you have any questions regarding the process of holding AMPs or submitting Annual Returns, please let us know, and we will be happy to answer all your questions.

January 10 - Cursillo AGM - St. Barnabas, Calgary at 7:00 pm

January 12 - Confirmation Service at Christ Church, Nanton

January 13 to 16 - Communion Partners Annual Retreat in Navasota, Texas

January 19 - Bishop's Visit to Grace Anglican United in Crowsnest Pass

January 22 - Legislative Committee via Zoom

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 Priest of the lovely St. Benedict Anglican parish in High River, Alberta.

For more information, or to request a parish profile, please contact the Diocese Office.

Clergy will be required to submit a current resume as well as two written responses.

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

Applications will be received until February 14, 2025.

Start Date: March 1, 2025

Christ Church is seeking a passionate and creative individual to serve as the Director of Children, Youth & Family Ministry.  This half-time position offers an exciting pportunity to lead and grow our ministry programs for children, youth and families, and play a key role in nurturing the spiritual formation of the next generation.

Part-time (20 hours a week)

Flexibility in hours, including some evenings and weekends for ministry events.

Competitive salary and benefits (commensurate with experience).

For the full job description, please click here.

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and references to Rev. Brandon Witwer by February 2, 2025.

This new course will provide you with a foundation to understand the writings and theology of the New Testament. It will explore how the four Gospels reveal the life, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus of Nazareth as herald of the “Good News” of the coming of the Kingdom of God, and as the founder of a new Covenant with God. It will also explore, as reported in the book of Acts and the Epistles, the coming of the Holy Spirit as the creator of the Church by means of the renewal of the Image of God. You will also learn about the variety of literary genres present in the New Testament and how they detail the life and growth of the early church, as well as learning about the broader context of the ancient world in which the New Testament was written.

NOTE: This course will represent a serious time commitment (attending class, reading and assignments) for those taking the course for credit.

Date: Wednesday Evenings, January 22 – April 9, 2025

Location: In Person at St. Augustine’s Church, Lethbridge, or On Zoom

Time: 7:00-8:30 pm

Cost: $95

Instructor: Rev. Br. Jason Carroll

To register, please email Barbara Labrecque

A friendly reminder of the upcoming Calgary Cursillo AGM, Friday, January 10, 7:00 pm at St. Barnabas Anglican Church, 1407 7 Ave NW, Calgary. Minutes and reports are on the website. There are two open positions for Secretariat - Servant Community, and 3rd Day chair - please pray and discern if you are called to this ministry.

If you can’t make it in person, here’s the ZOOM link:

The Diocese of Calgary Anglican Church Women are very pleased to offer another Zoom Book Study!  This will be led by our Chaplain The Rev. Betty Piwowar.

There will be two opportunities a week to study: Tuesdays at 1:00 pm OR Wednesdays at 7:00 pm.  The Tuesday sessions begin January 14 and the Wednesday sessions will begin on January 15, and each will run for eight weeks (each session being 1.5 hours long).  

To register contact Margaret Newton or call (403) 734-2130.

Did you know that on the third Sunday of each month, The Rev. Rafiq Masih holds a service of Holy Communion in Urdu at St. Barnabas, Calgary?  Click here to hear an excerpt from their service which was held on December 15, during which they sang Christmas carols in Urdu.

The next monthly service will be held on January 19 at 1:00 pm.  All are welcome!

Once again, the Church of the Good Shepherd is producing a four-show Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre production, just in time for Valentine's Day! This interactive comedy puts you in the middle of all the action while you try to figure out whodunit and why . . . 

By attending one of the performances, you agree to be a test subject for the research of Dr Ernest Terrence Mars. As he conducts Phase 2 of his work on a miraculous drug to eliminate the COVID-19 virus from the human race, you will enjoy a three-course dinner while you participate in this test . . . and see how things unfold!

There are four show times: Friday, February 7th and Saturday, February 8th, and Friday, February 14th and Saturday, February 15th. Doors open at 5:30pm with the show beginning at 6:00pm. Tickets are $50 per person and include your meal with coffee and tea. Beer and wine will be available for purchase by the can, glass or bottle.  We might even have some Scotch lying around somewhere, left over from Robbie Burns' Night...

To purchase tickets, click on the link below. Be careful to indicate which show you plan to attend. 

• Ticket sales for the Feb 7 & 8 shows close at 1:00pm on Tue, Feb 4.
• Ticket sales for the Feb 14 & 15 shows close at 1:00pm on Tue, Feb 11.

There are only 36 spots available for each performance, so don't miss out: "Spies Like Us" Tickets

Note that this production would likely warrant a PG rating if it were a movie as it deals with murder and mild sexual themes, and so may not be appropriate for children. Note also that this is not your typical church production in that there is no religious or spiritual message involved. It's just all for fun!

The Chair of Christian Thought, in partnership with the Calgary Institute for the Humanities, University of Calgary, presents An Evening with Rev. Tony Snow.  Rev. Snow is a member of the Stoney Nakoda First Nation and the regional Indigenous Minister for the Chinook Winds Region for the United Church of Canada.  

Christian communities engaged in the work of reconciliation seek to repair relationships and histories often neglected, buried, and considered shameful to the society at large.  A retelling of this history necessitates a coming to terms with who we were then and who we are now, and all that our past has constructed to enable the enjoyment we see today.  It is the work of inculturation and diaspora that show us the limits of who we can be as we delve into the intergenerational work of reconciliation, not only with Indigenous populations, but through our efforts globally as we stand as a people of peace.  Scripture and history give us a context, but how we understand and develop our reconciliation social models is the critical enterprise we have committed to engage with and nurture in the years ahead.

January 16, 2025, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at The Confluence Historic Site and Parkland, 750 - 9 Avenue SE, Calgary.

Click here to register.

The concert is FREE!  Join us for a wonderful, celebratory evening of song.  Together, let’s celebrate hope, grace and new beginnings!

Taste and See...

Anglican Renewal Ministries is dedicated to bringing the life and power of the Holy Spirit to all Christians.  ARM has been serving the Anglican Church of Canada for over 30 years.  In addition to workshops on the person and gifts of the Holy Spirit, we also offer a quarterly magazine called “Taste and See…” with articles to uplift and encourage you in your walk with Christ.   We hope this magazine will be a source of encouragement to all.  Sample articles and a free copy of the magazine are available on our website. 

The Diocese of Niagara's Niagara School for Missional Leadership is offering three courses:

Adaptive Leadership: Mondays, 3:00 - 5:00 pm EST, from January 13 to March 3.

Missional Preaching: Tuesdays, 10:00 am - 12 noon EST, from January 14 to March 4.

Reimagining Church: Tuesdays, 7:00 - 9:00 pm EST, from January 14 to March 4.

These courses are designed to help you engage creatively and faithfully with God's mission, both within your parish and beyond.  We look forward to walking alongside you in this journey of growth, where learning is rooted in both coaching and practical application, and every step is an opportunity to respond to God's call in new and transformative ways.

For more information on the courses and how to register, please click here.

St. George's College Jerusalem is a gem of the worldwide Anglican Communion.  Although some emergency funding has been made available in 2024 through the North american Committee (NAC), St. George's College Jerusalem is now appealing to all Anglicans and friends to help provide essential support in 2025.

Let Light Shine is the NAC appeal to friends of the College in Canada.  It will run until April 2025.

The Campaign objective is to raise $250,000 from Canadian friends of St. George's College Jerusalem, to provide funds for paying staff salaries and related operations in 2025.

More information on this Campaign and how to donate can be found here.

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 Anglican Communion, for the selection of a new Archbishop of Canterbury, and for healing and direction moving forward;

- for the Windward Islands recovering from Hurricane Beryl;

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

- for those who are sick, suffering, isolated or in need.  We ask for prayers for Barbara, Maureen, Ruth and James, Kate, Rosemary, Patricia, John, Anne, Rob, and John;

- for those who have died and those who mourn; remembering the Both family, and the Hambidge family;

- 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;

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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