I’ve been thinking recently about the message we send as we have conversations. That may sound like a silly sentence at first, but I want to challenge us to consider how we are communicating when we speak to people. Communication is about much more than just what we say, and it is almost equally important to consider how we say it. I don’t think this is new information to many of you, but I wonder if you have thought about it in the way that we talk about our Gospel mission. 

Whenever we have a conversation, especially with those who aren’t part of our Christian community, we should consider how we are demonstrating Christ to them. The topic doesn’t even have to be related to Jesus, but the way in which we speak can show them Jesus. When we are out in the world, we are ambassadors of Christ, demonstrating His nature to a world that doesn’t know Him yet. Therefore, it becomes rather important how I speak. 

Does the person I disagree with know that I still love them? Does the short conversation when I’m tired or cranky lead me to show someone that they are unimportant to me? Does my own preoccupation lead me to dismiss a new person at the church? All of these are ways in which we might communicate to someone that we don’t care about them, and worse it could also communicate to them that Jesus doesn’t care. 

So, we have an opportunity to season our speech as in Colossians 4:6, and as such demonstrate love and grace to the world around us. We can disagree while still valuing the individual. We can welcome a newcomer with a smile and kind words. In all of this we can make spaces where people see the love of Jesus in us and have an opportunity to dive a little deeper and get to know Him a little more. 

This month's Missional Minute contribution is from James Lawton.

Clergy Moves:

Archbishop Greg is pleased to announce that he has appointed The Rev. Willybert Galas as half-time Incumbent of St. Augustine, Calgary, beginning March 1.  Please keep Rev. Willy and the parish in your prayers as they move forward under his leadership.

The Rev. Margaret Hogarth will be leading one service a month at St. Aidan, Pekisko going forward.  Please pray for the parish and Rev. Margaret as they journey together in faith.

The Rev. Brian Way will be retiring, and stepping down as Priest-in-Charge of St. Clement, Balzac, after over five years of faithful ministry there.  We wish him all the best in his retirement, and ask for your prayers for the future of ministry at St. Clement's.

The Rev. Eyad Ajji will be stepping down as Incumbent of St. Mark & St. Philip, Calgary, but will continue to offer Sunday supply services twice a month.  We ask for your prayers for this parish and Rev. Eyad.

Sabbatical:

Archbishop Greg will be on sabbatical until April 16 and will return to the office on April 28.  During this time away, he has appointed The Right Rev. Michael Hawkins as Commissary for Episcopal acts and representing Archbishop Greg at Diocesan committee meetings.  He has also delegated oversight of the Diocesan Office to The Rev. Deacon Charmaine Evans, our Executive Officer.

Archbishop Greg Kerr-Wilson along with the Diocesan Council has announced that the 80th Convention of Synod has been called for Friday and Saturday, October 23 and 24, 2026, to be held at St. Peter Anglican Church, Okotoks.

Licensed Clergy and Lay Members to Synod must attend. Each parish needs to ensure that appropriate Lay Members have been elected at their Annual Meetings of Parishioners.  Preparation includes the reading and being familiar with all materials sent out prior to Synod. Members, both Clergy and Lay, may be called upon to put their name forward for the following nominations:
- Provincial Synod (required: 3 Clergy, 2 Lay, 1 Youth)
- General Synod (required: 3 Clergy, 3 Lay, 1 Youth)
- Diocesan Council (required: 1 Clergy and 1 Lay from each of the 5 Deaneries)

Please remember: Annual Returns must be in by Saturday, March 14th, 2026 in order for parishes to be permitted to send Synod delegates.

If you are not able to meet this deadline, please be in touch with Rev. Charmaine as to the reason.

Any questions or concerns can be forwarded to The Rev. Deacon Charmaine Evans, Chair of the Synod Steering Committee and Executive Officer of the Diocese (officer@calgary.anglican.ca).

Clergy of our Diocese are asked to mark their calendars for two events that are being planned:

- Blessing of the Oils and Renewal of Ordination Vows will be held, God willing, at the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer, Calgary on Tuesday, March 31.   Our Assistant Bishop, The Right Rev. Michael Hawkins will be officiating.  Clergy are asked to robe; color will be RED.

- the annual Clergy Conference will be held, God willing, at Waterton Lakes Lodge from Monday, May 4 to Thursday, May 7.  Registration for this event has been sent out to clergy.

January 18 to April 16 - On Sabbatical

April 17 to 25 - Provincial and National House of Bishops

Please hold Archbishop Greg in your prayers as he takes this time away for rest and refreshment.

The Ministry Development team offers time for lay ministers from around the diocese (new and locally ordained too!)  to gather each week to discuss and reflect upon the readings for the week in preparation for preaching. Academic resources (commentaries, etc) will be made available for participants, and it will be a great opportunity to share ideas and resources for lay ministers who are preaching in their local services.  

Time: Tuesdays from 1:00 to 3:00 pm

Location: on Zoom

Please contact Br. Jason Carroll to sign up or for more information. 

The Ministry Development team offers time for lay ministers from around the diocese to gather once a month for discussion and conversation around the opportunities, challenges and needs of lay ministry. It is also a great opportunity to create connections and fellowship with other lay ministers in the diocese. 

In the third week of each month, we will be producing a podcast with a different guest and topic for discussion. The Round Table will be held on the fourth Thursday of the month on Zoom in the afternoons, where the podcast and any other issues are on the table for discussion!

Please contact Br. Jason Carroll for more information (jcarroll@calgary.anglican.ca)

The 40 days of Lent symbolize the 40 days in the wilderness by Jesus. Spending time in the wilderness often coincides with a period of fasting but what if we need to fast from other things than food? Maybe our soul needs a different kind of fast. Maybe it needs a fast from the need to be strong or to be busy or to be right? This quiet day retreat will invite us to hold a different kind of fast during this season of Lent. 

For more information, please contact the Cathedral office.

Please note that effective April 1, 2026, our email address will be:

stedmundsfoodbank@gmail.com

As of April 1, please use this e-mail address for e-transfers.

Church Banners Available: The Mission of St. Edmund's has approximately 12 colourful banners in excellent shape, free to a good home.  They are about 2' x 3' in size and  include most of the church seasons.  These are available from the St. Edmund's Foodbank, open on Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00 to 11:30 am.  We are located in the Mission Hall building behind the Diocesan Offices at 8336 - 34 Avenue NW.  You can also make an appointment with Linda.

Urgent Need for Prayers for Refugees in Pakistan and Afghanistan:

We ask for your prayers for refugees that we are currently sponsoring in areas that are under active conflict or war, in particular our Afghan cases in Pakistan (and also in Afghanistan).

Some of our parishes and other groups have teamed up with us to bring several refugees and refugee families from Afghanistan, and they are yet to arrive.  We have had the opportunity to communicate with all the refugees prior to deciding to sponsor them.  Many are human rights defenders, women's rights advocates, social workers, teachers, parents with small children and women escaping forced marriages and inhumane treatment.

Most of them are seeking asylum in Pakistan, but the government of that country is massively deporting all Afghans, while Canada's processing times are lengthy and currently not in the position to bring the refugees to safety as soon as needed.  Sadly, we have had several cases deported back to Afghanistan, where their lives are at significant risk from the Taliban.  To make matters worse, last week, a war broke out between the two countries, putting many innocent refugees at even more risk.

We would ask that you please pray for their safety and for a prompt arrival in Canada, where parishes and family members are ready to receive and fully support them.

We will share, in the near future, other ways you can help us advocate for these and other refugee cases so that they find safety in Canada sooner.

If you are interested in learning how you can support our work, please write to Joanne or Sofia.  

Parish Reps for Alongside Hope do important work.  They keep their congregations up-to-date on the important work of our Anglican Charity. There are many projects underway: emergency food relief, training in small farming practices, training in how to run a small business, water capture, solar energy the size of a suitcase for remote hospitals, purchase of livestock for food security and income generation, and on and on.  Many Parish Reps hold an annual fundraiser for Alongside Hope.  Many congregations enjoy keeping track of how many goats they can purchase from the Christmas World of Gifts campaign or collect donations for our Alongside Hope partner, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. This is not always an easy task and it is my job to support them.

In that light, we are hosting an informational and inspirational conference for ALL Alongside Hope Representatives. In the interest of pooling resources and generating enthusiasm, all the three dioceses of Alberta will be hosting this conference.   People from the Diocese of Athabasca, the Diocese of Edmonton as well as the Diocese of Calgary are invited to attend.

May 22-24, 2026.(The weekend after the long weekend.)  Most expenses will be covered and carpooling will be provided.

Not a Parish Rep?  That’s OK, you are still invited.  Any person interested in the work of Alongside Hope is encouraged to apply.

For more information or questions, please email Lois Reid, Diocesan Rep.

Members of the Diocese of Calgary are invited to join Rev. Dr. Rupen Das, the President of the Canadian Bible Society for an informal breakfast on Saturday, March 7 at 9:00 am at O-E-B Breakfast Co., 222 5 Ave SW, Calgary.

RSVP by email to jbirch@biblesociety.ca or call/text (647) 525-4891.

CBS is thankful for the many ways that we partner with the parishes and the Diocese, including in helping the Blackfoot Confederacy with their Bible translation project.

This is our 36th annual gathering and our theme is “Finding Comfort in the Valley” {based on Psalm 23}, with the Rev. Elizabeth Short.

The weekend is a nurturing and renewing time for women from a variety of Christian communities.

The Anglican Foundation of Canada (AFC) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 2026 Say Yes! to Kids (SYTK) campaign, the Foundation's national fundraising initiative supporting children and youth-focused ministry across the Anglican Church of Canada.

Parishes, dioceses and Anglican-affiliated organizations can register by April 1, here.

SYTK equips local ministry partners with fundraising tools, matching incentives and communications support to help strengthen programs that serve children, youth and young people in their own communities.   Campaign teams will fundraise locally in the spring, with Say Yes! to Kids Sunday taking place on Sunday, June 14.

To support teams who are new to the campaign - or those who would like to learn more before registering - AFC will host a series of Say Yes! to Kids Info Sessions via Zoom on Wednesdays in February at Noon EST (10:00 am MST).  Participants can register for a Zoom Info Session here.

For questions or more information, please contact Michelle Hauser.

Please remember in your prayers:

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

- for the Anglican Communion, and our Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev. Sarah Mullally;

- for the work of the General Synod, and for our Primate, The Most Rev. Shane Parker;

- for our Companion Diocese of the Windward Islands;

- for those who are sick, suffering, isolated or in need.  We ask for prayers for Barbara, Maureen, Karen, Ruth and James, Kate, Rosemary, Patricia, Rob, Joan, James, Doug, Beth, Janis, Faten, John, John and Lucille, Ronalynn and Chris;

- 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.

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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