Ordinations:

Archbishop Greg is pleased to announce his intention to ordain, God willing, two candidates to the Order of Deacons.  We ask for your prayers for Mrs. Pat Kover of St. Andrew, Calgary and Mrs. Kari Pentland of St. Aldhelm, Vulcan.  The Ordination Service will be held at the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer, Calgary on Saturday, May 2 at 2:00 pm.  Clergy are asked to vest for this service; color will be RED.

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.

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

- Ordination Service at the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer, Calgary on Saturday, May 2 beginning at 2:00 pm.  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 closes on April 16.

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 popular quote "Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary, use words" was the motivation behind this year's Walk of the Cross through Redcliff and Medicine Hat on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, between each of the three local Anglican parishes in Medicine Hat and Redcliff.

Newly appointed Priest-in-Charge, The Rev. John Willems made a twelve foot wooden cross that Lay Minister Scott Raible carried from All Saints Anglican Church, Medicine Hat, down the Trans-Canada Highway, to St. Ambrose Anglican Church in Redcliff, on Maundy Thursday, for the start of The Triduum.  The cross stayed at St. Ambrose overnight, and was part of our Good Friday Service, before being carried from Redcliff back along the Trans-Canada Highway to Medicine Hat, passing the Medicine Hat Hospital and through the downtown, arriving at St. Barnabas Anglican Church.

It was wonderful to see the support from many people driving over those two days who witnessed the cross being carried, and to read the thoughtful and reflective posts on social media, on Christ and His Cross, and what His death and resurrection and messages of Love, Mercy, Forgiveness and Grace mean to so many in Medicine Hat, Redcliff and communities beyond.

It was also wonderful to connect all three of our local parishes - All Saints and St. Barnabas in Medicine Hat and St. Ambrose in Redcliff.

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!  This month, The Rev. Dr. Pilar Gateman discusses Missional Coaches.  Tune in to the Podcast here.

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

It is becoming more and more difficult to remain resolute and hopeful in a world where so many forces are competing for our souls. As Christians, though, our identity and devotion are oriented to the One in whom our love and life is found, Jesus Christ, whom we are bound to in the vows of our Baptism. This meditation on “Living Our Baptismal Vows” will lead you through both the Biblical meaning of our Baptism, as well as giving you the opportunity to reflect on how to live out your Baptismal vows in this present world. Each week, we will begin with a short time of teaching, and then spend time in conversation and Lectio Divina. You will also be given some short Christian texts from the saints of the past and present to reflect on during this journey as well. Please join us in this post-Easter time of reflection.

Date: Wednesday Evenings, April 22 - June 24, 2026

Location: On Zoom

Time: 6:30pm-8:00pm

Instructors: Rev. Elizabeth Short & Rev. Br.  Jason Carroll

To Register, please contact Barbara Labrecque.

Have you been reflecting on how we care for one another within our parish family?  Are you curious about pastoral care and how you might share in this ministry of compassion and presence?

We invite you to join us for a seven week online Zoom course, where we will gently explore the heart of pastoral care together. Topics include the theology of pastoral care, caring for self, compassionate communication, and the realities of grief, death, dying and loss, alongside themes of healing, wholeness, and joy.  There will be opportunities to learn, reflect, and practice in a supportive environment.

Together, we will share resources and build a sense of pastoral community.

Whether you are beginning to explore pastoral care, hoping to deepen your skills, or discerning your place within a team, you are warmly welcome. This course is open to both clergy and laity.  Please ask all questions or register by contacting Rev. Tracey.

When: Wednesdays from May 6 to June 17

Where: Zoom

Time: 6:30 pm to 8:45 pm

Cost: none

Number of participants: Minimum of 6; Maximum of 14

Deadline to register: April 22 or a full course.  A waiting list will be available.

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.

All Anglican Church Women are invited to our annual Conference via Zoom on Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18.

The Theme this year is "Come and Journey with Our Saviour - Being a Pilgrim and How It Changes You."

This year's guest speakers will be The Rev. Steve Bateman, "On Being a Pilgrim,"; Lois Reid and Tessa Muirhead, Companions on the Alongside Hope Kenya 2025 Trip; and Pauline Hoskin, "The Transformational Effect of Pilgrimage."

To Register, please contact Mary Dymond.

The ACW is also asking parishes to submit names of those ACW members who have died, to be mentioned in a list of the Dearly Departed at the Eucharist Service.  These names can be sent to the ACW email address.

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.

In order to be able to issue tax receipts for the e-transfer donations, we require name, address and postal code in the message section of the e-transfer.  Please do not hesitate to call the Foodbank (403) 288-6330 if you have any questions.  Any messages left will receive a return call.

Annual Garage Sale Fundraiser:

Our Annual Garage Sale Fundraiser will take place on Saturday, June 27 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.  Proceeds from the Garage Sale are used for the day-to-day operation of the Foodbank.

We welcome the donation of clean and working order household items, small appliances, bedding, towels, shoes and purses.  

Donations can be dropped off on Mondays or Thursdays between 9:00 am and 11:45 am.  We are unable to accept larger items until Friday, June 26.  Please contact us at (403) 288-6330 if you have any questions.

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.  

Do you know what Alongside Hope does?  What it really does?  Do you know in what countries Alongside Hope serves?  Do you know why PWRDF changed its name to Alongside Hope?

We are having a conference to answer these questions and more.  Our keynote speaker is the famous Kim Umbach, known for her work as National Volunteer Coordinator for Alongside Hope.  We hope to have a live Zoom with the partners in Zimbabwe about their Water Project.  We will learn what work is happening now.  We hope to make this conference fun, informational and inspirational! People from the Diocese of Athabasca, the Diocese of Edmonton as well as the Diocese of Calgary are invited to attend.

This is happening from May 22-24, 2026 (the weekend after the long weekend) in St. Albert (so it is accessible to the people in Athabasca, as well.)  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.

This year's theme: Anchored in Mystery.

Come join us at the Anglican Laity Retreat at Mount St. Francis, Cochrane.  The silence starts after Friday's dinner and continues through Sunday morning.  More details are available at the Mount St. Francis website.

Suggested cost for the weekend is $230.00.  However, no one is turned away because of lack of finances.

If you grew up in Rural Alberta, many of you likely attended a summer Vacation Bible School facilitated by Vanners.  The Vanning Programme ran for more than 85 years in our province until its retirement roughly 20 years ago.  

Vanners were teams of two who would spend their entire summer travelling around rural Alberta in a van packed with craft supplies and story books. The Vanning Committee usually ran two teams each summer, and sixteen towns would receive a program each year. The program was completely free for the churches that we visited. For more information on the history, please click here.

Recently, we uncovered some boxes of brand-new Vanning t-shirts. The intention in purchasing these shirts all those years ago was to support children’s programming in our Diocese and also to remind everyone of the fun we had during the summer. I was a Vanner three times myself with partners Tracy, Jennifer, and Alida.

In the spirit of nostalgia, and if you would like your very own piece of history, please connect me at the email address listed below to purchase a shirt. We are asking $5 per shirt, with the proceeds being funneled directly back into Christ Church Family Ministries. We have both adult and youth sizes in green, and adult sizes in white.

Please feel free to contact Laurel for more information or to arrange a purchase.

This year's Thy Kingdom Come is all about the presence of God through His Spirit.  The God who is with us in the everyday - in the joys and sorrows of life (and everything in between) and the One who, through His Spirit, longs to reveal Himself to those who do not yet know Him.

From the story of Ruth to the story of Gideon, from the story of Elijah to the story of the early church who waited for the promised Holy Spirit to come - over the eleven days, we will explore a different Bible story each day, which demonstrates God's transformative presence, power and love at work in the lives of people and places.

Our hope is that as we pray for our five people, they will also experience the life-changing love of God and choose to follow Him.

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, remembering the Witwer and Bell families;

- 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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