Diocesan Solicitor:

Archbishop Greg has nominated Peter Crisfield as our new Diocesan Solicitor, and this has been ratified by Diocesan Council.  For many years, Peter was Chancellor of the Diocese.  We look forward to working with Peter in this new role, and ask for prayers for him as he represents the Diocese on legal matters.

Retirement:

The Rev. Fariborz Khandani, will be retiring from ministry on July 31.  In our Diocese, Rev. Fariborz served All Saints, Cochrane in 2022 and 2024.  Please pray for Rev. Fariborz and his family as he enters retirement.

July 12 - Bishop's Visit and Reception Service, St. George-in-the-Pines, Banff, at 10:00 am.

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

Parish Members of Diocesan Synod, both Clergy and Lay, may be called upon to put their name forward for the following nominations:

Provincial Synod Delegate: We may send three Clergy and three Lay Persons - one of whom is a youth (a person between the ages of 16 and 25 inclusive as of the first day of May of the year of the regular session of the Synod for which the delegate is chosen.)

General Synod Delegate: We may send three Clergy (apart from the Archbishop), three Lay Persons and one Youth. (corrected since the last Newsletter)

Diocesan Council: From each of our five Deaneries, we elect one Clergy and one Lay Person.  We also may elect one youth.

If you are nominated or wish to stand for these elections, we will need a biography to be shared in the Convening Circular, submitted prior to the middle of August.  Nominees are invited to submit a paragraph of no more than 60 words outlining their experience in the Church, and intention to serve as a representative.  Biographies are to be sent to the Chair of the Nominating Committee, The Rev. Kersi Bird.

Members of Synod are invited to submit notices of motions to Synod, in care of the Diocese Office. Notices should be submitted as early as possible but must be received by September 9, 2026

Ministry leaders will be asked to write up a report of their committee or ministry work which will be included in the Convening Circular and must be submitted to the Synod Office by August 20, 2026. Please submit reports electronically to the Diocese Office. Written reports will be received as a single motion at Synod.

The Anglican expression of Christianity is rooted in the rich and unique position it has in the history of the Church and in broader Christian experience.  This course will give students the opportunity to explore the history of Anglican origins and the unique character of Anglicanism.  In particular, this course will cover the Anglican understanding of unity and diversity, the spirituality of Anglican structures and governance, the orders of ministry (Lay, Bishop, Priest, Deacon), the centrality of liturgy ("Common Prayer") and a brief overview of the sacraments.

Instructor: The Rev. Greg Clark

To register, contact Barbara Labrecque.

This course is required to acquire and maintain all licenses (A, B & C) with the Diocese of Calgary.

Six Classes: Tuesdays, September 22 to October 27, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

We have designed this course to be most beneficial to you if a small group comes from your parish. We encourage you to attend with some friends! 

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. 

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's conversation is with Michael Harvey and his ACORN method of sharing our faith .  Tune in to the Podcast here.

To find previous Podcasts, click here.

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

Join St. Peter, Calgary for this Bible Study Series beginning on Wednesday, July 8, at 7:00 pm.

For Registration and Information, please email here.

The Anglican Foundation offers a heartfelt thanks to everyone who made the 2026 Say Yes! to Kids campaign such a remarkable success.

The national fundraising goal of $150,000 was surpassed, and donations continue to arrive daily.  The Campaign Portal will remain open until July 10, as AF processes these gifts and helps more teams reach their individual fundraising goals.

To find out more about this campaign, please click here.

The Radiance Family Society, in collaboration with the Canadian Poverty Institute at Ambrose University, is leading a research project: "THRIVE - Supporting Healing and Accountability in Faith Communities."  The research focuses on the causes of family violence within the Christian faith community, with an aim to prevent and/or interrupt family violence.

The Canadian Poverty Institute and Radiance Family Society are inviting you to participate in this research as a survey participant.  You will be able to share your views or experiences on the causes of family violence, the role of biblical teachings in family violence, how community support can be harnessed to break the silence around family violence and stop family violence within the church.

You are invited to take part in a roughly 30-minute online survey.  The researchers will not link your responses to you individually.  Participants must be 18 years or older, living in the greater Calgary area, and practice in a faith community in these communities.  Click here to take the survey and follow the prompts.  Should you wish, at the end of the survey, you may provide your email address to receive a $25 gift card from the research team.

Direct questions or concerns to Rita Yembilah or Derek Cook.

Looking for a way to deepen your understanding of the Christian faith and enhance the connection between what you believe and how you live your daily life?  The Education for Ministry (EfM) program combines independent study and weekly small group discussions to provide a basic grounding in theology to Christian laypeople. The EfM curriculum explores the content and origins of Scripture, follows Church history from its earliest days, and examines issues in Christian theology. Group members engage in individual and group theological reflection throughout their studies to bring our different life experiences and perspectives into conversation with our faith, helping to discern God’s call to each of us. EfM is an extension program of an Episcopal theological school; there is a lot to read (including the whole Bible) but there are no exams. Students commit to one year at a time and those completing all four years of the program receive a certificate of completion.   

For more information on this program or registration, please contact Jennifer Solem at efmcalgary@outlook.com. 

Rest and play during the Four Weeks of Summer at Sorrento Retreat and Conference Centre.

Whether you are looking for a serene getaway amid nature, a venue for deep reflection and learning, or a fun family vacation, there is something for everyone at Sorrento.

We do the cooking, the cleaning, and entertain the kids so you can relax.  We have a variety of adult, children and youth programs, and so many fun activities we can't list them all - check out our website.  Never been to the Centre?  Check the online photo album (by scrolling down) and discover what we have to offer.

Former diocesan priest, The Very Rev. Dr. Kyle Norman will be offering "Becoming the Beloved: Henri Nouwen and Christian Identity"  during Week 3 (August 10 to 14).  More information can be found on the Website.

Mark your calendar for this workshop with Anglican Renewal Ministries on Friday, October 2 and Saturday, October 3.

All are invited to join Bishop Anna Greenwood-Lee, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Islands and Inlets, and The Rev. Christine Conkin, Incumbent of St. George, Cadboro Bay, for a summer retreat on beautiful Salt Spring Island.

"We will spend time reflecting together on our call to be the salt of the earth amidst the very real challenges of these turbulent 2020s.  We'll talk about power and empires and how the church needs to organize and mobilize in order to incarnate God's love and justice."

This Retreat will run from August 4 to 6, 2026.

The Diocese of Islands and Inlets looks forward to hosting a national event celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Priesting of Women in Canada on November 24 and 25 in Victoria, BC.  Programming and a celebratory Eucharist will be held on these days.

Registration is now open.

The registration fee is $210.00.  Participants are expected to make their own travel and hotel arrangements. 

Please remember in your prayers:

- for peace within our country, and in the world, for victims of violence, war, hatred and natural disasters, remembering this week Venezuela. 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, Beth, Janis, Faten, John and Lucille, Ronalynn and Chris, John, Sandra, and Andy and Chester;

- for those who have died and those who mourn, remembering the family of Paige;

- 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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