In the missional workshops, the point is always made that polls show us there is a large percentage of people out there who are open to hearing about the gospel message. Having this insight can help alleviate some fears and encourage us to step out of comfort zones. But as I listened to the lecturer at my Romans bible study, she said it was the same Gospel Saint Paul used in bringing salvation to both the Jews and Gentiles. And when she said, “Jews and Gentiles”, it reminded me, yet again, that Saint Paul knew God’s message was for ALL people. We are all created by God.

We are all made in His image. It is very clear from Genesis onward that it was God’s plan from the very beginning for ALL of His creation to be in relationship with Him and know Him! There is no ‘us’ and ‘them.' Some are not more deserving than others.  God shows no favoritism. John 12:32 tells us that Jesus said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

Blaise Pascal, one of the greatest Christian minds in history, said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man, which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the creator, made known through Jesus Christ.” Yes, be encouraged that the large percentage of people out here are open to hearing the Good News but maybe even more compelling is the fact that this precious, life-giving message is intended for every person!! Together we can make Missional Possible and reach out with God’s love to many God-shaped vacuums!

This month's Missional Minute contribution is from Pam Matsumiya.

Clergy Changes:

Archbishop Greg Kerr-Wilson has appointed The Rev. Mike Black as part-time Priest-in-Charge at St. Augustine, Calgary until the end of December, and The Rev. Margaret Hogarth as part-time Priest-in-Charge at Holy Nativity, Calgary until the end of December.  Please pray for Rev. Mike and Rev. Margaret and the congregations they serve.

The Rev. Nicole Janelle will be stepping down as Incumbent of St. Stephen, Calgary as of October 16, 2026.  As well, The Rev. Christopher Wall will be stepping down as Incumbent of Christ Church, Nanton as of October 12, 2026.  We are thankful for the ministry of these two priests, and ask that God will guide them in their futures.

Announcements:

Archbishop Greg is pleased to announce that, after prayerful consideration, he has appointed two Archdeacons:

The Ven. Bonnie Luft is the new Archdeacon of Bow Valley, and The Ven. Deacon Charmaine Evans is the new Archdeacon of Calgary.

The Collation Service will be part of the Opening Worship Service at the Diocesan Synod, on Friday, October 23.

Archbishop Greg is pleased to announce that, after prayerful consideration, he has nominated Mrs. Barb McFarlane as Diocesan Vice-Chancellor, which Diocesan Council ratified at their meeting on September 22.  

We are thankful for their willingness to serve the Diocese in these ways, and ask for your prayers as they begin these new ministries.

Active Clergy are asked to mark their calendars for our annual Clergy Retreat, taking place once again at Sanctum Retreat Centre from Monday, November 16 to Thursday, November 19.  Information on registration and the agenda has been sent out.  For more information, please contact The Ven. Deacon Charmaine Evans.

October 5 to 8 - National House of Bishops

October 14 to 16 - Gathering of Leaders Conference, Toronto, ON

October 18 - Confirmation Service at St. Aldhelm, Vulcan, 11:00 am

October 20 - Anglican Fellowship of Prayer Committee meeting at 1:30 pm

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

On October 1, a letter was distributed to Clergy and Wardens of the Diocese.  The letter, written by the three Bishops of the three Dioceses within the Province of Alberta, reflects upon the upcoming Referendum, on Monday, October 19.

As we prepare for our Diocesan Synod, we remind Incumbents or AMP Officers to ensure that their Elected or Appointed Lay Members of Synod have their signed Certificates of Election/Appointment for them to bring to Synod for registration.

The finalized Agenda will be forwarded from the Diocese Office a few days prior to Synod.

Questions can be directed to The Rev. Deacon Charmaine Evans, Co-Chair of the Synod Steering Committee.

In preparation for our Diocesan Synod, the Synod Steering Committee has chosen a theme of “Living in Hope.”

We wish to show a video presentation on this theme during our time together over the two days.

We need your help.

We would love to have your submissions of photos or videos on how your Parish is Living in Hope.  How does your Parish offer the Hope of Christ in its ministry, its worship, its mission?

Thank you to the parishes who have already submitted wonderful photos.

Please consider this theme, discuss it with your parishioners, and send in your submissions to the Diocese office at your earliest convenience.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was recognized on September 30, and Truth and Reconciliation Sunday was on September 27.

Thank you to the parishes who brought recognition and offered messages of remembrance and hope during their service times on September 27.

Thank you to the parish of Christ Church, Calgary for this photo of their altar cloth.

St. Andrew Anglican Church in northwest Calgary is looking for Sunday School and Youth teachers, starting in September or October, 2026.  

Our Sunday School is growing!  St. Andrew's parish is seeking a Sunday School teacher to design and implement a curriculum based on each Sunday's readings from the Revised Common Lectionary.  Currently, we have about 17 students, ages 5 to 16.  

Time commitment would be about two hours preparation time and 45 minutes teaching during the 10:30 am service each Sunday.  Sound Biblical knowledge, a passion for developing disciples and teaching experience would be an asset.  We pray that, God willing, this will eventually become a youth leadership position in our parish.

For more information, please contact Rev. John Chuol, at (403) 284-5349 or (403) 690-1527.

"A Beacon of Hope, An Oasis of Peace"

St. Francis of Assisi is seeking a new priest.  This is a 0.75 FTE position, which includes benefits, a pension plan and mileage.  We are eager to connect with the Holy Spirit and pray that our church will grow with a new priest working with us.  We are looking for someone who is eager to get to know us and connect with us through relationship and serving God together.

Deadline for applications is October 31, 2026.  For more information on this opportunity and application details, please contact the Diocese Office.

A Community Rooted in Faith, Service, and Fellowship

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 students of the Calgary School of Discipleship and their experience and delight in the offered courses.  Tune in to the Podcast here.

To find previous Podcasts, click here.

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

The Parish of St. Andrew, Calgary offers an online Service of Compline.

The Service takes place on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 local time.

For more information or to receive the Facebook information, please be in touch with The Rev. John Chuol.

On Sunday, September 27, a Cake Auction Fundraiser was held at Christ Church, Fort Macleod, to benefit Alongside Hope.

Parish Rep Tessa Muirhead initiated this idea, and the parishioners stepped up, with many delicious cakes on offer.

In total, $847 was raised.  Well done Tessa and the parish of Christ Church!

Photo credit - Sophia David

Young Adult Anglicans Calgary invites all young adults aged 18 to 39 to join us on Tuesday, October 13 for our next Theology Happy Hour!  RSVP here!

We'll be gathering from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at El Furniture Warehouse, on 107 - 8th Avenue SW (Stephen Avenue, downtown Calgary).

Topic: What's in your God Box?

We all have images and ideas of God that we cherish, constructs that inform our worship, spirituality and practice.  Imagine putting those ideas into your God Box, then taking each out and inspecting it.  What belongs in the Box?  What turns out to be unhelpful or even misleading?  How do we know who God is, what God is like?

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact us at hello@younganglicansyyc.ca. 

The Parish of All Saints, Cochrane has formed a Team which is raising money for Alongside Hope's Solar Panel Project for St. Luke's Hospital in the West Bank.

As of early September, this Team has raised $2300, and donations from the Parish to be sent to Alongside Hope will bring that total to $3500, with a goal of $5000.  The fundraiser ends October 18.

The Rev. Brandon Witwer is riding his bike as a tribute to his Dad, who died this spring.  This was their shared hobby.  Rev. Brandon is at 370 km of his target of 500 km.  Above is a photo of Rev. Brandon and his Dad the day they rode 100 km for their combined one hundred years of life (60 and 40).

Please consider donating to this worthy cause.

Planning for the Fall Weekends is well underway.  

The Men's Weekend is set for October 29 to November 1, and the Women's Weekend runs from November 5 to 8.  Now is the perfect time to sign up your candidates!

Requests for Applications can be made here.

Please sign up for the prayer vigils: Men's Weekend or Women's Weekend

Also, the October Ultreya will be held at St. Peter, Calgary on Friday, October 9, with gathering at 7:00 pm and commencing at 7:30 pm.  Join the Cursillo community in worship, listening to a short Talk, sharing and fellowship.

Cursillo is a unique experience that we need to share with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  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.

St. Peter, Calgary will be hosting a Grief Conference on Friday, November 6 and Saturday, November 7, with Dr. Linita Eapen Mathew.

For more information or to register, please contact The Rev. Rob Petkau.

St. Edmund's Foodbank Outreach Association will be holding their annual Fundraising event on Saturday, November 21.

This event features the sale of donated Christmas decorations, ornaments, garlands and lights.  We are asking for donations of these items. Please NO TREES.

Items can be dropped off at the Foodbank on Mondays OR Thursdays from 9:00 am to 11:45 am.  We can be reached during these times at (403) 288-6330 if you have any questions.

On behalf of The Mustard Seed, members of your ministry team are invited to the Annual Pastors Gathering on Tuesday, November 3, at the Community Impact Centre (6060 Memorial Drive NE, Calgary).

This gathering is an opportunity for us to come together as ministry leaders from across Calgary, to connect, encourage one another, and deepen our shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our city.  We will spend time hearing updates from The Mustard Seed, learning about the impact being made through partnerships with local churches, and exploring ways we can continue serving our neighbours experiencing poverty and homelessness.

Most importantly, we hope this will be a relaxed and meaningful time to strengthen relationships, share stories, and celebrate what God is doing in our city.

Whether you have partnered with The Mustard See for years or are simply curious to learn more about our work, we would love to have you join us.  Please RSVP here.

We extend an invitation to you and your congregation to join us at the 2026 Ian Shugart Lecture, being held this year in Calgary.  We are excited to announce that our 2026 Ian Shugart Lecturer is Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

Few stories capture the stakes of faith in the modern world more vividly than Ayaan Hirsi Ali's.  Born in Somalia, she survived mutilation, fled a forced marriage, rose to serve as a member of the Dutch parliament, survived assassination threats following the murder of her collaborator Theo van Gogh, and spent decades as a globally recognized critic of religion.

And then, in 2023, Ayaan - one of the most famous atheists in the world - became a Christian.

We are pleased to offer you and members of your congregation 50% off tickets with the code FRIENDS at checkout.

Date: October 8, 2026, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm, in downtown Calgary (specific venue to be announced).

We invite you to join us for our Annual Lecture, featuring Dr. Carlos Eire (T. Lawrason Riggs Professor of History and Religious Studies, Yale University).

This year's lecture is entitled "Demoniacs, Flying Friars, and Nuns Who Could Be in Two Places At the Same Time: Avatars of the Impossible."

Leaders of the Scientific Revolution and the Age of Reason, such as Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Descartes and others, lived alongside mystics who levitated, bilocated, and performed all sorts of miracles that defied the laws of nature.  In his History of the Impossible, Dr. Eire mines the firsthand accounts and archival evidence of the miraculous and demonic.  How did an increasingly skeptical and scientific culture account for events deemed impossible by its leading intellectuals?  

The main question addressed in this lecture - whether there is more to reality than meets the eye or can be observed by science - has deep implications not only for the writing of history, but also for our own transition from postmodernity to the Age of Artificial Intelligence.

St. Andrew's Presbyterian is hosting the leader of the Iona Community (Scotland) on October 23rd at 6:30.  The labyrinth will be coming with her and available for those who wish to walk the labyrinth from 3:30 to 6:30, and a simple meal will be offered as well. 

The Iona Community is well known for its ecumenical, international and justice-grounded work as Christians.  Iona's  purpose is inspired by faith and loving concern for the world and its people, and pursues justice and peace in and through community.

It is not too soon to begin thinking about creating shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.  This program demonstrates God's love in a tangible way to children in need around the world.  Through this project, Samaritan's Purse partners with the local churches worldwide to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and make disciples of the nations.

You can learn more about the ministry of Operation Christmas Child as a whole, including ways to participate, by visiting the Samaritan's Purse website.

National Collection Week for the shoeboxes will be November 16 - 22.

Please remember in your prayers:

- for peace within our country, and in the world, for victims of violence, war, hatred and natural disasters. 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, Karen, Ruth and James, Kate, Rosemary, Rob, James, Beth, Janis, John and Lucille, Ronalynn and Chris, John, Sandra, Eleanor and family, Andy and Chester, Malcolm, David, and Brit;

- for those who have died and those who mourn, remembering Lois Mortimer;

- 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.

The views and opinions contained in Newsletter items provided by individuals or groups for advertisement belong solely to those individuals/groups and do not reflect the views, opinions or beliefs of the Anglican Diocese of Calgary.