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Missional MinuteBy Lois Reid Missional – reaching out to others to tell the Good News and to share the love of Jesus my Lord. So, in this time of self-isolation, how can I be missional? At first, I thought, I wasn’t doing much at all. But I was asked to describe how we are being missional during Covid-19 so I had to really examine what I have been doing. Well, it isn’t much, but I went through my phone contact list to see who might need a phone call for a catch-up chat as the days melted into weeks. I came up with 15 names and I have been calling some once or twice a week, others once every other week, depending upon the support in their homes of isolation. Some conversations were just ideas of where best to shop and be safe. Others grew from week to week to questions about how God will use this time and the time after this to bring people to Himself. Some enjoyed the chat and others counted on the twice-weekly contact. Then, one news item suggested we pay for services ahead of time. My hairdresser will have a lot of work when the world opens again but how is she paying bills now? I called her and asked if I could pay for my future haircut now. She was astonished that I had even thought of that. I was her only customer to offer. She was deeply touched. The love of Jesus in a hair cut payment. |
A video messagefrom Archbishop Greg Kerr-Wilson Last week I talked about sources of water and what wells we draw from in our daily lives to refresh and nourish ourselves. One of the spiritual wells that I have drawn from is daily prayer, in the form of the Morning and Evening Prayer liturgy. For clergy, it's a duty and obligation, but I've always found it far more than that. It is a joy to be able to pray on behalf of God's people and with God's people whenever that is possible. It's about beginning and ending the day in a way that acknowledges who we are before God. Morning and Evening Prayers have this nurturing element of sustaining life day by day and moment by moment, making us open to the Spirit’s guiding us and leading us and giving us a new strength to carry forward. When we engage in the daily practice of going to the wells of prayer, what we're doing is reminding ourselves that there is a way through this life, there is truth. And there is a sustaining life that can empower and strengthen us and nurture us and give us that spiritual vitality that informs and fuels all that we do. That source of that life-giving force, that well, is Jesus Christ. I pray that as we continue this journey through Easter, even in the midst of these difficult and strange and surreal times with the COVID pandemic, that we will continue to go to that well of prayer, and we will continue to draw on that water. We will allow God to remind us to transform us to fuel us and sustain us, and, in all things make us more fully the human beings that we are intended in God's creation. For more infomation visit: https://www.calgary.anglican.ca/news/a-message-from-archbishop-greg-kerr-wilson--99
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The Archbishop's Letter on Transition Planningfrom COVID 19 restrictions For more infomation visit: http://calgary.anglican.ca/news/the-archbishops-letter-on-transition-planning
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Calgary church hopes others learn from their tragic COVID-19 experience
Members of a Calgary church ravaged by COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic are sharing their stories of grief and healing, after Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta's chief medical health officer, cited them as a cautionary tale.
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Webinar on "Grief During COVID19"by the Calgary Alliance for the Common Good - Thursday, May 14, 2020 The Calgary Alliance for the Common Good (CACG) invites you to an online webinar on Grief During COVID19 this Thursday, May 14. The Anglican Diocese of Calgary is a founding member of CACG. There is much to grieve during COVID19. Many have died, both from COVID19 and other causes. Many of us have lost jobs, freedom, plans, and human connection. The natural human response is to grieve. How do we understand how grief impacts us? How do we care for those who grieve? How do we mark losses when we cannot gather for funerals? For more infomation visit: http://calgary.anglican.ca/events/webinar-on-grief-during-covid19/2020-05-14
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Anglican Diocese of Calgary Prayer Line
During this time of journeying through the COVID-19 pandemic, you may appreciate being able to speak with someone; to have a pastoral listening ear and someone to pray with. A number of our diocesan clergy and Lay Ministers have agreed to be on-call daily to respond to this need. If you would like prayer support, please call the number below. Any information shared will be kept in the strictest confidence. This ministry will be available daily from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm until further notice. 587-320-1345 or 1-888-999-1551 ext 107 . |
Diocesan Announcements
Today is a special day: Congratulations to Archbishop Greg Kerr-Wilson who was ordained for ministry 30 years ago on this day!
COVID 19 Restrictions: Until further notice, our diocese will continue only offering online services. No parish in the Diocese of Calgary will reopen physical gatherings without the Archbishop’s permission. At this point, we remain in the protocol of not allowing physical congregational services including weddings and funerals.
Retirement: The Rev. Canon James Robinson will be retiring as Incumbent from St. Augustine, Lethbridge as of June 1. We thank him for his many years of faithful service to the church, the Diocese and to God, and wish him all the best in his retirement.
Checking Buildings: During this time when many church buildings are not being fully used, please remember to do the frequent checks as per your insurance policies. Issues with water, furnace function, vandalism, or vermin can arise. Checking the building on a regular basis can prevent or minimize these issues. |
Light up the world in prayerThe Archbishop of Canterbury’s “Thy Kingdom Come” global ecumenical prayer movement Archdeacon Pilar Gateman, Executive Officer of the Diocese of Calgary, encourages all parishes to participate in the “Light up the world in prayer” initiative. This is associated with the Archbishop of Canterbury’s “Thy Kingdom Come”, the global ecumenical prayer movement which is scheduled from Pentecost to Ascension (May 21-31) and will involve more than 90 percent of countries around the world. Also, make use of the fantastic range of resources for children, young people, adults and families, schools, churches, and small groups that are available on the “Thy Kingdom Come” website. For more infomation visit: http://calgary.anglican.ca/news/light-up-the-world-in-prayer
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Anointing and Chrism Oils
These oils will now be available at the Diocesan Office. All Clergy in Calgary and surrounding area may make an appointment with the Executive Officer to pick up needed oils. All Clergy out of Calgary please contact the Executive Officer and your oil will be shipped to you. Contact pgateman@calgary.anglican.ca with any questions. |
Diocesan Committee Meetings
All non-essential Diocesan meetings will be cancelled until further notice. Anything that is considered essential will be attempted as a video meeting. For more infomation visit:
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Positions in the Diocese
St. Stephen, Calgary: Incumbent, full time; Job Posting here, Parish Profile here For more information on this position, please contact pgateman@calgary.anglican.ca |
Education for MinistryTwo Zoom Open Houses 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. There are two groups currently meeting in Calgary. Since March, they have been meeting using Zoom. Come Fall, the hope is to return to mainly face-to-face meetings, knowing Zoom will work if needed. In preparation for next year’s courses which will run from September 2020 to May/June 2021, two Zoom Open Houses have been planned. For a Zoom invitation to the Daytime Open House (Thursday, May 21 at 1:00 pm), please contact Carol Tubman at ctubman@shaw.ca and for a Zoom invitation to the Evening Open House (tbd), please contact Jennifer Solem at efmststephens@shaw.ca. |
Group Marriage Preparation Workshops now online
Group Marriage Preparation Workshops Online: Rev. Brian Way will be offering a workshop for couples intending to be married in the church: Saturday, June 13, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Limit is 4 couples. The workshop involves a short presentation followed by guided couple communication exercises on communication, conflict management, family of origin, intimacy and sexuality, goals, finances, and spirituality. Because of COVID-19, this workshop will be offered online. For further information contact brian@relatewellcounselling.ca or register here. |
Wisdom Centre Events
Save the dates: Christine Conkin of St. Andrew's and Anna Greenwood-Lee of St. Laurence will teaching a course at Sorrento Retreat Centre from July 5 - 11 entitled "The Turbulent 2020s: A Theological Field Guide". Click here for more information. Pip Nicolls, September 17-20: Three-day Retreat at Kingsfold Retreat Centre For more information on the Wisdom Centre, click here. |
The Parish House and All Saints Retreat Centre
All Saints Retreat Centre is located in The Parish House, a beautiful space next door to All Saints Anglican Church in Cochrane set aside for programs and outreach. There are rooms available for meeting on two levels, with both inside and outside areas to enjoy. It would be a lovely spot to hold a Parish Council meeting, Small Group Retreat, or any other gathering. For more information or a tour of the facility, please contact Elizabeth Short at (403) 660-5636 or email allsaintsretreatcentre@outlook.com What's Happening Next Door at The Parish House?: Sacred Space CoWorking: We have opened an ecumenical sacred co-working space for those who need a professional work setting free of distractions that holds both productivity and spirituality as equally important. If you are interested or would like a tour of the facility, please contact Elizabeth Short at (403) 660-5636 or email allsaintsretreatcentre@outlook.com You can also click here for more detailed information, pictures and pricing. Spiritual Direction: We are excited to introduce Karen Wold who is a Spiritual Director and part of the Ministry Team for All Saints Retreat Centre. For more information on what she has to offer or to get her contact information, please click here. |
Zoom Q&A with the CACG Research Action TeamsCalgary Alliance for the Common Good (CACG) Over the past year, the CACG Research Action Teams have worked to understand the community issues identified from last year's listening campaign. In advance of the Delegate's Assembly on May 25, the Research Action groups will be hosting pre-assembly zoom Q&A drop-in times. These zoom events will be one hour and anyone with questions is welcome.
For more infomation visit: http://calgary.anglican.ca/news/zoom-q-a-with-the-cacg-research-action-teams
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Resources from CACG
For more infomation visit: http://calgary.anglican.ca/news/resources-to-help-during-covid-19
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Virtual Open House at VSTRev. Grant Rodgers will speak on the Anglican Tradition - Tuesday, May 19, 2020 Experience Vancouver School of Theology’s Open House on Anglicanism. Meet the principal, talk to current students, staff, and faculty. There will be plenty of time for questions. Questions? Ready to RSVP? Please contact, Julie Lees, jlees@vst.edu For more infomation visit: http://calgary.anglican.ca/events/virtual-open-house-at-vst/2020-05-19
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Live-streams, videos, audios and other online resourcesLinks to spiritual nourishment offered by our parishes in the Anglican Diocese of Calgary Thank you for all the wonderful, positive feedback we are getting on the worship services that are being provided. We are happy to provide these and we are also so proud of our clergy and Lay Ministers who are attempting all sorts of new things and reaching out to parishioners in so many ways. Send David your links to add to our online list. at communications@calgary.anglican.ca
Avoid those "Zoom-bombers" disrupting your online meetings. Please do not post your Zoom meeting invites publicly on your website or social media. There are legal ramifications and privacy issues with recording online meetings with Zoom or other conferencing services. Participants must be advised clearly that the meeting is being recorded. Turn off the automatic meeting recording function in your settings as the host.
For more infomation visit:
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Prayer Requests
Please remember in your prayers: - our clergy and churches as we find our way forward in these strange days; - those who are sick, suffering, fearful or in need, remembering those suffering from the Coronavirus and their caregivers, those feeling isolated and those who are vulnerable; - for Michelle and Myrna; - those who have died and those who mourn; - the victims of the violence and natural disasters; - our Companion Diocese of the Windward Islands, and their Bishop Leopold Friday. 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'd Like to Hear from You
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 communications@calgary.anglican.ca. |