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A Missional Momentwith Archbishop Greg Kerr-Wilson Greetings on this the sixth week of the Easter season as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and what it means for us in our lives. We have also begun the gardening season here in Alberta. And this has led me to reflect on how we are growing our spiritual communities as we hopefully come out of this winter of isolation during the pandemic. What is it that we're trying to produce? How are we working together as a community of faith to help the fruit of God's Spirit to grow in the lives of individual Christians and also in our community as a whole? Are we growing with a deeper gratitude for all that God has given us in our life of prayer and worship? Are we growing with a deeper exploration of the Scriptures? Are we growing with a deeper knowledge and understanding of what God has said to us? Are we growing with a deeper love and appreciation for one another as brothers and sisters in our community of faith? Are we reaching out to our friends and our neighbors and family to extend an expression of God's love? Are we ready to share the good news of Jesus with others around us? Are we growing more strong in the expression of our faith, through action in the world, in our neighborhoods in our communities, to help to relieve stress and pain and poverty? Are we doing more to enact that love and mercy and justice that we see in Jesus Christ? In our Gospel reading for this past Sunday Jesus says to His disciples, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." The Scriptures tell us that Jesus on a number of occasions talked about bearing good fruit for God. St. Paul talks about the fruits of the Spirit being love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. These are some ideas about what it is that God intends for us in the outward expression of our faith, and, being transformed by the renewal of our minds. As we celebrate the Easter season of resurrection, let us be reminded that resurrection is all about a new creation and about making us new. For more infomation visit: http://calgary.anglican.ca/news/a-missional-moment-with-archbishop-greg-kerr-wilson
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Diocesan Announcements
Our Archbishop will be participating in services at these parishes: St. George’s Calgary – May 31st (Zoom)
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.
Church of the Ascension, Coaldale: This month, the Church of the Ascension, Coaldale celebrates its 75th Anniversary. Congratulations! A Service to celebrate this milestone has been postponed until later this year.
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. |
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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Insurance Information Regarding Church Buildingsfrom Acting Director of Finance Marcus Herrel Recently the Diocese received the following information produced by our insurance provider, that provides you with some guidance in managing vacant and idle buildings which you may find of value. If you have any additional concerns, please feel free to contact the Synod Office. Premises that are temporarily closed solely due to COVID-19: To ensure customers are not unduly penalized for temporary closures solely due to the restrictions imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we will not exclude damage to buildings and contents at locations which have become silent. In addition, for locations which have been temporarily closed following the restrictions associated with COVID-19 there will be: • no reduction in the level of policy cover • no increase in deductibles. We will not mandate that premises be inspected as a policy condition because this could potentially go against the current advice of the authority having jurisdiction. However, we will recommend that customers exercise the appropriate due diligence, which includes the expectation of a premises inspection if safe to do. |
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 . |
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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Searching for a church bell
All Saints Anglican Church in Cochrane is looking for a used bronze bell, weighing approximately 145 pounds, 18 inches across the bottom diameter, with the saddle and harness if possible for its bell tower. When the church was built in 1976 it had a bell but the original owners took the bell with them when they moved to a new location. |
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 (Wednesday, June 10 at 7:30 pm), 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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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. |