• Those who are sick or suffering.
• Those who have died and those who mourn.
• Our Treaty Six First Nations brothers and sisters in Christ.
• Bishop Sixbert and the Diocese of Buyé (List of Twinned Parishes).
  Please continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Buyé diocese who are suffering the effects of drought.

It is our pleasure to announce that Bishop Jane Alexander intends, God willing, to ordain the Rev. Cheryl Boulet, the Rev. Donna Gauthier and the Rev. Rita Milne to the priesthood; and Sandra Arbeau, Christopher Cook, Rebecca Harris, Billy Isenor, Sheila Moorey, Ruth Sesink-Bott, Andreas Sigrist to the diaconate on Holy Cross Day, September 14, 2017, 7:00 pm at All Saints' Cathedral, 10035-103 Street, Edmonton. Your prayers and presence are requested. Clergy are invited to vest. The colour is red.

During the opening service of the 65th Synod of the Diocese of Edmonton, September 29, 2017 at 7:00 pm, Bishop Jane Alexander will collate the Rev. Canon Travis Enright as Archdeacon for Indigenous Ministry in the stall of St. James; and install the Rev. Dr. Scott Sharman as Canon Theologian in Mission in the stall of St. Jean de Brebeuf.

Register and submit nominations for the 65th Synod of the Diocese of Edmonton, to be held Friday, September 29 and Saturday, September 30, 2017 at All Saints' Cathedral and St. Matthias, Anglican Church, Edmonton.

• Synod Update #1: June 16, 2017
• Synod Update #2: July 18, 2017
• Synod Update #3: July 24, 2017
• Synod Update #4: August 14, 2017
   
• Register!
• Guidelines for Nominations and Elections at Synod.
• Nomination Form (pdf)
   
• Please display POSTER in your parish.

The Rev. Matthew Oliver, Honourary Assistant at St. John the Evangelist, Edmonton, will present a day's instruction on leading Morning and Evening Prayer. This session is mandatory for new Lay Readers in training. It is not mandatory for current Lay Readers, but it does present an opportunity for ongoing training and education.

Registrations for Education for Ministry are being re-opened with the prospect of beginning a new group. This group will be meeting on Wednesday evenings at St. Augustine’s of Canterbury. Anyone interested should contact the Rev. Robin Walker AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Email: robin_walker1948@outlook.com; phone: 587-523-4297. 

Note: Graduates of EfM are welcome to register for any one of the four years – an opportunity for those who completed the program under the old curriculum to sample the new. 

BROCHURE

2017-18 TEXTBOOK LIST

In 2017, all churches are invited to celebrate the "Season of Creation," September 1st to October 4th, in their faith community. Possible parish activities include: prayer services (see below), intergenerational activities, conferences, activities for children and young people, fundraising, etc.

The Synod Office is taking orders for the 2018 church calendar, which has a number of improvements over last year!  

150 Acts of Reconciliation: Please see this link or download the pdf with 150 ideas for activities that lead to reconciliation: "Many of these are small, everyday acts that average Canadians can undertake, but others are more provocative that encourage people to think about Indigenous-settler relationships in new ways." 

Contacts: 
Sharon Pasula, Oskâpêwis / Aboriginal Cultural and Educational Helper: oskapewis@edmonton.anglican.ca / 780-439-7344
Fiona Brownlee, Aboriginal and Rural Communities Liaison: f.brownlee@edmonton.anglican.ca / 780-312-9070

Fiona's Schedule:

• September 1: Indigenous Ministry Outreach Team, St. Mary's, Ponoka
• September 9: Blanket Exercise at Lakeland Lutheran, Cold Lake
• September 10: Participating in worship at Lakeland Lutheran
• September 16: Blanket Exercise, St. Saviour's, Vermilion
• September 20: Inter-agency Meeting, Wetaskiwin
• September 25: Treaty 6 Flag Raising, Wetaskiwin City Hall
• September 29: Orange Shirt Day, Wetaskwin

Resources: Please see the Indigenous Ministries section of the diocesan website for leaflets, web links and other resources to help you pray and act for reconciliation.

The Rev. Elizabeth Metcalfe and three members of St. Saviour’s, Vermilion had the privilege of attending the Onion Lake Pow Wow on the evening of July 14. What a moving experience! You could feel the pride, joy and spirituality in the arena. Hundreds of dancers, adorned in richly decorative regalia were accompanied by traditional drums and singing. Photos were taken by Gordon Barrett, Lakeland College Marketing department. More complete information on this event can be found at Women Warriors on Facebook. It features topical news and articles that are not afraid to shy away from a debate, or championing positive examples. We were thrilled to be part of the experience.

In shared ministry with Moving Forward with Reconciliation (MFWR) - a working group of representatives from United Churches in Edmonton, as well as people from other faith traditions and cultural backgrounds, including Indigenous peoples - ICPM seeks to fill an 18-hour/week, part-time position providing support to congregations in developing and participating in Reconciliation initiatives with the goal of moving forward on the Calls to Action that were put forward by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Please see the attached job posting for full details and contact information.

On Saturday, September 9 Aboriginal and Rural Communities Liaison Fiona Brownlee will lead a KAIROS Blanket Exercise at Lakeland Lutheran Church in Cold Lake. All are invited and welcome to join in this simple act of reconciliation and to learn more about the shared history of the Indigenous and Settler peoples of Canada. Each person is asked to please bring a blanket that means something to them. POSTER

In this free public lecture, Dr. Alika Lafontaine & Dr. Cindy Blackstock will speak about the problems with incremental equality in public services for First Nations children, families, and communities.

Alika Lafontaine is an award-winning physician, public speaker, and alignment consultant. In 2016, he won the “Great Healthcare Debate” on behalf of the Indigenous Health Alliance, a competition voted on by more than 700 health leaders from across Canada.

The 6th annual Spirit of the Land Conference will be held from Friday November 3 to Sunday November 5 at the University of Alberta's Augustana Campus in Camrose, AB. This year's theme is Next Generation Thinking: Hopeful Economics for the 21st Century. The conference line-up will represent various ecological, agricultural, and energy industry perspectives. See the attached Save the Date poster and check spiritoftheland.ca for more details.

An interfaith journey continued on Thursday, August 10 at Christ Church, as ladies and children led by Mrs. Samina Mian, Ahmadiyya Muslim Women’s Association Edmonton West Chapter President, attended the 11:00 am church service. A question-and-answer session followed the service, and then all continued on a church tour. One young fellow was even invited to ring the church bell. Christ Church parishioners and clergy have been invited to take part and attend the Ladies Annual Interfaith Symposium at the Ahmadiyya Mosque in the past, and this was a great opportunity to reciprocate hospitality. The interfaith relationship nurtured by the Ahmadiyya Mosque community and Christ Church communities through mutual ongoing love and respect, has been further strengthened by the Mian Family, who are regular contributors to the parish’s monthly community dinner program. Submitted by Sheila Moorey Photo: Iris Campbell

Good Shepherd’s Vacation Bible School was a fun-filled “Blast to the Past!”   We began our amazing week by travelling back in time through the bible to the creation story in Genesis. Then we zoomed ahead to Jonah and the importance of trusting in our Saviour and being ‘fisher for people,” (Matthew 4:19). We stepped out of the bible and into early 20th century Edmonton to visit many amazing churches at Fort Edmonton Park.  

St. Luke's in Edmonton held its first-ever Summer Lawn Dance on August 19. It was People's Warden Sally Neal who came up with the idea, secured the right permissions to do with noise by-laws, warned/invited the neighbours, and brought the whole thing together. The weather couldn't have been better and a good time was had by all. There were suggestions made for next year, however, including the addition of croquet or other lawn games for those who claim to have two left feet. Next event on the calendar is 'Church in the Park' with our neighbours from St. Augustine of Canterbury Sunday, August 27 at 10:30am.

“In 1915 the ladies served to 170 people. In 1932 the booth netted $51. Not too many years later, in 1943, the profit was $500 and this money was used to install gas in the church.” - A History of St. Saviour’s Parish 1907-1967

The Rev. Tim Chesterton, rector of St. Margaret’s, Edmonton and warden of lay evangelists in the Edmonton diocese, has written a tale of love, faith and family on the Saskatchewan prairie. Tim was born in central England, but has lived in western Canada for 42 years. His debut novel features two of his favourite places: small-town Saskatchewan and Jasper National Park.

Catch a Fringe Performance at Holy Trinity! Holy Trinity is excited to be hosting 19 Fringe Festival shows at our three BYOVs (Bring Your Own Venue) until August 27. It's a wonderful time to support local artists and theatre companies in the warm and welcoming environment of the church. Check out our website here to find out more details about the shows. We hope to see you there! 

St. Stephen's Perogy Dinner: St. Stephen the Martyr ACW is hosting a Perogy Dinner (vegan alternative available) on Saturday, September 16, from 5-6:30 pm, at 11723-93 St, Edmonton (PrayerWorks Common). Admission to the dinner, in honour of St. Ninian Celtic Missionary, is $10 (children under 6 are free). Please join us! POSTER

St. Matthias Upcoming Events:
6210-188 St, Edmonton

Foot Care Clinic 
Mobile Certified Nursing Staff will hold a clinic (general/diabetic assessments, nail cutting, corn/callus Reduction and foot massage) on September 18. Appointments will be between 1 and 4:00 pm. The cost will be $5 per clinic (at the church) and $10 home visit (West Edmonton area). 
Contact the office for more information or to book an appointment at 780 487 0324.

Save the Date - Christian/Muslim Interfaith Dialogue 
The 5th Annual Christian/Muslim Dialogue is taking place on October 28, 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. Participating in the dialogue will be Dr. Mohammad Ali Shomali (UK) and Dr. Harry Huebner (Winnipeg). POSTER

Youth Worker Position: St. Paul’s, 10127-145 St, Edmonton, is seeking a part-time Youth Worker to oversee a joint youth group at St. Paul’s and St. Timothy’s Anglican parishes. Application deadline is September 1, 2017. For more info, see attached MINISTRY PROFILE.

This year the Anglican Foundation of Canada is celebrating 60 years of service with a Diamond Anniversary publication titled Imagine That. More than 100 people and groups who have received funding through the AFC tell their inspirational stories. Read about it in the AFC newsletter and contribute to the next inspirational story by purchasing a Hope Bear for someone you know who is going back to school this fall.

All Saints - Movie Release: All Saints, the incredible true story of a persevering priest and an Episcopal congregation unlike any you've seen before, opens this Friday, August 25. All Saints stars John Corbett (Northern Exposure, My Big Fat Greek Wedding) as Michael Spurlock, a salesman–turned–priest whose first assignment is at a quaint country church in Tennessee. He is supposed to shut down and sell the church. Instead, God has other plans! Read our Review / Watch the trailer

Opportunity for spiritual growth: Spiritual growth often occurs when we are able to discuss our experiences of God with another person who is trained in reflective listening. This is the primary activity of spiritual direction. The Studion School for Spiritual Direction is now seeking participants to meet with our second-year students to engage in spiritual direction as part of each student’s supervised practicum. If this opportunity interests you, find out more by contacting Shelly King at shellydking@gmail.com.

Bishop Jane Alexander will be a keynote speaker at The King's University conference "Does the Church Matter? Navigating Divisions 1517–2017." The conference, to run from 9 am to 3 pm each day, will explore the state of the church today, the challenges of relating hospitably to those who hold different beliefs, and the ways that the watershed events of the Protestant Reformation continue to shape our world. For further details, visit The King's website or contact Rebecca Warren (rebecca.warren@kingsu.ca, 780-465-8332).

Chaplain Needed in Camrose: The Bethany Group in Camrose is seeking a Chaplain to fill a one-year temporary position beginning in October. The major area of responsibility will be attending to the spiritual needs of residents of a 75 bed psycho-geriatric facility and interacting with the residents of a 25-bed dementia unit. The successful candidate will be an empathetic, compassionate individual who has a desire to work with clients of different denominations and faiths. See the attached PDF for further details.

Free Legal Advice Clinic: The Edmonton Community Legal Centre is organizing an open-air, free legal clinic at City Hall on Saturday, September 23, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, to support vulnerable individuals in our communities with their legal needs and increase public awareness of the programs and services that ECLC offers. Volunteer lawyers will offeri free legal advice in various areas of law such as landlord-tenant, employment, immigration, criminal, family law and civil law matters. Refreshments will be available for all attending. Anyone needing free legal advice can either call the ECLC office at 780-702-1725 or drop in for a clinic session on the event date. POSTER

Permanent Part-time Secretary/Receptionist: Star of the North Retreat Centre in St. Albert is seeking a Permanent Part-time Secretary/Receptionist three days a week, eight hours daily. The successful applicant will have excellent organizational, hospitality and communication skills. Proficiency in Word, Excel, and Access are required, along with an ability to learn and maintain a new website management system. This role requires a self-starter who thrives in a team environment and, importantly, is sensitive to retreat center ministry.  Position will begin when a suitable candidate is found. Apply with resume to Star of the North Retreat Centre. Only those short-listed will be contacted.

Call to Action Addiction and Child Welfare: Creating Hope Society would like to invite you the one day Community Conversation “Call to Action Addiction and Child Welfare One Day”. Our day will be filled with community conversations, panel, guest speakers, traditional teachings and entertainment. I am excited and hope that you will register your family, colleagues, co-workers, students, acquaintances and pass it on! (FOR ALL RSW “A” Credit plus Certificate.) To register please contact Cheryl at info@creatinghopesociety.ca or call 780-477-7961 Ext. 201.