• Those who are sick or suffering: Jessica, Colleen, Elaine, Daphne, Jim, Amy, Donna, Erin, Brian.
• Those who have died; and those who mourn.
• Our brothers and sisters in Christ from Treaty Six and Treaty Eight First Nations.
• Bishop Sixbert and the Diocese of Buyé (Twinned Parishes).
• Request a prayer Click here to let us know what you would like 'pray-ers' in the diocese to pray for. We will use first names only which will be removed after two or three weeks.

The February, 2019 issue of The Messenger is available for download and can be viewed as a Flipbook.

The Messenger welcomes story ideas, opinion and photo submissions pertaining to news and events of the Athabasca and Edmonton dioceses. Content should be limited to 500 words. Pictures must be high resolution, a minimum of 1 MB (300 dpi), and include the photographer's name and a brief description of the subject. Submissions must be received by the first of the month, one month prior to the publication date (for example, April, 2019 deadline is March 1). Please send submissions to Editor Margaret Glidden: anglicanmessenger@gmail.com

It is our pleasure to announce that Bishop Jane Alexander intends, God willing, to ordain to the priesthood the Rev. Eric Kregel, deacon-in-charge of St. George, Fort Saskatchewan; and the Rev. Danielle Lepine, assistant curate at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Edmonton; Friday, February 1, 2019, the Eve of the Presentation of the Lord, 7:00 pm, at All Saints' Anglican Cathedral, Edmonton. Your prayers and presence are requested. Clergy are invited to vest. The colour is white.

Whether she is visiting the parishes in the diocese, leading and educating the community, providing pastoral support to the clergy, or representing the diocese in the Anglican Communion, our Bishop is always on the move! Here are some of the upcoming events which Bishop Jane will be attending:

January 29-31: Clergy Retreat, Star of the North Retreat Centre

February 1: Ordination, All Saints' Anglican Cathedral, Edmonton

February 3: Confirmation, Christ Church, Edmonton

February 10: Parish visit, St. Mary & St. George, Jasper

February 16: Politics of Faithfulness, St. Matthias Anglican Church, Edmonton

February 23: Diocesan Day: God, the Environment and a Jesus-Shaped Life, St. Augustine-Parkland Anglican Church, Spruce Grove

March 3: Parish visit, All Saints' Anglican Cathedral, Edmonton

In a year of provincial and federal elections, this is an invitation to explore and discuss what it means to carry your faith with you into the public square. Speakers include Dr. Stephen Martin (The King's University) on "The Body of Christ and the Public Good," and Bishop Jane Alexander on "Questions A Person of Faith Might Ask A Political Candidate at The Door." 

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Environmental Chaplain the Rev. Billy Isenor invites all (clergy and laity) to a diocesan day on caring for the environment. Join key speakers Bishop Jane Alexander, Jim Gurnett and others. RSVP to brotherbilly@orderofsaintfrancis.org. POSTER

The Associates of SSJD (Sisters of St. John the Divine) will host a Quiet Day retreat at Christ Church, Edmonton on Saturday, March 9. We gather for coffee and visit at 9:30, then hold Morning Prayer at 10:00 am in the church.

The Reverend Maureen Crerar will be our speaker. We will have some quiet times for reflection and reading, and we’ll serve soup to go with your bag lunch at noon. We finish at 3:45 pm.

We encourage you to invite your neighbours and friends to this Lenten day of meditation and worship. Donations for SSJD are welcome. Approximate attendance would be appreciated. Please email Gen at gclaire@telus.net or phone 780-443-1926.

February 15, 7:00pm, to February 18, 1:00pm, at Camp Kuriakos, Lacombe County, AB. Join other families at Camp Kuriakos for a special Messy Church family camp on the Family Day weekend! 

Check out the details and register on the camp website. Family camp includes meals and accommodation and all activities from 7:00pm Friday (evening snack) to after lunch on Monday. 

For more information, contact Catherine McPherson of St. Michael and All Angels, Messy Church Regional Coordinator for Alberta.

Attention all Junior High and High School adventurers! Camp Director, Dr. Mark Armstrong and Camp Chaplain, the Rev. Heather Liddell are busy planning for another fun-filled winter camp, this time at Van-Es Camp on Cooking Lake, about 20 minutes southeast of Edmonton. Camp starts with supper on Friday and ends with lunch on Sunday. Cost is $60 per camper. Click here to register online. 

Following a successful workshop last November, Ascend Collective founder Matt Morrison and Edmonton diocese Communications Director Margaret Glidden will offer a Parish Website Webinar on Thursday, March 14, at noon. Click below to see planned topics and previous feedback.

Please share this info with your parish communities and watch the Synod Scene, the diocesan website and Facebook for registration details.

Anyone wishing to receive print copies of the Anglican Journal and The Messenger via Canada Post must call the Anglican Journal subscription department toll-free at 1-866-333-0959; return the attached subscription renewal notice to yes@national.anglican.ca; or go online to anglicanjournal.com/yes by June 1.

Your coorperation is appreciated and will help the Anglican Church of Canada update its membership lists. 

A clergy member has donated her collection of Christian books. If you are a voracious reader, please stop by the Synod Office to browse the collection. Books are free for the taking.

Contact: 

The Ven. Travis Enright, Archdeacon for Indigenous Ministry: rev.enright@gmail.com / 780-477-5931

Fiona Brownlee, Aboriginal and Rural Communities Liaison: f.brownlee@edmonton.anglican.ca / 780-312-9070

The Rev. Nick Trussell, Urban Reconciliation Facilitator: n.trussell@edmonton.anglican.ca / 780-488-1118

The Rev. Lori Calkins, Priest: loriinkster@gmail.com

Resources: Please see the Indigenous Ministries section of the diocesan website for leaflets, web links and other resources to help you pray and take action for reconciliation. Please see the City of Edmonton Indigenous Relations Office to subscribe to their Community Bulletin.

The Rev. Nick Trussell, Urban Reconciliation Facilitator, is organizing a three-session (Saturday mornings in Feb and March) Tatawaw workshop at Christ Church, Edmonton. This will be an opportunity for church members to join Neheyawin, a local start-up by Jacquelyn and Hunter Cardinal, on a journey of rediscovering the ancient tradition of welcoming.  For thousands of years the Plains Cree have described the tradition and the spirit of welcoming as “tatawaw,” meaning “there is room for you, welcome.”  

Reconciliation In Solidarity Edmonton (RISE ), in partnership with the Art Gallery of St. Albert and the City of St. Albert present "In This Together: An honest chat about reconciliation since the TRC."

Five years after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) held its final National Event in Alberta, join contributors of the anthology In This Together: Fifteen Stories of Truth and Reconciliation to hear about their continued connection to the cause of reconciliation. Contributors will be joined by local activists and community leaders for a frank conversation on how reconciliation has moved forward. Learn about the initiatives taking place in our region and how you can contribute to this ongoing work.

Panelists:
· Danielle Metcalfe-Chenail
· Miranda Jimmy
· Steven Cooper
· Hazel McKennitt
· Cheryl Whiskeyjack
· Carissa Halton

This event is hosted at the Arden theatre through a partnership with the City of St. Albert - Culture. After the event, attend other free activities happening in the afternoon throughout St. Albert to mark this important five-year anniversary. Visit Facebook for a list of events

Faith communities are urged to voice their support for Bill C-262, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, which needs to pass a third reading in the Senate before Parliament is prorogued in June for the federal election. Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Call to Action 48 asks faith groups to "formally adopt and comply with the principles, norms, and standards of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a framework for reconciliation and engage in ongoing public dialogue and actions to support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples."

Since the conclusion of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) mandate in 2015 and the release of the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action, Anglicans across Canada have been seeking ways to continue the process of truth-telling and healing begun by the TRC. From commemorations, walks and feasts to study groups and social action groups, more and more people are getting involved in this ongoing healing journey. Reconciliation, right relationship, justice-seeking—these are all part of a “trajectory of grace”. There are many places to enter into this journey. Wherever you are at, you will find resources in the Anglican Church of Canada Reconciliation Took Kit to help you either enter into this journey for the first time, or take the next step on that journey.

Check out this new website recently launched by Holy Trinity Riverbend in Edmonton. HTR has taken advantage of an expanding partnership with Ascend Collective, Inc., a firm that assists churches in establishing and maintaining websites. Ascend founder Matt Morrison and Margaret Glidden diocesan Communications Director will offer a webinar in March for other parishes that might be interested.

Guest preacher, Dr. Brian Walsh, a Christian Reformed campus minister at the University of Toronto, was welcomed and introduced to the Christ Church, Edmonton congregation by rector, the Rev. Susan Oliver, on Sunday, January 27. Walsh is pastor of the Wine Before Breakfast ministry, a weekly early morning eucharist service held in the Wycliffe College chapel. The Rev. Canon Chelsy Bouwman, associate priest of Christ Church, was a member of the Wine Before Breakfast community while studying at Wycliffe and, as Walsh noted, she had relished being ‘the only girl in the (worship) band’ for several years.

Good Shepherd Anglican Church, Edmonton, invites anyone in grief to join us on a journey of acknowledgment, with Klaio, our new peer support group. We won't try to cheer you up or encourage you to snap out of it. We are here to witness what you feel, and acknowledge the pain of it. All are welcome, no matter what you believe about God or heaven or any of it. Klaio is for everybody. We meet next on February 5 at 4 pm.

Join Good Shepherd for a crash course in ethics as we start “God and The Good Place” on Wednesday, February 6! We'll join Chidi and Eleanor as they explore the ethics of the afterlife, and add our own particular perspective as Christians through the study of scripture and theology. All are welcome! There are two sessions of the same course each week, one at 1pm and one at 7pm. We will begin by watching an episode of the NBC comedy starring Kristen Bell and Ted Danson, followed by our discussion.

All are welcome to join the congregation of St. Mary's Anglican Church in Ponoka for an afternoon tea in honour of their rector, the Rev. Donna Willer.

Rev. Donna is retiring from the minstry as of the end of January.

“Women have the capacity to lead us to a more peaceful world with compassion, affection and kindness.” - Dalai Lama

If you are interested in volunteering or learning more about Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA), please join us t St. Faith's Anglican Church, 11725 93 St NW, Edmonton, for an information session on February 13 at 7:00 pm. We are seeking dedicated volunteers to be a part of circles which are involved in directly supporting individuals who are reintegrating into society after serving a prison sentence for sexual-related offences. At the information night we will provide an overview of the history and mission of CoSA, as well as the role of volunteers. We ask that you please pass this information on to your community and anyone that may be interested in social justice initiatives. POSTER

For more information, contact Arthur Dyck at info@edmontoncosa.org or by phone at (780) 264-5308.

Please join us for the next in our exciting and enlightening lecture-discussion series in the Upper Hall at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 10037 84 Ave NW, Edmonton. On Saturday, February 16, at 11:00am, Clark Hardy will present on "Social Justice and Trinitarian Theology." It will be a 30-minute lecture followed by 30 minutes of discussion. Refreshments provided.

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This book, The Master and his Emissary, by Iain McGilchrist, is described as "a fascinating exploration of the differences between the brain’s left and right hemispheres, and how those differences have affected society, history, and culture." Christ Church will offer a lecture / discussion series based on the book at 4:00pm on three consecutive Sundays, February 24, March 3 and March 10. Guest speakers are: Tom Snyder and David Gray of the University of Alberta, and Henry Schuurman and Steve Martin of King's University. See the attached POSTER for more information.

St. John the Evangelist, one of the largest parishes in the Diocese of Edmonton providing a vibrant and diverse pastoral ministry to more than 800 people, is seeking a priest with at least five years experience in parish leadership to serve as rector. It is anticipated that the new rector would serve as coadjutor rector for a period of three months to facilitate the transition of leadership in this parish. 

This summer, the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada will choose and install a new Primate. Current Primate, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, is calling on the church to pray through the next six months as the process of selecting a new leader unfolds. 

Archbishop Fred Hiltz invites parishes and dioceses across the country to join together in dialogue, prayer and reflection through Conversation Circles. He asks that each circle create a prayer expressing their "heartbeat for the church." The prayers will be shared at General Synod 2019, which is also when Archbishop Hiltz will step down as Primate. Conversation Circles can take place anytime from now until May 7, 2019. Find all you need to know about this initiative on the ACC website.

You are invited to our 2nd annual Ecumenical Meatball Cook-Off at Ascension Lutheran Church on Saturday, March 2. Sign up your team to compete or come along to taste. A light supper will be provided by Ascension to eat with the meatballs. Our judges this year are: Dr. Faith Nostbakken, ecumenical officer for the Alberta Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the Rev. Dr. Scott Sharman, ecumenical animator for the Anglican Church of Canada, and Sr. Dr. Zoe Bernatsky, Assistant Professor, Newman Theological College. Entry fee for teams and tasters is a free-will donation to E4C. Please note, registration deadline is February 17 and there is a cap as to how many teams are allowed per church, so get your registration in early to be assured a spot! POSTER

Providence Renewal Centre is accepting applications for the next Presence Program: Called in Love, Sent to Serve, taking place September 2019 to June 2021. Presence is a spiritual formation program intended to help participants grow in their spiritual lives and to prepare them for the ministry of spiritual direction in the Christian tradition.

Visit www.providencerenewal.ca/programs/PresenceProgram to learn more. Application forms can be downloaded from the website. Contact Debbie for more information at ddoornbos@providencereneawl.ca or call 780-701-1853. Application deadline is March 15, 2019. Providence Renewal Centre is located at 3005 119 Street, Edmonton.   

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There are several opportunities each week to join groups practicing centering prayer at parishes and retreat centres in and around Edmonton.

· 7:00pm Sundays at St. David’s Anglican Church, 8345 79 Avenue, Edmonton

· 7:00pm Mondays at All Saints' Anglican Cathedral, 10035 103 Street, Edmonton

· 2:00pm Tuesdays at Star of the North Retreat Centre, 3A St. Vital Avenue, St. Albert (office entrance)

· 7:00pm Tuesdays at St. Columba Anglican Church, 5703 50 Avenue, Beaumont       

· 7:00pm Wednesdays at Providence Renewal Centre, 3005 119 Street, Edmonton

Cultural Connections Institute – The Learning Exchange – is happy to announce the 2019 dates for our ESL in the community workshops, designed to help people who teach English as a Second Language in their community:

1) Conversation Skills Workshop runs Wednesday, February 13 and March 20 from 5:30pm – 8:00pm. It includes practical strategies to improve the conversational portion of the lesson and ready-to-go (intermediate) lesson plans.

2) ESL in the Community, Basic Training runs Saturday March 9 from 9:00am – 2:30pm. It includes basic training about the refugee experience and language teaching, ready-to-go (beginner) lesson plans, and a stack of ready-to-go teaching materials. 

Grounded in the Anglican tradition, Canterbury Foundation is a private, not-for-profit charitable organization in Edmonton that operates three seniors living options on one site. The Canterbury Foundation is located in a quiet community surrounded by mature trees in the Laurier Heights area of west Edmonton. The Foundation has provided quality seniors accommodation and related supportive services for more than 40 years. If interested, see attached Position Profile and apply, by February 15, 2019, to:

Canterbury Foundation has been providing exceptional seniors' care in the quiet and desirable neighborhood of Laurier Heights, west Edmonton for more than 45 years. Canterbury Foundation offers three living options for seniors: independent living, supportive living, and memory care for seniors living with dementia.

We are actively accepting applications for new residents into Canterbury Court, our supportive living option. We warmly welcome you and your loved ones to come and visit us for a tour of the facility. All rooms in Canterbury Court are private individual suites with four-piece bathrooms, quality flooring and draperies, along with TV and telephone hookups.

Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Chris Hedges, the 2019 Augustana Distinguished Lecturer, will be giving this year's Chester Ronning Lecture on Religion and Diplomacy, Tuesday, March 26, 6:00 pm, at the Lougheed Performing Arts Centre Cargill Theatre (Augustana Campus) Camrose. This event is free to attend and open to the public. *A PHYSICAL TICKET IS REQUIRED FOR ENTRY* Reserve yours at aug.ualberta.ca/hedges or call the box office at 780-608-2922. POSTER

Sorrento Centre retreat and conference centre, a place of inspiration, gathering, and growth offering a year-round program of workshops, youth leadership training, public lectures and performances on the shores of the beautiful Shuswap Lake, BC, is building towards a low-carbon future. In December Sorrento launched a solar energy campaign to reduce its carbon footprint and green its main campus and natural farm.

"In the sunniest months, we will produce enough power from the sun to sell electricity back into the BC Hydro grid. Over the year, we will substantially cut our electrical costs as we gain a significant part of our energy from the sun. Once the panels are installed, there will be a real-time, on-line monitor to track their performance. This is the first step towards our commitment to green the Sorrento Centre." - The Rev. Michael Shapcott, Executive Director

Here are three ways you can support the centre's solar campaign:

1. Mail your cheque to The Sorrento Centre, PO Box 99, 1159 Passchendaele Road, Sorrento, BC., Canada, V0E 2W0;

2. Call the office at 1-866-694-2409 with your credit card details or to arrange an e-transfer;

3. Log on to CanadaHelps and make a secure on-line donation instantly at any time, day or night.  

What does it mean to be a steward of God’s creation? What did God mean for us to ’Work in the Garden’? Mark Polet, practicing biologist of 40 years, will lead us in these sessions on Creation Care to hear about the hope and challenge of being a good steward, and to discuss and move forward from questions to action. 

Wednesdays from 7:30-9:00pm on March, 6, 13 and 20

Cost: $20 per session or $55 for the series

Star of the North Retreat Centre is seeking a temporary, full-time Guest Services Coordinator, responsible for administrative support and for coordinating the use of the centre by persons and groups, in keeping with the mission, goals and objectives of the centre. This is a 10-month to 1-year position due to maternity leave. Salary is $20 to $22/hour.

The successful applicant will be well organized, hospitable and able to work on a team. Excellent communication and computer skills, including Word, Excel, Blackbaudt, and Simply Accounting are required as well as a sensitivity to retreat centre ministry. Five years administrative/reception experience required. Start date is Monday, March 18, 2019. We appreciate your interest but only those short-listed will be contacted.

Apply by email with resume attached or by mail to Director: Star of the North, 3A St. Vital Avenue, St. Albert AB, T8N 1K1 

Planning a Trip to Italy? You might consider visiting The Church of the Ascension, Cadenabbia (immediately opposite Bellagio) on Lake Como. It is one of the few Italian churches in the Anglican Diocese of Europe offering worship in English. The church is open daily and regular Sunday Morning Service (in English) is at 10:30 am. The church is also available for weddings, renewal of wedding vows, baptisms and retreats, etc. Built by residents and holiday-makers in the 1890s, the church is one of the important landmark buildings of Cadenabbia. For more info, email the Rev. Roger Williams, chaplain.

The biennial Ross and Davis Mitchell Prize seeks to recognize Canadian poets whose work wrestles with the beauty and complexity of religious faith. In 2019, the winner and runner-up will be awarded $20,000 and $5,000 respectively, by a panel of three celebrated writers: Lorna Goodison, Chelene Knight, and Scott Cairns. Poets engaged with all faith traditions are encouraged to submit work. This prize seeks to honour writing that explores the distinctive contours of belief and the shape it gives to modern life.