• Those who are sick, suffering or in need: Melody, Monique, Debbie, Ruth, Ian, Deirdre, Monica, Erin, Rhea, Brian, Denise, Daphne, Amy and Will.
• Those who have died: Daniel, and those who mourn: the Breitkreutz family.
• 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.

Fr. Michael Lapsley, Canon for Reconciliation and Healing, gives the sermon for the 66th Synod Opening Eucharist, encouraging members of Edmonton diocese to "share in God's dream."

Elections for the 66th Synod were held at All Saints' Cathedral on Friday, October 4, 2019, and are as follows: Diocesan Executive Council       

The 66th Synod of the Diocese of Edmonton was a manifestation of the resourceful, creative, often unexpected ways God is empowering us to use our gifts to respond to the needs of others and, in so doing, grow communities that are places of belonging, places of sharing and places of love.

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Jane Alexander, Bishop of Edmonton, interrupted a six-week personal leave of absence to convene synod on the evening of October 4, 2019 at All Saints’ Cathedral. In a break from tradition she invited a guest preacher, Fr. Michael Lapsley, Canon of Reconciliation and Healing at All Saints’ Cathedral and St. George’s Cathedral in Cape Town, South Africa, who was accompanied by his colleague Philani Dlamini, to give the sermon for the Opening Eucharist Service.

Good to GREAT! All couples are invited to register for the annual Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend to be held November 1 (evening) to 3. In just one weekend you will learn a powerful and loving communication technique designed to strengthen your marriage and keep it growing through intimate and joyful connection. (Note WWME Weekend is a Partner of the Edmonton Diocese.) Clergy couples are also encouraged to attend. Click here for more info

Registration deadline for the Weekend, held at Providence Renewal Centre (all meals and accommodation included), is this Friday, October 18. Registration and more information at www.eame.ca 

You are invited to join with other Anglicans across our Diocese for "Diocesan Day" on Saturday, October 19, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, at Holy Trinity (in the Lower Hall), 10037-84 Ave, Edmonton. The topic will be "Leadership in Times of Fear," led by the Rev. Dr. Eric Law.  

This workshop is for church groups, community groups and anyone interested in developing a community solar project.  The basics of how a utility-tie solar system works, and the steps needed to develop a project large or small, will be covered. Both Alberta’s existing Micro Generation law and Alberta’s new Small Scale Generation law along with its “Community Generation” sub-section will be explained. The workshop will include a Design Charrette to explore the possibilities of developing Community Benefit Agreements between solar developers and community groups.  POSTER

The Anglican Foundation of Canada challenges your parish to respond by upholding our Baptismal Covenant: “to safeguard the integrity of God’s creation, and respect, sustain and renew the life of the earth.” 20 grants of up to $2,500 each will be awarded to parishes or dioceses for projects that foster sustainability, reduce the carbon footprint, and plant the seeds for change for a greener Canada.

Please see the link to the AFC website (below) to find out more!

A Common Word Alberta invites you to its annual Christian-Muslim Dialogue on Saturday, October 26. Featured guest speakers are Neveen Ayad and Canon Scott Sharman, Anglican Church of Canada Animator for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, will address the ways, as an Interfaith Community, we strive to create spaces for gatherings where we can engage with each other in order to overcome stereotypes. POSTER

On Sunday, November 3, from 2 – 4 pm, at St. Stephen the Martyr / St. Faith Parishes, 11725-93 St NW, the Prayer Book Society of Canada Edmonton Branch presents Green Burials: technical and practical matters, and theological and spiritual considerations from a Christian perspective.

The Annual Bishop's Fund Dinner, in support of clergy of the Dioceses of Edmonton and the Arctic, will be held November 13, 2019 at the Royal Mayfair, Edmonton. Guest speaker will be Rick Hamlin, Executive Editor of Guideposts Christian magazine and author of Prayer Works: A Lifetime Spiritual Journey. 

Please click to read The Neighbourly, a publication of the Capital Region Interfaith Housing Initiative of which the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton is a founding and active member. This month's edition includes a reflection from Henri Nouwen and an article on "The Financial Case for Permanent Supportive Housing." 

This event is organized and facilitated by the Capital Region Interfaith Housing Initiative, of which the Diocese of Edmonton is a founder and active participant. POSTER
The keynote address at this event will be provided by Karen Bruno. Karen is a Cree woman from Treaty 6 Territory with 27 years experience in advocacy and networking, creative thinking and problem solving. This conversation will seek to build a shared understanding of several key factors needed to transition people from homelessness to full recovery and integration into the community. To register, visit www.interfaithhousing.ca or email Mike Van Boom at mike@interfaithhousing.ca

We are currently looking for lay people in the Diocese of Edmonton who love Christ, want to help others come to know and love him too, and are willing to commit themselves to a two-year formation program (six Saturdays a year, plus some practical work in between sessions). We hope to begin a new formation program in early October.

The attached documents (hover for link) describe what Lay Evangelists are, and how we plan to form them for their ministry. If you would like to find out more about this, please contact your rector and also the warden of lay evangelists, the Rev. Tim Chesterton (stmrector@gmail.com or 780-437-7231).

Contacts: 
*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.
See also the Anglican Church of Canada Reconciliation Toolkit.

On the last Saturday in September, the congregation of St. George’s by the U of A was led by members of the Indigenous Ministry Initiative (IMI) in a Messy Reconciliation event and also as we marked Orange Shirt Day together the next day in our Sunday service. Their ministry was pure gift, and I would strongly encourage each congregation across the diocese to invite this team to work with them in their own reconciliation events. The truth of our past as a church is hard to look at. Many parents I have talked to desire to teach their children the truth of our history, but struggle with what to say. How do we talk about our participation in residential schools and the spiritual harm and abuse suffered by Indigenous people, both children and adults, at our own hand? How do we have these hard conversations so we can change and live into reconciliation? How can our apologies be true, and not just empty words?

We invite you to join us at St. Albert United Church, 20 Green Grove Drive, St. Albert, from 9:00am to noon on October 26th, to discuss what a practice of good relations means in the context of historical and contemporary Indigenous and settler relations and how we can move forward together. Author and speaker Patricia Makokis is acclaimed as one of Canada’s most outstanding Aboriginal leaders. Davina Rousell is a community-based researcher and non-Indigenous ally committed to building meaningful relationships that bring people together. POSTER
St. Albert United Church invites you to watch the 50 minute film, Treaty Talk: Sharing the River of Life, at treatytalk.com prior to coming. Please RSVP to SAUC by Oct 20, 2019  at (780) 458-8355 or office@stalbertunited.ca

In this edition of her newsletter, Melanie Delva, Reconciliation Animator for the Anglican Church of Canada, reflects on the announcement of the names of children known to have died in Residential Schools (on September 30), the growing participation in Orange Shirt Day, and a good news story from the parish of St. John, Horton in Nova Scotia.

Led by Lynne Place, St. Mary's Prayer Shawl Group has been busy knitting pocket prayer patches for all 240 people attending the Diocese of Edmonton's 66th Synod on October 4 and 5. The pocket prayer patches, smaller versions of a prayer shawl, are crafted with a cross pattern. As with all prayer shawls, the crafter infuses each stitch and patch with prayer and loving intention. Pocket prayer patches, also called prayer squares and prayer cloths, can be tucked into pockets and purses. Their small size makes them perfect to carry around and use on a daily basis or in times of particular stress.

On October 6, the nearest Sunday to the Feast Day of Francis Of Assisi, the communities of St. Thomas, Wainwright and St. Mary’s, Edgerton celebrated God’s gifts of animals in our lives. Although we gave thanks for all animals in general, we gave specific thanks for the blessing of the pets in our lives. We lit candles in memory of pets that have enriched our lives in the past. All pets present were on their best behaviour (except Beethoven at St. Mary’s who insisted on singing the song of his people) and their humans managed to the follow their good example. Submitted by the Rev. Ann Marie Nicklin, rector; photos by Allan Samm, St. Thomas' Cub Reporter and Owen Nicklin, St. Mary’s Cub Reporter.

It has been said that “until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” When we consider the many reflections we have held during the Season of Creation, it seems a natural fit to also include a Blessing of Pets service, something Holy Trinity Riverbend did on Saturday, October 12. This service has a strong link to what other churches around the world do in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi, and his great love for all of God’s creatures.

“We are called to be good guests in someone else’s story.” The Rev. Canon Dr. Scott Sharman was explaining to an assembled group from eight different churches in Sherwood Park that the essential value for interfaith dialogue is listening. Dialogue, he explained, is a Greek word meaning literally “two words.” Part of the challenge historically, is that Christians have been mostly about monologue. Today’s world is pluralistic, and if we are going to live in peace with our neighbours of other faiths, he said we are going to have find better ways to dialogue than we have often done in the past.

Sharman was speaking at the Strathcona Ecumenical Mission, a four-day preaching mission in and around Sherwood Park. It is sponsored by eight different churches from four denominations: Anglican, Lutheran, United and Roman Catholic. The Ecumenical Mission started 30 years ago when local churches decided to worship and learn together. At that first mission, they invited a Roman Catholic and an Anglican to lead them in learning to live together, ecumenically. It was such a success, that the churches continued the tradition, bringing in a speaker from a different denomination every year. Currently, the mission has eight events where members of all the churches come together to worship, learn and fellowship.

St. George’s Centre for Wellness and Learning, 11733-87 Ave NW, Edmonton, is offering the following retreat day:

Enneagram Retreat, Friday, October 18 (7-9 pm) and Saturday, October 19 (9am-4pm): The Enneagram is a personality typing system that helps individuals to look at how their personality informs their self-understanding and their relationships with others. Cost: $100 

Please email Kathy Sperling, ksperlingwellness@gmail.com to register or for more information.

The annual All Saints' Trivia Night will be held October 19th at 7:00pm at Drayton Valley's 55+ Club at 5138-52nd Avenue, Drayton Valley (note corrected location!). Submit a team of four for a great time of laughter and good fun. Please email the Rev. Emma Vickery or call the church office at 780-542-5048.

Come and be, come and rest, come and be recharged in the Spirit at St. Matthew's, 125 Larose Dr, St. Albert, on the third Sunday of the month, 7 pm. Our next service is October 20. More info at www.stmatt.ca We would love to see you!

Growing up in 'the age of fentanyl' presents challenges that those in older generations may have a hard time even imagining. Please join us at St. George's in Devon for this important presentation by the Rev. Maralyn Benay, co-founder of the PEP Society (Parents Empowering Parents). 7:00pm, Tuesday, October 22 at St. George's Anglican Church, 1 St. Clair Street, Devon.
No charge, no need to register. POSTER

Come and join the Creating Hope Society of Alberta and St. Faith's PrayerWorks Hall Community Meals ministry on October 24, from 11 am to 1 pm, for some awesome cooking and conversation. All are welcome! POSTER

Huge Fall Rummage Sale at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 101 St. and 84 Ave. NW, Edmonton, FRI. Oct. 25,  6-9:00 pm, SAT. Oct. 26, 9:30 am–2:00 pm. POSTER

Please join us October 26 at 1:30pm for "A Centennial Wardrobe" Fashion Show and Tea to celebrate 100 years of ACW at Immanuel in Wetaskiwin. The event is at the church (5103 46 Avenue). For tickets, call Betty Ann at 780-352-4459 or Sheila at 780-387-4583. POSTER

St. Mary’s Anglican Church invites you to join us for a dinner and silent auction fundraiser for school children in rural Uganda to be held at St. Faith’s Anglican Church, 11725-93rd St. Edmonton, on the October 26. Doors open at 4:00 pm, and dinner will be served at 5:00 pm. The event is $30.00 per person. There will be an opportunity to bid on silent auction items.  

All are invited to "On the Same Page with Different Pictures: Being Ecumenical," Sunday, November 3, 2019 at St. Matthias Anglican Church, 6210-188 St, Edmonton. Join local Lutheran, Catholic, Anglican, Reformed and (via the United Church) Methodist Christians to discuss, pray and celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ). POSTER

All are welcome to St. George's by the U of A 3rd Annual Fundraising Concert featuring the music of Akustik and Anna and Evan Yin. Join us Friday, November 8 at 7:00pm. Wine and cheese reception to follow. Location: 11733–87 Avenue NW, Edmonton. Tickets are $20. Call the church office at 780-439-1470 to reserve your ticket. Akustik plays all original Latin style music with a French café feel. Featuring acoustic guitar, cello, accordian and conga. POSTER

Where Waters Meet, a new choral work by the Canadian Chamber Choir exploring various Canadian perspectives on water and water security, will be unveiled alongside a dynamic program of all-Canadian repertoire that features both emerging and established composers on Friday, October 18, 7:30 pm, at McDougall United Church, Edmonton. The Alberta Premiere will include special guests Wesley Hardisty (Dene fiddler), Òran (adult choir) and ChandraTala (upper voices adult choir), Margo Nightingale (conducting fellow), and Carmen Braden (composer). Tickets: $30 ($25 students, $20 children aged 7-12, 6 and under free). Available at Tix on the Square.

The Canadian Council of Churches has published a  2019 Federal Election Guide as a voting reesource for people of faith leading up to the 2019 Canadian federal election on October 21. The guide includes examples of questions to ask candidates and resources and links to can learn more about the issues.

The Edmonton Grannies are hosting a sale of crafts, baking and preserves on Saturday, October 26, 10 to 3, at Southminster Steinhauer United Church, 10740-19 Ave, Edmonton. All proceeds go to support grannies in Africa through the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Admission is $1. POSTER

The Studion School offers a two-year, part-time program in spiritual direction. If you have ever considered becoming a spiritual director or are looking for a way to nurture your own spiritual life, come to a one-hour, online information session to learn more about The Studion.
When: Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019, at 8:00 p.m.
Where: We'll meet online, so you can join us from the comfort of your own living room. Click below to sign up.

All are welcome to this event to be held from 9:00am to 2:30pm on Saturday, November 2, at the Central Lions Seniors Recreation Centre, 11113 113 Street NW, Edmonton. Free registration by email at mstover@mysage.ca or call 780-809-8604. Free Lunch and refreshments, free parking and free hearing health checks!
Visit www.mysage.ca/events/health-and-wellness-forum or see POSTER for details.

Facilitated by Jon Gilchrist, leadership coach, and Julianne Gilchrist, spiritual director and writer, the weekend in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains includes guided contemplative prayer, discussions around writing and faith, and time to write. The $350 registration fee covers accommodation, 5 meals, an optional pre-retreat mini-coaching call, and more. Early Bird prices available until Nov. 15.
To register visit gilchristcoaching.com
or email gilchristcoaching@gmail.com    
Website: juliannegilchrist.com Blog: Ponderings 
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There are several ministry opportunities in the Diocese of Rupert's Land and the Manitoba Northwestern Ontario Synod of the ELCIC:

• Anglican Parish of Christ Church, Selkirk, MB
• Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Winnipeg
• Interlake Regional Shared Ministry
• Messaih Lutheran Church, Winnipeg
• Prince of Peace / Abundant Life Lutheran Shared Ministry

For more info, contact Canon Susan Suppes, Exec Asst to the Bishop Diocese of Rupert's Land, 204-992-4212.