• Those who are sick, suffering or in need: Doug; for all who are struggling with physical or mental illness due to COVID-19; for safety in efforts to re-open our society; for all who are doing their best to serve others; and for all victims of racial prejudice and violence.
• Those who have died and those who mourn. 
• Bishop Sixbert and the Diocese of Buyé (Twinned Parishes).  
• Our brothers and sisters in Christ from Treaty 6 and Treaty 8 First Nations, from the Métis Nation of Alberta, and from the Métis Settlements in Alberta.
• Click here if you would like someone's name included in this prayer list. We will use first names only.

As more parishes prepare to begin in-person services this fall, Bishop Jane continues to ask churches across the diocese to adopt the practice of wearing face masks or face coverings when attending in-person worship, though we may temporarily remove a face covering to receive communion. The Province of Alberta recommends the use of masks and the City of Edmonton has passed a by-law requiring it, as masks do reduce the spread of COVID-19. Even in areas where the risk seems low, it is good to take measures to protect each other as much as we possibly can during these days.
*See City of Edmonton information on exemptions.

Through the month of September, even though we can't do it over a cup of coffee as we would wish to, we are encouraging parishes to take up a collection for Buyé medical cards for our brothers and sisters in Burundi. In 2019, the Edmonton diocese raised $5,712 USD for these cards. As people throughout the world grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s even more important that we do it again. Medical coverage is out of reach for most seniors in Buyé Diocese, but our support will help the Buyé Mothers Union to buy and distribute medical cards providing 80% coverage for a full year for seniors, vulnerable women and children under 18. The cards are $5 each and donations can be made through your parish or through the diocesan website. Please click below for details.

Messy Church is back at St. Luke’s for a COVID-safe season of making friends and making a mess as we celebrate faith. This new season starts September 12 with a very special Messy Church that will help us take part in efforts to bring reconciliation between the Settler and Indigenous peoples of our country. The plan is to pray together with a smudge, decorate Orange T-Shirts because “Every Child Matters,” then decorate and plant a heart at St. Luke’s reconciliation choke cherry tree. After all that, everyone will be sent home with a snack and everything necessary to make a Dream Catcher. To register, please go to the St. Luke’s website.  

Submitted by Donna Harker, St. Luke's Edmonton

Good Shepherd Anglican Church (www.goodshepanglican.org) invites Anglicans to the parish’s bi-monthly “Solidarity + Sharing” Zoom gathering – a sacred opportunity for sharing and listening to build solidarity and support for folks experiencing racism here in Edmonton.

The "Building a Coalition" gathering on September 22, 5 pm, will be a place for people to share their experience(s) of racism and for others to lend a supportive ear so that together we can find strategies for strong, inclusive communities. 

Please register to receive Zoom link.

St. Faith's PrayerWorks continues to serve meals to those in need through September, every Thursday and Friday at noon. We welcome new volunteers to help with the barbecue, package and distribute take-away meals, engage with our community, and clean up. We start at 9:30 am and are finished cleaning after the meal around 1 pm. All volunteers wear masks and we will continue to follow all AHS guidelines for health and safety including self-monitoring for symptoms of COVID-19 or any symptoms of feeling unwell, physical distancing, and frequent hand-washing. Please contact Jennifer at js.prayerworks@gmail.com or text or call 780-904-7569 for more information and to volunteer. Thanks!

If you are an ACW representative from a church in the Yellowhead or Edmonton West region there are a few things you need to do to get ready for this regional event to be held via Zoom, from 10 am to 12:30 pm, on Saturday, September 19:

Check out the most recent edition of The Neighbourly, the newsletter of the Capital Region Interfaith Housing Initiative. The Diocese of Edmonton is a founding and active member of CRIHI. 

In this edition, features an article profiling the plight of the homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic, plus a call for volunteers who speak more than one language! Also, a reminder of the annual plenary meeting, September 24.

Beginning Sunday, September 13 join with other families across the diocese as we learn and grow in the way of Jesus.  

Each week a new video will be posted for families to watch together, along with ideas for faith conversations and crafts or activity suggestions that can all be done from home. Families can also post their own photos of crafts or activities that they have created onto the familyfaith.life platform to see and share with others from across the diocese how they are learning together.

Visit the familyfaith.life link from any web browser (on your phone, tablet or desktop) and click the "register" link. After filling in the form (be sure to save you password) your "home timeline" will load up.

Printable crafts and activities will be posted to the diocesan website each week.

"Transforming Questions" is a 10-session course hosted by St. Thomas, Sherwood Park and St. Columba, Beaumont. It is designed to help participants engage basic questions of the Christian faith through teaching and conversation. Normally, this would take place around a meal. However, in this time of pandemic, we believe that we still need to create space for people to wrestle with these real questions. Our course will take place on Zoom on Wednesday evenings, from 7-9 pm, starting on September 23 and ending on November 25. You are invited to come to the first one on September 23 and see if this is for you. You will get the Zoom link when you register.

Good Shepherd Anglican Church is hosting a Zoom book club on the last Monday of the month in September, October and November. The conversation will center on race and racism and our Christian response to the historical and present challenges faced by people of a visible minority. So You Want to Talk About Race, by Ijeoma Oluo, will be the first book up for discussion.

All are welcome and encouraged to enjoy snacks and beverages in your own home as we talk about what parts of the book you enjoyed most, what surprised you, what you found troubling and what has spurred you to action. Please register in advance by emailing the Rev. Jordan Ware at rector@goodshepanglican.org.  

This interactive guide to Christian doctrine, based on Anglican and ecumenical statements, is available on the Theological Resources page of the Anglican Communion website. Taking advantage of the availability of official statements on various websites, this concise and well grounded introduction to the nature of doctrine, the Creeds and the doctrine of the Church has been written for use in home groups, study programmes, seminaries and theological colleges across the worldwide Anglican Communion.

The Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church in the U.S., along with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in both Canada and America, have created a series of weekly devotionals to guide us through the Season of Creation (September 1 to October 4) in a prayerful, thoughtful way. Please download the pdf document, "Renewing, repairing and restoring our commitments to God, to one another and to all creation" for personal use and for use in your parish.

In marking this Season of Creation (September 1 – October 4) in the church, the Rev. Kevin Kraglund, rector of St. Patrick's, Edmonton, has created a 5-week Virtual Bible Study. You can access the Bible study via St. Patrick’s Anglican Church Facebook Group. Not on Facebook? No worries, you can join the Bible study here.

The Bible study will begin this Thursday (September 3), from 7–8:30 pm, and continue up to (and including) Thursday, October 1. This study will be using the hymn “For the Beauty of the Earth” (#429 in our blue hymnals) as a lens through which we will reflect on the Scriptures. It will also be loosely based on a devotional book by the same name, For the Beauty of the Earth: A Lenten Devotion, by Leah D. Schade. This book can be purchased through Amazon. There are Kindle and Paperback formats available. Please note, you do not need to have this book to participate in the study. It’s an optional recommended reading.

St. Margaret's, Edmonton has created a Simple Daily Office for Creation Season for its daily Facebook services, which are Monday to Saturday, 8:30 am and 9:15 pm; Sunday, 10:30 am; and a Prayers of the People Template.

While some parishes in Edmonton diocese are beginning, very carefully, to try out in-person worship services again, many parishes in this and other dioceses continue to live-stream and/or record services and prayers online. This page lists online opportunities for prayer, worship, learning and virtual community in this season of physical distancing. 

In this time of continued uncertainty, the Church, the Body of Christ, remains a loving and connected community. we hope to do all we can to support each other, and the diocese grateful for any and all donations we receive. If you are able, please continue to support the ministries of the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton. We continue to look for ways to support parishes and to ease the financial burden on those who will be struggling in weeks and months to come. You can make a secure online donation through the diocesan website.

The parish of St. Andrew’s, Camrose is looking for a full-time rector. St. Andrew’s is a mid-sized parish that is passionate about its community, social justice, and reconciliation. St. Andrew’s is looking for a dedicated priest with experience running their own parish. Located just south of Edmonton, the city of Camrose is a vibrant community with the benefits of both urban and rural life. The welcoming community boasts beautiful walking trails, lakes for kayaking, and the University of Alberta Augustana campus. If you are interested in this position, please request a parish profile from Jennifer at assistant@edmonton.anglican.ca  

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. 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.

The Anglican Church of Canada has responded to requests for a sneak peak of next year's church calendar. Orders for the 2021 Canadian Church Calendar can be made online through the Anglican Church of Canada's new e-store (https://anglican.gilmore.ca/) which is open for business. Direct orders of more than $50 are eligible for the free shipping that used to be available only to the Synod Office, so diocesan staff will not be placing a bulk order for all parishes as in past years.

Join Anita Allsopp and Lucie Leduc this fall for four Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 pm: September 16, 23, 30 & October 14. Enjoy input and time to write within a contemplative space, with a focus on accessing the sacred in our lives in connection to the four elements. In-house: $90 | Online: $60 

Lee-Ann Matthews of the Diocese of Montreal is hosting "A Series of Webinars with Tools and Information to Improve Digital Worship for Church Leaders." The first session is "Music and Worship" on Friday, September 18, 2020, 8 AM to 9:30 AM MST.

Lee-Ann writes: "We know that the world is changing and that the new ministry landscape requires innovation. Let's engage with experts on how to approach digital ministry, ask questions and get answers. We have a phenomenal line-up of presenters!"

Pre-Registration is required.

The Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu, minister, activist, educator, daughter of Archbishop Desmond, will speak about her work and activism for human rights in South Africa and the United States, in relation to current issues and crises. How can we move forward in this difficult time, to confront and combat racism and sexism, to acknowledge the truth of colonial and gendered violence, and work toward reconciliation? And, given the focus of the Chester Ronning Centre, how does and should religion play a part in this process? Registration is required. Presented in partnership with the Chester Ronning Centre for the Study of Religion and Public Life and UAlberta Alumni Relations. 

Do you find yourself listening to the stories of others? Do those stories touch your heart? Is it possible that coming alongside people through reflective listening could be part of your calling? 

If so, perhaps you would consider whether formational training as a spiritual director is a way to follow that call. The Studion School for Spiritual Direction is currently taking applications for the next group of students to begin training in January 2021. Please visit The Studion website and click on the "contact" or email the Rev. Deacon Shelly King at the Diocese of Edmonton synod office. 

The Rev. Ingrid Camer-Doerschel and Dr. Salima Versi will be the guest speakers for this interfaith event, which will be held at the Al Rashid Mosque Gymnasium, 13070-113 Street Edmonton, on Saturday, October 31, from 1:30-4:30 pm. Register on Eventbrite for both in-person and Zoom participants. Email acommonwordalberta@gmail.com for more information.

A Common Word Alberta is a network of Christians and Muslims, committed to creating spaces where members of our communities can engage each other, overcome stereotypes and embrace our differences. Please click below for more about the national program.

2020 has been an added challenge in countless ways. Has Covid-19 created more stress in your relationship?

Plans have been laid for a completely ‘covid-friendly‘ Marriage Encounter Weekend November 6-8 at the Providence Renewal Centre in Edmonton. All presentations focus on and mentor participants in a communication technique that is simple, effective and non-confrontational. Check out our website for more details and testimonials.     

“This weekend literally changed the tone & understanding in our marriage. We left feeling more in love & connected than we had for a long time. It was hard work, but it was refreshing!”    

The pandemic has had a profound impact on people in Canada and around the world. PWRDF recognises that individuals and parishes are facing financial challenges. This relentless virus has brought to light how truly connected we all are. Now, more than ever, we see the importance of caring for our neighbours, near and far. PWRDF's partners are working with vulnerable communities to provide Personal Protective Equipment and access to reliable health information and education.