• Those who are sick, suffering, or in need: Jayesh, Joan, Blossom, Christabel, Selena, Dorothy, Roger, René and family, Anne, Walter, Gail, Sheila and Meredith.
• Those who have died and those who mourn. 
• Those who continue to battle COVID-19 in Alberta, especially our health care workers.
• Archbishop Sixbert and the Diocese of Buyé (Updated list of Twinned Parishes).  
• Our relations 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. Names are kept on the list for two weeks unless intentionally renewed.

The synod office will be closed from December 24 until January 3. We will be checking our voicemail and email periodically. 

We pray for blessings and peace this Christmas season for you and all those you love and look forward to serving our diocese together in 2022.

A message and invitation from Bishop Steve:

One of my biggest priorities in the past two months has been getting to know the diocese. I have been visiting as many different parishes and people as I can. There is a central value to face-to-face conversations in seeing where we are as a diocese. There is also value in different metrics, such as the budget and annual statistics, which provide another important dimension. It is in this spirit of getting to know the diocese that Archdeacon Jordan Ware and the Anti-Racism Team she has developed suggested it would be helpful to explore the diversity of our diocese, particularly giving voice to people who might not be easily heard. They put a lot of work into developing this survey. It asks some personal questions, but we hope the survey will be received in the light of that core value of getting to know who we truly are as a diocese - all of us.

Google Forms will automatically generate the numbers and percentages that will provide the information about diversity that will be helpful to us. No potentially identifying information (such as the option to share your parish) will be used for any purpose other than to create a general picture of diversity in the Diocese of Edmonton. Email addresses will not be collected.

Thank you for taking the time to fill out the survey. Please share as much as you feel comfortable sharing, and if you would like a member of the Anti-Racism Team to reach out, please include your contact information where that option is presented.

In the Christian faith tradition Advent is a time of heightened anticipation as we prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus.

For the Anglican Parish of Christ Church in the Edmonton diocese, the start of Advent brought the long-anticipated arrival of a family from war-torn Syria who arrived at their new home in Edmonton between the Sunday bringing the light of hope and the Sunday bringing the light of peace.

“I’m so excited I’m vibrating,” said the Rev. Sheila Moorey, awaiting the arrival of Areej, Shamil, and their five children: Sara, Lima, Hamza, Alice, Sam (ranging in age from 20 to 5), en route from Istanbul, Turkey (where they were quarantined for three days and tested for COVID-19) via Toronto.

The Diocese of Edmonton Children’s Choir, conducted by Laura Hawley, will launch this January. Open and free to anyone ages 7 and up, this choir will rehearse on Wednesday evenings, 5-6, at Christ Church, 12116 - 102 Ave, Edmonton.

This is an opportunity for children and youth to learn music connected to the church’s worship to offer at church services throughout the diocese and special liturgical events, i.e. Lessons and Carols services, throughout the year. The choir will begin on January 19 and, for its inaugural season, rehearse into mid-May 2022. 

St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church in Edmonton continues to create opportunities for parishioners to engage in prayer in new ways. This past weekend, the prayer development team put together a series of prayer stations at St. John’s, as well as a prayer schedule that people could sign up for and be part of, whether they came to the church or prayed at home. Led by Robyn Thompson and Allan Chettle, the team created 11 stations...

Bishop Steve's calendar is full in these first months of his episcopacy. As well as visiting for Sunday and special services in various parishes, he is making time for smaller meetings with rectors, vestries and corporations mid-week. You can keep up with Bishop Steve through his FaceBook page, and the Synod Scene has begun a collection of pictures from visits thus far.

Photos here are from: St. John the Evangelist in Edmonton, St. Mary's in Ponoka, St. Peter's in Edmonton, St. Augustine Parkland, Holy Trinity Riverbend and St. Luke's in Edmonton, Immanuel in Wetaskiwin, Holy Trinity Old Strathcona in Edmonton, St. Saviour's in Vermilion, St. John's in Onoway, St. Mary's in Ponoka, All Saints' in Drayton Valley, St. Paul's in Leduc, St. Mary the Virgin in Vegreville (including the world's biggest pysanka), St. John the Evangelist in Cold Lake, Holy Trinity Old Strathcona in Edmonton, St. John's in Sedgewick, St. Paul's and St. Mary's in Edmonton, St. Philip's in Westlock and St. Patrick's in Whitecourt.

Bishop Steve has hit the ground running in his new role in the Edmonton diocese and in the Anglican Church of Canada. One of his ambitions is to visit every parish in the diocese as soon as possible. The following events are among those in is his itinerary leading up to Christmas:

• December 12: Sunday service, Emmanuel, Gibbons
• December 19: Sunday service, Holy Trinity, Edson
• December 24: Christmas Eve service, All Saints' Cathedral

Bishop Steve also has various visits booked to meet with rectors, corporations, and vestries over the coming months. 

Bishop Steve reflects on the life-long discipline of being ready to hear the word of God.

All Saints’, Drayton Valley is holding an online holiday auction! The bidding will start at 5 pm on Sunday, November 28, and will conclude at 5 pm on Saturday, December 11, in time for Christmas. (Items will be available for pick up at the church or in Edmonton at an address near the Old Strathcona Farmer's Market.) If you would like to donate items or services for the auction, please email a digital photo of the item, along with a description and starting bid suggestion, to the Rev. Christopher Cook. View the auction items here!

Join us in the front yard at Holy Trinity Old Strathcona (10037 84 Ave) this Sunday, December 12, from 1-4 pm as we join with our friends from Trinity Lutheran to host a family "Barnyard Nativity" complete with stories, hot chocolate, snacks, and animals! We will re-enact that glorious night in a stable years ago when sweet baby Jesus entered this world. In addition to the Holy family, shepherds, and angels, we will have lambs, goats, miniature horses, miniature donkeys, alpacas and African Zebu cattle. This event is geared to all families with young ones - as a way to join together, safely, while masked, for some good, Advent-time, family fun. Please do mark your calendars! (Note: if the weather is -20C or lower this event, for the animals safety, will have to be cancelled). 

All Saints' Cathedral, 10035-103 St, Edmonton, will be holding a Darkest Night of the Year Service, December 21, at 7 pm. This is a service of prayer and communion for those finding the season difficult.

The parishes of the Whitemud Deanery are joining together to host a reflective season of prayer this Advent on Zoom. Tune in every weekday at 7 pm from November 29 through December 23. 

The Annotated Christmas Song Book is an original podcast celebrating the music and lore of the holidays. An episode will be released each day through the Advent season featuring an original performance of a Christmas song accompanied by an annotation; a story that illuminates the song. An entertaining and enlightening podcast celebrating the joys, wonders and eccentricities of Christmas. Check out the preview HERE.  

Starting in January, St. Faith's Anglican Church will be home to a Collective Kitchen community on the second Tuesday of each month, from 1 to 3.30 pm. Enjoy cooking with a small, friendly group. Help make three ready-to-eat meals and muffins to take home for $4. Enter from the parking lot on 92 St between 117 and 118 Avenue, Edmonton and remember to bring containers to take your meals home. Please call Trish at 780-464-5444 to reserve your spot.

The latest issue of Straight from the Street, the newsletter of the Inner City Pastoral Ministry (ICPM), which the Edmonton diocese and parishes support in a variety of ways, can be read here. 

This is getting exciting folks! As a Partner for Life with Canadian Blood Services, the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton has pledged to donate 100 units of blood in 2021 and, as of this week, we're at 99 donations. Thank you to our team members who have donated or have an appointment to give. Why not join our team? It's a simple but powerful way to give back to the community.

Click here to join Team Anglican. Our Partner ID is ANGL696986.  To donate blood, call: 1-888-236-6283 or visit Canadian Blood Services.

Holy Trinity Riverbend, Edmonton has a new temporary home at Providence Renewal Centre beginning December 5. In preparation for in-person worship, the parish is in need of approximately 30 copies of the Book of Alternative Services. Please contact the Rev. Rebecca Harris if you have spare copies of the BAS.

You are invited to join one of several Centering Prayer Groups meeting in person or online.

Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer; rather it casts a new light and depth of meaning on them. It is at the same time a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. This method of prayer is a movement beyond conversation with Christ to communion with him.                

Click here to find a group near you.

Contacts: 
*The Ven. Travis Enright, Archdeacon for Indigenous Ministry: rector@stfaithsanglican.org / 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 

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.

This page lists online opportunities for worship, learning and virtual community provided weekly by parishes throughout the diocese.

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. You can make a secure online donation through the diocesan website.

Advent Mission: The 4 Quarters of Advent – Turning Our Humanity to the Presence of the Lord with Fr. Mark Blom, OMI.
Saturday, December 18

Aurora Living: Formation Through Word & Creation. Why not make our winter module—Wilderness: From Slavery to Freedom—a part of your Lenten journey? Join a community at the intersection of faith & contemporary issues: creation care, social justice & reconciliation. Opening retreat: January 7-9. 

“Joy is the Spirit of God in time. It is the only taste of eternity that is freely given... Joy is the energy to carry on through dull days knowing that miracles can happen in the future because we have seen them in the past.” 
- Joan Chittister  

A journey through Advent is an inward journey to joy. Reflections on this Zoom quiet day, led by Sr. Doreen of the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine, will follow three journeys in our own lives through the biblical stories of the annunciation, the visitation and the journey to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus.

To register by December 6, please contact Dorothy Dahli at dorothydahli@shaw.ca      POSTER

We are called and chosen, gifted by God to join in the great dance of life. Advent is a wonderful opportunity to open ourselves to this invitation from God!

Reflections on this Zoom quiet day, led by Sr. Doreen of the Sisterhood of Saint John the Divine, will follow this theme, reflecting on God as the dance partner, on ourselves as invited to put on our dancing shoes, and on our call to participate in God’s great dance floor.

To register by December 6, please contact Dorothy Dahli at dorothydahli@shaw.ca     POSTER

Each year, the Anglican Church of Canada works with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, The Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to create the Churches Beyond Borders Advent devotional series. This year’s devotions will be “timed with and inspired by the United Nations’ annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign.”

The 16 Days of Activism run from the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, on November 25, to Human Rights Day, on December 10. As this overlaps Advent, Mary’s Magnificat—found in Luke 1:38-55—was selected as a guide for the devotional booklet.

The national office of the Anglican Church of Canada will host another Advent Lessons & Carols service this year. Save the date for Friday, December 17, 8pm Eastern (6pm Mountain time). Audio and video will be made available a week prior to the livestream, so that dioceses and parishes may integrate them into services and events on or after the live broadcast. More details to come!

The Edmonton and District Council of Churches (EDCC) 2021 No Room In the Inn (NRII) campaign is now underway. Traditionally, many Anglican parishes in Edmonton have taken up a Christmas Eve collection for NRII. Please invite your parish community to support the campaign (information attached).

This year, No Room In the Inn is supporting L’Arche Edmonton, which provides supportive housing and assistance for adults with special needs. With the funding raised in this year’s campaign, L’Arche Edmonton will be renovating and upgrading one of their seven houses in the Edmonton area. 

Canterbury Foundation’s 2nd Annual Online Auction is back, with all winning bids matched by presenting sponsor Bird Stuart Olson, up to $10,000. 100% of auction proceeds will go to:
**Expand Life Enrichment programs in our 3 retirement living options.
**Ensure ongoing development of dementia care and end-of-life care.
**Ease the financial effect of critical safety response - like the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Anglican Diocese of Edmonton is a founding partner and active participant in the work of the Canterbury Foundation.

Spiritual growth often occurs when we are able to talk about our experiences of God with another person, especially if that person is trained in deep and reflective listening. This is the primary activity of spiritual direction. The Studion School is currently seeking volunteers to receive spiritual direction from its second-year students, as part of a supervised practicum. The practicum lasts one year and begins in March 2022. If this opportunity interests you, please email thestudionschool@gmail.com, or call the Rev. Shelly King at the Synod Office: 780-439-7344.

As we emerge into a new context of living with COVID, The Forum for Intercultural Leadership and Learning is able to again offer the “Engage Difference! Deepening Understanding for Intercultural Leadership and Learning” program. A 12 week online course starting January 2022, it will be offered as an on-line program synchronous with the Wycliffe College course: “lntercultural Leadership and Learning: Engaging Ministry in Diverse Contexts."

*Ecumenical + interactive program    
*Practical ideas to use in your own context    
*Nurture cultural understanding + awareness in your community    
*Participate on-line from anywhere in Canada    
*Optional Academic Credit through Wycliffe College

Find the Forum for Intercultural Leadership and Learning on Facebook

Edmonton’s Kokopelli Choir Association is returning to McDougall United Church, exactly 650 days since it last hosted an indoor concert. The choirs will perform three concerts: 1 pm, 4 pm, and 7:30 pm (sold-out)—each with its own program. Attendance will be limited to 300 per show, to allow adequate distancing. Masks will be required, along with proof of full vaccination for audience members aged 12 and up. For details and tickets, visit kokopellichoirs.com/performances/upcoming-events