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Please Remember in Your Prayers this Week
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DIOCESAN AND PARISH NEWS AND EVENTS
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Save the Date!Diocesan Synod: October 21 & 22, 2022 The next diocesan synod will be held, God willing, on Friday evening, October 21 and Saturday, October 22, 2022. Planning is underway. Please save the dates in your calendars! |
The Messenger January 2022
The latest issue of The Messenger is available to read online as a PDF or viewed as a flipbook. The Messenger (anglicanmessenger@gmail.com) welcomes story ideas, opinions (Letter to Editor) and photo submissions relating to news and events of the Athabasca and Edmonton dioceses. Written 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 matter. For more infomation visit:
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Bishop's Itinerary
Bishop Steve is carrying on in the new year with his goal to visit every parish in the diocese as soon as possible. Some events have been postponed due to the "omicron wave." The following are among those in the itinerary for January:
Bishop Steve also has various visits booked to meet with rectors, corporations, and vestries over the coming months. |
Bishop's COVID Update"Local Option" in effect Through the Advent and Christmas seasons, Bishop Stephen has been in contact with clergy about the diocesan response to the “omicron wave” of COVID-19. Though daily case numbers have been very high, there is some encouragement in the fact that the number of people in hospital and ICU has not peaked in the same way as in previous waves. Also encouraging is that parishes have learned very well over the past two years how to keep their church families safe through following COVID-19 protocols and providing online options. For these reasons, the Bishop has asked parishes to be prepared, should it be necessary, to go completely online. However, in the meantime, he has permitted parishes to make choices that are right for their own situations, also known as the “local option.” Bishop Steve will continue to monitor available information and government updates, especially watching case numbers, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions, as we approach the period about two weeks after Christmas and New Year. The Bishop will communicate to the clergy any changes to the diocesan policy if needed. In the meantime, please click below to read an excerpt from a letter to clergy, which includes words of encouragement for all in the diocese. For more infomation visit:
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Email Phishing Scam
Recently, scammers posing to be Bishop Stephen have emailed members of our community. This is a phishing scam. These occur occasionally and there is little anyone can do to stop them. If you are unsure about an email you have received, please check to make sure the message was sent from the bishop's official email account: bishop@edmonton.anglican.ca. Please delete and do not reply if the email did not originate from this address. The bishop will never ask individuals to purchase anything on his behalf or on behalf of the diocese, especially not by email. |
Dorothy's Gift
Dear friends, we learned recently that Dorothy Marshall, our diocesan representative for the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF), Social Justice Committee co-chair, long-time columnist for The Messenger, as well as a faithful member of St. Andrew’s parish in Camrose, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Dorothy’s daughter Leah has returned home from Holy Trinity Brompton in the UK to be the primary caregiver for her mum. (As many of you know, Dorothy built a house on her son Colby’s farm and Leah lived with her there until leaving for the UK.) You can see a special tribute video from PWRDF's visit to their farm here We ask for your prayers for Dorothy, Leah and their whole family. Dorothy’s daughter Robyn, a member of St. John the Evangelist, Edmonton, posted on her Facebook page that the family has started a fundraiser for PWRDF, “the cause she holds most dear,” as a surprise gift for their mum. If you wish to contribute to PWRDF in honour of Dorothy and her ministry, please click here For more infomation visit: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/a-special-surprise-for-dorothy/
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Readers Invited to Join The Anti-racism Book ClubTuesday, January 18; Monday, January 31 The Anti-racism Book Club invites readers to its upcoming virtual conversations. All are welcome to join the Ven. Jordan Haynie Ware, archdeacon for social justice and community connection. On Tuesday, January 18, the Foundations group will be talking about The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King. On Monday, January 31, the Building on Foundations group will delve into Tainna: The Unseen Ones by Norma Dunning. For more infomation visit: http://edmonton.anglican.ca/events/readers-invited-to-join-the-anti-racism-book-club/2022-01-18
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Invitation to Join St. Faith's Collective Kitchen
A Collective Kitchen community will be meeting on the second Tuesday of each month, from 1 to 3.30 pm, at St. Faith's Anglican Church. Participants will cook together in the PrayerWorks Hall kitchen 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 home your meals. Please call Trish at 780-464-5444 to reserve your spot. |
Diocesan Children's and Youth Choir Invites Participation
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. For more infomation visit: http://edmonton.anglican.ca/news/diocesan-childrens-and-youth-choir-to-launch-in-january
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Diocese of Edmonton Diversity and Inclusion Survey
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.
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Centering Prayer Groups Invite Participation
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. For more infomation visit: http://edmonton.anglican.ca/news/centering-prayer-groups-invite-participation
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Diocese of Edmonton Indigenous Ministries
Contacts: 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. For more infomation visit: http://www.edmonton.anglican.org/what-we-do/indigenous-ministries
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ONLINE WORSHIP RESOURCES
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Worship from Home Schedule and Resources
This page lists online opportunities for worship, learning and virtual community provided weekly by parishes throughout the diocese. For more infomation visit: http://edmonton.anglican.ca/news/worship-from-home-schedule-and-resources
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Give Today
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. |
BEYOND THE DIOCESE
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Opportunity for Spiritual GrowthReceive Spiritual Direction as part of a Supervised Practicum 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. |
Online Course
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 online program synchronous with the Wycliffe College course: “lntercultural Leadership and Learning: Engaging Ministry in Diverse Contexts." *Ecumenical + interactive program Find the Forum for Intercultural Leadership and Learning on Facebook For more infomation visit:
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Cost of Colonialism Weekend WorkshopStar of the North and Online, Feb 11-13 Steve Heinrichs (from Mennonite Church Canada) will be facilitating a retreat/workshop February 11-13 at Star of the North Retreat Centre in St. Albert. He invites you to explore what settler colonialism means for Christian discipleship, and the possibility of Jubilee as a key path (perhaps “the” path) for restoring relationships. All are welcome, whether Christian or not. The retreat will take place in person only if health protocols permit. There is also an online option. Click here for more info and to register For more infomation visit: https://www.starofthenorth.ca/register/browse/programs-2/event/steve-heinrichs-254/
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