• Those who are sick, suffering, or in need: Robert, Kay, Marlene, Linda, Brian, Margaret, Scottie, Bev, Allison, Rhea, Becky, Megan, Rodney, Karen, and Rita.
• Those who have died and those who mourn.
• 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.

Members of the Edmonton diocese and invited guests mourned the death and gave thanks for Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II’s life of faithful service at a Choral Evensong Service held at All Saints’ Anglican Cathedral in Edmonton.

According to protocol, the diocesan service for the late Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96, was held following her State Funeral on September 19, at Westminster Abbey in London, the U.K., and national memorial services at Christ Church, Ottawa and St. James’ Cathedral, Toronto.

Heading into fall, Bishop Steve is busy once again working with parishes, responding with Church and Government to the passing of HM Queen Elizabeth II, and preparing for the 68th Synod of the Diocese of Edmonton:

• September 29: Clergy Day, All Saints' Cathedral, Edmonton
• September 29: Executive Council
• October 2: St. Patrick's, Edmonton
• October 2: St. Stephen the Martyr, Edmonton AGM 
• October 9: St. John the Evangelist, Cold Lake
• October 13 to 14: Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land ACPO Retreat, Providence Renewal Centre, Edmonton
• October 18: Administration and Finance Committee
• October 21 to 22: 68th Synod, All Saints' Cathedral/St. Matthias, Edmonton

Diocesan Chancellor Ms. Lois MacLean K.C. was a presenter at Clergy Day, held on September 29 at All Saints’ Cathedral. MacLean, who is also Chair of the Diocesan Advisory and Response Team (DART) spoke to the clergy and lay people leading diocesan ministries for vulnerable people about Safe Church practices. The Ven. Susan Oliver, Archdeacon for Children and Family Ministry and a member of DART, reviewed updated Safe Church guidelines. Prior to Clergy Day, all were required to complete an online module on “Protecting Our Children, Youth and Vulnerable Adults: Creating a Safe Church Environment.” Watch The November issue of The Messenger for a story on Clergy Day by the Rev. Deacon Shelly King.

Bishop Stephen London has released the document Finding Our Way as a blueprint for guiding the Diocese of Edmonton into the future. It begins with the Gospel at the Center and includes five Principles and 12 Goals. This week, we highlight Goal 10: Affirmation.

We will affirm and declare publicly, intentionally, and explicitly our commitment to the welcome, safety, and full access of siblings in the LGBTQ2SIA+ communities within our churches and will support these commitments with requisite diocesan policies and training. 

Watch for specific actions and milestones which will be developed in regard to this goal.

All delegates of the 68th Synod and interested members of the diocese, are invited to join the Rev. Dr. Scott Sharman, Canon to the Ordinary for the Edmonton diocese, for a Synod Orientation / Preparation Day, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, on Saturday, October 8. Scott will offer a spiritual/theological orientation to our theme: "Walking Together on the Way." There will also be time for group conversations and questions. Bishop Steve and Diocesan Chancellor Lois McLean, K.C. will provide a useful review of the processes we will be following at Synod, along with highlights of resolutions expected to come before Synod. 

The workshop will be held on Zoom. The link will be emailed to Synod delegates. If you are not a delegate but would like to attend the spiritual/theological orientation, please email Margaret at churched@edmonton.anglican.ca for the link.

You can read about the Edmonton and Athabasca bishops' and spouses' time at Lambeth Conference in the October 2022 issue of The Messenger. Learn how the Edmonton diocese's anti-racism team hopes to make worship more inviting and accessible. In parish news, read about one rural parish's creative and resourceful act of reconciliation.

Click here to receive a print subscription to The Messenger or to change your subscription address. The Messenger and Anglican Journal are mailed to subscribers for a suggested donation of $15/year.

Note: The Messenger is published 10 times/year. The next issue will be in November. Please send submissions to anglicanmessenger@gmail.com by September 30.

The Diocese of Edmonton Children’s Choir got off to a "phenomenal start with 17 kids from around the diocese joining together in song." Supported by a "Say Yes! to Kids" grant from the Anglican Foundation of Canada, the children's choir provides opportunities - at no cost - for children and youth in grade 2 and up to learn music connected to the church’s worship. If you know anyone who might like to join, please invite them. The children's music will be offered at church services and special liturgical events throughout the diocese. The choir rehearses Wednesday evenings, 5-6 pm, at Christ Church, 12116 - 102 Ave, Edmonton.

The Anglican Parish of St. Paul's in Edmonton is running a program for neighbourhood kids called "St. Paul's Kids Crew." Funded in part by the Anglican Foundation of Canada (AFC) Say 'YES' to Kids campaign, Kids Crew will run Thursdays after school until October 20; and from November 3 to December 15. The club includes opportunities to bring friends and family to dinner on three different Saturdays. See the attached poster for details, and if you or someone you know would like a part-time job helping to run Kids Crew, there's a job description attached as well.

St. Augustine of Canterbury Anglican Church in the Fulton Place community of Edmonton, is looking to hire an individual "who loves children, knows how to be themselves, and who seeks balance and integrity in their spiritual life, and is able to share the Jesus story with children in an engaging way." 

Please see the Job Description for full details. Contact the rector of St. A’s, the Rev. Jonathan Crane, with any questions at 780-619-3170 (call/text) or rector@staugustinesedmonton.com.

The Cursillo Community will be helping serve a dinner at St. Faith's Anglican Church on September 30 and we would love for you to join us. St. Faith's is located at 11725 93 Street, Edmonton.

We'll be there at 4:00pm, setting up and getting prepared to serve supper. We will also be involved in the clean up and should be finished by 7:00-8:00pm. Any questions or if you would love to join us please get a hold of us at:  cursilloedmonton@gmail.com.

The Synod Office will be closed on Friday, September 30 to observe the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

All are encouraged to wear an orange shirt to raise awareness of the individual, family and community intergenerational impacts of residential schools, and to promote the concept of “Every Child Matters.” Orange Shirt Day grew out of Phyllis (Jack) Webstad's story of having her new orange shirt taken away on her first day of school at St. Joseph Mission Residential School in Williams Lake B.C.

There are many ways to commemorate the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Here are a few in the Edmonton area:
Christ Church Group Hike and Bannock, Hawrelak Park, Site #1
PWRDF Mapping the Ground We Stand On, St. Paul's, Edmonton
Orange Shirt Day Walk, Heritage Museum Centre, Wetaskiwin
Calling Our Spirits Back: Courageous Conversation and Round Dance, Boyle Street Plaza, Edmonton
(October 2) Walk to Kihciy Askiy with Lewis Cardinal, St. Paul’s United Church, Edmonton

On National Truth and Reconciliation Day, join the Anglican Parish of Christ Church for a time of learning and community building at Hawrelak Park in Edmonton. Folks will meet for an educational hike and bannock on Friday, September 30, 10 am, just past Site #1 near the main road. All ages are welcome, Wear your orange.

Mark your calendars! St Paul’s, 10127-145 St NW, Edmonton, is excited to host “Mapping the Ground We Stand On,” on September 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This is an interactive workshop created by the PWRDF. It explores Indigenous presence and Settler arrival on the map of Turtle Island/Canada at first contact. This free event will begin at 1:30 pm. Click here to register.

Creating Hope Society in partnership with the Edmonton diocese invite you to a TRC Day event on September 30 at the Boyle Street Plaza, 9538-103A Ave NW, Edmonton.

Schedule of Events:

• 7:30 am – Sunrise Pipe Ceremony with Elder Wil Campbell
• 9 am to 3:30 pm – Courageous Conversation and panel discussion
• 5 pm – Feast
• 6 pm to 10 pm – Round Dance

POSTER

In 2018, the Edmonton diocese began raising funds through parish coffee collections for women and children in need of medical care to purchase medical cards in our companion Diocese of Buyé. 

Last year, a total of $6,600 was raised by parishes, enabling 1,320 women to purchase $5-medical cards which cover 80 per cent of their medical costs for one year. Access to healthcare is otherwise out of reach for most people living in Burundi. 

Throughout the month of September, parishes are again encouraged to set out a separate collection basket dedicated to this fundraiser. With your help, people in Buyé will have access to the medical coverage they require but often can’t afford.

The Season “Celebration” begins on September 1, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and ends on October 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology beloved by many Christian denominations. The theme of the season is ‘Creation speaks – let us listen’. Find out more and download the Season of Creation Celebration Guide for ideas on how to get involved. Resources can be found on www.seasonofcreation.org

POSTER

A Service of Remembrance and Celebration of Life for the Rev. Donald Gray will be held at St. Timothy’s Anglican Church, 8420-145 Street NW, Edmonton, on Saturday, October 1, 2022, at 2:30 pm. 

All are invited and welcome to attend the official grand opening of Light Horse Park this coming Saturday, October 1. Members of the South Alberta Light Horse Regiment (SALH) intend the park to be a place of remembrance and reverence for anyone impacted by war or conflict. Padre the Rev. Danielle Key, rector of Holy Trinity, the Regimental Church, will bless the new park. The program starts at 12:30 pm. There will be food trucks and a military and police vehicle show and shine. Details on the attached POSTER

St. Timothy Anglican Church is offering three workshops this fall:

• The Church and Human Sexuality, on October 5.
• The Passing of the Peace - history and meaning, on October 26.
• BCP and BAS - brief history and theological differences, on November 23.

All sessions are at the church (8420 – 145 Street NW Edmonton) on Wednesdays starting at 10:30am.

For more info, see POSTER email info@sttimothy-edm.ca or call 780-483-5506 to register.

All are welcome to attend any or all of the sessions during the Annual Ecumenical Mission: "Jesus and Archaeology." Pastor Steve Chambers, former Academic Dean of Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton, will visit eight Sherwood Park churches, from October 2 to 5, to present on archeology and biblical history. Working with a team from Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota and the University of Haifa in Israel, he spent six seasons excavating an early Christian church and monastery complex. Click here to view the event poster and schedule / Watch a video history of the Ecumenical Mission of Strathcona County, hosted by Bishop Stephen London

Please join Celeigh Cardinal and Michelle Nieviadomy for a Sisters in Spirit Vigil, Tuesday, October 4, 7 pm, at All Saints' Cathedral, 10035-103 St NW, Edmonton. Honour the lives of Missing, Murdered and Exploited Indigenous people through song, ceremony and poetry. POSTER

All donations will support the spiritual care of the people of James Smith Cree Nation.

The Anglican Parish of Christ Church, 12116- is offering a Grief and Loss workshop on Sunday, October 16, at noon. Led by Dr. Lynda Phillips, Rob Curtis, Joy Berg and Rev. Armand Mercier, this workshop will include music, stories, learning and theological insights. All are welcome to attend and a light lunch will be provided. Please email admin@christchurchedm.ca to let us know you are coming! POSTER

Our next Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend, November 4-6, will be a hybrid weekend. You can attend in person or participate virtually via Zoom - your choice! This weekend has been carefully designed; the sessions and pace built for success. Nine in ten couples who attend a Marriage Encounter recognize a long-lasting positive effect on their lives. Register at www.eame.ca. Early bird savings if registered by October 17th. POSTER

A djembe player is needed for music at the diocesan synod, Saturday, October 22. You supply the rhythm, I supply the djembe! Call Evan at 780-717-6657.

There will be a memorial service for Margaret (Peggie) Gibbons, widow of Jack (former priest of the Edmonton diocese), on Saturday, October 29, 2 pm, at Christ Church, 12116-102 Avenue NW, Edmonton.

The 2023 Anglican Church of Canada publications are ready to order online. To get your church calendars, click here or visit the ACC publishing website at anglican.gilmore.ca and follow the links. The cost is $7.50 for 1 calendar, $6.00 for 2-19 calendars, and $4.00 for 20 or more. There is free shipping for orders of 50 or more. Click here to see a PDF preview of the calendar.

Do you know a cleric or lay person who would love the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Jesus in the biblical lands, to study scripture and to visit the holy places? The Archbishop Fred Hiltz Scholarship, which will cover most if not all the costs of travel and a 10-day Course at St. George’s College Jerusalem, is available to any cleric, religious or senior lay person in the Anglican Church of Canada. Applications are now open. Click below to find the application form, background letter and "fund facts" about the scholarship.

Every Monday evening from September 26 to December 12, King's University Centre for Teaching and Learning will offer a series of workshops for women newly arrived in Canada, to help build their workplace readiness skills. This is a pilot project for the Centre. They will be working with 24 women. Several have registered, but there is still room for more. Please see the attached POSTER for details or email susanne.huizing@kingsu.ca for more information.

An apology only takes on meaning when there is action. Over the next several months, Star of the North Retreat Centre will host a series of workshops covering specific justice issues: housing, land, and water. Join guests Carola Cunningham and Fred Gloade, Thursday, September 29, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm, for the discussion on housing, as we continue together on the road of reconciliation. Registration by donation. For more info, click here.

Join St. Paul's United Church, 11526-76 Ave NW, Edmonton, on Sunday, October 2, 12:30 PM, for a Walk to Kihciy Askiy (sacred land) in the Whitemud Ravine with Lewis Cardinal. Kihciy askiy (key-chee-ask-ee) will provide a natural setting for the Indigenous community to host ceremonies, sweat lodges and facilitate intergenerational learning.

The City of Edmonton is offering up to $100,000 in one-time grant funding to support individuals and organizsations in the advancement of community safety and well-being (CSWB). The application deadline for this new program has been extended to September 30, 2022. Funding will go toward initiatives that address emergent community needs or opportunities and can be completed within the next 24 months. The goal of this program is to provide funding to initiatives and projects that work to improve equity, end poverty, eliminate racism, make progress toward truth and reconciliation, or create an inclusive and compassionate community that supports the safety and well-being of all who live in Edmonton. Email CSWBGrants@edmonton.ca with questions.

The Network of Biblical Storytellers Canada will host a Teller's Retreat at King's Fold Retreat Centre west of Cochrane October 14-16, 2022. NBSC is "an affiliation of people who practise the art and discipline of telling Christian scripture by heart." This is a small retreat. About a dozen are coming so far, and there are a few spaces left. Avoid disappointment. Register soon!