• Those who are sick, suffering, or in need: Anne and Roger, Les, Laraine, Penny, Larry, Maureen, Alan, Lorelei, Marie, Cathryn, Sue, Connie, Doreen, Bev, Floyd, Blair,  Debbie, Brenda, Yvette, Gail, Rhea, Mitch, Paul, Madison, Grayson and Kenzie.
• Those who have died; and those who mourn.
• Those affected by conflict or natural disasters around the world.
• 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 at the end of those two weeks.

Please hold Bishop Stephen London in your prayers as he serves parishes throughout the diocese and connects with our partners and friends beyond the diocese.

• November 12 (110th Birthday of Edmonton Diocese): All Saints' Cathedral, Edmonton
• November 19: St. George's, Devon Anniversary Greetings

Bishop Stephen London is pleased to appoint the Rev. Elizabeth Metcalfe as Interim Priest in Charge at St. John the Evangelist, Cold Lake. Her first Sunday in the parish will be November 12.

Bishop Stephen London is pleased to appoint Mr. Jeffrey Hanger, of St. Mary's, Ponoka, as PWRDF Representative for the Edmonton diocese.

A diocesan strategic planning committee has begun the process of finding a consultant to prepare a strategic plan that will incorporate the Finding our Way visioning document adopted by the 68th Synod of the Diocese of Edmonton.

A Request for Proposals (RFP) went out this fall, and Bishop Stephen London and executive council hope to have a consultant in place by the end of the year, said Greg Heaton, chair of the Diocesan Strategic Planning Committee.

Heaton, a member of Christ Church, Edmonton, is joined on the strategic planning committee by Anne Smith, also of Christ Church; Betty Kaahwa, St. Faith’s, Edmonton; Les Jaster, St. Mary’s, Ponoka; the Rev. Clare Stewart, St. Timothy’s, Edmonton.

The strategic planning committee is looking for an experienced consultant who also understands faith communities in general and, ideally, the Anglican Church of Canada. 

The consultant will be asked to use the Finding Our Way visioning document adopted by the 68th Synod as a framework for the strategic plan. This document which outlines 5 primary principles, and 12 specific goals calls members of the diocese to remember that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is at the center of all we do.

An ecumenical initiative started by four Christian churches in a rural Alberta town east of Edmonton continues to meet a community need for affordable clothing and household goods more than three decades later.

At the 31st Annual Meeting of the Good as New Shop, held in the first week of November, donations of $6,000 each were presented to St. John’s Anglican Church, Sedgewick United Church, Bethania Lutheran Cemetery and the Community Church of the Nazarene.

Pictured from left: Lois Polege, president, Good as New Shop; Joan Djos representing Bethania Lutheran Church; Betty Smith representing Sedgewick United Church; Sandra Rosiechuk representing St. John's Anglican Church; Helen Whitten, treasurer, Good as New Shop; Doug Webb, pastor, Sedgewick Community Church of the Nazarene. Photo: MaryLou Rawluk

St. Mary’s, Ponoka held their 8th Annual Steak & Lobster Fest in June. Sixty-five people tucked into steak or lobster, baked potatoes and all the fixins in support of the Ponoka Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) Cancer Fund. The net proceeds of $1,064 will help cover the cost of medication and travel for local individuals receiving cancer treatments. Thank you to everyone who volunteered and supported this event!

St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church in Vegreville is continuing an initiative to host Nativity Festivals, a tradition they began prior to the pandemic, by once again including other Christian churches in Vegreville.

This year, on the first weekend of December, St. Mary’s will hold joint services, outreach, and activities with its United Church neighbours.

The Rev. Laureta Blondin, rector of St. Mary’s, began the nativity festivals with her own collection. She has invited other collectors to participate, and people can expect to see sets made of many different materials: wood, cloth, glass, metal, reeds, banana fibre, and the list goes on and on, in many different forms.

Cold and flu season is upon us, and COVID persists in all its variations. As we spend more time indoors, it is becoming more difficult to contain germs and protect vulnerable members of our communities. Please remember that a minor infection for one person can develop into a major sickness for someone else. If you are feeling unwell (ie. have a cough, runny nose, sore throat, chest congestion, fever...), please stay home.

All are invited to join Holy Trinity Anglican Church and the B-Squadron from the South Alberta Light Horse Regiment (SALH) on November 11, for a service of Remembrance at 9:45 am at Holy Trinity, 10037 84 Ave NW, Edmonton. The service will be followed by a procession to Light Horse Park Cenotaph with EPS, SALH, MLA Rachel Notley, MP Heather McPherson, for a traditional Cenotaph service.

And as you remember them, remember us, O Lord;
grant us peace in our time and a longing for the day when people of every language, race, and nation will be brought into the unity of Christ’s kingdom.
(From a Prayer of Commemoration for the Fallen, Church of England)

The Edmonton Interfaith Housing Society invites members of religious and spiritual communities to discuss rent affordability and how we can respond, on November 16, 9 am to 12 pm, at Lendrum Mennonite Church. We will talk about the realities of rising rents and discuss practical solutions. This event is for tenants, for those who have land to develop, for faith leaders, landlords, and elected officials. Anyone who cares about affordability is invited to talk and learn with us. For more details or to register, please visit Eventbrite.

Are you interested in learning more about how to unite your community for social change? The Greater Edmonton Alliance (GEA) is offering training on the Foundation of Community Organizing, on November 17 (6:30 to 9:30 pm) and 18 (9:30 am to 3:30 pm), at St. Augustine of Canterbury Anglican Church, 6110 Fulton Rd, Edmonton. The Rev. John Gee, synod secretary-treasurer, is one of the community leaders presenting at this workshop which members of the Edmonton diocese are invited to attend. There is a suggested donation of $25 for lunch and snacks. REGISTER

St. George's TLC Christmas Handcraft Sale will be held Saturday, November 18, 10 am to 4 pm, at St. George's Anglican Church Hall, 10029 99 Ave, Fort Saskatchewan. Net proceeds will be donated to local charities and groups. Cash only.

St. Peter the Apostle Anglican Congregation (meeting at St. Matthias) invites everyone to a potluck/karaoke party after their church service (around 3:30 pm), on November 19. If you come without a pot of food, you are in luck: enjoy the time. Singers are invited (you don't even have to sing well). For more information, contact Padi Eric J. Kregel at ericjkregel@gmail.com.   

You are invited to join St. George's, 11733 87 Ave NW, Edmonton, on Saturday, November 25, from 2 to 4 pm, for a workshop on making Anglican prayer beads. This will be a time to learn about prayer beads and the power of prayer, as we inspire each other. Snacks and beverages will be provided. Registration is $20 (includes the cost of prayer bead kits). All are welcome! RSVP by November 19 to stgeorges@telus.net / 780-439-1470

All are welcome and invited to join us at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 10037 84 Ave, Edmonton, on Christ the King Sunday, November 26, 10:30 am, as we experience a Moravian Love Feast as part of our service. Wondering what a Love Feast is all about? Here's a snippet of what we'll be learning about and experiencing: "Moravians trace the Love Feast back to the beginnings of the church – when believers met together to share a meal as a sign of unity and equality, (often referred to as ‘agape’ meals – the Greek word for familial affection without a romantic component). In 1727, the first Moravian Love Feast occurred on the estate of Count Zinzendorf in Moravia, in modern-day Germany, after a communion service where people engaged in fellowship and discussions of faith."

To read more about the One Flock, One Shepherd Anglican-Moravian-Lutheran full communion relationship, please see Matthew Puddister's article in the Anglican Journal.

St. Mary's Anglican Church and Vegreville United Church invite all to their 2nd Annual Community Nativity Festival on Friday, December 1, 4 to 7:00 pm, and Saturday, December 2, 10:30 am to 4:30 pm. More than 200 nativities from around the world will be displayed at Vegrevllle United Church, 5126 48 Ave. Seasonal refreshments will be available for purchase, and there will be community carol singing on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. Food and cash donations to the Vegreville Food Bank will be gratefully accepted. See POSTER for more details!

Let us help you promote your upcoming event in Synod Scene, our weekly e-newsletter to clergy, parishes and subscribers. Please click the link to the form below to tell us about your event (ie. youth gathering, parish fundraiser, worship service, community outreach, public lecture). Upload a graphic or picture (horizontal / landscape orientation; 1500x784 px), and your event poster. Events must be submitted by Tuesday at noon for inclusion in the current week's newsletter. Have Questions? Email Margaret Glidden, communications@edmonton.anglican.ca; or call 780-439-7344

If you are considering making a blood or plasma donation, please don't hesitate. Blood is critical for everyday medical care, including major surgeries, medical procedures, cancer treatments and managing diseases and disorders. Yet, at any given time, the need for blood outpaces the number of donations. To book your lifesaving appointment, call 1-888-236-6283 or visit Canadian Blood Services. Check your eligibility, then click here and enter our Partner ID: ANGL696986 to join Team Anglican. You won't just make a difference. You can make all the difference.

For nearly 25 years, the Edmonton & District Council of Churches (EDCC) has led a cross-denominational holiday campaign to raise money for housing and housing improvements for those in need. Churches and Christian communities are encouraged to support the annual No Room in the Inn fundraising project starting on the first Sunday in Advent, December 3.

The 2023 campaign is in support of A Safe Place residential facility in Sherwood Park for those who are escaping intimate or family violence.  The facility requires major roof repairs or a roof replacement. Please share the attached graphic and poster on your community web pages, social media platforms and in your parish bulletins. BROCHURE

• To donate: make a cheque payable to your church, writing
  “No Room in the Inn” in the memo line. Drop the cheque in your church collection, or mail it into the church. All proceeds collected will be forwarded to A Safe Place.
  OR
• Send a cheque, payable to A Safe Place, with “No Room in the Inn” written in the memo line, to: Box 3282, Sherwood Park, AB T8H 2T2

Holy Trinity Anglican Church challenges all knitters to make a scarf,  hat, or a pair of mittens for the Christmas care packages they prepare for our unhoused and disenfranchised community members in partnership with the Neighbour Centre. Please contact the Rev. Danielle Key at danielle@holytrinity.ab.ca to donate. Together knitters of the Edmonton diocese can help our friends stay warm and avoid frostbite. Please consider helping with this very important ministry! 

The Mustard Seed needs volunteers for its Coffee Connect program in the basement of Strathcona Baptist Church, 8318 104 St NW, Edmonton. We need people to simply hang out and have a cup of coffee with folks who are experiencing poverty or homelessness. This program offering emergency food/clothing, chaplaincy, and addictions support, runs most Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 am to 2 pm. Anyone who is interested must complete Safe Church screening before volunteering. You will also be trained/supported by Mustard Seed staff. For more information, please contact Chaplain Eric at ericjkregel@gmail.com.     

This fall and winter, Good Shepherd Anglican Church is one of five parishes in the Edmonton diocese partnering with Boyle Street Community Services to invite their neighbours in need to drop in, warm up, enjoy the company of others, and access resources. Throughout the week, Belonging Centres are places where people can meet with parish volunteers and Boyle Street staff. Volunteers are people who enjoy coffee hours after church, meeting new people, sharing hobbies and life experiences, bringing snacks to potlucks, and maybe even teaching simple tasks and skills.

If you are interested in becoming a Friendship Volunteer, please reach out to Archdeacon Jordan Haynie Ware at rector@goodshepanglican.org

POSTER

Belonging Centres are located at the following parishes:

• All Saints’ Cathedral, 10035 103 St, Tuesday, 9:30 am to 12:30 pm; Thursday, 9 am to 12:30 pm
• Good Shepherd, 15495 Castle Downs Rd, Monday, Tuesday, 9 am to 3 pm
• Faith’s, 11725 93 St, Thursday, Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm; Friday, 1 to 7 pm
• Luke’s, 8424 95 Ave, Monday, Wednesday, 9 am to 3 pm
• Mary’s, 11203 68 St, Friday, Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm

The Diocese of Edmonton, like many corners of God’s Church, is going through a time of transition. Being the Church today and, more importantly, preparing to be the Church of tomorrow, is going to take each and every one of us. Your Diocese of Edmonton church family needs you. We cannot be what God calls us to be without you on board. To that end, Bishop Steve is asking everyone in Edmonton diocese to please take a few minutes of your time to fill out THIS SURVEY on various possible opportunities for service in our diocesan family.

The Revive program curriculum and videos are now available for parishes and ministry groups in the Edmonton diocese. Revive is a discipleship program offered in gratitude to active church members to help them grow in confidence as spiritual leaders.

Revive is one of many tools the Edmonton diocese will use as we Find Our Way forward together as Gospel people in the 21st century. Revive reflects our belief that all who are baptised are called to share in the mission of God through their unique ministries. A Calling for All, the second of the Edmonton diocese's Five Primary Principles, sees an empowered laity serving as equals alongside a collaborative and team-oriented clergy.

According to the Rev. Canon Dr. Scott Sharman, Canon to the Ordinary, a diocesan-wide, online offering of Revive is also in the works. Watch for a launch date early in the new year.

To learn how your parish group can begin using these materials now, contact the Synod Office: churched@edmonton.anglican.ca; 780-439-7344.

Korora (formerly Kokopelli) is partnering with two other highly celebrated western Canadian ensembles, Vancouver Youth Choir and Nelson BC’s Corazon, for Bridges on Sunday, November 12, 4 pm and 7:30 pm, at First Baptist Church, 10031 109 St, Edmonton. In addition to individual sets from all three ensembles, the singers will combine for several mass-choir pieces. Tickets are $25 (students $20, children $15), and can be purchased at the door or online 

Join together with Christians on November 12, 7 pm, at St. Luke's. 8424 95 Ave NW, Edmonton, to pray for peace in the style of Taize musical meditation. All are welcome! ECUMENICAL TAIZE SCHEDULE

Local fashion designer Emily Whistance-Smith, of De Kill Designs, is holding a Pop Up Sale at St. Paul's Anglican Church, 10127 145 St, Edmonton, on November 18, from 10 am to 4 pm. Looking for an original piece? There will be clothing available in a variety of styles, from adult sizes XXS to 4XL.

The Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness (ECOHH) invites all to the screening of the documentary film Push on National Housing Day, November 22, at the Garneau Theatre in Edmonton, at 7 pm. In the film, award-winning director Fredrik Gertten investigates why we can’t afford to live in our own cities anymore. Please see the ECOHH website for details.

"This film presents clearly the major danger for tenants of the rapidly spreading financialisation of rental housing. As large international investment bodies buy up most of the housing (and Edmonton is one of the most dramatic examples of this), the potential of large rent increases and poorer landlord responsiveness to tenant concerns grows greatly," says Jim Gurnett, member of the Edmonton diocese's Social Justice Committee and pastoral associate for the Inner City Pastoral Ministry (ICPM). "Unless we address root issues, there will be an endless need for tenants to fight back instead of enjoying good quality and affordable housing."

Centering Prayer: An Introductory Workshop on Contemplative Silence will be held on November 25, from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm., at Star of the North, St. Albert. This workshop, a full Saturday followed by four Tuesday evenings, provides background on the four guidelines of centering prayer, alongside time to practice and to learn from the teachings of Fr. Thomas Keating and others. Early Registration: $110. Register at 780-459-5511 or at www.starofthenorth.ca/centering .

In collaboration with Edmonton & District Council of Churches, Providence Renewal Centre is offering the Advent Family Night: Preparing to Prepare on Thursday, November 30, 6:00 to 8:30 pm. Through crafts, activities, reflections, and stories, journey as a family and prepare to prepare. The cost is $25/family. Register by November 27. POSTER

The Interfaith Chaplains at the University of Alberta, The University of Alberta Mixed Chorus, The University of Alberta and The King’s University Departments of Music present the Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols for Advent and Christmas on Monday, December 4, 7:30 pm, at the Winspear Centre for Music. General admission: $25 (plus $5 service charge) Winspear Box Office: 780-428-1414. This is a benefit concert for the U of A Campus Food Bank. POSTER