• Those who are sick, suffering, or in need: Gail, Wendy, Rhea, Mitch, Sandie, Jen, Grayson, Lorelei, Marie, Sue, Cathryn, Doreen, Cheveyo, Jean, Anne and Roger, Les.
• 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 24: Cursillo Ultreya, Zoom
• November 25: Deacons' Meeting, Christ Church, Edmonton
• November 26: St. Augustine’s-Parkland, Spruce Grove
• November 30: Executive Council. Zoom

Leaders of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) and the Evangelical Church in Canada (ELCiC) have once again appealed to the the leader of Canada to "call for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and for the opening of a humanitarian corridor to allow potable water, food, medical care and more to reach the people of Gaza."

In a letter dated November 17, 2023, ACC Primate Linda Nicholls and ELCiC National Bishop Susan Johnson thank Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau for "evacuating Canadian citizens to safety."

However, as they point out, "Much has happened in the weeks since our last letter (October 18, 2023). The siege of Gaza has worsened, resulting in the deaths of more than 11,400 Gazans, including 4,700 children. All hospitals in Gaza City are now closed, as hundreds of thousands of people require medical care. More than one million Palestinians have now been forcibly displaced into smaller and smaller areas in southern Gaza, where humanitarian aid remains at critically low levels. Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has increased dramatically, and East Jerusalamites live in fear and danger of racist attacks, including assaults upon Christians and Church leaders...

Come ZOOM with Cursillo Ultreya on Friday, November 24, at 7:00 pm. Bishop Stephen London will give a talk on Advent. We're looking forward to seeing everyone! Meeting ID: 864 0898 8297

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.

With Advent quickly approaching, St. Paul’s, 10127 145 St NW, Edmonton, invites you to a Gingerbread Night. Everyone is welcome to come out on Friday, December 1, from 5:00 to 7:30 pm, for a simple dinner and, of course, building and decorating gingerbread houses! The cost is $5/person for dinner and $15/gingerbread house kit. Please register with Michelle michelle@stpauls-anglican.ca .

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!

Good Shepherd, 15495 Castle Downs Rd, Edmonton, is having a cookie decorating party to celebrate the beginning of Advent! Everyone from the very young to the young-at-heart is invited to come by on December 3, between 5 and 7 pm, to decorate a gingerbread person and share a warm cup of hot chocolate with us. Please RSVP by November 29, so we can prepare enough cookies and cocoa for everyone! Email Natalie at family@goodshepanglican.org to RSVP.

All are invited to the annual Advent Lessons and Carols Service at All Saints' Cathedral, 10035 103 St NW, Edmonton, on Sunday, December 3, at 7 pm. The service will feature the  All Saints' Cathedral Choir and the Diocesan Children's Choir.

St. David's, 8345 79 Ave NW, Edmonton, invites you to a christmas Carol Sing-Along, on November 6, from 7 to 8 pm. There will be fabulous home-made mince pies served with hot apple cider, as we break into song with everyone’s favourite Christmas Carols! There is no admission for this event, and everyone is welcome.

All are invited to join All Saints' Cathedral and ACW members on the first Thursday of Advent, December 7, at noon, for a sung, mid-day communion service with the Very Rev. Alex Meek presiding. Bishop Stephen London will bring greetings from the diocese. If you wish, please bring a bag lunch to enjoy together following the service, along with coffee, tea and dessert provided by the ACW.

The Rev. Michael Coren, assistant curate at St. Luke's, Burlington in Niagara diocese, the author of 18 books, and a contributing columnist for the Toronto Star, will be sharing his "radical gospel message" with members of the Edmonton diocese in December. Michael will lead a clergy day, on December 14, when he will address LGBTQ2S+ equality in the church. In the evening, he will discuss his latest book, The Rebel Christ, at a public event, from 7 to 8:30 pm. Coren argues that Christianity is relevent to the modern world, and it is vital and revolutionary. "What did Jesus actually say and teach, and how can we authentically folllow him? Watch this space for further details. The Rebel Christ is available in stores and online.

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. With a little over a month to go, we're in need of more blood donations to reach our team goal. 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

Camp Kuriakos, a vibrant Christian outdoor ministry located on the shores of beautiful Sylvan Lake, is seeking a qualified individual for the full-time position of Executive Director. 

As the successful candidate, you will be a Christian (ordained or lay) and enthusiastic about serving Camp Kuriakos as a Lutheran Ministry in Alberta. You will possess an undergraduate degree in a related field of study or an equivalent combination of education and experience. You will have excellent verbal, written and interpersonal skills combined with at least five years of supervisory and leadership experience preferably in a camp ministry, church, or non-profit environment.  

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.     

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.

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.

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

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 (Metro) 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 King’s choirs – Chamber, Cantorum, Community Choirs, are performing Christmas music on Sunday, December 3, 7:30 pm, at the First Presbyterian Church, 10025 105, Edmonton. There will be light refreshments to follow. Tickets available at gloria.eventbrite.ca or at the door. 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

On Sunday, December 17, 2:30 pm, at Good Shepherd, 15495 Castle Downs RD NW Edmonton, the Voces Alegres Choir and Ensemble will present an enjoyable afternoon of music filled with incredible instruments and voices, including flute, guitar, cello, percussion, violin, harp and more. For more info, see the Facebook page. There is no admission fee.