• Those who are sick, suffering, or in need: Josh, John, Joanne; Penny, Les, Dan; Floyd, Debbie, Blair; 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.

• Nov 30: Executive Council. Zoom
• Dec 1: Parish Farewell for Tim Chesterton, St. Margaret's, Edmonton
• Dec 2: Retired Anglican Priest and Spouses Luncheon, Holy Trinity Old Strathcona, Edmonton
• Dec 3: Evensong, Holy Trinity Old Strathcona, Edmonton
• Dec 7: ACW Eucharist at All Saints’ Cathedral, Edmonton
• Dec 10: St. Patrick’s, Edmonton
• Dec 14: Clergy Day, St. Timothy’s, Edmonton
• Dec 17: St. Margaret’s, Edmonton
• Dec 24:  Christmas Eve Service, All Saints’ Cathedral, Edmonton

Bishop Stephen London celebrated seven confirmations and two baptisms at St. Augustine's-Parkland in Spruce Grove on Sunday, November 26. "What a joy-filled and rich celebration of discipleship," commented Bishop Steve on Facebook. "The feast was the Reign of Christ, and I talked about how 'mercy' is at the heart of the Kingdom of God and that mercy as care for 'the least of these ' is at the heart of our daily following of Christ." 

See more pictures on Bishop Steve's Facebook page. 

Bishop Stephen London is pleased to announce the appointment of the Rev. Rob Key as Deacon in the Parish of Holy Trinity, Edmonton as of December 3, 2023.

Bishop Stephen London is pleased to appoint the Rev. Susan Ormsbee as Interim Priest in Charge of St. Margaret's, Edmonton effective January 1, 2024.

The December 2023 edition of The Messenger, the monthly news publication of the dioceses of Athabasca and Edmonton, is now available to read online and download. Read feature stories on 59th Athabasca synod, Edmonton strategic planning consultant search and much more.

Congratulations to the Ven. Rachael Parker who was chosen as Bishop-elect of the Diocese of Brandon on Saturday, November 25. Parker currently serves as rector of Dayspring Ministries which includes the parishes of St. Saviour’s, Vermilion; St. Mary’s, Edgerton; St. Thomas’, Wainwright. She is also Archdeacon for Rural Ministry in the Diocese of Edmonton. As Bishop Stephen London commented on Facebook: “…Yes, this is a loss for the Diocese of Edmonton, but what a great gain for the greater church of Jesus Christ. I am so happy.” Our prayers are with Rachael, her husband Rob, Dayspring Ministries and the Brandon diocese during this transitional time. Parker shares her thoughts on “Church @ Home with Rachael,” one of the YouTube vlogs she began during the COVID pandemic. 

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!

The Lodgepole Bakery, a social enterprise business providing education, work experience and reintegration support for community members, is holding a Pop-Up Holiday Cafe at St. Mary’s, 11203 68 Street, Edmonton, on Saturday, December 2, from noon to 4 pm. Browse the Bleeding Heart art gallery for free and purchase homemade samosas, sourdough bread, or kombucha. POSTER

St. Patrick's, 334 Knottwood Rd N Northwest, Edmonton, invites you to an Advent and Blues Lessons and Carols service on Sunday, December 3, at 7 pm. POSTER

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 next Clergy Day will be held Thursday, December 14, 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, at St. Timothy's, 8420-145 Street NW, Edmonton. The morning session will be focussed on the Queerly Beloved diocesan working group. The afternoon session will feature guest speaker the Rev. Michael Coren, author of The Rebel Christ.

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.

Join Holy Trinity, 10037 84 Ave NW, Edmonton, on Saturday, December 16, 7:30 pm, for The Annotated Christmas Song Book, a fundraiser for arts programming at Holy Trinity Anglican Church.

Behind every song is a story. The songs of Christmas are linked to a world of fascinating legends, ideas and history. The Annotated Christmas Song Book is a musical revue including much-loved holiday classics, such as "Angels We Have Heard on High," "Children Go Where I Send Thee" and "Silent Night," as well as contemporary hits, like "Christmas Must Be Tonight," "Winter Song" or "One More Sleep Til Christmas." Every song has its own story.

Tickets: $20 Adults; $15 Students and Seniors (with ID); 12 and under admitted free, may be purchased at the door or through the Edmonton Arts Council Store @ 780 420-1757.  POSTER

Clergy of the Diocese of Edmonton and their families (if you don't have a spouse or children, bring the person or people you consider family) are invited to a potluck dinner in celebration of Epiphany, on Saturday, January 6, at 5 pm, at Christ Church, Edmonton. Please RSVP to sue@christchurchedm.ca. 

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 lived or spent time in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland or France during the ‘mad cow disease’ outbreak of the 1980s and 1990s, you may now be eligible to donate blood, plasma and platelets in Canada. 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

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.

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

Join Star of the North Retreat Centre, St. Albert on Friday, December 1, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm, for "Bridging the Gap: Beyond Polarization in Church & Society," a public lecture with internationally acclaimed author and theologian Ron Rolheiser.  Everywhere in the church and in the world we find ourselves divided: politics are stalemated, churches are splitting, and families struggle to sit down at a common table. How can we, as faithful Christians, begin to bridge this unbridgeable gap? Registration: $30. Register at www.starofthenorth.ca/gap or call 780-459-5511.  

The King’s choirs, Chamber, Cantorum; Community and Alumni Chorus, 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.