• Those who are sick, suffering, or in need: Sami; Jordan, Alice; Floyd, Bev, Terry, Wayne.
• 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 pray for Bishop Stephen London as he serves parishes throughout the diocese and connects with our partners and friends beyond the diocese. God willing, Bishop Stephen will attend the following public meetings, events and services:

• March 10 to 16: Bishop Steve is Away for Reading Week
• Tuesday, March 18: Administration and Finance Committee, 4 pm
• Wednesday, March 19: Clergy Day
• Saturday, March 22: Cursillo
• Sunday, March 23: Emmanuel, Gibbons, 10 am
• Wednesday, March 26: Episcope Circle, 12:30 pm

On Sunday, March 2, Bishop Stephen London was part of a “very moving service” at St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church in Vegreville - “the last service they celebrated in their beloved church building. They are making the beautiful and courageous decision to enter into an Ecumenical Shared Ministry (ESM) with the Vegreville United Church two doors down,” Bishop Stephen said. These conversations have been led by the Rev. Laureta Blondin, rector of St. Mary’s.

February was a pivotal month for the Executive Council of the Anglican Diocese of Edmonton (the body of regional representatives that governs between synods), as the process of shaping an 18-month diocesan strategic plan continued to unfold organically.

Executive Council members and invited rural parish representatives (almost all members elected to Executive Council are from Edmonton or the surrounding cities of Sherwood Park and Devon, therefore, rural participants were asked to represent the four regions of the diocese), came together at Camp Van Es, on February 1, for a retreat led by Bishop Stephen London and Another Way consultant Anna Bubel.

All Saints' Cathedral will host a diocesan-wide Easter Vigil Service on Holy Saturday, April 19. If you would like to read Scripture, lead intercessions, or participate in the service in another way, please email RJ Chambers, Office Administrator: churched@edmonton.anglican.ca . 

When was the last time you backed up your digital files? If it was more than a few days ago, or you cannot remember, it is time to make a plan for secure digital storage.

Here are some ways to make backups easier:

• External Hard Drive: Back up files weekly or monthly to an external hard drive. Ideally, this drive would be housed offsite, but it is better to have it onsite and doing the backups than not having one.
• Google Drive, Dropbox or another cloud storage option: Even better than an external drive is a cloud-based drive. You can set up desktop folders and save directly to both Google Drive and Dropbox. Online storage can come with excellent security and multiple servers so your data remains accessible. Both of these options are reasonably priced and well worth the cost.

One parish admin had a situation where their work computer crashed, and the full hard drive was lost. Fortunately, however, they were back to work in minutes as everything was saved in Dropbox. When dealing with digital records, it is imperative to complete regular backups. So, do not delay; back up today (and every day). RJ Chambers, Office Administrator, Diocese of Edmonton

Registration for the Anglican Foundation of Canada’s (AFC) 5th annual Say Yes! to Kids (SYTK) campaign is now open. The 2025 campaign will launch on Tuesday, April 22 and close on Monday, June 30. All parishes, dioceses and organizations seeking to partner with AFC are asked to register by April 1.

Throughout the season of Lent (six weeks following Ash Wednesday), professional musicians from various musical disciplines will perform every Tuesday during the noon-hour at Holy Trinity, 10037-84 Ave NW, Edmonton. Concerts are offered in the sanctuary from 12 to 1 pm. Audience members are welcome to bring their lunch to eat during this noon-time concert. The Concert Series is free to attend (donations accepted). 2025 SCHEDULE

Wycliffe College, University of Toronto, will lead two public, community-engagement events on Saturday, March 15, at Gateway Family Church, 4310 Black Gold Drive, Leduc. The gatherings will be hosted by Dr. Steve Hewko, Director of the Canadian Institute for Empirical Church Research.

1. Connecting to Thrive: This free workshop, to be held on Saturday, March 15, 9 am to 4 pm, is intended to help church and community leaders to better understand their context through some of the resource analysis undertaken by Wycliffe's Canadian Institute for Empirical Church Research. This event is meant to encourage anyone trying to think strategically about the church’s community ministry in these challenging days. Further information and registration can be found on Eventbrite.

In a world where it seems everyone is angry with one another, the thought of coming together in unity and compassion can be overwhelming. Trinity Lutheran Church, 10014 81 Ave, Edmonton, will host a "Calming the Storm" workshop on Saturday, March 15, from 9 am to 3 pm. Daranne Harris, a specialist in sharing difficult conversations across divides through Catalyzing Compassion, will lead us in a skill-building session about how to connect with people during an age of polarization. The registration fee is $5, and lunch is provided. Please email Pastor Erin Thomas at erin.thomas@trinity-lutheran.ab.ca if you have dietary restrictions. This workshop is open to anyone who wants to improve their communication skills and strengthen their confidence in navigating fractured relationships. It will be a great time of interactive learning and support. REGISTER

The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer Invites You to "Walking the Way of Jesus: from Jerusalem to Your Home" – an Online Pilgrimage with Canon Richard Sewell, Dean of St. George’s College, Jerusalem. Join us for a free, transformative, online pilgrimage and a deeper exploration of faith, the Holy Land,
and spiritual growth on Saturday, April 5, 2025. Sessions will be offered at 10 am and 2:30 PM MST on Zoom.

Canon Sewell will guide participants through the sacred journey of pilgrimage, the holiness of the Holy Land, and how the timeless lessons of this land can nourish and transform our spiritual lives.

We are happy to share news and pictures, or help promote upcoming events (ie. youth gathering, parish fundraiser, worship service, community outreach, public lecture) 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 news and event . Upload a graphic or picture (horizontal / landscape orientation; 1500x784 px), and your event poster (if you have one). Submissions must be received by Tuesday at noon to guarantee their inclusion in the current week's newsletter. Have questions? Email Margaret Glidden, communications@edmonton.anglican.ca; or call 780-439-7344

Retired Anglican priest the Rev. Tim Chesterton is excited to take Christian Basics, a short course about the central Gospel message, on the road. Chesterton is offering this opportunity to every parish in the diocese. For parishes outside the greater Edmonton area, the course will be offered on a weekend (Friday evening plus Saturday morning and afternoon). For parishes in Edmonton and its satellite communities, it can also be presented as four evening sessions over four weeks.

There is no charge for the course, but Chesterton asks that his travel costs be reimbursed at the diocesan rate. Also, he will need an estimate of how many people will be attending the course, as this makes a difference to the presentation style.

St. Andrew's, Camrose has a new website! Check it out here: https://www.standrewscamrose.ca/

You may think, "That's great, but our church is on Facebook; why do we need a website?" 

When deciding how to promote or advertise your church, it is helpful to think about it from the perspective of the person searching for info about your church.

This Lent, Mr. Brad Lindseth CD is starting an online prayer group for people to pray the Daily Offices together twice daily except on Sundays. He intends to use the orders in the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and the Book of Alternative Services (BAS) and is open to using other resources. If praying the Daily Offices, whether you've done it before or not, interests you, please email brad.lindseth@gmail.com or call 780-903-1484 for details and to sign up.

At its next Let Us Pray online gathering, the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer (AFP) invites you to learn more about Thy Kingdom Come, a global ecumenical prayer movement inviting Christians around the world to pray for Ascension to Pentecost. Join the Rev. Robert Key, International Director, on March 17, 11 am, on Zoom. For more info, read the latest newsletter

Upcoming Let Us Pray Dates:
• April 28: Bishop Rachael Parker (Diocese of Brandon) will be speaking about the place of prayer in small churches.
• May 26: Bishop William Cliff (Diocese of Ontario): Prayer in the Midst of Crisis.

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.