The Synod Office will be closed from noon on Wednesday, December 24, through Thursday, January 1. It will reopen on Friday, January 2. There will be no Synod Scene on Dec. 30.

Merry Christmas from your diocesan staff!

Is the Christmas Eve snowstorm preventing you from holding or attending your regular services this week?

You are welcome to join All Saints' Cathedral live on YouTube. You can also find other Diocese of Edmonton churches with livestreams on our Christmas Services page.

• Those who are sick, suffering, or in need: Paul, Bob, Rhea, Mitchell, Jen, Noreen, Floyd, Donna, Josh, David & Suzanne, Carol, Elliott, Elaine
• 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 to include someone's name 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.
  
• Click here for the Diocese of Edmonton, Anglican Communion, and ecumenical prayer cycles.

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:

• Wednesday, December 24 - All Saints' Cathedral, Edmonton
• Thursday, December 25 - Christ Church, Edmonton
• The Synod Office is Closed December 25 to Jan 1
• Sunday, January 4 - St. George, Devon
• Tuesday, January 6 - Legislative Committee Meeting
• Friday, January 9 - Innovative Stewardship Meeting

Visit our new Advent and Christmas Services page to find an event at an Anglican church near you!

If you administer a parish and would like to submit a service or event, please use this form. Please double-check that your Christmas service information is available and easily accessible to visitors (front page of your website, social media, church answering machine, outdoor signs, etc.)

Call for Photos: 

Do you have photos of Christmas events, Lessons and Carols, decorated churches, and Christmas Eve services? Send them to communications@edmonton.anglican.ca for the Synod Scene and Messenger. The deadline is January 5.

**Important: by submitting photos, you agree that you have secured permission from anyone appearing in them to have their photos shared in the Messenger and/or Synod Scene, which are also shared on the diocesan website, edmonton.anglican.ca, and may be shared on social media. This is especially important regarding children and youth.** 

Join together as the whole Diocese of Edmonton for an evening of prayer and praise in thanksgiving to God!

9 pm - hot chocolate and fellowship

10 pm - Prayer and Praise

11 pm - Eucharist

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Note: A new resource with bulletin announcements is now linked in the "Please Promote" section further down

Jan. 8-17 - Ten Days of Fasting, Prayer, and Praise at St. John's

Jan. 11 - River Walk with All Saints' Cathedral and more

New Epiphany resource for parishes

Campaign to protect refugee sponsorship spaces

Sign up for more information about our new diocesan subscription for study through Huron College

Church Admin Corner: Tax Receipts for Gifts

The December issue of The Messenger is available online

St. John the Evangelist, Edmonton, invites you to participate in ten days of fasting, prayer, and praise.
January 8-17, 2026 from 6:30-7:30 pm each day.

We welcome you to join us in person or via livestream on our YouTube channel.

Join this short, meditative walk along river valley trails for prayer, ritual, and walking in celebration of the River and the Winter Solstice.

Please bring food and drink, and dress for the weather.

Hosted by Temple Beth Ora, All Saints' Cathedral, and Oskya Matchetawin-New Beginnings.

(This event was postponed due to weather from an earlier date in December)

Download the resource from the Parish Resources page of our website.

The Diocese of Edmonton has been a refugee Sponsorship Agreement Holder for decades and has helped support newcomers to Canada from around the world. In the last two years, we have seen a dramatic reduction in the number of spaces available for applications for privately sponsored refugees. This ongoing reduction in capacity will greatly impact people working in Canada, the families that have been hoping and saving for sponsorship, individuals and families caught in dangerous and desperate situations abroad, and parishes whose work with refugees forms a vital part of their outreach ministry.

This grassroots campaign comes from AURA (Anglican-United Refugee Alliance), which is the refugee sponsorship organization associated with the Diocese of Toronto:

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO SAVE THE PRIVATE SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM AND HELP CANADA REMAIN A COUNTRY THAT PROTECTS REFUGEES!

Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs) privately sponsor refugees from around the world. We have the money, housing, and all settlement supports ready for refugees, many of whom have family members in Canada ready to welcome them. However, our government is slashing the number of privately sponsored refugees. There will be fewer privately sponsored refugees arriving, and now we are severely restricted in how many new refugees we can apply to sponsor.  The government reduced our ability to sponsor by 54% for 2026 compared to 2025. This unprecedented reduction has major impacts for our staff, volunteers, communities, and refugees around the world. 

This means that collectively, the 143 SAHs in Canada will only be able to submit new applications to sponsor 5000 refugees (individuals) in 2026, despite requests and capacity to sponsor many, many more.

The association that represents SAHs has asked the Minister of Immigration to double this number, the Global Cap, increasing it to 10,000 refugees for 2026. This would still be a reduction but would not put the entire program’s future at risk. 

We are now calling on YOU to help us show the Minister and other government representatives that you support this request.

THIS WILL TAKE 1 MINUTE. YOU CAN DO IT IN A FEW CLICKS: 

Step 1: CLICK HERE 
Step 2: Enter your name and address, click “Start Writing”
Step 3: The letter we created will appear. You can edit it or send it as is. 
Step 4: Click “Send”

We are hopeful that if enough people express their support, the Minister will increase the number.

At Christmas, we often think about gifts and giving. When thinking about gifts to the church, we also need to consider tax receipts and what is and is not receipted.

To learn more about what classifies as a Qualifying Gift, please visit https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/charities-giving/charities/operating-a-registered-charity/receiving-gifts/what-a-gift.html.

When issuing a receipt, there are specific requirements that must be included on the document. For the full list, please visit https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/charities-giving/charities/operating-a-registered-charity/issuing-receipts/what-information-must-on-official-donation-receipt-a-registered-charity.html

The Diocese of Edmonton is excited to begin a new partnership with Huron University next year.

Our subscription will allow us to offer Huron courses free to members of the Diocese in 2026.

If you are interested in enrollment notifications, please sign up here. Please note, this form is only for registration updates; it does not register you for courses themselves.

We will let you know how to register through the Diocese of Edmonton as soon as the information becomes available.

Download the December 2025 issue of The Messenger, a collection of news and stories from the Dioceses of Athabasca and Edmonton.

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

DOWNLOAD THE MESSENGER

We can do more together! Please make sure your parish knows about these important Diocese-wide events and initiatives by including them in your bulletin, announcements, calendars, and other channels.

**NEW: for these events in an easy-to-copy format for bulletins and slide shows, click here**

For more information and promotional materials, click the bold, underlined text links.

Dec. 31 - Praying in the New Year diocesan night of prayer and praise at All Saints' Cathedral

No Room in the Inn, the annual Advent campaign from the Edmonton District Council of Churches

Bishop Stephen's Lenten Retreat Feb. 27 to March 1 at the Providence Centre

This section contains events from parishes across the Diocese.

For more information on each event, click the bold, underlined text link.

Find more Advent and Christmas services across the Diocese here

Dec. 22 - Heavenly Peace: A 2SLGBTQ+ Advent Celebration of Peace, Justice, Hope & Worship at St. Timothy's, Edmonton

Dec. 31 - Diocesan New Years' Eve prayer and praise at All Saints' Cathedral

Feb. 21 - Awakening Your Purpose new Diocese of Edmonton conference on discernment and call for everyone (not just ordained ministry!)

WEEKLY EVENTS (please check with parishes directly to confirm whether events are happening over the Christmas holidays)

Wednesdays at 11 am Lectionary Bible Study at Good Shepherd, Edmonton

Fridays at 9 pm Night Prayer Livestream from Good Shepherd, Edmonton

Daily except Sundays at 8 am Morning Prayer at St. Paul's, Edmonton (Zoom)

Daily at 9:15 pm Evening Prayer at St. Paul's, Edmonton (Zoom) 

No Room in the Inn, the annual Advent campaign from the Edmonton & District Council of Churches, is raising money to repair a playground at WIN House. 

Alongside Hope Christmas Cards are now available to order. Help support sustainable relief and development in Canada and around the world.

Traditional Approaches to Healing needs sustainable funding so it can increase its capacity in response to growing community needs. This life-giving healing circle is grounded in traditional Indigenous wisdom and supports emotional and psychological well-being. Led by Cree Elder Russell Auger at St. Faith's, Edmonton.

Find resources here to support your ministry and parish administration.

To access the links, click the bold, underlined text.

Hospital Stays and Spiritual Care: If you or your loved one is in hospital and you would like the Anglican Hospital Chaplain to visit you, you will need to give written consent during your hospital stay (the hospital will provide you with the form). Only then will the Anglican Hospital Chaplain receive your information and be able to provide spiritual care. - The Rev. Regula Brandle, Anglican Hospital Chaplain

Arrange an Alongside Hope mapping exercise for your parish, facilitated by the Rev. Helen Chan Bennett.

Retreats and Spiritual Formation programs: The Edmonton area is blessed to have two active retreat centres offering spiritual direction and programs to help you grow in your discipleship of Jesus Christ. Follow the links to explore offerings at the Providence Centre (southwest Edmonton) and Star of the North (St. Albert). 

Grief and dementia support resource for congregations: Sarah Rudd, a Lutheran Diaconal Minister, is available for worship service support, dementia compassionate community presentations, or to share more about a peer support grief program. Please reach out to srudd@alzheimer.ab.ca if you’d like to connect or explore how these resources can bless your congregation’s ministry.

We would love to connect with you!

• Sign up for The Messenger or manage your subscription through the Anglican Journal website
• Read The Messenger online
• Sign up for the Synod Scene by emailing communications@edmonton.anglican.ca

We take your personal information seriously and do not sell or share it with third parties.

Part of what unites us as a family of churches is the support we give one another and our ministries. We can do this by sharing our news and events (e.g., youth gatherings, parish fundraisers, worship services, community outreach, public lectures) here in the Synod Scene, the diocese's weekly e-newsletter. We have created a form to simplify this task. Click on the button below to upload a graphic or picture (horizontal / landscape orientation; 1500x784 px), and your brief news/event information. Submissions must be received by Tuesday at noon for inclusion in the current week's newsletter. Because the Synod Scene is public and posted to the diocesan website every week, please use parish (not personal) contact information in your submissions whenever possible. Have questions? Email communications@edmonton.anglican.ca or call 780-439-7344