• Those who are sick, suffering, or in need: Bev, Paul, Rhea, Mitchell, Bjorn, Bob, Rose, Willy, Michael, Wayne, Melanie, Noreen, Floyd, Donna, Josh, David & Suzanne, Elliott, Elaine
• Those who have died and those who mourn: Lois (the Heritage family)
• 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 to add someone's name to 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.

We pray for the repose of the soul of Lois Heritage.

Lois was married to the Rev. Peter Heritage. They served in communities in Saskatchewan, B.C., and the Diocese of Edmonton.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 24, at 11:00 am at All Saints' Cathedral (10034 - 103 St NW, Edmonton).

Please keep the Heritage family in your prayers.

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:

• Tuesday, January 20 - Emmanuel and St. Chad Meeting
• Tuesday, January 20 - Administration and Finance Meeting
• Thursday, January 22 - Welcoming of Roman Catholic Archbishop Hero
• Saturday, January 24 - Cursillo AGM - St. George's Fort Saskatchewan
• Sunday, January 25 - Christ Church Confirmation retreat
• Tuesday, January 27 - Induction at St. George's, Fort Saskatchewan 
• Wednesday, January 28 - Episcope Circle

The Rev. Canon Maureen Crerar has been appointed as Honourary Assistant Emerita at St. Patrick's Anglican Church, Edmonton, effective January 1, 2026.

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

Resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Registration is now open for Awakening Your Purpose conference on discernment and call on Feb. 21

Register for Bishop Stephen's Lenten Retreat at the Providence Centre

Cursillo news & events

Church Admin Corner: Annual Meeting Agenda Requirements

The January issue of The Messenger is now available online. It's all about stewardship.

Scroll down for more local and parish events in the "Join In" Section!

"The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an annual ecumenical celebration. Christians around the world are invited to pray for the unity of all Christians, to reflect on scripture together, to participate in jointly-organized ecumenical services, and to share fellowship." (www.weekofprayer.ca)

Resources for celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity at your church, including daily Bible study and prayer resources, are available on their website.

This year, the Week of Prayer is hosted by the Armenian Church. Listen to Bishop Hovakim Manukyan, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of the United Kingdom and Ireland, speaking about the 2026 theme and its meaning on this 5-minute video.

Have you ever wondered about how God is calling you? Are you looking for ways to grow in your Christian life? Is the Holy Spirit nudging you to go deeper? We often hear about 'vocation' in relation to a call to ordained ministry, but it's much bigger than that! This conference is for everyone, whether you are looking for ways to refresh your life of discipleship, beginning to wonder about ordained ministry, or exploring any of the multitude of other ways to follow God more fully.

Poster

Click here for more information

Bishop Stephen is excited to be leading a Lenten retreat on his favourite subject: growing into maturity in Christ! The retreat will be on the weekend of Feb. 27-March 1 at the Providence Renewal Centre.

This is a retreat about the joys and challenges of spiritual growth in Christ. The time together will be an extended reflection on Jesus’ words: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (Jn 8:32).” 

We know that the encounter with Jesus Christ sets us free. The Gospel is about the transformation of the human heart. However, this healing is never simple or uncomplicated. Life is hard, and people struggle. 

This retreat is not about quick fixes, but a vision of spiritual growth and maturity over your whole life. The focus will be on the art of the daily cultivation of the human heart.

 Register by February 19, 2026

 Suite: $350 Single: $300 Commute: $225 

 Providence Renewal Centre: 3005 119 Street NW, Edmonton

January 24: 2nd Annual Cursillo Epiphany Dinner

Please join us for an afternoon of fellowship, exceptional cuisine, and inspiring music. We will provide a Ukrainian-style main dish. Kindly bring a side dish or dessert. To help with a quick clean-up and reduce waste, please bring your own plates, mug, and silverware.

January 24 at 12:00 noon at St. George's, Fort Saskatchewan (10029 - 99 Ave., Fort Saskatchewan)

RSVP to cursilloedmonton@gmail.com

Invitation to Serve

With renewed energy from our recent Cursillo weekends in May 2024 and November 2025, our movement is experiencing beautiful growth. To continue nurturing this momentum, we are prayerfully seeking volunteers to join our 2026 Secretariat in the following positions: Secretary, 4th Day Chair, Music Chair, Pre-Cursillo Chair, Communications Chair. Serving on Secretariat is meaningful and manageable. It involves a monthly Zoom planning meeting, an annual Planning Day, and participation and support at Ultreyas. Detailed descriptions for each role are available upon request.

If you feel called to serve or know someone whose gifts would be a blessing in one of these roles, we would love to hear from you. Contact Janie Seguin, Lay Director, at cursilloedmonton@gmail.com or 780-915-5877.

It is parish Annual Meeting season!! Are you unsure what needs to be included in your meeting agenda? The Canons of the Diocese are here to help!

As per Canon 5.85, your agenda must include:

• Call to order and opening prayers
• Approval of previous Annual Meeting minutes
• Report from the Incumbent (Rector)
• Presentation of the previous year’s financials
• Approval of the coming year's budget
• Election of parish officers (if required)
• Consideration of motions
• Appointment of an Accounts Examiner for the coming year
• Closing prayers

Of course, you can add other items for your Annual Meeting, but the above list outlines the required items.

For more information about the requirements for your Annual Meeting, please refer to Canons 5.84-5.96 found on pages 42 and 43 of the Canons and Constitution document (found here: https://edmonton.anglican.ca/pages/canons-and-constitution).

Download the January 2026 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.

The Messenger welcomes story ideas, opinions (Letters to the Editor), and photo submissions relating to news and events of the Dioceses of Athabasca and Edmonton. Written content should be limited to 500 words. Pictures must be high resolution, at least 1 MB (300 dpi), and include the photographer's name and a brief description of the subject matter.

Note: The Messenger is published once a month, except in July and August. Please send submissions for the March 2026 edition to anglicanmessenger@gmail.com by February 2. 

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 Word document for bulletins and slide shows, click here**

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

Register now for Awakening Your Purpose, a new Diocese of Edmonton conference on vocation, discernment, and call. Coming February 21. Download the poster here.

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

This section contains events from parishes across the Diocese.

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

Jan. 26 at 7 pm - Windswept Meditations at St. Paul's

Jan. 27 at 7 pm - Service of Induction for the Rev. Regula Brandle at St. George's, Fort Saskatchewan

Jan. 31 at 7 pm - Concert at Good Shepherd

Feb. 2 at 7 pm- Klaio Grief Support at Good Shepherd

Feb. 4 at 9 am - Interfaith Breakfast with the Lieutenant Governor

WEEKLY EVENTS (please confirm events directly with parishes)

Sundays at 7 pm Evening Prayer from St. Peter's, Edmonton (Facebook)

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) 

Windswept Meditations encourages spiritual exploration in a mutually supportive environment through pop-up events that blend meditation, contemplation, and creativity.

This is a new project being developed by Doug Parth, Natalie Bryson, and Jim Robertson.

Spirit of Hope is the seventh event, and will build on the content and processes we explored over the past year.

Adherence to a religious tradition is not required to attend and participate.

Please RSVP to Jim at windsweptworship@gmail.com to ensure adequate seating.

What is provided:
Meditative, ambient and inspiring music by Doug Parth, Cole Martyschuk and Natalie Bryson
Mediation facilitated by Doug Parth and Jim Robertson
Aesthetics by Jim Robertson

Poetic sensibility

Community and hospitality facilitated by regular attendees.
Gentle conversation, open hearts, and gracious attentiveness
Tea

We welcome you to the first ACW-hosted concert of 2026! Throughout the year, the women of Good Shepherd Anglican Church reach out to local musicians, choirs, and artists to provide concerts for the whole community. Tickets are sold by donation, and can be purchased at the door on a first come-first served basis.

On January 31, the ACW proudly presents the incredibly talented Brittany Bloemmart in her second performance at Good Shepherd. Coffee and treats will be provided.

ACW concert nights are a great opportunity to spend time with friends and family in an affordable way. We look forward to sharing Brittany's vocal talent with our neighbours! Funds raised help support parish events and outreach programs like YESS. 

On the first Monday of each month, Good Shepherd hosts an open grief support group. Klaio comes from the Greek meaning "to weep, to cry, to mourn." We know that many carry the burden of grief quietly every day. Klaio grief support group is built on Romans 12:15b: "weep with those who weep." Anyone struggling with loss is welcome. Give voice to your grief so that the Holy Spirit may carry you through pain into peace. 

Good Shepherd Anglican Church: 15495 Castle Downs Road

The Edmonton Interfaith Centre for Education and Action invites you to their inaugural Interfaith Breakfast with the Hon. Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.

Wednesday, February 4, 2026, at 9:00 am

at the University Club (11435 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton)

Tickets ($45) available on Eventbrite.

Lend your voice to the campaign to protect refugee sponsorship capacity.

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.

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

The Diocese of Edmonton is excited to begin a new partnership with Huron University In 2026, tuition for courses in the LTh program is covered for members of the Diocese. Study towards a certificate or credential (e.g. Parish Leadership, Theology for Lay Readers, or Foundations in Diaconal Ministry) or learn more about something that interests you.

All courses beginning this month have reached registration capacity. More should be added soon. 

For more information, click here.

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