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!

• Those who are sick, suffering, or in need: 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:

• Tuesday, December 15 - Planning Meeting for Synod (Oct. 23-24, 2026)
• Sunday, December 21 - St. John's, Onoway
• Wednesday, December 24 - All Saints' Cathedral, 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

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

Church Admin Corner: In-Kind Donations

The December issue of The Messenger is now 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.

Can parishes accept non-cash gifts? If the parish wants to accept such a gift, for sure!

In-Kind Donations are non-monetary gifts that support the work of the parish. There is no requirement for parishes to accept in-kind donations if they do not want to receive them.

In-Kind Donations may be receipted provided the giver is at arm’s length from the recipient of the funds, and the items donated are deemed to be at fair market value. The CRA has a comprehensive description for determining fair market value, which may be found here: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/charities-giving/charities/operating-a-registered-charity/issuing-receipts/deemed-fair-market-value-rule.html.

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

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.

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.** 

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

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.

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. 21 - Christmas Messy Church in Edson

Dec. 21 - Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in Vegreville

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 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.

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