As we are assigned a particular parish to work with in the Diocese, we as coaches try to visualize what the parish may be like and how to plan what may work with them in mission.  In other words, one size does not fit all and what works here won’t work there. We start by setting up a meeting to try to meet their needs.  Often this includes meeting with the priest and or the wardens to seek knowledge of the parish, their goals, programs and the like, to cover the concepts listed in the suggestions of the program content.   It is at this point that I, along with many of the other coaches, enlist the power of the Holy Spirit to aid in the process of the working out a program for that parish and their congregation, priest, and wardens so that we present and look like we are ready for them.  On paper it all looks good and we are ready. 

In reality, however, that is what is supposed to happen in the presentation but sometimes we and the group are lead us astray.   Our plans can become altered and the questions the congregation wanted answered are not what we planned on.  It is at this point that we appeal to the Holy Spirit for some guidance and strength and switch to plan B or C or D, depending on whatever will work.   The helpfulness of the other coaches and the intervention of The Holy Spirit are paramount in the continuance of the session to everyone’s benefit. These moments are certainly not new to many of the Mission Coaches, many of whom are former teachers and educators.  The course materials refer to these moments as a "mindset shift" or the light turning on when the group give a collective sigh and say, “I get it.”

Each of us are thankful to the Holy Spirit and his/her interventions in our work with the churches in the Diocese and may we continue to meet the needs within each of the parishes within our charge.   Thank you, Lord Jesus.

This month's Missional Minute was written by Michael Larsen of St. Augustine, Lethbridge.

Induction Service

Archbishop Greg will, God willing, conduct a Service of Induction for The Rev. Daniel Hughes as Incumbent at Church of the Epiphany, Rimbey, on Saturday, November 15, beginning at 3:00 pm.  Clergy who serve in the Red Deer Deanery are expected to attend, and all clergy of the Diocese are invited to come and support Rev. Daniel in his ministry.  Color is Red.

Morning Prayer Services at St. Edmund's House:

The Diocese Office has resumed holding Morning Prayer services each Wednesday morning at 9:00 am.  All are welcome to drop by and join us for this service.

Scam Emails:

Once again, there have been scammers sending out emails that ask for funds or information.  Please be aware that our Archbishop, clergy, Officers of Synod or Diocesan Office staff would never send emails soliciting funds or information from "church directories."  Always check the email address carefully and if it looks suspicious, please delete the email.

Office Closed:

The Diocese Office will be closed on Tuesday, November 11 in order to observe Remembrance Day.

November 3 to 7 - National House of Bishops, Niagara Falls, ON

November 8 - Alongside Hope Tour 

November 9 - Confirmation Service at St. Andrew, Calgary (both 8:00 am and 10:00 am services)

November 9 - Women's Fall Cursillo Closura Service, Entheos Retreat Centre, 3:45 pm

November 15 - Induction Service of The Rev. Daniel Hughes at Church of the Epiphany, Rimbey, 3:00 pm

November 16 - Celebration of First Anniversary and Confirmation Service, St. Mark & St. Philip, Calgary, 11:30 am

November 17 to 20 - Clergy Retreat, Sanctum Retreat Centre

Please hold Archbishop Greg in your prayers as he serves as our Bishop and Metropolitan.

The Ministry Development team offers time for lay ministers from around the diocese (new and locally ordained too!)  to gather each week to discuss and reflect upon the readings for the week in preparation for preaching. Academic resources (commentaries, etc) will be made available for participants, and it will be a great opportunity to share ideas and resources for lay ministers who are preaching in their local services.  

Time: Tuesdays from 1:00 to 3:00 pm

Location: on Zoom

Please contact Br. Jason Carroll to sign up or for more information. 

The Ministry Development team offers time for lay ministers from around the diocese to gather once a month for discussion and conversation around the opportunities, challenges and needs of lay ministry. It is also a great opportunity to create connections and fellowship with other lay ministers in the diocese. 

In the third week of each month, we will be producing a podcast with a different guest and topic for discussion. The Round Table will be held on the fourth Thursday of the month on Zoom in the afternoons, where the podcast and any other issues are on the table for discussion!

Listen to the Podcast from October 23 – Podcast with The Rev. Steve Bateman on Pilgrimage

Please contact Br. Jason Carroll for more information (jcarroll@calgary.anglican.ca)

For more information, please contact the Office at St. James, Calgary.

The Cathedral Church of the Redeemer will be hosting a Service of Evensong on Sunday, November 16, beginning at 4:30 pm.

Please join us for this traditional and inspiring service!

Three workshops are being offered, open to all interested persons and are free of charge.  All will be held at the Coaldale Public Library (2014 - 18th Street, Coaldale), except for the final workshop of February 28, 2026, which will be held at the Anglican Church of the Ascension, Coaldale.  Registration is required as space is limited.  To register, Click Here.

1. Mental Health First Aid: Saturday, November 22 and 29, 12:00 - 4:00 pm.  Taught by trainer Jason Schluchten.

2. Creative Problem Solving: Saturday, January 31, 12:00 - 4:00 pm.  Facilitated by Jonathan Legg, artist and educator.

3. Spiritual Practices and Healing: Saturday, February 28, 12:00 - 4:00 pm.  Facilitated by educator and musician Helen Raczuk and chaplain and musician Reno Guyon.

For more information, the poster or the brochure, please be in touch with The Rev. Canon Erin Phillips.

Sponsored by the Anglican Church of the Ascension, Coaldale with financial support from the Anglican Healing Fund for Japanese Canadians.

Anglican Fellowship of Prayer will be hosting a Morning Prayer Service on Zoom, Saturday, November 29, beginning at 8:30 am.

Meeting ID: 880 7535 3503
Passcode: 635239

Please join us for our Advent Procession at 7:30 pm on Sunday, November 30.  

This will be a Service of readings and music moving from darkness to light to enter into the Season of Advent.

For more information, please contact the parish.

It's that time of year again!

All Saints, Medicine Hat invites you to their Annual Christmas Tea & Bake Sale on December 6 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.  

Admission is $10.00 and there will be a door prize.

Please register early - there is a limit of 35 participants.

If paying by e-transfer, please send to accounting@allsaintscochrane.org

This annual fundraising event features the sale of donated Christmas decorations, ornaments, garland, lights, and trees.  These items can be dropped off at the Foodbank on Mondays or Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.  We can be reached during these times at 403-288-6330 if you have any questions.

Donations by e-transfer can be sent to foodbank@stedmundscalgary.org.  In order to receive a tax receipt, in the Message Box, please put your NAME, ADDRESS and POSTAL CODE.

The Anglican Fellowship of Prayer will hold a Blue Christmas Service at St. Edmund's House on Saturday, December 20, beginning at 11:00 am.

For more information, please contact AFP Fellowship.

The Parish of St. Michael, Canmore has changed the lamps in their sanctuary, and now have three unopened one-gallon jugs they no longer need.

If you could use this lamp oil, please be in touch with the Parish.  

The latest edition of the Ecumenical Campus Ministry, Lethbridge Newsletter can be found below.

On Saturday, November 29, The Rev. Gene Packwood, priest and past Chair of Anglican Renewal Ministries, will guide us into the Advent season in a spirit of hopeful expectation. 

This course will introduce students to the discipline of theology. We will discover the "why" and "how" of theology, drawing on some of the most important theologians of Christian history. The course will be structured around the Apostles’ Creed as the backbone of theology. We'll also cover how Anglicans approach theology.  And we will begin to see how theology is lived out in our daily lives. 

This is an entry-level course and will be tailored to different levels. It will, as much as possible, be seminar-style or discussion-based rather than lecture-based. We will be reading both primary and secondary sources.

The course, offered on Zoom and using Google Classroom will start on Saturday, January 31, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm, and last for 12 weeks. The course is capped at 12 participants. A second class may be considered if this time does not suit many students or if interest greatly exceeds the 12-student limit.

A syllabus is available. Students should register early to secure a spot and order their texts.  

The instructor is the Rev. Greg Clark, who also instructs the Anglican Identity and Polity course.  Further information is available on the syllabus.

To register, please contact Barbara Labrecque.

There will be two EfM Online groups starting in January 2026.

Sunday Group led by the Rev Paula Porter Leggett who is based in the Diocese of New Westminster. This class is going into its second year and starts at 3:30pm PT (7:30pm Atlantic).  For information on this class, please contact the Rev’d Paula Porter Leggett at 2rev2pl@gmail.com or text at 1-604-329-8701 and she will call you back.

Tuesday Group: led by David Harrison who is a member of the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. This class is brand new and starts at 7:00pm Atlantic. Please contact David at djh@djharrison.ca.

EfM Classic is our traditional four year program and has a new format this year, entirely digital.   This opens up new opportunities such as film clips, documentaries, and other virtual resources.  There are more resources to guide learners in our reading week-to-week, new essays by ‘Sojourners’ - faith communities that are praying for us all year and traveling alongside in our reading.  All the text-books but one are new to us. 

EfM Wide Angle is a new, one year program, which runs concurrently with EfM Classic. It is suitable for those people who are interested in EfM but do not wish to commit to a four year program. The texts used in the Wide Angle program are different from thos used in the Classic classes. Wide Angle is also suitable for EfM graduates who wish to continue on the journey!

EfM is for lay people, to grow their faith as adult learners, discern how God is calling them, and discover gifts for ministry in the company of others on this pilgrimage, enriching our discipleship.

Interested in either program?  For more information, please contact David Harrison at djh@djharrison.ca

EfM website:  efmcanada.ca

Recruiting will begin by early November and close on January 4th, 2026.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse that delivers gift-filled shoeboxes to children around the world in Jesus' name with toys, hygiene items, and school supplies.  This is a tangible expression of God's love through the hands of local ministry partners as they share the Good News of Jesus Christ, God's Greatest Gift.

In 2024, over 11.9 million shoebox gifts were collected worldwide.  Of those, 436,290 came from Canada.

Many shoebox recipients participate in our 12-lesson discipleship program called The Greatest Journey.  Children learn who Jesus is, how to have a relationship with Him, and how to tell others about Him.  After completing The Greatest Journey, children attend a graduation celebration where they receive a certificate and a colorful illustrated New Testament in their own language.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is shared with all attending the event.

Shoebox materials will begin shipping in September.  Each box requires a label on the top, indicating if it is for a boy or a girl and their age (2-4 years, 5-9 years, or 10-14 years).

Shoeboxes will be collected from November 17 to 23, 2025 at a designated drop off location (on their website).

Operation Christmas Child delivers not only the joy of what for many children is their first gift ever but also gives them a tangible expression of God's love.

Please remember in your prayers:

- for peace within our country, and in the world, for victims of violence, war and natural disasters, and for areas of unrest and riots.  We ask for wise discernment in our leaders; 

- for the Anglican Communion, and our new Archbishop of Canterbury-elect, The Most Rev. Sarah Mullally;

- for the work of the General Synod, and for our Primate, The Most Rev. Shane Parker;

- for our Companion Diocese of the Windward Islands;

- for those who are sick, suffering, isolated or in need.  We ask for prayers for Barbara, Maureen, Karen, Ruth and James, Kate, Rosemary, Patricia, Rob, Alan, Gloria, Joan, James, Doug, Beth, Janis, and Faten;

- for those who have died and those who mourn;

- for the poor, the homeless, and the needy in our communities;

- for our Indigenous brothers and sisters, and their leaders in our diocese and country; 

- for refugees, remembering those fleeing regimes around the world.

Request a prayer:

Send prayer requests to ctubman@calgary.anglican.ca to let us know how we can pray for you.  We will only use first names which will be removed after two or three weeks.  We will also pray for you during our regular Chapel services each week.  Please ensure that you have permission from those whose names you are submitting for prayer, and that they understand their name will be made public to all who subscribe to the Newsletter.

We are interested in what is happening in your parish and would love to highlight those events and news in our newsfeed.

We look forward to your contributions - feel free to forward your event announcements, your parish news, your stories.  Send in your details and pictures to ctubman@calgary.anglican.ca.

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