• Those who are sick, suffering, or in need: Gail, Justin, Ann, Roger, Lorelei, Rae, Colleen, and Rita.
• Those who have died and those who mourn.
• 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.

Read in the December 2022 edition of The Messenger about the 68th Synod's decisions to walk together toward common goals such as team ministry, reparation, affirmation and beloved community.

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

Bishop Stephen London is pleased to appoint the Rev. Trina Holmberg as rector of the combined ministries of St. Mary’s Anglican Church in Ponoka and St. Andrew’s in Camrose.

Holmberg sees the hand of God in her journey to this new arrangement.

“Once upon a time,” Holmberg says, “I interviewed at two Anglican churches that were willing to consider having a Moravian ordained minister serve them. I began serving St. Andrew’s in Camrose in January 2021. In January 2023 I will begin serving St. Mary’s in Ponoka, the other church I had met with. I can see God smiling back knowing that someday I would be serving both.” 

At its meeting Thursday, November 24th, the Diocese of Edmonton Executive Council welcomed new members elected at the diocesan synod in October. It also approved the diocesan budget for 2023, which is now available on the diocesan website. Follow the link below or visit the website at edmonton.anglican.ca, then click on the link for Parish Info, then Apportionment and Budget. 

An annual fundraiser to help women and children access medical care in our companion Diocese of Buyé raised more than $4,600 in September. 

Most of the proceeds come from parish coffee-hour collections. The money is then wire transferred by the Rev. John Gee, diocesan treasurer, to Buyé diocese where it will be used to purchase $5 medical cards. With a medical card, a person’s medical expenses are covered by up to 80 per cent. Access to healthcare is otherwise out of reach for most people living in Burundi. 

Buyé diocese receives 100 per cent of the donations collected by Diocese of Edmonton parishes. There are no administrative fees. 

The “$5-5 Ways” medical card fundraiser was started in 2018 by the Rev. Rebecca Harris and the Rev. Danielle Key.

Pictures received from Fr. Canon Dominique Ciza, Buyé executive secretary, show cards being distributed to people in the parishes of St. Emmanuel, Ruyenzi and St. Stephen, Kobero in October.

The Inner City Pastoral Ministry (ICPM), now in its 45th year of responding compassionately to the needs of people living in Edmonton's inner city,  needs your assistance. Led by the Rev. Quinn Strikwerda, the ICPM minitry team provides worship, Bible study, and men’s and women’s groups. As you prepare for the wondrous celebration of the birth of Jesus and time spent with family and friends, please take a moment to support the work of ICPM this Advent. Emergency grocery cards, bus tickets, and warm winter clothing and blankets all make a difference as ICPM supports people. Cheques may be made out to Inner City Pastoral Ministry and returned to: the Bissell Centre, 10527 96 ST NW, Edmonton AB, T5H 2H6. Donations are also welcome at www.canadahelps.org, or via e-transfer to icpmgiving@gmail.com.  Advent Appeal Letter

The December issue of In Touch, the quarterly newsletter of the Diocese of Edmonton ACW, is available to download or read online.

With only a month to go in 2022, "Team Anglican" is just 10 donations shy of our goal of 120 donations of blood and/or plasma. Way to go team! Keep it up! If you're able, please consider helping us countdown to 2023 by giving the gift of life. You can join our team by first checking you're eligible, then clicking here to enter our Partner ID: ANGL696986. To donate blood, call: 1-888-236-6283 or visit Canadian Blood Services. Thank you!

As we journey through Advent, Bishop Stephen London accompanies parishes in this time of joyful waiting. Please keep him in your prayers.

• December 1: ACW Communion Service, All Saints' Cathedral
• December 2: Diocesan Discipleship Group, Synod Office
• December 4: Advent Lessons and Carols, St. Aidan and St. Hilda, Rexboro
• December 4: Evensong, All Saints' Cathedral
• December 8: Episcope Circle, Synod Office
• December 9: Cursillo Ultreya, on Zoom
• December 10: Presentation on Joyful Waiting at Providence Renewal Centre
• December 11: St. George's, Devon

No Room in the Inn is based on the story of Mary and Joseph, forced to take refuge in a stable because there was nowhere else for them to stay. Each Christmas, churches and individuals from a number of denominations join together in this campaign to raise financial support to a housing provider that works to meet the needs of the homeless or those at risk in the Edmonton Metro Region. This year No Room in the Inn has chosen the Canadian Mental Health Association – Edmonton Region. For more than fifty years, CMHA-ER has worked to provide safe and secure housing for people living with mental illness. CMHA-ER currently owns or operates seven buildings comprising of 146 units that house 108 individuals and families.

The Sisterhood of St. John the Divine presents "Mary’s Song – What is Your song?" Reflections for Advent on December 3, from 10 am to 3:30 pm, on Zoom. Our reflections during the Quiet day will be based on the "Magnificat", which is Mary’s Song. Our journey during the day will be a reflection on learning to sing our own "Magnificat", our own song. We will walk with Mary during the day, and try to glean from her some insights, encouragement, and a challenge. This Quiet Day will be led online by Sister Doreen, SSJD. To register, email dorothydahli@shaw.ca  When you register you will receive a meditative index with information and scripture readings and a Zoom link.

Please join us at St. David's for our Annual Christmas Carol Sing Along! Fabulous home-made mince pies will be served along with hot apple cider, as we break into song with everyone’s favourite Christmas Carols. There is no admission cost for this event, and everyone is welcome! For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.st-davids.ca/special-events/

St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church in Vegreville invites you to let go of the busyness of day-to-day life for a Quiet Day on December 10, from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm. Refreshments and a light, hot lunch will be provided. Donations welcome. Please register in advance by emailing the Rev. Laureta Blondin at laureta.blondin@gmail.com or call 780-904-9026. For more info, see attached POSTER

Join St. Augustine-Parkland at 131 Church Road in Spruce Grove for an afternoon concert and silent auction featuring Elvis impersonator extraordinaire Robin Kelly. Doors open at 1 pm and the show starts at 2. For tickets ($25 each), email staugustinesparkland@gmail.com or call 780-962-5131. POSTER

Join parishioners of St. Peter's Anglican Church as they bid farewell to the Rev. Heather Liddell and wish her the best on her next adventure, moving to Montreal. The party starts at 2pm on Saturday, December 17, at St. Peter's Church, 11035 127 Street NW, Edmonton.

The parish of St. Augustine Parkland, located in Spruce Grove, is seeking a full-time rector. If this interests you, the parish of St. Augustine has prepared a parish profile in the form of a website, providing all the information you might need. The application deadline is January 3, 2023.

The parish of St. Thomas, located in Sherwood Park, is seeking a full-time rector. If your pastoral experience gives you the confidence and skills to share the rationale for change and to involve others in making and supporting decisions for the glory of God, please see Parish Profile. The application deadline is December 11, 2022.

This historical novel follows a teenager as he joins three eccentric “wise” men on the trip of a lifetime. Like any of life’s journeys, it involves learning, love, sadness and a destination beyond all expectations. The book, published by Edmonton author David Holehouse, a member of St. Thomas in Sherwoord Park, is available from depthofheaven.com as an E-Pub, or as a paperback from dwholehouse@gmail.com.   

Dee Andrus is a Christian caregiver offering support to seniors in the Edmonton region. A member of St. Paul's Anglican Church in Leduc for 12+ years and now a member of the congregation at St. Margaret's in Edmonton, Andrus says she has had the pleasure of caring for hundreds of seniors. "COVID has made life and caregiving difficult," she says, "but please be reassured, there are still honest, empathetic and caring individuals available. I am available to all seniors and can provide a vast array of services."  Andrus' business is called "For the Love of Seniors." She can be contacted at 780-446-6918. 

Please note the Synod Scene is happy to share information, but does not specifically endorse any particular business endeavour.

Quiet Prophecy: Ron Rolheiser Public Lecture: In a spirit of gratitude to Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI for his years of service to retreat ministry and education in the Edmonton area, Star of the North Retreat Centre will celebrate his time with us on Friday, December 2, at 7:00 pm, with the public lecture entitled Quiet Prophecy: Another Kind of Protest for Social and Religious Transformation. Our time will be followed by cake and light desserts with tea, coffee and beverages. Cost: Online $25 / In-Person $30. Purchase your tickets at www.starofthenorth.ca/prophecy  

Shines the Light of Hope Advent Retreat: with the charism of the Incarnation rooted in her heart, Sr. Mary Clare Stack is a joyful and compassionate woman who discovers the presence of God in everything that happens, but especially in the most disfigured faces. Join Sr. Mary Clare on Saturday, December 10, from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, for a one-day journey through scripture, the wisdom of Pope Francis, contemporary authors and artists. Cost: Online $100 / In-Person $150 Register by December 6 at www.starofthenorth.ca/advent

Advent Retreat: Joyful Patience - Waiting for Emmanuel:  Facilitated by the Edmonton and District Council of Churches (EDCC) and Fr. Warren Schmidt, CSB, this retreat, to be held Friday, December 9, 7 PM to Sunday, December 11, 1 pm, offers prayers and reflections during the season of Advent. As we wait for the birth of Christ, our Emmanuel, may we wait in joyful patience like “the farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains” (James 5:7). Register by November 29 by clicking this link. POSTER

Registration is open for the School of Women in Ministry and we are excited to welcome new students. The program consists of 12 units presented over two years and, since the Canadian school started in 2002, has been attended by women from a range of Christian denominations and diverse ministries. SWM now works in partnership with Lifesprings International to bring this valuable training to women worldwide. For more information email Christa Eisbrenner, lay reader at Immanuel Anglican Parish in Wetaskiwin, at dean@womeninministry.ca, or click below to visit the SWM website.

The 2023 Anglican Church of Canada publications are ready to order online. To get your church calendars, click here or visit the ACC publishing website at anglican.gilmore.ca and follow the links. The cost is $7.50 for 1 calendar, $6.00 for 2-19 calendars, and $4.00 for 20 or more. There is free shipping for orders of 50 or more. Click here to see a PDF preview of the calendar.