• Those who are sick, suffering, or in need: Tara; Lorelei, Marie. Sue, and Doreen.
• Those who have died; and those who mourn.
• Those affected by conflict or natural disasters around the world.
• Those who are organising and attending the Cursillo Weekend.
• 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 at the end of those two weeks.

Bishop Stephen London drove two hours east of Edmonton on Sunday, April 14, for a return visit to St. John's Anglican Church in Sedgewick. 

"I love the drive out to the rural parishes," Bishop Steve said on his Facebook page. "This welcoming parish meets twice a month with a priest who goes out once a month. I am grateful to the people for their love of the parish and the Gospel. It was one of the first parishes I got to when I was consecrated a bishop, and it has taken awhile to get back."

Please hold Bishop Stephen London in your prayers as he serves parishes throughout the diocese and connects with our partners and friends beyond the diocese. The following event and/or service dates have been scheduled:

• May 2 - Bishop's Fund Reception, University of Alberta Faculty Club, 5 pm
• May 3 to 5 - Cursillo Weekend, Star of the North Retreat Centre, St. Albert
• May 5 - Evensong, All Saints' Cathedral, 7 pm
• May 11 - Anti-racism Policy Lens Training, 9 am
• May 11 - Celebration of 50th Anniversary of Ordination of Peter Yeung, St. Philip's, Westlock, 2 pm
• May 12 - Sunday Service, St. George's, Fort Saskatchewan, 10 am

Bishop Stephen London is pleased to appoint the Rev. Sarah Holmstrom as Interim Priest-in-Charge at St. Michael and All Angels, Edmonton.

Bishop Stephen London is pleased to announce that on Pentecost, Sunday, May 19, it is his intention, God willing, to ordain to the diaconate Christa Eisbrenner.

He will also be welcoming to the diocese the Rt. Rev. Nigel Shaw, Anglican Bishop Ordinary of the Anglican Military Ordinariate, as he intends to ordain Helen Chan Bennett to the diaconate.

At this service, we will also be pleased to install Mr. Rob Reynolds, K.C., as the Chancellor of the Diocese of Edmonton.

The service will be at All Saints’ Cathedral at 7:00 pm. Members of the clergy are invited to vest and the colour is red.

Photo: marek-studzinski-TyA49J14w40-unsplash

The Social Justice Committee of the Diocese of Edmonton invites all who are interested to St. Columba Anglican Church, 5703 50 Ave, Beaumont, on Saturday, June 1, from 10 am to 12 noon, to engage in supportive and encouraging dialogue with Christians from different denominations to help answer some of the most common questions:

• What are the different ways my church can meaningfully address some of the cultural issues happening in our area and the world right now?
• How do I deal with opposing views among parishioners?
• Truth and Reconciliation: what does it look like in our parish? What could it look like in our parish?
• How is our church defining justice and is it biblical?
• In what ways has our church dealt with racism? What has worked, what hasn't?

You are also welcome to share ideas and ask any questions. We invite you to stay afterwards and enjoy lunch together. Please register on Eventbrite.

POSTER

A huge thank you to everyone who completed a parish member survey and/or a clergy/parish leader survey. We value your insight into the areas in which your parish is flourishing and the areas in which it is challenged. With the surveys completed, consultant Anna Bubel, assisted by Jacqui Chesterton, is now preparing for the next step of the listening process: parish engagement sessions. We hope all parishioners will attend these sessions. Whether you go to church occasionally or every Sunday, in-person or virtually, your opinion matters to us! Please ask your parish rector or leader about when your parish engagement session is scheduled.

" ...We have entered into a time of discernment in our own diocese. The Listening in Spirit process is part of our discernment as a diocese and as individual parishes. The process is tasked with giving us a solid snapshot of where we are as a diocese in many areas and helping parishes to have a greater understanding of where they are individually. We will bring this information to our Synod in October for conversation and prayer together..." Bishop Stephen London 

For more information about the Listening in Spirit | Shaping Our Future Together strategic planning process, please see Frequently Asked Questions

We give thanks for the faithful ministry of the Rev. Peter Yeung, rector of St. Philip's, Westlock. Peter is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his ordination to priestly ministry this May. An associate of the Order of the Holy Cross and ordained in 1974, in the Diocese of Niagara, Peter was posted to CFB Penhold (southwest of Red Deer) as a military chaplain 10 years later.

In the Diocese of Edmonton, he has ministered to the rural communities of Edgerton and Wainwright; Vermilion and Mannville; Drayton Valley, Evansburg; and most recently Westlock. He has served as a Regional Dean, Archdeacon and Acting Executive Archdeacon. He was also the Deputy Prolocutor and Prolocutor for the Ecclesiastical Province of Rupert's Land. Peter was awarded the Queen's Jubilee Medal for community service.

A clergy day for ecumenical leaders to “Dare to Share” and discuss further possibilities for creating Ecumenical Shared Ministries (ESMs), was well received by the Rev. Dr. Scott Sharman, Canon to the Ordinary, and Bishop Stephen London, Diocese of Edmonton.

“This past Thursday (April 25), nearly 50 clergy and lay leaders from Anglican, Lutheran, Moravian, and United churches in the Greater Edmonton and Central Alberta areas gathered for a day retreat and workshop to pray together, build relationships, and explore emerging opportunities for sharing worship services, buildings, clergy, staff, ministries and outreach initiatives in local faith communities and beyond,” says Sharman in a Facebook post.

“This is now the second year we have done something like this. I think we will keep doing it, and it is definitely a model I can see being transferable and having similar benefits in other regions." 

On Sunday, April 28, the Rev. Dr. Scott Sharman, Canon to the Ordinary; Ecumenical and Interfaith Coordinator, Diocese of Edmonton, worshiped with Heimtal Moravian Church, at the invitation of pastor James Lavoy, District Board, Moravian Church in Canada.

Commenting about his experience on Facebook, Sharman says: “We followed the liturgy for Christian Unity, and I reflected in the sermon on Acts 8 and the Apostle Philip being nudged by the Spirit onto ‘a wilderness road,’ to have an encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch.

“I see this story as an analogy for the Church in our time: Of our being called to get up from our static stability and to go out from our familiar and comfortable ways into a wilderness that turns out to be full of new possibilities; to begin to move once again along unfamiliar roads so that we may be surprised again by all those we get to join with God in meeting there.”

The May issue of The Messenger, features stories about Athabasca diocese's 150th anniversary, creative worship expressions, church and community partnerships, protecting the sacredness of creation, youth perspectives on faith and much more.  

The Messenger welcomes story ideas, opinions (Letters to Editor) and photo submissions relating to news and events of the Athabasca and Edmonton dioceses. 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 10 times/year. Please send submissions for the Summer 2024 edition to anglicanmessenger@gmail.com by May 1.

Please join Immanuel Anglican Church in Wetaskiwin as we remember the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit folk in our community and beyond during Red Dress Week. There will be a short memorial on Sunday, May 5, 3 pm, at the Peace Cairn in Diamond Jubilee Park.

Please join the parish of St. George's, Devon, on Tuesday, May 7, at 7 pm, in welcoming the Rev. Lisa Wojna as rector. All are welcome! Clergy are invited to attend and vest. The colour will be white.

The diocesan Disability Justice Team hopes you can join them for a Neurodiverse Family Service on May 11, 2 pm, at St. Timothy's, 8420 145 St, NW, Edmonton. This accessible and inclusive family service is designed for Autistic, ADHD and Neurodivergent children, youth and adults and is open to all to share in holy, messy community.

Anyone interested in the work of the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) is invited to a spring gathering with Jeffrey Hanger, the representative for the Diocese of Edmonton, on Saturday, May 11, 10 am, at St. George's, 11733 87 Ave NW, Edmonton. Please RSVP to jeffhanger71@gmail.com 

The Voces Alegres Choir and Ensemble will present their Spring Concert on May 17, at 7:30 pm, at Good Shepherd, 15495 Castle Downs Rd, Edmonton. Donations welcome! POSTER

The Anglican Foundation of Canada, in partnership with All Saints’ Anglican Cathedral in Edmonton, is pleased to celebrate Evensong and host the Anglican Foundation’s Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. The Most Rev. Linda Nicholls will preach,  and the Rt. Rev. Stephen London will preside. Everyone is welcome. Pre-registration is encouraged. 

• Evensong • 5:45 pm
• Reception • 6:45 pm
• Annual General Meeting • 7:30 pm

To pre-register: www.anglicanfoundation.org/2024agm

We are already on the home stretch of February and parishes have either had or are gearing up for their Annual General Meetings. People's wardens and synod delegates should save the date of October 18 and 19, 2024 for the 69th Synod of the Diocese of Edmonton. Details, including the official notice of synod, will be posted at: https://edmonton.anglican.ca/synod

We are happy to share news and pictures, or help promote upcoming events (ie. youth gathering, parish fundraiser, worship service, community outreach, public lecture) in Synod Scene, our weekly e-newsletter to clergy, parishes and subscribers. Please click the link to the form below to tell us about your news and event . Upload a graphic or picture (horizontal / landscape orientation; 1500x784 px), and your event poster (if you have one). Submissions must be received by Tuesday at noon to guarantee their inclusion in the current week's newsletter. Have questions? Email Margaret Glidden, communications@edmonton.anglican.ca; or call 780-439-7344

Donating blood and/or plasma is a potentially lifesaving gift. Not everyone can be a donor, but if you are able, please donate. You will join a community of donors making all the difference for patients nationwide. Patient need is constant, no matter the season. Your support helps ensure people receive essential blood products when and where they need them.

The Bishop of Edmonton invites applications for the position of Incumbent of Dayspring Ministries. This is a full-time position supporting the ministry of three rural parishes in the Diocese of Edmonton.

Dayspring Ministries is a shared ministry of St. Saviour’s, Vermilion; St. Thomas’, Wainwright; and St. Mary’s, Edgerton led by one full-time priest and several lay leaders from the three parishes. The origin of Dayspring is rooted in the need to ensure the continuation of ministry in rural areas.

For the full parish profile, and for information regarding submitting a complete application, please contact: Sarah Kemp, Assistant to the Bishop, assistant@edmonton.anglican.ca

Closing date: May 24, 2024 For more information, please see JOB POSTING

Cold and flu season is upon us, and COVID persists in all its variations. As we spend more time indoors, it is becoming more difficult to contain germs and protect vulnerable members of our communities. Please remember that a minor infection for one person can develop into a major sickness for someone else. If you are feeling unwell (ie. have a cough, runny nose, sore throat, chest congestion, fever...), please stay home.

Did you know, you or a loved one can receive a pastoral visit from the Anglican Hospital Chaplain while in hospital? When you are admitted, please:

• Let the hospital staff know that you are Anglican;
• Consent to being visited by a chaplain. When you consent, you will be added to a list of patients who have requested a visit by the chaplain.

Please share this information with your family and friends. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the Rev. Regula Brandle, Diocese of Edmonton Anglican Hospital Chaplain, at revregula@edmonton.anglican.ca.

Starting May 8, join Clint Porritt of the Star of the North, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, for a 5-week series of outdoor urban gardening evenings combining ritual and reflection with hands-on good gardening practices and education around issues such as creation care and food security. To register or find out more, visit www.starofthenorth.ca/grow or call 780-459-5511.

Youth Retreat: A Day Just for You

“Young people: they care. They know this is the world they are going to grow up in, they’re going to spend the rest of their lives in.” (David Attenborough). Providence Renewal Centre is hosting a Youth Retreat on Saturday, May 11, from 10 am to 6 pm. It is a day, just for youth, of activities and programs including Stress Reduction, Art Therapy, Music, God & Sports, and Spirituality & Gaming. Ages 12+ $75 (first youth); $50 (each additional youth from same family)

Outside the Vox is a concert unlike anything else in Korora Choirs’ 28-year history. For the first time, the organization’s three adult choirs are dividing, combining, and refiguring into an upper-voice ensemble (featuring the sopranos and altos of Òran, Vacilando, and ChandraTala) and a tenor-bass ensemble drawn from Òran and Vacilando. —plays on this sense of musical adventure and experimentation.

The program embraces a wide range of styles and emotions, from spiritual, to emotional, to jazzy, to sublimely silly. Along with the equal-voice pieces, the concert also includes a couple of mixed-voice gems.

Outside the Vox takes place on Saturday, May 11, 7:30 pm,  at McDougall United Church, 10025 101 St, Edmonton. Tickets ($25, students $20, children $15) are available online .

The 2024 Anglican-Lutheran National Worship Conference will be held in Regina, Saskatchewan, July 18-21, 2024. This event will include keynote presentations by Michelle Nieviadomy, the Rev. Chung Yan Lam and Becca Whitla. The conference will also include workshops and networking opportunities among participants. Register online: National Worship Conference,