Join us to celebrate Sr. Ingrid's 60th birthday with a Pot-Luck Party on Friday, October 10^th at 6:30 pm.
Theme: 1980s dress, dinner and dance.

Sign up in the Narthex - and request your favourite song!

Join us for our annual Parish Harvest Dinner on Saturday, October 18th at 6 pm in the Hall. Sign-up sheets are in the Narthex. Please indicate on the sheet if you are also available to help with set-up and/or take-down.

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

Messy Church returns to Church of the Advent on Saturday, October 18^th at 10:30 AM in rooms A, B, and C. Messy Church is a fun, creative form of church for people of all ages. It’s a celebration time with story, prayer, and songs, followed by a sit-down lunch together. Come and join us – you’ll enjoy it!

The 2025 Investiture service will take place at 10.30 AM on Saturday, October 25, at Christ Church Cathedral, Victoria. 

The purpose of the Order is to honour and give special recognition to members of the diocese (and in the case of honourary awards, those not part of the diocese) who have given outstanding service over a significant period of time in their baptismal ministry.

We are honoured to announce that Barb Gossman will receive her Order at the ceremony. Congratulations, Barb!

A reminder that the next (fourth) session of the Intersections course takes place on Tuesday, October 14th, online at

https://bc-anglican-ca.zoom.us/j/81480993529

Dates: Tuesdays Oct 14, 21, 28, and Nov 4. 7-9 PM 
Venue: Sessions 2-6 are online, via Zoom.The last session takes place at Gordon United Church, Langford on Nov 4th.

Recordings of the teaching part of the sessions will be available. Please contact Sr. Ingrid at iandersen@bc.anglican.ca if you need access to the recording for a session.

The Christmas Craft Fair committee is now collecting Jars to put the 'mixes' together. There will be a box in the Narthex to put them in. We are looking for the larger sized Classico jars (with their lids); quart canning jars; and small 'jam' jars. All contributions are gratefully received. Any questions?? Please contact Liz Garland - 250-818-4295.

A prayer shawl is a handmade shawl, usually knit or crocheted, of soft yarn to give someone a tangible example of God’s love and care. A prayer shawl is infused with prayer by the crafter. The crafter prays before, during, and after they work on the shawl. Blessings are given in every loving stitch of the project. Sometimes a shawl is made for someone we know, and sometimes for someone we don't know, but the crafter prays for the person who receives it just the same. This soothes the crafter as they work. Moreover, the prayer is worked into the item itself, which is then gifted to a recipient who can wrap up in it and feel God’s arms around him or her and feel the love and care that went into the piece. Upon completion, a final blessing is offered by the priest before the shawl is sent on its way. Thus, the blessing ripples from person-to-person, with both the giver and receiver feeling the unconditional embrace of a sheltering, mothering God!

We would like any and all crafters with an interest to join us. We plan to have our first meeting on Thursday, October 16^th, 10:00am – Noon in the St. John's Room. At this meeting we will determine when and how often we will meet. Some people may decide to participate but not attend any meetings. This is new and we are exploring.

If you are interested and/or have any questions or cannot make a daytime meeting, please feel free to contact Shirley at 604-816-2964. We look forward to you joining us Thursday, October 16th.

Last week’s selection of books by Franciscan authors will remain on the Top Shelf for another week.

They are:

Ilia Delio et al. Care for Creation: A Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth.
   Reflections on climate change and care for the planet with proposals for personal and group action.

Brennan Manning. Abba’s Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging
   God deeply loves us as we are; only as our true selves can we claim our true identity as God’s children.

Brennan Manning. The Relentless Love of Jesus: Meditations on the Son of God.
    Manning speaks of a God who is unique, uncreated, infinite and totally other, and who loves us no matter what. In this series of reflections, he talks about both the power and the tenderness of Jesus.

Richard Rohr. Simplicity: The Art of Living.
   A provocative collection of lectures and sermons about what it means to be a Christian.

Richard Rohr. Everything Belongs: The Gift of Contemplative Prayer.
   Being rooted and rested in God.

CHILDREN’S SECTION

Clare's Choice: a story about Clare of Assisi. Written by Melissa Flannery.
Brother Francis: a story about Saint Francis of Assisi. Written by Jan Johnson.

Both picture books illustrated by Kathryn E. Shoemaker. The lives of St Francis, who founded the Franciscan monastic order, and St Clare, the founder of the Poor Clares.

The loan period for all books is 6 weeks. Please read and return any overdue books as soon as possible, and spare your librarian a phone call. Thanks!

To borrow any book, fill out a green loan slip from the small bookcase in the narthex, and put it in the pink box labelled “Library.” If you are returning a book, fill out a yellow return slip, put it in the Library box, and leave your book beside or under the box; please do not reshelve it. Thank you.

All are welcome to join us on Thursdays for our relaxed, lively and interesting Zoom online Bible Study, to discuss the readings for the upcoming Sunday. The readings are posted in this newsletter.

No experience or prior knowledge is needed.

Time: 6 PM - 7 PM.

Zoom Link:  

https://bc-anglican-ca.zoom.us/j/88378461340?pwd=cU9wSUNEZG02M3h3bGVrUmpyMjRNZz09

Meeting ID: 883 7846 1340
Passcode: 4743031

Readings for this Sunday's services:

JEREMIAH 29:1, 4-7

PSALM 66:1-11

2 TIMOTHY 2:8-15

LUKE 17:11-19

Read Sunday's readings online:
1. Go to https://lectionary.anglican.ca/  
2. Select next Sunday's date in the space at the bottom.
3. Click "Link to full text for this day".

Oct 10  Lenn Enns Funeral 10 AM
             Sr Ingrid's 60th Birthday Celebration 6:30 PM (sign up in the Narthex)

Oct 14 Intersections Course Session 4 (Zoom)

Oct 18 Messy Church, Rooms A, B, C, 10:30-12
            Harvest Dinner, 6 PM

Oct 21 Intersections Course Session 5 (Zoom)

Oct 22 Ladies Guild Lunch, noon

Oct 23 Parish Council Meeting, 7 PM (Hybrid)

Oct 25 Barb Gossman receives Order of the Diocese of B.C. (Cathedral)
             Visit of Bishop Anna & confirmations at Spanish Service, 6 pm

Oct 26 8:30 Service Breakfast, Room C

Oct 28 Intersections Course Session 6 (Zoom)

Nov 1 Parish Council Retreat, 9-noon
            All Souls Taize Service, 5 PM

Nov 4 Intersections Course, Session 7 (Gordon United)

Nov 15 Christmas Craft Fair, 10 AM – 2 PM

Nov 22 Spanish Service & potluck, 6 PM

Nov 23 Jazz Vespers, 7 PM

Nov 26 Ladies Guild Luncheon, noon

Nov 30 8:30 Service Breakfast
              Advent 1 - our Birthday!

The next John Albert Hall Lecture will take place on November 13, 5:30pm to 6:45pm, in the David Strong Building on the University of Victoria Campus.

We Together is our regular (once every other year) diocesan conference to remind us of the ways we are connected; we are stronger together. We are bound in countless ways, in our structures, in our prayers, and through the stories we tell. We are each other's concern, and we are each other's gift.

This year is God is not Elsewhere. The God of our scriptures and stories, the God of our traditions and rites, the God who whispers through music and poetry, is the God moving here and now. Not just in times and places long ago and far away, but within our places, our communities and our people. This year's We-Together will highlight the gifts of a selection of people from our diocese, as we reflect together on some of the ways that the God who is in our midst is stirring and calling us on our journey together. We will eat and laugh, we will learn and be challenged, and together we will be nourished for our journey. 

The conference will begin on Friday evening November 14th with an evening banquet at St Pauls in Nanaimo followed by an opening address. On Saturday we will gather at St. Pauls for a full day of workshops featuring our speakers John Thatamanil, Jonathan Thomas, Jenny Replogle, Christine Conkin, Gordon Smith, Brendon Neilson and Denise Doerksen.

Sunday
 8:30 AM - Traditional Eucharist, Book of Common Prayer
(no choir) Chapel

10:00 AM - Contemporary Eucharist, Book of Alternative Services,
with choir 

First Saturday of the Month
5:00 PM - Taize service with singing  Chapel (except August and January)

Fourth Saturday of the Month
6 PM - Spanish Language Anglican Eucharist Service  

For any issues to report concerning the condition/maintenance of the church building and grounds, please email the parish office directly at admin@colwoodanglican.ca, or record them in the maintenance logbook that is located on the parish office door.

Office hours are Mondays  - Thursdays
from 9 am until noon.