The 2025 Order of the Diocese of BC investiture service took place at Christ Church Cathedral this past Saturday.  

Barb received her Order and we wanted to again congratulate her for this well deserved high honour. Barb was in the company of many inspiring individuals who also received their Orders for the loving service they have been providing to their churches and communities.

If you weren't able to attend, you can watch the livestream here:

The Order of the Diocese of BC Investiture, October 25, 2025

Parish Council will meet this Saturday morning from 9 am to noon in the Chapel for the second of a bi-annual planning session. The first session takes place in spring when we onboard new members. The second takes place in the fall, and this session is especially important as it provides a sacred space for members to reflect on their leadership roles, and discuss the forward movement of the church in more specific detail for the following year.

If are curious about Parish Council and its function in the church, please feel free to approach any of its members with your questions!

Members of our 2025-26 Parish Council:

Doug Doust
Bob Nichols
Oluwapelumi Ogeroju
Jose Perena Pratt
Alison Stancil
Shaena Wallace
Ariana Whitman
Jeanine Woodman

With....

Rev. Sr. Ingrid Andersen, Rector
Kathy Middleton, Warden
Terry Mikkonen, Warden
Bill Van Sickle, Treasurer
Caroline DeCiantis, Secretary

We invite you to join us at 5 PM on Saturday, November 1st for an All Souls service of Evening Prayer with the music of Taize.

We will gather to remember those we have lost, in a sacred time of evening prayer, sacred darkness, and the singing of chants in candlelight.

You are invited to bring a photograph, or a meaningful momento with you to the service.

A friendly reminder to set your clocks back an hour this Saturday evening!

Photo by Katie Harp on Unsplash

If you have not yet done so, please remember to pick up your Thanksgiving Stewardship Letter in the Narthex.  Filled-in volunteer forms can be deposited in the box that is located by the letters.

Photo by Kiy Turk on Unsplash

The new Forward Day by Day Devotionals for the months of November, December, and January are in. Please get your copy in the Narthex or church this Sunday!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Mark your calendars for our spectacular annual Christmas Craft Fair and Tea happening on Saturday, November 15th from 10 am to 3 pm. As always, this event provides the perfect opportunity for some early Christmas gift shopping from a wide array of  beautifully hand crafted items. After shopping, sit and enjoy some sandwiches and dessert with tea/coffee all prepared and served by our Ladies Guild in the tearoom. You won't want to miss it!

*Crafter registration forms are still being accepted.

CRAFT FAIR SIGN UP

Signup sheets for the Christmas Craft Fair are currently in the Narthex. There are many roles to fill to make this event run smoothly. Please consider signing up for a duty at a time slot that works for you.

The 2026 calendars are here and available for purchase at $6 each. Please see the parish office during the week if you would like one, or you can find them in the Narthex on Sundays.

The theme of the calendar is Arise, shine! The calendar, now in its 120th year, includes a range of photos featuring our beloved churches across the country.

Calendars can also be purchased through the Anglican Church of Canada e-store at https://anglican.gilmore.ca/en.

A reminder that the final session of the Intersections course takes place on Tuesday, November 4th at Gordon United Church. Please talk to Sr Ingrid if you would like to carpool to the venue.

Last year’s Christmas Day Lunch for anyone who was alone was yet another great success. We had a large turnout and saw lots of happy faces. So, mark your calendars because Church of the Advent will host the lunch again this year!

Sign-up sheets will be in the Narthex soon.

This week, more books from the library’s Healing Section are on the Top Shelf. Publication date has been included after the title as this is a rapidly evolving topic in some subject areas.

Larry Dossey et al. Healing Through Prayer: Health Practitioners Tell the Story (1999).
   Doctors and patients share experiences of healing through prayer.

Katherine Farris and Larry MacDonald. Being There: When Mental Illness Strikes Someone Near You (2005)
   A brief guide to coping and self-care.

Emily Nagoski PhD and Amelia Nagoski. Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle (2019).
   A book mostly for women about emotional exhaustion and how to overcome it.

Dr. Rob Rutledge, MD and Timothy Walker, PhD. The Healing Circle: Integrating Science, Wisdom and Compassion in Reclaiming Wholeness on the Cancer Journey (2010).
   A practical guide by an oncologist and a psychologist.

Martha Tatarnik. The Living Diet: A Christian Journey to Joyful Eating (2019).
       A Canadian Anglican priest who struggled with an unhealthy body image, and an eating disorder, shares her discoveries about finding a healthy, sustainable way of eating.

THE CHILDREN’S SECTION

On display on the small table in the narthex:

Trudy’s Rock Story. Written by Trudy Spiller and illustrated by Jessika van Innerebner.
   A book about emotions for ages 7 to 12.

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.

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:

DANIEL 7:1-3, 15-18

PSALM 149

EPHESIANS 1:11-23

LUKE 6:20-31

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".

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

Nov 4 Intersections Course, Session 7 (Gordon United)

Nov 12 Community Coffee Social, 9:30-11 am
             Ladies Guild Meeting, 1:30 pm

Nov 14 Christmas Craft Fair Prep Day

Nov 15 Christmas Craft Fair, 10 AM – 3 PM

Nov 22 Spanish Service & Potluck, 6 PM

Nov 23 Jazz Vespers, 7 PM

Nov 26 Ladies Guild Luncheon, noon

Nov 27 Prayer Shawl Mtg, 10 AM

Nov 30 8:30 Service Breakfast
              Advent 1

Dec 10 Community Coffee Social, 9:30-11 am
              Ladies Guild Appreciation Lunch

Dec 14 Community Lessons & Carols Service

Dec 15 Christmas Caroling

Dec 16 Parish Council Mtg, 7 pm

Dec 20 Blue Christmas Service

Dec 24 Christmas Eve Services

Dec 25 Christmas Day Community Lunch

The Soroptimist International of Victoria Westshore are pleased to be hosting their next Stella's Lunch!

Date: Saturday, November 8th
Time: Noon to 3 PM
Location: Hall

Hosted by: Soroptimist Internation of Victoria Westshore Better at Home

RSVP by November 2nd at healthyaging@pcfsa.org or call 250-478-8357.

Come enjoy good food, great company, and a warm sense of togetherness.
Please note there is limited availability so RSVP as soon as possible to get your spot!

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.