Join us this Saturday at 6 PM for a lively and joyful Eucharist service in Spanish followed by a delicious potluck meal - often with a band accompanying the meal.

We are thrilled to welcome this Sunday evening The Attila Fias Trio to our Jazz Vespers stage. Come and enjoy this group of musicians as they perform an evening of world class jazz right here in the Westshore. 

Bring your friends and come join us next Wednesday, November 26th at noon for our monthly community lunch!

Our Ladies Guild will have prepared for you a delicious soup, sandwiches, dessert, coffee and tea. You won't want to miss it!

Doors open at noon and it's $10 per person.

See you there!

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. Blessings are given in every loving stitch of the project. It is then gifted to a recipient who can wrap up in it and feel God’s arms around them.

The next Prayer Shawl Ministry meeting is Thursday, November 27th in the St. John's Room. Anyone is free to join. If you are interested and/or have any question, please contact Shirley at 604-816-2964.

For Christians, the season of Advent can offer us a peaceful time of reflection, of waiting and watching for Jesus's miraculous birth.

Journey through Advent with our ever-popular creative evenings for the whole family. We have all-new Advent colouring sheets from Illustrated Ministry (whose work we have used before) that combine to make one wide Advent banner. Enjoy the peace of colouring-in, as you listen to meditations from Advent and Christmas Wisdom, reflections and suggestions to make the most of this season, by much-loved author, Henri Nouwen. Bring your coloured pencils and markers. 

Where: St John’s Room - Dec 2,9, 23. 
               Hall - Dec 16
When: Tuesdays, December 2, 9,16 and 23
              6 – 7 PM (or as long as you wish)

Advent and Christmas Wisdom: The inspiring words of Henri J. M. Nouwen guide the faithful on a spiritual journey through the Advent and Christmas season in this book of waiting, hope, anticipation, and celebration. Each day of the Advent season (28 in all, to accommodate the varying number of days in the season) and each day of Christmas (12 in all, ending with Jesus baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist) contains a pertinent excerpt from the writings of Father Nouwen, a related quotation from Scripture, a prayer for the day, and a suggested activity that offers a concrete response to mark the season. 

The Christmas Craft Fair on Saturday Nov 15th was a tremendous success for the church. We received so many positive comments from the community. The atmosphere was very happy with lots of laughter throughout the day. Our sincerest thanks to the Craft Fair Committee and all the volunteers who supported the event and made it a magical experience for everyone.

We especially received countless comments about the menu sheets from the lunchroom. Here are just few samples of those comments:

• Good and kind service
• Delicious! I look forward to this every year!
• Love the tea. Please keep doing this.
• Delicious sandwiches & cakes.
• Delicious lunch, lots of variety! Thank you
• I love this church. Thank you. Well done!
• Fabulous event......wouldn't miss it!

After all expenses have been accounted for, the final result in financial benefit to the church was $7,180. Of note, we served 197 people and received $180 in donations!! This exceeded the amounts we received in the past and tells us that we are definitely doing something good in our community.

This season the Compassion in Action Ministry would like to support Connection Point. They provide a gift shop for parents to shop for their children and gifts for the unhoused. Please provide however you wish with a gift, gift box, or gift bag/ backpack for a child adult or senior.  The gift box/bag could include toiletries, snacks and treats, cold weather items etc. The deadline for receiving donations to the gift shop is December 6^th.

Thank you from the Compassion in Action Ministry Team.

You’re invited to join us and spread Christmas cheer at our annual Christmas caroling outing! Please click on the link below to fill in the form that gives us your date and time of preference. We are considering planning the outing for either Sunday, December 14^th in the afternoon or a later evening time, or the evening of Monday, December 15^th.  This is always a fun experience that allows us to connect with those who are homebound.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

We all look forward to the Christmas Pageant on the third Sunday of Advent! Our Christmas Pageant this year will be held on Sunday, December 14th at the 10 AM service, with the Dress Rehearsal the day before, Saturday, December 13th at 11:00 to 12:30.  The Pageant is open to all children and those young at heart. The children will be chosen to take on specific roles at the time of the Dress Rehearsal (we have a lot of costumes available).  

We'd also like to invite adults to participate - if you're interested, please email Rudo at rudodmgodi@gmail.com. Your participation will be greatly appreciated.

A reminder to please turn in your filled in volunteer forms. These forms were enclosed with the Harvest Stewardship letter. If you need another one, please notify the parish office. Once you have filled in the form, you can deposit it into the gold wrapped box sitting in the Narthex. Thank you!

Nobody should spend Christmas Day alone - no matter who you are: retired with family far away, a member of the military, or a student.

The last two year’s Christmas Day Lunch for anyone who spending Christmas Day alone were very successful. 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! 

Thank you to the planning team who over the years have helped to create a strategy for the Home Alone Christmas Dinner at Church of the Advent. We will be catering for eighty people this year. A simple meal will be served.

Thank you to those of you who have already said that they will be with Sr Ingrid on Christmas Day, preparing food and serving at the lunch. Not everyone is able to volunteer on the day, so 

How can you help?

- Roast a turkey or a ham
-Make a side-dish
- Provide dessert

- Volunteer to set up and decorate tables ahead of time.

Please speak to Sr. Ingrid or to Terry if you have any questions. Sign-up sheets are in the Narthex.

With Covid and influenza infection numbers rising, as they do each fall, this is a good opportunity to remind everyone of how we keep you safe during our Sunday services.

Communion bread: Sr. Ingrid and the Lay Eucharistic Minister always disinfect their hands with plenty of sanitiser before beginning the Eucharistic Prayer, and again just before breaking the bread into pieces prior to communion. 
Communion wine: the Ministers of the Chalice also use hand sanitiser. In addition, as the Common Cup is administered, the Minister of the Chalice wipes the chalice with a clean part of the purificator cloth and turns the chalice, so that a new part of the chalice is presented to the communicant. The high level of alcohol in the fortified communion wine and the silver chalice also assist in preventing the transmission of disease.
Intinction (the act of dipping the bread or the wafer into the wine in the chalice) is strictly forbidden in this and most other dioceses. The reason for this is that people can easily misjudge and their fingers (often the dirtiest part of their bodies) can touch and contaminate the wine. We offer wine in separate glasses to meet the needs of those who prefer not to drink from the chalice.
If you are immuno-compromised, please feel free to wear a mask, and to restrict physical contact to your own comfort level. There are bottles of hand sanitiser at the greeters desk, should you wish to disinfect your hands before communion or after the service. It is a good idea to wash your hands with soap and water after the service before going to coffee hour.

Last week’s display of books returned from loan over the past couple of months will remain on the Top Shelf for another week. Any books borrowed from the display will be replaced by other recently-returned titles. As of the time of writing, the books on display are:

Belden C. Lane. Backpacking With the Saints: Wilderness Hiking as Spiritual Practice.
   This author went out into the wilderness with basic camping equipment and a collection of the world’s great spiritual writings. The discipline of backpacking becomes a metaphor for spiritual journey.

Mariann Edgar Budde. How We Learn to be Brave: Decisive Moments in Life and Faith.
   Extraordinary courage is possible for ordinary people.

Stephen Cherry. Barefoot Disciple: Walking the Way of Passionate Humility.
   Humility is currently “impossibly uncool,” writes the author, but here is a guide to a humility that is true to the example and teaching of Jesus.

Anne Lamott. Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace.

   What grace may look like to one fallible human being.

Alexander McCall Smith. The Sunday Philosophy Club.
   The first novel in a series about the Edinburgh editor of an ethics journal who feels morally obliged to investigate the mysteries she encounters.

THE CHILDREN’S SECTION

On display on the small table in the narthex:

Noah’s Ark. Written by Linda Falken and illustrated from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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:

JEREMIAH 23:1-6

CANTICLE 19 (LUKE 1:68-79)

COLOSSIANS 1:11-20

LUKE 23:33-43

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 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 29 Parish Council Christmas Dinner

Nov 30 8:30 Service Breakfast
              Advent 1 Parish Anniversary

Dec 10 Community Coffee Social is CANCELLED
              Ladies Guild Appreciation Lunch

Dec 15 Christmas Caroling

Dec 16 Parish Council Mtg, 7 pm

Dec 20 Blue Christmas Service

Dec 24 Christmas Eve Services

Dec 25 Home Alone Christmas Lunchon. 12 noon.

Faith Tides is the online, faith-based publication of the Anglican Diocese of Islands and Inlets (BC). Through news stories, reflections and feature articles Faith Tides aims to showcase the work God is doing through our churches. It is a space where people of faith and doubt can walk alongside one another, share their stories and grow together.

Bishop's Column: Growing into the new

St. Dunstan’s holds final service at church in Gordon Head 

Final women’s retreat explores faith in the turbulent 2020s

Anglicans support the revitalization of Indigenous languages

106th Archbishop of Canterbury announced

Rethinking the Anglican divide

Ripples: November 2025

For more infomation visit:

https://faithtides.ca/

All are invited to join with St Mary's, Central Saanich, for the December 6 National Day of Remembrance

We will gather to honour the lives of the 14 women murdered at École Polytechnique in 1989, and to stand against all gender-based violence. This National Day of Remembrance calls us to reflect, remember, and renew our commitment to building a safer, more just society. All are welcome—your presence matters.
We will be meeting at St. Mary's at 5 pm for a short service and then a time of Gathering. 

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.