It has been three long years since we closed our doors when we heard about the new Coronavirus, Covid 19, spreading across the world.

For three years, your clergy, wardens and parish council have followed sound medical advice from the WHO, the Ministry of Health and the guidance of the Synod Office in the use of careful and sensible measures to keep us all safe. Measures such as handwashing, sanitizer, social distancing and masking at the Church of the Advent have prevented infection.

Your parish leadership has been keeping an eye on the latest guidance regarding infection level statistics, in order to determine when it would be safe enough to end these measures. It was decided at Parish Council that it might be safe to end the wearing of masks if the numbers dropped at the end of winter, which has always been a season of greater infection levels. This has proved to be the case.

We would like to announce, therefore, that masks need no longer be worn during worship or on the church campus. This decision will be revisited if Covid-19 infections significantly increase again.

Those who wish to continue wearing masks should feel free to do so.

Thank you to all of you for keeping us safe during a very difficult time. 

                                                                                                                                                    Photo by Alin Luna on Unsplash 

Don’t miss the Chris Millington Band at Jazz Vespers here at the Church of the Advent on Sunday March 19th at 7 PM! Come and be blown away by Chris Millington on sax, Morry Stearns on piano, Bradley Clarke on drums, and Ryan Tandy on bass.  

Jazz Vespers. Start your week right. 

The Church of the Advent is pleased to welcome back and present The Greater Victoria Police Chorus in concert in the afternoon of March 26th, 2023!

Tickets are available for purchase at $25.00 each through the church office and from Jose Perena Pratt or at the door.  Those of you who purchased tickets for the original date of March 5th, and are unable to attend on the 26th, please speak to Jose about a refund.

Last held in 2019, our Garage Sale is happening on Saturday, May 6th.

This has always been a major event in the life of our church family and our Westshore community and, as in the past, will need “all hands on deck” to make it make it run smoothly this year.

Many parishioners have worked in the past at everything from planning and publicity to setting up the week before the sale, working at the sale and cleaning up afterwards. We would love to have you involved again and look forward to having newer members take part as well. To help with the overall planning, we would like to develop a small team to coordinate the sale this year and to ensure good plans are in place for subsequent years.

If you are interested in being part of the coordinating team, please contact Linda Van Sickle or Mary Wills.

Sally Lloyd-Jones. The Jesus Storybook Bible. Theme: Children. Shelf code: CH LLO. Old and New Testament stories for children aged 4 to 7, including Holy Week and Easter.

John Baycroft. The Eucharistic Way. Theme: Anglicanism. Shelf code: ANGL BAY2. A useful small book on preparing meaningfully for the liturgy of the eucharist.

Max Lucado. He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart. Theme: Christian Belief. Shelf code: CHBF LUC. Our salvation story.

William R. Grimbol. The Grace of Hope: Meditations and Prayers. Theme: Devotional. Shelf code: DEV GRI. Reflections on hope for personal devotions.

Bruce Bickel. God is in the Hard Stuff: Where to Turn When the Going Gets Tough. Theme: Healing. Shelf code: HEAL BIC. Where is God when life is difficult?

For Holy Week

Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan. The Last Week: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’ Final Days in Jerusalem. Theme: Jesus. Shelf code: JESUS BOR1. An analysis of the gospel accounts by two leading Jesus scholars.

Timothy Radcliffe. Seven Last Words. Published 2004. 102 pages. Theme: Devotional. Shelf code: DEV RAD. Meditations to lead the reader deeply into prayer and contemplation.

Peter Gomes. The Preaching of the Passion: the Seven Last Words from the Cross. Theme: Seasonal. Shelf code: SEAS GOM. Reflections for Good Friday.

Seeking ways to deepen your connection with God during Lent?

Join us for a Eucharist service in the Celtic tradition.

Wednesdays 10 AM

in the Chapel

All are welcome to join us on Thursdays for our relaxed and interesting Zoom online Bible Study, to look at the readings for the following Sunday. No experience or prior knowledge is needed.

Time: 10 AM - 11 AM.

Zoom Link:  

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

Meeting ID: 883 7846 1340
Passcode: 4743031 

The Bible readings can be found here: https://lectionary.anglican.ca/nrsv/?date=2023-01-22&submit=show+new+date

Participate in a more intimate walk with the Divine. Discover different ways to open your heart and experience God’s presence in your life more fully.

The facilitator will be The Reverend Selinde Krayenhoff, who will be joined by The Reverend Elaina Hyde-Mills as spiritual leader. 

Please note that the venue of this event has been recently changed to St John the Baptist, Duncan. 

Click here for more information.

Mar 19 – Jazz Vespers (Chris Millington Band) 7 PM 

Mar 21 -  Parish Council (No Lent Course)

Mar 22 – Ladies Guild Luncheon 

Mar 26 -  Police Chorus Concert 2 PM

Mar 28 -  Session 4 of Lent Course

Apr 1 -    Taize service, 5 PM - chapel

Holy Week:

Apr 3 -   Session 5 of Lent Course

Apr 4 -   Session 6 of Lent Course

Apr 6 -   Agape Meal 5.30 PM and Maundy Thursday Service 7 PM

Apr 7-    Good Friday service 10 AM

Apr  9 –  Easter Sunday 8.30 AM and 10 AM 

Apr 22 – Spring Pot-Luck 

Apr 26 -  Ladies Guild Luncheon 

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

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

Wednesday
10:00 AM - Celtic Eucharist, (no choir) Chapel

First Saturday of the Month
5:00 PM - Taize service with singing
Chapel