We are excited to announce that this Saturday, Fr. Dimas Canjura will be celebrating a monthly Spanish Anglican Eucharist service at the Church of the Advent.  These services will take place at the Chapel on the last Saturday of every month at 6 PM. Following the service will be an informal pot-luck dinner. All are welcome. 

There will be a Bilingual Easter Vigil on Saturday 30th March, in both English and Spanish, with a bilingual bulletin. Do join us for this beautiful and traditional Easter service.

We are thankful to the Diocese of British Columbia for their financial support of this service.

A reminder that this Sunday Church of the Advent’s Annual General Meeting for the year 2023 takes place in the Main Church at approximately 11 AM following the combined service at 9:30 AM.

AGM reports have been emailed to you and hard copies are available in the Narthex.

For those unable to attend in person, all questions or comments need to reach Terry Mikkonen at wardens@colwoodanglican.ca by 5 PM on Saturday, February 24th. All proxies and postal vote forms need to be handed in before the commencement of the meeting.

The meeting will be live-streamed should you wish to observe. The link for this meeting was sent with the AGM reports on Tuesday this week, February 20th, 

On March 13^th Bruce Brown, retired RCMP, will be at the Ladies Guild meeting providing presentation about his trip with Bob Beckett and their humanitarian aid to Ukraine.  We will meet at 1:30 PM in the Main Hall and extend this invitation to all the congregation members to attend this event. Please RSVP to Mary Wills 250-474-4909.

Mark your calendars for our next Jazz Vespers on March 17^th at 7 PM. Stay tuned for more information coming your way next week!

This past week we experienced a momentary disruption to our phone service that impacted anyone attempting to reach the parish office.

The situation has since been resolved, and we want to apologize for any inconvience or distress this may have caused.      

The Charitable Tax Receipts for 2023 are now available.  We would ask our parishioners to please pick up their receipts at church if at all possible.  If they aren’t picked up, they will have to be mailed by the end of February and at $1.00 per envelope, it gets rather pricey.  As well, would the holders of envelopes #2 and #17 please contact Barb Gossman, our Envelope Secretary, at barb.gossman@gmail.com.  Thank you for your assistance.

On Sunday, March 17^th in the St. John’s room, we will be holding a 1-hour Safe Church training. This training is required by the Diocese for all church volunteers. If you volunteer your time at the church and have not attended a training yet, please sign up by notifying the parish office to let us know that you are attending.  Also, for anyone who has not had training in the last 5 years, we ask that you attend as well, as the certification expires after 5 years. If you have any questions, please see Terry Mikkonen.  

If you are interested in being baptized or have children you would like baptized, please let Sr. Ingrid know, as we will be having a baptism service on Easter Sunday.

We are excited to announce that on Sunday, March 3^rd at 2 PM in the Main Church, The Greater Victoria Police Chorus returns for another spectacular concert performance! Tickets are $25 each. Please inquire with the parish office for purchase.

Mar 28 - Maundy Thursday Agape Meal, 5 PM;
               Service at 7 PM

Mar 29 - Good Friday, Main Church, 10 AM

Mar 30 - Easter Vigil (Spanish & English), Chapel, 6 PM

Mar 31 - Easter Sunrise Service, 7 AM at Esquimalt Lagoon
               Easter 8:30 AM Service
               Easter 10 AM Service

Stitches: A Handbook on Meaning, Hope and Repair - Anne Lamott

“Where is meaning in the meteoric passage of time, the speed in which our lives are spent? Where is meaning in the pits? In the suffering? I think these questions are worth asking” (page 6).

In this sequel to Thanks, Help, Wow, Anne Lamott looks at how we find meaning and hope, especially after private loss or public catastrophe, using sewing as a metaphor for how we repair the fabric of our lives, one stitch or step at a time. Her exploration is illustrated with stories from her own life: her difficult childhood, becoming sober, personal tragedies. In her customary style, she leavens profound thought with whimsical humour, making this short book an easy read that nevertheless demands full attention.

This book is now on the Top Shelf; its regular location is in the Healing section of the library, shelf code HEAL LAM. To borrow it, please fill out a green slip from the small bookcase in the narthex, and put it in the pink box. The loan period is 6 weeks.

Readings for this Sunday's services:

GENESIS 17:1-7, 15-16;

PSALM 22:22-30

ROMANS 4:13-25

MARK 8:31-38

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".

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 

Feb 24 - Spanish Mass, Chapel - 6 PM
Feb 25 - AGM, Main Church, 11 AM
Feb 27 – What-Sew-Ever, Main Hall, 10 AM
Feb 28 – Book Club, St. John’s Room, 10 AM
Mar 2 – Taizé Service, Chapel, 5 PM
Mar 3 – Police Chorus Concert, Main Church, 2 PM
Mar 9 – Parish Council Retreat, Chapel & Main Church, 1-4 PM
Mar 13 – Ladies Guild Meeting & Presentation, Hall, 1:30 PM
Mar 17 – Safe Church Training, St. John’s Room, 12-1 PM
                 Jazz Vespers, 7 pm, Main Church
Mar 19 – Parish Council Meeting, Hybrid/St. John’s Room, 7 PM
Mar 27 – Book Club, St. John’s Room, 10 AM
                  Ladies Guild Luncheon, 12 PM, Main Hall
Mar 28 – Maundy Thursday Agape Meal, 5 PM; Service at 6 PM
Mar 29 – Good Friday, Main Church, 10 AM
Mar 30 – Easter Vigil Service (in Spanish & English), Chapel, 6 PM
Mar 31 – Easter Sunday Services at 8:30 & 10 AM
                 Sunrise Service, Esquimalt Lagoon Beach, 7 AM
Apr 6 –    Taizé Service, Chapel, 5 PM

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

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

Last Saturday of the Month
6:00 PM - Spanish Language Anglican Eucharist Service Chapel 

Office hours are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays

from 9 am until noon.