Read more for details.

This year, our Maundy Thursday service is going to be a little different!

Join us at 6:30 pm on Thursday April 17^th in the Hall for the Maundy Thursday Service in the context of an Agape Meal - we'll sit around the table and break bread together in a beautiful Eucharist service as a community, remembering and living out that night nearly 2000 years ago. There will still be the washing of the feet/hands.

Sign-up sheets are in the Narthex. Soup is being provided, and we ask that you please indicate if you can contribute either fruit, bread, or buns to the meal.
Please also indicate if you would be willing to read one of the scripture passages.

This year, we are again offering unique and powerful ways to experience Easter.

Easter actually begins with the ancient and beautiful Easter Vigil, also known as the Great Vigil. The service begins in darkness, after sunset on Holy Saturday and consists of The Service of Light (kindling of new fire, lighting the Paschal candle), Scripture Readings that tell the story of our faith, from Creation to the Resurrection of Jesus, the singing of hymns and a joyful Baptism.  Join us for our bilingual Easter Vigil on Saturday 19th, at 6 PM.    

The Easter Sunrise service at 6 AM has become increasingly popular. We gather on the Esquimalt Lagoon beach (the bridge side), just before the sun rises, to greet Jesus with the dawn on Easter Day!

Easter services will take place at the church at 8.30 and at 10 AM, and an Easter egg hunt will follow the later service.

Fun for all ages!

• Add your name to the sign-up sheets on the entranceway table for the days and times you can help out.
• Set aside any items you plan to contribute to the sale and bring them between Tuesday, April 29 and Friday, May 2^nd, 9 am to 3 pm, and also on Wednesday, April 30, 6 – 8 pm.  (Please no clothing, computers, TVs, mattresses, large furniture, books, music and movies).  If you need to bring your items earlier, please contact Linda or Bill Van Sickle.
• Let your friends, community and workplaces know about this fantastic event.  Please take posters from the entryway table and put them up wherever you can.  
• Any questions?  Contact Linda or Bill Van Sickle.

We need your help!  The church garage contains many boxes of books left over from the Book Sale last fall.  We need the storage space now for Garage Sale items.  The Times Colonist is holding their annual Book Sale on May 3-4.  They are holding a Book Drop-Off on Saturday, April 19 and Sunday, April 20, from 9 am to 3:30 pm.  Please bring your vehicle to the church garage on Thursday, April 17, 10 am to noon or Saturday, April 20, 9 am to noon, where we will help you load boxes of books into your vehicle.  You can deliver them to the TC Drop-Off on the days and times noted above.  Any questions? Contact Linda Van Sickle.

This week, we continue with our study of Bishop Budde's book How we Learn to be Brave. The Book Study comprises 7 sessions, and will be held on Tuesday evenings, from 7pm - 8 pm, in the St John's room on the following dates:

April  1, 8, 15, 29
May 6

To attend online, please use this link: https://bc-anglican-ca.zoom.us/j/86314562121 

Don't be concerned if you cannot attend every session - read the book and attend the sessions you can.

Easter is just around the corner! As you have noticed, our little flower envelopes are out again. As you are aware, your Altar Guild receives no money for flowers except from YOU, our wonderful parishioners. We ask for your support in purchasing flowers for Easter. We are asking only for a small contribution of whatever you have in your pockets! Please help us with this special ministry. Thank you so much.

Photo by Sheelah Brennan on Unsplash

We are very excited to announce that we will be starting a brand-new monthly Community Coffee Social, which will be held on the second Wednesday of each month from 9:30 to 11 am in the hall. This is for anyone from the community and parish to gather socially and connect with one another. We warmly welcome you to come and spend some time in a relaxing and social environment. Bring your friends too!

Does your family know your wishes for your funeral? Will your wishes be honoured after you have passed?

We don't often like to talk about the "last things" -  advance directives, funerals, legacies. Lent is an ideal time for us to stop and to plan ahead. 

Join Sr. Ingrid, Diocesan Chancellor (lawyer) Isabel Weeks and Diocesan Treasurer Joel Hefty, as they talk about the realities of advance directives, the tax implications of how your will is set up, and how to support the ministry of our church community for the future.

Sister Ingrid encourages you to take some times to plan the funeral service that YOU would like, so that we can celebrate your life in a way that you choose. It makes it easier for your family when that time comes.

Please sign up in the Narthex, or at the link below.

Readings for this Sunday's services:

Isaiah 43:16-21                                                                   

Psalm 126

Philippians 3:4b-14                                                    

John 12:1-8                                             

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".

Are you looking for a particular book? The black binder on the middle shelf of the small bookcase in the narthex contains the library catalogue, recently updated and provided in shelf and author order. Also in this binder is an updated list of the themes or sections into which the library is organized, with a description of the kinds of books in each, and where else to look.

All books except the few in the Reference section are available to borrow for 6 weeks. To borrow a book, please fill out a green loan slip from the small bookcase in the narthex, and put it in the pink box labelled “Library.” If you have a book due for return, please fill out a yellow return slip instead, and leave your book beside the box.

Last week’s display of books on social justice issues remains on the Top Shelf for another week.

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

Showcased this week on the Community Showcase noticeboard in the hall:

Jill Dolan's new poetry book is a success! 
Linda Van Sickle and Mary Wills display their beautiful Advent wall hangings at the West Shore Quilters show this weekend!

Do you have news about your personal achievements that you want to share with the parish? Send information to Caroline in the parish office at admin@colwoodanglican.ca

Apr 9 Community Coffee Social, Hall, 9:30-11 AM
           Ladies Guild Mtg, 1:30 pm

Holy Week:

                Apr 13 Palm Sunday Service & Procession, 10 AM

                Mon Evening prayer, 6 PM - led by Terry Mikkonen
                Tues Evening Prayer, 6 PM – led by Zoe Urquhart
                Wed Evening Pray, 6 PM – led by Linda Van Sickle

                Apr 17 Maundy Thursday Agape Meal & Services, 6:30 PM
                Apr 18 Good Friday Service, 10 AM

Easter:

                Apr 19 Easter Vigil Service (Spanish & English), 6 PM
                Apr 20 Easter Sunrise Service, 6 am at Esquimalt Lagoon
                Apr 21 Easter Sunday, 8:30 & 10 am Services

Apr 23 Ladies Guild Lunch, Noon

Apr 26 Messy Church, 10 am (Church of the Advent)
             Spring Potluck, 6:30 pm

April 28 – Election Day in Church of the Advent Hall

Apr 29-30 Garage Sale Prep Week

May 3 Garage Sale Day

May 10 Death & Taxes Workshop, Church, 10 am - noon

Lent is the season of 40 days leading up to Easter. This season is a time of intentional reflection when we make space in our lives for God to change our hearts in preparation for the new life that awaits us in the resurrection.

Click the link below to watch the fourth video in our lenten series, Staying Grounded in Times of Chaos. A new video will be released every Wednesday between now and Holy Week. In this series, voices from across our diocese will share practices from our tradition that help us live out our faith when the world feels crazy.

In this week's video, Craig Hiebert (Incumbent at St Mary's, Oak Bay and Archdeacon for Greater Victoria) talks about the Ignatian Examen, the practice of prayerfully paying attention. In the video, Craig mentions the ‘Reimagining the Examen’ app (and the book Reimagining the Ignatian Examen, by Mark Thibodeaux) and Pray As You Go - both great ways into the Examen.

To watch this week's video, please click on the link below.

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.

This month, there is an article about our own Taylor Gossman and her Environmental Expo!

To read the March/April issue online or download a PDF version, click READ MORE.

The next installment of the John Albert Hall Lecture Series is Where We Live: Critical Perspectives on our Built and Natural Environments. This event is taking place on Saturday, April 26, 2025 at Christ Church Cathedral in Victoria, and will include two sessions.

During Session One: The Natural Environment (9:30 am - 12 pm) Catherine Keller, professor of Constructure Theology at Drew University, and Mari Joerstad, associate professor of Hebrew Bible at Vancouver School of Theology, will discuss the most current thinking on how Christians do, can, and must connect their faith lives with the plight of our global climate. 

Session Two: The Built Environment (1 - 3 pm) is a panel discussion moderated by CBC radio host Gregor Craigie. Among the panelists will be diocesan executive director Brendon Neilson. 

To register for this event, click the link below, or click READ MORE.

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  

Office hours are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays

from 9 am until noon.