SCHEDULE

Archbishop Chris Harper, our National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop, is visiting our Diocese in Mi’kma’ki this week. During his stay, he and Bishop Sandra will be attending a variety of activities and events, detailed below. Archbishop Chris was scheduled to be on Prince Edward Island earlier this week for a gathering with clergy and a visit to a Social Enterprise at St. Paul’s Charlottetown with the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island, but due to severe wind his flight was diverted and he arrived a day later than planned. We hope to plan a visit to PEI before long.

Thursday Nov. 30 – Visit to the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre (am); visit to the University of King’s College for meetings and lunch with President Lahey, and King’s and Dalhousie Staff, followed by a campus tour (including the newly-built Indigenous Student Centre). Archbishop Chris is the guest preacher at the service of Solemn Eucharist in the King’s College chapel (5:00 pm); Bishop Sandra will be visiting the Parish of Hackett’s Cove to celebrate their 70th Anniversary (7:00 pm).

Friday Dec 1 – Visit to the site of the Shubenadie Indian Residential School en route to Unama'ki (Cape Breton) to visit the Donald Marshall Jr. Centre for Justice and Reconciliation. There we’ll visit the Gladue (indigenous) Court, where we’ll meet with the court judge, local elders and Anglican clergy and parishioners. We’ll then travel to the Membertou First Nation for supper with Anglican clergy.

Saturday Dec 2 – Walking the Mi’kmawey Debert Trail (weather-permitting) en route to Halifax.

Sunday Dec 3 – Archbishop Harper is guest preacher at the 9:30 and 11:00 am services at the Cathedral Church of All Saints; from 3-5pm he’ll join Bishop Sandra for the Dartmouth Regional Kitchen Party at Holy Trinity Emmanuel.

Monday Dec 4 – Bishop Sandra’s day off

Tuesday Dec 5 – Discernment and Formation Meeting and Diocesan Offices Open House (1:00 to 4:00 pm)

A familiar refrain today is, "Constant change is here to stay." The Holy Spirit is alive and well in our neighbourhoods, including our faith communities.  How do we ensure we are faithfully discerning how to cooperate with this Divine change-agent, instead of being tossed to and fro and blown about? 

Deadline for submissions is TUESDAYS by 5:00 pm. Please email Trisha at office@nspeidiocese.ca with your requests. 

Thank you.

DC Highlights outlines the proceedings of the recent Diocesan Council meeting, held over two days in November. The meeting was characterized by a positive atmosphere and a commitment to the ministry and mission of our Diocese. The Bishop's update highlighted Diocesan office staffing, various celebratory events, and explorations of ecumenical ministries. The Parity Project was introduced, a program aiming to secure wage parity for clergy. This summary also covers updates on creative work across the Diocese, changes to the Expense Claim Form, and information on future Council meetings in 2024, concluding with details on submitting agenda items. 

See Full Highlights Here

This special event is your chance to get an inside look at our operations, meet our dedicated staff, and learn more about the important work they do to support our parishes and community.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT:

    Meet and Greet - Get to know the warm and welcoming faces behind the scenes who work tirelessly to support our parishes.

    Explore - Explore our offices as well as the Cathedral Church of All Saints and see how it all comes together.

    Learn About Our Work - Discover the vital roles our staff members play in our community.

    Refreshments - Enjoy light refreshments and engage in fellowship with fellow parishioners.

We look forward to sharing this special occasion with all of you!

The Parity Project: Investing in Leadership” webinars scheduled with Executive Director Rev. Ann Turner and Financial Controller, Lawrence Roche for:

Friday, December 8th from 6 pm to 8 pm. You can sign on any time using this invitation:

Zoom : https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89158273737

Wednesday, December 13th form 11 am to 1 pm. You can sign on any time using this invitation:

Zoom : https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84205054783

Workshops run SATURDAYS, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

SOUTH SHORE                              - Jan. 6            - Holy Trinity, Bridgewater

CHEBUCTO REGION                    - Jan. 20     - Great Hall, Cathedral Ch. of All Saints

DARTMOUTH REGION               - Jan.27        - Christ Church, Dartmouth

FORT SACKVILLE REGION        - Feb 10         - Location T.B.A

EASTERN SHORE                         - Feb 17     - Tangier Fire Hall, Tangier.

CHIGNECTO REGION                    - T.B.A.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

SIGN UP HERE -   www.surveymonkey.com/r/GUIDINGLIGHT

One of the most impactful ministries we have as Anglicans in our Diocese is funeral ministry. Our liturgies reflect a compassionate, inclusive tone, while providing an environment of pastoral care by our parish leaders. Funerals, whether in a church, funeral chapel or at a graveside, can connect people with a loving God and a warmhearted faith community.

Parish lay leaders, especially Licensed Lay Ministers, Vocational Deacons, and others, are being called to share in this pastoral office. As local ministers, they are often familiar with the families and communities. The Spirit is leading our Diocese to embrace more fully the ministry of all the baptized in this area.

Over the next few months, our Diocese is sponsoring, GUIDING LIGHT: A Workshop on Funeral Ministry. These free regional in-person training sessions are open to all Licensed Lay Ministers, any lay person who desires to know more (perhaps to be part of a funeral team), and any cleric who seeks a refresher session.

Facilitators are Rev’d. Debra Burleson, former Archdeacon and AST Formation Director, and Rev’d. Canon Lisa Vaughn, Parish Vitality Coordinator.

Some of the topics explored:

• Funeral planning with next of kin
• Burial options
• Words of Remembrance
• Homilies / Reflections
• Post-funeral follow-up
• FAQs

Participants receive a HANDBOOK - tip sheets and templates for planning. Woven into this training session, are the MISSIONAL opportunities that funerals present as we respond to the needs of those who are grieving. In some neighbourhoods, we are the only faith community.

This is an explorative workshop, thus there is no expectation that participation will require a commitment to funeral ministry. Diocesan protocols, policies and Bishop’s expectations are addressed. 

Contact: Lisa for more information lvaughn@nspeidiocese.ca or 902-789-4840.

To parishes who wish to explore sharing space ecumenically…

The Eritrean Orthodox Church in Halifax has reached out to the Diocesan offices asking for information about sharing space with Anglican congregations for worship and study.

The community is, at present, about 70 members strong. If you are interested in exploring this opportunity, please contact Rev’d Ann Turner, Executive Director, at 902-420-0717, x 1167 (or email executivedirector@nspeidiocese.ca).

Click here to download the file

Join with friends, Shawn Branch and others from the Diocese of Fredericton for a thoughtful series on Zoom.
Runs: Wednesday evenings for 4 weeks, beginning NOVEMBER 29.
Time: 6:30 p.m. for 60-90mins.
Book is Paula Gooder's, The Meaning is in the Waiting.

About the Book: With warmth and insight, Gooder helps us re-learn the skill of waiting, and invites us to engage with the real, flesh-and-blood people that are the subject of our Scripture readings and lessons each Advent: Abraham and Sarah, the Hebrew prophets, John the Baptist, and Mary. Each of them exemplified how to wait upon God for wisdom, joy, and the meaning of life.

About the Author: Paula Gooder is a writer and lecturer in biblical studies. Her passion is to communicate to best of biblical scholarship to an audience that would otherwise not read it. She seeks to bring the Bible alive again for Christians for whom it has become over-familiar, stale or just plain confusing.

The series starts on Wednesday, Nov. 29, and runs for 4 sessions (until Dec. 20).
Free to join. Book purchase is required.

FOR INFORMATION and to REGISTER: https://nb.anglican.ca/events/advent-book-study/2023-11-29

To mark the first anniversary of Hurricane Fiona, the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island is making a second request for proposals from parishes and not-for profit community groups .

This initiative is being funded by donations received in response to the PWRDF Hurricane Fiona Appeal from last Fall. Anglicans across Canada donated generously resulting in a total of $50,000 being available to fund projects. PWRDF has entered into an agreement with the Diocese to administer and deliver this fund.

The strategic goal or overarching objective of this fund is to help parishes/communities take steps or measures to make them more resilient and resistant to future major weather events.

This Request for Proposal seeks to attract projects that may fill gaps as to what may not have been funded through other recovery and relief programs that are currently available in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. It is important that projects do not duplicate efforts or existing funding streams but, rather, leverage and collaborate with other programs and funding initiatives.

Project proposals will be evaluated on how closely they align based on three criteria.........For more information and how to apply click HERE.

We know that you are anxiously awaiting news of the availability to order the Canadian Church Calendar 2024 (www.anglican.ca/calendar). Regrettably, there is a further delay. Gilmore Global, the company that oversees the production of the Canadian Church Calendar, has the following update regarding the 2024 calendar: 

At this time, we are still experiencing an unprecedented extended delay with the Canadian Church Calendars for 2024 and are currently only forecasting availability early in the new year. We have been informed by our team that once the calendars are available for purchasing, they will be set at the following price points:

2024 Canadian Church Calendar, ISBN 9781551266473

Qty 1:        $7.50

Qty 2-19:  $6.00

Qty 20+:   $4.00

Any order to the Anglican Church of Canada e-store (www.anglican.ca/calendar) of $50 or more, before tax, qualifies for free shipping (UPS). Just a reminder, as well, that placing an order with the ACC’s e-store means that the order is pre-paid with a credit card at the time of placing the order. Ordering is done on-line.

AST Continuing Education Presents:
The Fifth Gospel: Pilgrimage in Israel/Palestine

Dates: February 15-26, 2024

See all courses Here: AST Continuing Education Courses

Events: See AST Events Calendar Here AST Events Calendar

See you on Sunday, December 3, 2023 at 12:45 - 2:30 pm in the Great Hall for a Lunch & Learn. All are welcome. Please RSVP by November 29 to hello@anglicancathedralhalifax.ca or call 902-423-6002.

A light lunch will be served as we hear from our presenter, Sue Bookchin, Executive Director of Be the Peace Institute. Sue Bookchin’s direct involvement with the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) pillar of the Mass Casualty Commission hearings will offer us a sense of what might be next steps to bring increased awareness of the reality of GBV, as well as how to expand leadership around GBV awareness-raising beyond female identifying groups. 

Do you like to sing Christmas songs? Come join Val, Julia and John on Friday, December 8th from 7:30 to 9:00 at St. John’s Westphal for a singalong and an amazing time. Coffee and tea will be served. Free will offering, door prizes and lots of fun. 1215 Main Street, Dartmouth (corner of Main St./Lake Major Rd.)

‘A Rose In Winter’
a celebration of Christmas in song and story, featuring members of The Choir of All Saints Cathedral Guest artist, Alexander Dobson Directed by Paul Halley

This annual Christmas concert has been described by The Chronicle Herald as “annual magic”, and the celebration continues this year, with carols old and new, including four with audience joining in, and readings from the poignant to the hilarious. Nova Scotians can expect a concert of joy and mirth this Christmas.

‘A Rose In Winter: a celebration of Christmas in song and story’ takes place on Saturday, December 9 at 4:00 p.m. at St John’s Anglican Church in Lunenburg; and on Sunday, December 10 at 4:00 p.m. at the Cathedral Church of All Saints in Halifax. 

For tickets and information: 

Links to buy tickets below:

Saturday, December 9th at 4 pm,

St. John’s Anglican Church, Lunenburg: 

A Rose In Winter - Lunenburg 

Sunday, December 10th at 4 pm,

All Saints Cathedral, Halifax: 

A Rose In Winter - Halifax 

St. Paul’s Anglican Church is pleased to once again present “Christmas on the Grand Parade” – an evening of Christmas carols, choral works, and readings of the season inside historic St. Paul’s Church. 

 This year, the event will feature the St. Paul’s Choir, Bedford Brass Quintet, vocal soloists - as well as David Christensen on saxophone and Paul St. Amand on trumpet. And - this year the event will be presented twice – on December 11 and 24 – both events beginning at 7 pm. Admission is free.

The Diocese of NS and PEI Heating Oil Program with Irving Oil offers Churches of the Diocese and eligible Diocesan Clergy and Diocesan Staff a discounted rate based on non-profit status. This rate is not offered to individual Anglican parishioners. For more information, please contact: The Centralized Commercial Account Manager for the Diocesan Heating Oil Program, Ms. Jennifer Bishop by name at 1-888-310-1924 or by email at Jennifer.Bishop@IrvingOil.com

The Furnace Oil price for the period November 25th to December 1st, 2023

Nova Scotia                    $1.2614

Prince Edward Island   $1.2614