Schedule

Saturday, December 13 - Monday, December 22 - Vacation

Wednesday, December 24 - Eve of the Nativity of our Lord - Cathedral Church of All Saints: Friends and Family Christmas Celebration with Eucharist (4pm) 

Choral Eucharist (7pm)

Wednesday, December 24 - Friday, January 2 - Synod Office Closed for Christmas Break

Thursday, January 1 - Cathedral Church of All Saints Bishop’s Levee 2026, Worship begins at 12:00 noon, followed by food, fellowship, and festivities. 

Monday, January 5 - Synod Office Re-opens

Openings

Shared Ministry - Parish of St. John's Crapaud and the Parish of Milton and Rustico, 3/4 time

As winter approaches, freezing temperatures, snow, and ice can all create serious risks for property owners and organizations. From frozen pipes and roof leaks to slips and falls, seasonal hazards can cause costly damage and disrupt operations.

Ecclesiastical Insurance has developed a collection of winter risk management resources to help you prepare, prevent loss, and stay resilient through the cold months ahead.

Find Resources HERE

The next Anglican Foundation Grant deadlines are December 17^th 2025, April 24^th 2026,  October 9th, 2026.

Complete applications must be received by the Executive Secretary of Synod by those dates. execsecsynod@nspeidiocese.ca

**Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a confirmation email from the Executive Secretary of Synod acknowledging its receipt**

Information for our Diocese in addition to the requirements from the Anglican Foundation

• The motion to move forward with this initiative from the minutes of council are required
• The Bishop does not compose her letter of support until after Diocesan Executive Council votes to forward the application.  This is taken care of within the Synod Office.
• The deadlines for applying are earlier than the dates on the Anglican Foundation website, as our applications must vetted by the committee, then brought to Diocesan Executive Council before they are sent to the foundation. Our dates are based on the dates the Diocesan Executive Council meets.
• If the grant application includes working with youth your vulnerable sector policies must be included in the application. 

To apply for a grant please go to the website  https://www.anglicanfoundation.org/apply/ 

and download all of the information to insure your application is complete.

Please feel free to send any questions to the

Executive Secretary of Synod, execsecsynod@nspeidiocese.ca

Please Beware of Fraud Emails

We have been made aware of cloned or fraudulent emails claiming to be from Bishop Sandra. Please note that these emails are not from her, and she would never send such messages. (asking to carry out a task as an example) If you receive one, please report it if possible and delete it immediately.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to our office at office@nspeidiocese.ca

The Feast Day of Epiphany is January 6, while most congregations will celebrate it the Sunday before, January 4th (as indicated in the BAS, pg. 15). This is another special time to invite people to activities and gatherings to engage with the "manifestation" of "showing forth" of Jesus' divinity to the world.

Read this article, Make Epiphany come alive with these 6 ideas, by Jeremy Steele with the United Methodist Church.

Communication is critical for congregations hosting activities during Advent, Christmas and Epiphany. 

Whether it is Christmas Eve worship services, other festive liturgies, Bible studies, Christmas carol gatherings or children's programs - getting the word out to the wider community is key!

Be sure to PROMOTE your special events this holiday.

Use roadside signs, sandwich boards, website, church and NEIGHBOURHOOD Facebook pages, posters and congregational E-mail lists!  

GET THE INVITATION OUT, especially to NEWCOMERS!    

Remember to include all the BASIC INFO - time, and CIVIC ADDRESS!

(Do NOT assume everyone knows about your location, etc.)

Also, be sure to emphasize the radical hospitality Christians are known for. 

Most guests and first-time visitors are not familiar with our worship practices, which books to use, whether or how to share in Eucharist, etc.  Be sure to offer clear instructions and intentional invitations. For example, if you are hosting a special coffee hour, make sure to personally invite the newcomers. 

Here's a really good resource for welcome tips, 7 Ways to Welcome Church Visitors on Christmas Eve.

Looking for the perfect gift for a longtime, hardworking Lay Leader, Licensed Lay Minister, Deacon, or Priest? Maybe your friend or family member needs a prayerful time away? Bless them with rest and spiritual refreshment at the PATHWAYS TO PEACE RETREAT 2026.

Theme: Deepening Faith

Dates: Thursday, May 29 – Sunday, May 31

Location: Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB

Join us for a transformative weekend featuring inspiring presenters—lay leaders and clergy—sharing practical disciplines and rhythms for a vibrant spiritual life.

Special Christmas Early Bird Rate!

Registration is open now:   https://dnspeidatabase.elvanto.eu/form/177f127a-97f6-4515-a7b9-8e89457e60a0

Only $175 (includes 2 nights accommodations, 5 delicious meals, retreat program, chapel worship, materials, and more!)

Offsite rate: $100

Student rate: Contact missiondirector@nspeidiocese.ca

This retreat is a beautiful way to bless someone who serves tirelessly—or to renew your own spirit. Space is limited, so register early and make this Christmas gift truly meaningful!

A large list of festive seasonal worship ideas, devotionals, studies and activities are available from our Diocesan website. Help parishioners and interested community members engage meaningfully this year. Encourage parishioners in faith formation with relevant (free) materials. 

Check it out and visit our page here

Listen. Learn. Experiment. Connect.

The Connectors is a group that journeys over the course of 12 months to explore fresh approaches to flourishing ministry. It involves reflection, prayer, discussion, study, goal-setting, trying out missional initiatives, mutual peer support and more!

This peer learning community begins meeting on Zoom in March 2026 for lay and clergy participants who want to explore discerning prayer, deep dive discussions, engaging readings, goal-setting, mutual support and encouragement. 

Application deadline for The Connectors EIGHT is Friday, January 30, 2026.

 REGISTER HERE:    www.surveymonkey.com/r/ConnectorsEIGHT

Got questions?    E-mail  missiondirector@nspeidiocese.ca or  call:  902-789-4840.

Click HERE to register

See what your parish offers in the way of prayer programs, contemplative gatherings, or quiet prayer times.

 Explore prayer gatherings from other parishes, perhaps not available at your church, or held at a time more convenient for your schedule; in person and on ZOOM.

Anglicans Powering Potential wish everyone a wonderful Christmas season filled with the gifts of Advent: hope, peace, joy, and love, as we welcome and celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace - a blessed Christmas, everyone!

The Anglican Foundation wishes everyone a joyous Christmas and thanks all those who supported the Foundation in any way in 2025. As AFC's Executive Director, Dr. Scott Brubacjer, notes... "because of you, the Foundation has the resources it needs to lead in innovation, to be a steady current of generosity, and to grow stronger every year as it moves through the life of our Church." Contributors in the Diocese of NS & PEI are especially supportive of AFC's Say Yes! to Kids movement - thank you - so appreciated! However, it is annual membership from (ideally) every Anglican, every Anglican organization, every Anglican parish, and every Anglican diocese that helps the Foundation expand its impact and make possible new avenues of support for our Church in changing times. Brubacher continues with: ["it is] the Apostle Paul [who] reminds us that faith is not static, [that] we are called to press on towards the goal - to build on the good work behind us while leaning forward into God's future with confidence." Membership starts at just $100 per year. Learn more and join: anglicanfoundation.org/membership.

A cheque payable to the Anglican Foundation of Canada, Membership in the memo line, addressed to 80 Hayden St., Toronto, ON, M4Y 3G2, is also possible because...Investing in the Church of Tomorrow, Today makes sense!

In this year’s Alongside Hope Advent resource, “An Advent Of Healing”, the Rev. Dr. Ray Aldred (Cree, Swan River Band, Treaty 8), invites you to consider what it means to heal yourself, to heal others, and to heal God’s creation so we might live into right relationships. Through powerful and personal storytelling and theological reflection, he offers both challenge and hope for our Advent journey. Follow the link below to download the resource or sign up to receive each day's devotion as an email straight to your inbox. 

Learn More about this Alongside Hope Advent Devotional Here.

The finance team will send out scholarships for post-secondary students, and bursaries to school age children, over the next few weeks. If you received a scholarship or bursary in January, there is no need to re-apply. However, if you have not received a scholarship or bursary before, please contact Lawrence at financialcontroller@nspeidiocese.ca to apply.

This festive gathering of Anglicans and friends across the city will happen on New Years Day, beginning with worship at noon. Invite your friends and greet the New Year with your bishop and community. 

Dec. 18 - Christmas Carols at the Cafe - St. Luke's Parish Hall, Hubbards

Dec. 21 - Capella Regalis Choir - Cathedral Church of All Saints

Dec. 24 - O Night Divine: The light of Christmas - St. Paul's Church, Halifax

Dec. 24 - Carols & Cocoa White's Lake Legion - 3495 Prospect Rd - 10am

Dec 24th - St. Timothy's Hatchet Lake, 2320 Prospect Rd. - 5:30pm

Dec 24th - St. Paul's Terence Bay, 180 Sandy Cove Rd. - 7:30pm

Dec. 24th, 25th, 28th & Jan 5th - St. Francis by the Lakes - 192 First Lake Drive, Lower Sackville

Dec. 24th - St. Edward the Confessor, Anglican Church - 4:00pm

Dec. 24th and 25th - The Anglican Parish of French Village

Join Rev. Kate Heichler, Assistant Priest at the Cathedral Church of All Saints, for this workshop on “New Year, New You? Forming Intentions That Help You Flourish” ‘Tis the season for resolutions! How might we want to live differently, and how can we form intentions that lead to true transformation, not failure and guilt? Maybe we don’t need to change a thing… Maybe we need to allow our spirit and the Holy Spirit to work together to reveal new life in us. 

Save the date for our Annual Clergy Retreat: June 8th to June 12th at Our Lady of Hope Retreat Centre, Stanley Bridge, PEI, as we ponder God's gift of friendship and its many dimensions with the Rev. Dr. Dawna Wall.

Dorothy Day courageously stated that we all know the long loneliness. Living into our vocations means we are often holding a lot, and don't always have a safe place to put things down, or those whom we can examine the dimensions of the burdens. Others have been here before us, and through their stories offer us encouragement, tears of lament, laughter and understanding. Francis and Claire, David Jonathan, Ruth and Naomi, Aelred and Ivo...to name just a few of those who compass us about, with spiritual friendship.

Registration opens in January 2026

Email questions to Rev. Tammy Hodge Orovec at: rev.tammyhodge@gmail.com

Atlantic School of Theology is pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the Honourable Mayann Francis Faith in Action Award for 2026. The Award honours exceptional community outreach that is recognized as having provided significant benefit to the wider community. This outreach award is given to individual(s) whose honoured work is driven by their religious commitment to the faith tradition to which they belong.

More information about the award and how to nominate a potential recipient can be found on the AST website: Honors and Distinctions | Atlantic School of Theology

The official press release regarding the grant can be found on the AST website: AST Awarded $2.5M Lilly Endowment Grant | Atlantic School of Theology

Two Education for Ministry (EfM) online groups are launching in the new year:
• Sunday Group with Rev. Paula Porter Leggett (Diocese of New Westminster) – 3:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. Atlantic
• Tuesday Group with David Harrison (Diocese of NS & PEI) – 7:00 p.m. Atlantic

EfM offers two study paths:
EfM Classic – a four-year, fully digital formation program exploring scripture, theology, and reflection.
EfM Wide Angle – a one-year program for newcomers or graduates continuing their faith journey.

EfM helps lay people deepen faith, discern vocation, and grow in discipleship within a supportive learning community.

For more info, contact David Harrison at djh@djharrison.ca
Visit efmcanada.ca
Recruiting now through January 4, 2026.

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. Sharon Williston by name at 1-888-310-1924 or by email Sharon.Williston@irvingoil.com 

The Furnace Oil price for the period  - Dec. 13, 2025 - Dec. 19, 2025.

Nova Scotia - $0.9827 Prince Edward Island - $0.9827