Schedule

Thursday, February 19 - Saturday, February 21 - Eastern Shore Regional Visit

Sunday, February 22 - Parish Visit - 10am - St. Barnabas Anglican Church, Ecum Secum (Parish of Ecum Secum)

Monday, February 23 - Day off

Tuesday, February 24 - Senior Leadership Team Meeting (am), Zoom and out of office meetings (pm)

Wednesday, February 25 - Synod Office Staff Meeting (am), Mission to Seafarers AGM (pm)

Openings

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

Diocesan Archivist

Full-Time Rector - Parish of Christ Church, Amherst

Full-Time Incumbent - Parish of St. Luke's Hubbards & Parish of Blandford

The next Anglican Foundation Grant deadlines are 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

One spiritual discipline during our 40-day Lenten season is the spiritual practice of fasting. This devotion, intended to draw us closer to loving God, can be experienced in a variety of ways. Explore fresh ways to encounter the Holy and grow to be more like Christ.

Read this article from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership called Lenten Contemplative Actions for Leaders, written by Jonathan Page. 

As we approach Black History Month, also known as African Heritage Month, we encourage congregational leaders to explore the many resources available for learning and worship. This month offers an important opportunity to recognize the histories and contributions of African Nova Scotian and Black Prince Edward Islander communities, whose stories continue to shape our region.

Engaging with these resources is a meaningful way to welcome, include, celebrate, and educate within our congregations. By acknowledging and uplifting these communities, we deepen our understanding, strengthen relationships, and embody the hospitality and justice to which we are called.

Visit our diocesan webpage for links to activities, worship ideas and other resources:  https://www.nspeidiocese.ca/pages/african-heritage-month 

Two FREE online sessions in February offers opportunities to explore and connect around local congregational partnerships, Ecumenical Shared Ministry (ESM). 

On Feb. 12, a learning session introduces newcomers to ecumenical shared ministry. 

On Feb. 26, a networking session supports those already serving in partnerships. 

Both sessions are hosted by the Lutheran-Anglican-Moravian Commission via Zoom and will include special guest speakers.

REGISTER FOR Feb. 26 

Join a weekly Zoom book study exploring Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times by Gregory Boyle, a moving reflection on love, compassion, and building an inclusive Beloved Community. Beginning the week of February 19 and running through April 20 (with a break for Holy Week), participants will read and discuss one chapter per week in 60-minute sessions.

Through Boyle’s wisdom-filled stories and insights, this series invites thoughtful conversation on how love can heal divisions and foster genuine belonging in our world. 

REGISTER HERE

As Lent approaches, beginning on Feb. 18th with Ash Wednesday, we invite congregational leaders to explore the wide range of resources available on our Diocesan website. You’ll find ideas for meaningful worship, activities for all ages and stages of faith, devotional practices, studies, and creative options to help your community enter this season with intention and depth.

Visit these pages often and try something new this year. Fresh resources will be added weekly, offering ongoing inspiration for Lent and Holy Week. Whether you’re planning in-person services, online events, intergenerational activities, or you are seeking personal spiritual practices, these tools are designed to support and enrich your ministry throughout this sacred season.

Lent Devotions & Study Resources

Lent & Holy Week Worship Resources

You are warmly invited to a special learning event on Saturday, March 21 at St. John’s Halifax, 2187 Larry Uteck Blvd, (West) Bedford.

TIME: 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. A light breakfast is provided.

In a time when social media promises connection yet so often leaves us feeling isolated, we find ourselves living through what many describe as a loneliness epidemic. The Church, however, is uniquely placed to respond with compassion, presence, and hope.

Rev. Dr. Andrew Richardson, Vocation Minister (Atlantic) for The United Church of Canada, from Summerside, PE, will lead us in a thoughtful and engaging exploration of the Church’s crucial mission of “befriending.”

Through two inspiring talks—

• Befriending Each Other
• Befriending the World
  —we will reflect on how Christian communities can offer genuine relationships and meaningful connection both within the church family and in the wider world.

THE MISSION OF FRIENDSHIP workshop is free, but REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

SIGN UP HERE:   www.surveymonkey.com/r/BEFRIENDING
(Deadline is midnight March 15)

All are welcome— bring a friend!

This event is sponsored by the Diocese, through The Connectors REUNION group.

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

We're headed off for a weekend with youth in grades 7 to 12 for a weekend of fun and learning about how to tune in with ourselves, with God, and with one another at Big Cove Camp in Sutherlands River, and we need some leaders to help make it happen! If you've been looking for a way to serve and support young people as they grow in their faith - this could be your moment! In particular, we're looking for cabin leaders and group leaders, but we've got some other roles too!  We'll provide training, meals, and transportation to get you there - find all the details about the roles available, and a link to sign up, here!

Community Roots is our diocesan travelling day camp program and we are getting ready for another fantastic summer of ministry! Our staff team travels aorund the diocese, bringing with them all the supplies needed for a fun and engaging week of day camp with two main goals - to provide meaningful and free programming for kids in the community, and to equip and empower local leaders to do children's and family ministry. 

If you know all about it and your parish is ready to apply to participate this year, you can do that right here. 

If you're curious and would like more information before diving right in, we're holding several informaiton sessions over the next few weeks, and we'd love to have you there! You can find the details and registration for those here. 

Work With Community Roots This Summer!

 We're hiring two Program Facilitators! It's a great summer job for university students who love kids, are excited to grow their leadership skills, and want to share the love of God with others! Find all the details, including  how to apply, here. 

REGISTRATION is OPEN 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.

Click HERE for details and to register

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

Honouring African Heritage Month: 

A reflection of Christian faith by the African-American scholar and activist, bell hooks: "In reflecting on my youth, I emphasize the mystical dimension of the Christian faith because it was that aspect of religious experience that I found to be truly liberatory. The more fundamental religious beliefs that were taught to me urging blind obedience to authority and acceptance of oppressive hierarchies-- this didn't move me. No, it was those mystical experiences that enabled me to understand and recognize the realm of being in a spiritual experience that transcends both authority and law.”
― bell hooks, Teaching Community

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.

Lent/Spring update  

Diocesan Environment Network – Wayside Pollinator Seed Program

The Diocesan Environment Network’s Wayside Pollinator Seed program will be holding its first work party to fill seed envelopes.

The work is simple and repetitive:
label an envelope, add a spoonful of seed, seal with a second label—and repeat.
People of all ages are welcome, and a ramp is available at the entrance.

First Work Party:

At the Blandford Community Centre, side door
February 28
1:00–3:30 p.m.

All are welcome to join in this hands-on way to support the pollinators and our shared environment.

All Saints Bedford is once again holding its Annual Undie Sunday, running from Sunday, January 4 to Sunday, February 22. During this time, donations of men’s undergarments, T-shirts, socks, and underwear will be collected for the guests of Metro Turning Point Shelter for Men.

Donations may be dropped off at the church on Sundays or during regular church office hours. Over the years, All Saints Bedford has generously donated hundreds of undergarments to support this important ministry.

Thank you for helping make a difference.

The Next Generation Sponsorship Fund supports youth as they pursue their passions in sports, music, drama, and faith-based events. The fund provides financial assistance to young people in our parish, local communities, and beyond, helping them grow, learn, and thrive.

Support the fund by donating recyclables. All proceeds from recycled materials go directly to the Next Generation Sponsorship Fund. Drop-offs can be made at O’Connell’s Recycling, 15 Sackville Cross Road, Lower Sackville, or Bluewater Recycling Inc., 23 Bluewater Road, Bedford.

By collecting recyclables together, we raise funds and invest in our youth.

The Cathedral Church of All Saints is compiling a series of reflections for each weekday in Lent written by members of the Cathedral congregation. These will be posted daily throughout Lent on the Cathedral’s website and social media. If you would like to receive this by email each morning, please sign up here. 

The Dartmouth Region's Marriage Success Course is offered as a marriage preparation course for couples of all genders and sexual orientations. Topics covered include: Communication, Conflict, Finances, Spirituality, Family of Origin and Sexuality. You do not have to reside in the Dartmouth region to participate. Marriage Success will be held Saturday, 2 May 2026,  at St. Luke's Church, 9 Veterans Avenue, Dartmouth. The course will only be offered if a minimum of 4 couples register. Cost: $60 per couple (materials and food provided) Registration deadline is 31 March 2026. See registration form or e-mail marriagesuccess@outlook.com for more information.

The Government of Canada is inviting rural Canadians to take part in a public consultation to help shape a new Rural Development Action Plan. This is an opportunity for individuals and communities across Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island to share their experiences, challenges, and ideas for strengthening rural life.

Learn more and participate here

Reimagining Church is just that: thinking in fresh ways about church and how it connects with today’s world. Come willing to be stretched, challenged, and refreshed!

Wednesday Evenings 7-9 PM EST

January 14 – March 4, 2026

Instructor: Dr. John Bowen

Are you frustrated by the decline in church attendance and participation at your parish? Perhaps you’re hearing the buzz around terms like “missional church,” “discipleship,” and “fresh expressions,” but are baffled about what those mean or how they might relate to your own parish. Or perhaps you are simply curious about whether a new perspective might help you and your parish engage differently with the gospel and with parish ministry. 

The course is for anyone eager and willing to explore Christian faith in a fresh way that is at the same time ancient and yet relevant to today’s world. It is being hosted by the Niagara School for Missional Leadership.

For more information and to register: https://nsml.ca/reimagining-church/

“Being With” is a ten-session course to explore the Christian faith – for the first time, or to go deeper after many years of churchgoing. Meaning, Prayer, Story, Suffering, Resurrection are among the topics covered. We have just finished an in-person course, and Rev. Kate will offer one on Zoom this winter, most likely on Monday evenings. One participant from our last round wrote: “Being With helped me build a more peaceful and grounded inner life. It encouraged me to reflect regularly, to learn to notice God’s goodness, and to become more grateful. This has made my faith journey feel more alive and my experience of church more intimate and supportive.” Click here to sign up; email Rev. Kate if you’d like to know more. 

St. Luke’s is hosting a Clothing Swap on Friday, February 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at St. Luke’s Parish Hall, 10 Shore Club Road, Hubbards, during our Lenten Soup Lunch.

Gently used clothing donations will be accepted on Thursday, February 19, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Friday morning, February 20, at the hall. Any remaining clothing after the swap will be donated to Mission Mart.

All are welcome to participate—come share, swap, and support our community.

Alongside Hope will offer a free interactive workshop, Mapping the Ground We Stand On, on Saturday, February 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Christ Church Dartmouth, 61 Dundas Street. Light lunch will be provided.

The workshop explores Indigenous presence and settler arrival and is conducted on a large interactive map of Turtle Island/Canada. It was developed following the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s final report.

To register, contact Andy Sherin at nspeijustice@gmail.com. Participants should note that there is homework.

The Parish of French Village will be offering a Lenten Study at St. George’s Church, Head of St. Margaret’s Bay, held on five Saturday mornings during Lent from 10:00 am to 11:30 am. This year’s program invites participants into a thoughtful exploration of faith, mystery, and human experience.

The study will use The Mystery of Everything by Hilary Brand, alongside the film The Theory of Everything, which portrays the life of physicist Stephen Hawking. Over five sessions, participants will reflect on themes including the experience of wonder, weakness and frailty, the complexity of relationships, and hope beyond brokenness.

More details, including dates and times, will be shared on the parish website at www.parishoffrenchvillage.ca and on the Parish of French Village Facebook page.

St. Margaret of Scotland Church will host a delicious Casserole Luncheon on Thursday, February 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the church hall, 3751 Robie St. (just north of Leeds Street). Guests can enjoy a variety of homemade casseroles and classic comfort dishes in a warm, welcoming setting.

Admission is $12, with a special rate of $10 for students and seniors. Everyone is welcome to attend and enjoy good food and great fellowship.

Start your Saturday right! Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 45 Main Street, Middleton, invites everyone to a Community Breakfast on Saturday, February 28, from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. Enjoy a hearty meal with a free will offering, and bring your friends and family—all are welcome!

St. Francis By The Lakes Anglican Church is hosting a Roast Beef Take-Out Meal on Saturday, February 28, 2026, with pick-up available from 4:00–5:30 p.m. Enjoy a hearty meal featuring roast beef, potatoes, carrots, turnip, peas, a dinner roll, gravy, and dessert.

Meals are $18 for adults and $8 for children. Orders must be placed by February 23 by calling Elaine L. at 902-865-4727, ordering through the church website at stfrancisbythelakes.ca, or emailing stfrancistakeout@gmail.com.

The Shoulder to Shoulder, We Are All Treaty People Rally, will be held at Province House (1726 Hollis Street, Halifax) on Monday, March 2nd, 2026, from 12 noon until 1pm. Pro-Treaty Rights, Pro-Democracy, Pro-Environment, and Pro-Labour groups will be gathering to express their concerns to the Sitting Government Legislature.  Please pass this information on to your members. More information and details will be announced in the coming days.

The Cathedral Church of All Saints is happy to host a World Day of Prayer 2026 service and reception . . .  and all are welcome!

With a number of other HRM churches taking part in offering the service, we join more than 170 other countries globally in support of prayerful action for peace and justice. The World Day of Prayer 2026 service is prepared by the women of Nigeria’s World Day of Prayer 2026 Committee, with the theme: I Will Give You Rest: Come (Matthew 11: 28-30). We are especially pleased to have the involvement of Nigerians living in HRM with World Day of Prayer 2026 at the Cathedral and to have a World Day of Prayer service offered in Halifax this year. Come for ecumenical worship and fellowship.

To learn more about this 99-year-old World Day of Prayer movement and its Canadian organizing group, the Women’s Interchurch Council of Canada (WICC), here is a link: https://wdpcanada.ca/world-day-of-prayer/

Enjoy a morning of Irish music at Two Coves Café on March 12, featuring Carol & Donnie Webb. The café opens at 9:00 a.m., with music beginning at 10:00 a.m. Admission is by donation, with proceeds supporting Bonny Lea Farm.

All Saints Church is continuing its support of Beacon House, a local ministry serving families in the Bedford, Sackville, Fall River, and Hammonds Plains areas during difficult times. Weekly donations are being collected to support the Beacon House Food Bank.

Most-needed items include canned soups and meats, canned milk, pasta, cereal, oatmeal, fruit cups, juice, granola bars, and crackers or cookies. Donations of non-perishable food items are welcome.

Together, we can make a difference.

Contemplative prayer is a spiritual practice that involves being aware of God's presence and resting in that presence. It is a type of prayer that uses the imagination to achieve a union with God. 

Each Thursday during Lent at 9AM beginning February 19^th we will offer a one-half hour of contemplative prayer time using Zoom.

We hope that we can make this prayer time:

• Quiet
• Biblical
• Loving

Zoom link and more information available at: lentencontemplativeprayer@gmail.com

Facilitators: Gillian Power, Janice Robar Joe Young and Kim Lively

Please consider making this a practice during your Lent.

Join us for Lenten Soup Lunches, held Fridays during Lent from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Each lunch includes a choice of soup, a biscuit or roll, dessert, and tea or coffee. Admission is by donation, and all are welcome.

Upcoming dates and locations:

• Friday, February 20 – St. Luke’s Parish Hall, 10 Shore Club Road, Hubbards

• Friday, February 27 – St. Andrews/St. Marks United Church, 7629 St. Margarets Bay Road, Ingramport

• Friday, March 6 – Parish of French Village, St. James Anglican Church, 6991 St. Margarets Bay Road, Boutiliers Point

• Friday, March 13 – Hubbards Lions Club, 43 Lions Club Road, Fox Point

• Friday, March 20 – St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, 10243 St. Margarets Bay Road, Hubbards

Come enjoy a simple meal, warm hospitality, and community fellowship throughout the Lenten season.

The Cathedral is launching an alternative worship service – dinner church, which will be held on Wednesday evenings. The eucharist, with a Jesus story, conversation and prayer, all unfolds in the context of an evening meal. This is particularly designed as space for people who are curious about faith or wanting to explore Christian community – who will you invite? Invitation cards are available, or forward the flyer here. 

Atlantic School of Theology invites the community to a relevant and practical workshop on eldercare on March 3, 2026, exploring how families and faith communities can respond faithfully and effectively to the needs of aging loved ones and parishioners. Led by Patrick Cassidy, KC, the session draws on both professional expertise and personal experience to address the challenges of navigating and sustaining eldercare.

The workshop takes place at 1:30 p.m. in the AST Chapel with a Zoom option available. Cost is $25, and free for students. All are welcome, with a special invitation extended to students and clergy.

Register here

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  - Feb. 14, 2026 - Feb. 20, 2026

Nova Scotia - $1.0505 Prince Edward Island - $1.0505