Schedule

Monday, October 5^th - Friday, October 9^th - National House of Bishops Fall Meeting, Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre, Niagara Falls, Ontario

Sunday, October 11^th - Parish Visit - Parish of St. Mark's, Halifax (10 am)

Monday, October 12^th - Thanksgiving - Office Closed

Tuesday, October 13^th - Staff gathering; Mission to Seafarers Board Meeting

Announcement

Bishop Sandra is pleased to announce the appointment of The Reverend Cathy Lee Cunningham as Rector for the Parishes of Timberlea (70% time) and Beaver Bank (30% time), continuing the Shared Ministry Arrangement between both parishes that began two years ago. The appointment took effect September 1, 2026.

God willing and people consenting,

on Thursday, October 15th

at 4:30 pm at Christ Church, Berwick

Bishop Sandra will ordain:

Kenneth MacIntosh

to the Sacred Order of Deacons

Your prayers and presence are requested for Ken

as he prepares for his ordination and the vows and promises he will make

before God and the gathered community.

Clergy and Licensed Lay Ministers are invited to vest and process.

It's been said that, "where two or three are gathered, there shall be tension."

Every congregation is made up of people with differences, quirks and in need of varying levels of healing. People give us the most joy. People also can cause leaders the most stress.

Read this excellent article, Ministry Would Be Great If It Weren’t for the People,
by Margaret J. Marcuson, published by the Lewis Centre for Church Leadership.

Parish leaders are often looking for practical, easy ways to help people connect Sunday faith with everyday life. Here is this week's ready-to-use "Flourishing Faith In Daily Life" mini-resources.

The topic is: Creation Care & Mutual Support.   Download any of the 2 pdf version options here:   

FULL PAGE - Thanksgiving Flourishing Faith BULLETIN INSERT - full page

SINGLE & DOUBLE HALF-PAGES - Thanksgiving Flourishing Faith BULLETIN INSERTS - half pages

These 'micro-practice' faith inserts are designed to be plug-and-play, adaptable across multiple settings with zero extra preparation:

• Sunday Leaflets: Print-ready, vertical half-sheet bulletin inserts.
• Parish Newsletters: Compact reflections ready to paste straight into your digital or print communications.
• Social Media: Short, engaging snippets formatted for Facebook.
• Parish Meetings: Built-in devotional starters to ground Parish Council or committee meetings.

Wardens, Rectors and Priests-in-Charge, keep an eye on your inbox Tuesdays for each downloadable package. Each insert is paired with an optional 30-second pulpit script to make introducing the weekly practice effortless. Available weekly from the Net News too.

For all of the inserts visit: https://www.nspeidiocese.ca/pages/flourishing-faith

Got suggestions, comments or questions? Write to:  missiondirector@nspeidiocese.ca

What: Free webinar.

When: Wednesdays in October - 2 p.m. (Atlantic time) 

Who: Hosted by the Diocese of Rupert's Land in partnership with Black Anglicans of Canada

Register  

Facilitated by TENS: The Episcopal Network for Stewardship.

Learn more about the ministry of legacy or planned giving and how it can help your congregation build a sustainable future. Supporting the Church You Love, for Generations to Come: Your Legacy. God’s Mission.

Join The Episcopal Network for Stewardship (TENS) and the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa for a practical conversation about planned and legacy giving—for those considering their own legacy and those helping to advance stewardship and giving in their church or organization.

For INFO and to REGISTER  

This low-cost annual Volunteer Conference offers practical training and inspiring ideas for non-profits on things related to welcoming newcomers, applying for grants, and ways to engage the wider community. 

Keynote speaker is Annika Voltan, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Management Department at Saint Mary's University, Halifax. Annika has worked across government, nonprofit, business, and academic sectors and is recognized for her expertise in social innovation, community building, systems thinking, and cross-sector collaboration.

2026 Volunteer Conference is Monday, November 23 - 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. - at Delta Hotel, Burnside/ Dartmouth, N.S.

Earlybird pricing: $40 until October 25.

Regular conference fee: $75

Registration closes November 16.

 Workshops include:

• Preparing to Apply for Government Funding 

• Getting Started with AI: An Everyday Guide for Basic Use 

• Inclusion and Diversity in Volunteering

• Mobilizing Your Community

• Better Writing Isn't the Answer: The Secret to Winning Grants 

• Preventing Burnout

• Rural Volunteering: Opportunities & Challenges 

• Reaching Out 101: Tangible and Intentional Promotion and Outreach  

• Youth Voices in Volunteering 

• Navigating Change: Guiding Nonprofits through Uncertain Times

• Welcome Works: Volunteers Helping Newcomers Thrive 

• Measuring Impact: What Changed Because We Were There?

For info and to register:  https://www.halifax.ca/about-halifax/volunteering/volunteer-conference

One thing that we hear often is that for leaders in children's, youth and family ministry, it can be difficult to find time for your own continued growth and faith formation. We can't magically add hours to your day or to your week, but we can invite you to set aside one every other Sunday from 7:30 to 8:30 to spend time in prayer with other leaders in children's, youth and family ministry.

Find all the details here: https://www.nspeidiocese.ca/pages/praying-together

There are just *so* many things that youth and young adults are navigating, so many questions for them to figure out, and so much pressure to have it all together. 

So we're inviting youth and young adults, aged 16 to 21, to join a cohort to step away from all of the pressures of day to day life for a FREE weekend retreat and then six months of regular online gatherings for prayerful listening in community. 

Find out more here: https://www.nspeidiocese.ca/pages/finding-our-paths-together

A practical workshop exploring the ACORN spiritual discipline—a simple daily rhythm developed by Michael Harvey to help congregations connect with those outside the church. Designed for laity and clergy, this session unpacks how a simple daily prayer and few subsequent steps can help shift parish culture toward gentle, organic missional connections with new people.

• When: Tuesday, October 13 – 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

• Where: St. James' Armdale Church, 2668 Joseph Howe Dr., Halifax, NS

• Cost: None, but registration is required.

• Register here:   https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ACORN

We are delighted to welcome UK church strategist and ACORN co-founder Michael Harvey to our Diocese for a special leadership gathering. (He was the founder of the Back-to-Church initiative.) While visiting friends in Nova Scotia, Michael very generously offered his time to share his expertise with us.

While this visit came together on short notice and is being hosted in the Halifax area, we are thrilled to take advantage of his presence. For those unable to attend in person, we plan to video record the session so no one misses out.

Got questions?   E-mail  missiondirector@nspeidiocese.ca 

Are you interested in dancing for (and with!) God during this celebration service? 

We are inviting dancers of different experience levels and ages to join us for up to three spiritual dances.

These dances will be part of the liturgy at the November 30^th celebration, so dancers need to be available in person at in Halifax that evening.

There will be a practice(s) according to our availability, and also an opportunity to learn via video for those who want more practice time. Interested in learning more? Please email Archdeacon Katherine Bourbonniere at office@churchofsaintandrew.ca.

On November 30 at 6 pm our diocese will gather in All Saints Cathedral, Halifax, to celebrate with an exuberant service of Holy Eucharist the 50

anniversary of our Church ordaining women to the priesthood. And because that date also happens to be the 6th anniversary of Bishop Sandra's consecration as bishop, an event that had no real public celebration as it took place under Covid restrictions, we will also celebrate her ministry among us.  A reception will precede the worship.

We hope every parish in the diocese will join in preparing for this celebration. More information will be coming throughout the summer, but here are some of the ways to get involved: 

• Make a list of the women ordained in or from your parish and female rectors – and also those who felt called and were not welcomed into ordained ministry; those stories are part of the fabric too. 

• Collect the stories of these women, and those who supported them

• Create artwork depicting your parish’s women clergy and stories (a template and instructions will be sent out in advance so these are the same size and material; these will be gathered and hung in the Cathedral for the service)

• a collect will be sent for prayer during October and November)  

• Host a parish watch party for the national celebration being held November 25 in Victoria

• If you are too far from Halifax to attend, host a parish watch party for our diocesan celebration. 

We are making resources available to assist those who want to attend the national celebration in Victoria and need financial help to do so; please contact Lawrence Roche at financialcontroller@nspeidiocese.ca if you ware interested in going. 

And watch for further announcements about ways to participate in this grand celebration!

The Parish of Lantz has the following items available for parishes/groups. Note that all items must be retrieved before October 14

• Pews made of solid wood (some 93” long and most 116” long)

• Two prayer desks

• Two candle stands (approx. 5’ high)

• Wooden Font

• Bishops Chair

Looking for an accessible, low-pressure way to dive into scripture this fall?

Joine us for Lessons from Paul: Living a Christ-Centered Life, a Zoom Bible study series co-hosted across three dioceses (Calgary, Algoma and Nova Scotia & Prince Edward Island) and Thorneloe University, Sudbury, ON.

Each session follows a simple, open format: a passage of Scripture is read twice, followed by a wide-ranging, accessible discussion on how Paul's writings apply to our daily lives.

Event details

When: Thursdays from Sept. 3 to Oct. 8 at 9:00pm Atlantic Time

Where: Online via Zoom

• Meeting ID: 827 3436 6468
• Passcode: 830537

Weekly Reading Schedule

• Sept. 3 - Colossians 3:12-17
• Sept. 10 - Ephesians 4:29-32
• Sept. 17 - Romans 12:1-13
• Sept. 24 - Romans 12-14-21
• Oct. 1 - Romans 13:1-7
• Oct. 8 - Romans 13:8-14

Co-Leaders

Mike Hobson - Postulant, Church of St. Andrew, Cole Harbour, NS (Diocese of NS & PEI)

Coery Brunatti - Parish of Trinity Muskoka Lakes, ON (Diocese of Algoma)

Rev. Mike Black - Parish of St. Martin's, Calgary, AB (Diocese of Calgary)

All are welcome! Grab your bible and join the conversation from wherever you are.

Imagine being in a hospital to support a loved one in a moment when they need medical attention... and the lights go out.

St. Luke’s Hospital is located in Nablus on the West Bank, and is a hospital operated by the Episcopal (Anglican) Diocese of Jerusalem. Alongside Hope has been working in partnership with the Diocese of Jerusalem to fund the purchase and installation of 407 solar panels for St. Luke’s Hospital. 

The appeal for Light for St. Lukes officially went out in the late spring. Our goal is to have $176,000 by October 18 2026!

As of this week, Alongside Hope has fundraised $151,284 of $176,000! 

This week two parishes from the south shore came together to fundraise together (Thank you Holy Trinity Bridgewater and the Anglican Parish in New Germany)- participants got together to walk and rock together to fundraise! To hear more about this recent event or if you or your parish is interested in joining in the final push for Light for St. Lukes, every Watt counts! Check out the article linked Here for more information on how to support the project.

Anglicans Powering Potential wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Towards Justice and Equity: The International Day of the Girl Child

The international day of the Girl Child, October 11, is a global observance dedicated to addressing the unique challenges faced by girls and promoting their empowerment and rights. It draws attention to barriers such as limited access to education, child marriage, and gender-based violence, while celebrating girls as leaders, innovators, and agents of change in their communities. First declared by the United Nations in 2011, it was first observed in 2012 to recognize girls' rights and ensure they are equal partners in shaping a more just and equitable world.

Join the Alexa McDonough Institute and YWCA on October 8th for an International Day of the Girl Child celebration: Elevating Girls' Voices for Sustainable Development. Moderated by poet, journalist, and former Halifax Youth Poet Laureate Damini Awoyiga, the evening will feature a discussion with five youth trailblazers (Scarlette Patterson-Smith, Cheyenne Hardy, Danaysia Ash, Jane Korseko and Naomi Ulku on gender equality, climate, sustainability, human rights, and social justice.

Date & Time: October 8th, 5:30-8:30 pm Location: Seton Faculty Lounge (407/409), Mount Saint Vincent University

Refreshments and snacks will be provided. Please register here 

Participating on-line is possible.

Here are interesting International/World Days in October

Oct.10: World Mental Health Day

Oct.11: International Day of the Girl Child

Oct.15: International Day of Rural Women

Oct.16: World Food Day

Oct.17: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

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.

Fall updates