For Harvest Thanksgiving Sunday on October 13th, we are accepting food/money donations on behalf of our local Food Bank. Please consider giving to support the needs of our community.

Photo by Dana Ward on Unsplash

At Messy Church this time, we're learning about women of power in the Bible!
Messy Church is a fun, creative form of church for people of all ages, a celebration time with story, prayer, and songs; and a sit-down meal together at tables and hospitality.
It’s church for people at all stages of faith journey and of any age. Come and join us – you’ll enjoy it!

Come to Messy Church on Saturday, October 19th (10 am to 12:30 pm) for crafts, activities, music, stories and lunch. 

You are warmly invited to join Joey and Jazmane
to celebrate as they are married at
the Church of the Advent
on Saturday 26th October at 1 PM.

Please RSVP for the wedding service on the form below.

You are cordially invited to a Harvest Dinner on Saturday, October 26^th at 6:30 pm in the hall. A sign-up sheet is in the Narthex.  We gratefully accept volunteer support in setting up and/or taking down. If you can offer your assistance with this, there is a column on the sheet to indicate so.  We hope you can attend as we expect it to be an evening of great fun and fellowship!

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash

On Sunday, October 27th during Coffee Hour in the hall after the 10 AM service, we are holding a Ministry Fair. This is a great opportunity for you as a parishioner to learn about all the exciting ministries we have going on and discover if you would like to become a part of them! Representatives from each of the various ministry groups will be stationed around the hall and available to answer your questions. Hope to see you there!

Our 14^th annual Community Book Sale was a great success! The final total of the sale was $3,980.00.

Many thanks to ALL who contributed their time and energy. Kudos to all the donors, sorters, shoppers, those who re-packed boxes of leftover books, and those who moved the books on to other venues! Our heartfelt gratitude to everyone.

Church of the Advent is growing, and for the first time in many years, we now have two Sunday School classes - one for elementary school and one for middle school. We need at least three or more Sunday School teachers plus two Assistants to help grow the faith of our youngest parish members.  This would only require a once-a-month commitment with the class plans already prepared and sent directly to you.

Here are brief descriptions for the roles we are seeking:

• Elementary class teacher – This role is perfect for anyone who enjoys working with the littles. There is an excellent curriculum and plenty of supplies provided. Each teacher will have an assistant to support them and help guide the children through art, song, and discussion.
• Middle class teacher – If you enjoy deeper discussions with a slightly older demographic (12+ age group), this is the perfect role for you. The curriculum is provided through a weekly video and is followed up by a group discussion. The children each have a journal in which to write their comments or artistic impressions.
• Teacher Assistants – Safe Church requires that more than one adult is always present with the children. The Assistant would help with the younger class while also monitoring the older class. The upper half of the St. John’s room door remains open so that the Assistant can visually see what is happening in the other class, and step in to assist when necessary. The Assistant will act as floater and be available wherever support is required.

There is no age restriction for these positions. It is an enriching and rewarding role to help our youngest members grow in the body of Christ. We sincerely invite interested parishioners to give their heartfelt consideration about investing a bit of their time and talent to this group.

Please notify either the Parish Office, Sr Ingrid, or Nell Divinagracia if you have questions or would like to be considered for any of the roles.

Thank you for your generous donations of jars. We have reached a sufficient number, and they are now available for anyone who will be making jams, jellies, and preserves etc. for the Christmas Craft Fair. Please feel free to pick up from the Narthex however many jars you need!  

Thank you to those who have donated to the church their unused plastic and/or paper grocery bags. We have accumulated a very large inventory and are no longer in need of collecting more.

The Anglican Church of Canada has released the 2025 calendar, and it has yet again stunning photography of churches across Canada. They are available for purchase through the parish office at $6 each.

The Church of the Advent Jazz Vespers is thrilled to welcome The Brandy Moore Jazz Trio.

Join us on Sunday November 24^th at 7pm for this incredible show. Admission at the door is the Suggested Donation of $20/person.

Appropriately enough after September’s visioning workshops, one of the newest additions to the library is a book on how faith communities can partner with each other and with the wider community in service to their neighbourhood.

The New Parish:
How Neighborhood Churches are Transforming Mission, Discipleship and Ministry

Paul Sparks, Tim Soerens, and Dwight J. Friesen

This American book challenges churches and individuals to recognize their limits and responsibilities as they look out into their neighbourhood and engage in the things that matter to all residents: matters of the economy, the environment, education (broadly speaking), and local governance and leadership. It speaks about faith communities that are rooted in their neighbourhood, looking to see where God is already at work there, and actively working to collaborate with the Spirit in order to improve and renew it. In each neighbourhood, faith communities link together to do their work, and thereby become a “new parish” that will further link with other new parishes. Such a concept opposes consumer models of church, where people are drawn from a broad area to be spectators of a well-produced Sunday liturgy, but also models that are overly inward-looking or not rooted in a particular place.

This book provides a lot of food for thought. One of the most important concepts it discusses is the neighbourhood, provoking the question, “What is our neighbourhood?”

The New Parish, which was published in 2014, has been catalogued in the library’s Community Participation section, with a shelf code of CMTY SPA. It can be found this week on the Top Shelf.

To borrow it, please fill out a green slip from the small bookcase in the narthex, and put it in the pink box. The loan period is 6 weeks.

Faith Tides is the online, faith-based publications 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.

In this issue

Bishop's Column: A month of thanksgiving
Rebecca Yeo and Mona Smart ordained to the scared order of deacon
Oh God, it’s Otter!
An invitation to stretch
A letter to the editor

Read the October issue online or click READ MORE to download a PDF version.

Bishop Anna Greenwood-Lee has shared a short video providing an overview of the two days of Synod events and encourages all synod delegates to attend their regional meetings prior to synod. 

Synod 2024:

Opening service
Friday, November 1st from 7pm
Christ Church Cathedral

Synod 2024
Saturday, November 2nd 
The Baumann Centre (St. John the Divine, Victoria) 

Enjoy delicious canapés and timeless ambiance with friends old and new. Browse a silent auction and delight in performances by local vocalist Stephanie Greaves and the cathedral’s own Mark McDonald.

All profits go towards keeping the cathedral’s doors open 7 days a week as a community gathering place for personal reflection, worship services, concerts, and outreach.

READ MORE

To register for this event, CLICK HERE.

Readings for this Sunday's services:

Joel 2:21-27

Psalm 126

1 Timothy 2:1-7                                                            

Matthew 6:25-33                                                  

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".

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 

Lisa Brodersen will lead Bible Study on October 10th and 17th, while Sr. Ingrid is on vacation.

Oct 7-22 - Sister Ingrid away on vacation

Oct 13 – Harvest Thanksgiving Sunday, Food Bank Donations

Oct 15 – Parish Council Meeting, 7 PM

Oct 19 – Messy Church, Rooms A, B, C, 10 AM

Oct 20 - No 8:30 service. 10 AM service only.

Oct 23 – Ladies Guild Lunch, 12 PM

Oct 26 – Spanish Service, 5.30 PM (note earlier time)

                Harvest Dinner, Hall, 6:30 PM

Nov 2 – Parish Council Retreat, 9 AM

               Taize/All Souls Service, 5 PM

Nov 3 - Choir Concert, 2 PM

Nov 15 – Christmas Craft Fair Prep Day

Nov 16 – Christmas Craft Fair, 10 AM – 3 PM

Nov 24 – Jazz Vespers - Brandy Moore Jazz Trio, 7 PM

Nov 27 – Community Lunch, Noon

Nov 29 – Coffee House Fellowship Evening, 7:30 PM

Nov 30 – Spanish Service, 6 PM

Dec 7 – Taize Service, 5 PM

Dec 8 – Lessons & Carols Service, 2 PM

Dec 21 – Blue Christmas Service, Chapel, 5 PM

Sunday
 8:30 AM - Traditional Eucharist, Book of Common Prayer
(no choir) Chapel

10:00 AM - Contemporary Eucharist, Book of Alternative Services,
with choir Main Church

First Saturday of the Month
5:00 PM - Taize service with singing  Chapel (except August and January)

Last Saturday of the Month
This month: 5:30 PM - Spanish Language Anglican Eucharist Service  

Office hours are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays

from 9 am until noon.