Church of the Advent is excited to welcome The Ashley Wey Trio with Adam Dobres and Louis Rudner as the featured musical guests for Jazz Vespers on January 19^th at 7 PM. Click READ MORE to read their full bio!

Church of the Advent’s Annual General Meeting for the year 2024 is scheduled on February 23^rd following the combined 10:00 service. Those who are reporting on special ministries will receive an email reminder from the Parish Office, requesting their report.

We are once again holding a Dessert and Silent Auction evening on Saturday, February 15^th, at 7 pm.  Local celebrity, Jack Knox, is returning as auctioneer for the live auction of fabulous desserts, and everyone will have a chance to bid on an amazing array of items on the Silent Auction tables.  Tickets are $5 – this covers beverages and snacks.  This evening of merriment and fun is a fundraiser for the Goldstream Foodbank and our parish.

If you have an item, a gift basket or a service that you would like to contribute to the Silent Auction, please email Deb Wastle at debwastle@gmail.com with your information.  If you would like to make a dessert, email Jeanine Woodman at  jwoodman326@gmail.com.  Please include a short description of your dessert.

Posters are available on the entryway table. Please take a few to help spread the word and note where you plan to take them on the provided sign-up sheet. Tickets are available through Bev Somers, Gwen Doust, and the office.  You can invite your friends and family and reserve a table for your group. Any questions, please contact Mary Wills.

The Ladies Guild hosts their next Community Lunch on Wednesday, January 22^nd at noon. Come and enjoy a delicious lunch of soup, sandwiches, and desserts with coffee/tea, al for only $10 per person!

The Ladies Guild also offers luncheon tickets. These tickets are perfect for gift giving, have no expiration date, and can be used at any regular luncheon. To purchase them, please contact Jose or the Parish office.

New to the parish? You are warmly invited to our Welcome Coffee Social at noon after church on Sunday, February 2nd in the St. John’s Room. Get to know each other and learn more about Church of the Advent and its people. We hope you can join us!

Please RSVP to the Parish Office at admin@colwoodanglican.ca 

Church of the Advent is pleased to welcome back the Greater Victoria Police Chorus for another spectacular performance. Join us at the church on Sunday, March 2nd at 2 PM. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased in advance through the Parish Office or at the door. You won't want to miss this great performance!

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, January 18-25

The theme for this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is taken from John 11:26, and connects to the 1700^th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea (325 CE) and the Nicene creed. This week’s Top Shelf features books about faith and belief by authors with much in common, but from different Christian denominations or traditions.

Marcus Borg. The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith.
   An exposition of a liberal paradigm of Christian belief.  Marcus J. Borg (1942-2015) was an American Episcopalian scholar.

Joan Chittister. In Search of Belief.
   A phrase-by-phrase study of the Apostle's Creed. Sister Joan Chittister (1936- ) is a Benedictine Sister of Erie.

Peter J. Gomes.  The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus: What's So Good About the Good News?
   Revisiting the Bible to find the good news of the gospel. Peter Gomes (1942-2011) was an American Baptist scholar, pastor, and preacher.

Brennan Manning. The Relentless Love of Jesus: Meditations on the Son of God. 
   Knowing God through Jesus. Brennan Manning (1934-2013), author and pastor, was at one time a Franciscan priest and a member of the Little Brothers of Jesus.

N.T. Wright. Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense. 
   A case for Christian faith. Tom Wright (1948- ) is a research fellow at the University of Oxford, and a former Bishop of Durham in the Church of England.

To borrow a book, please fill out a green loan slip from the small bookcase in the narthex, and put it in the pink box. The loan period is 6 weeks. If you have a book due for return, please fill out a yellow return slip instead, and leave your book beside the box.

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.

To read the January issue online or download a PDF version, click READ MORE.

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 at Gordon United Church on Saturday, February 1st (10 am to 12:30 pm) for crafts, activities, music, stories and lunch. 

Jan 19 – Jazz Vespers featuring The Ashley Wey Trio with Adam Dobres & Louis Rudner, 7 PM

Jan 21 – Parish Council Meeting, 7 PM

Jan 22 – Ladies Guild Lunch, Noon

Jan 25 – Spanish Service, 6 PM

Feb 1 – Messy Church at Gordon United Church, 10 AM
              Taize Service, 5 PM, Chapel

Feb 2 – Welcome Coffee Social, after 10 AM service 

Feb 15 – Dessert & Silent Auction

Feb 22 – Spanish Service, 6 PM

Feb 23 – Combined 10:00 Service
                AGM, 11.30  AM

Mar 2 -  Police Chorus Concert, 2 PM

Mar 4 - Shrove Tuesday

Readings for this Sunday's services:

ISAIAH 62:1-5

PSALM 36:5-10

1 CORINTHIANS 12:1-11

JOHN 2:1-11                                                                                                               

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 

Book Study: We are discussing Chapter One of "Conversations with Scripture: The Gospel of John" by Kittredge on Thurs 6 February

The 2025 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity will take place on January 18–25.

Ways to get involved:

• You are invited to join an ecumenical service on Sunday, January 19 at 3:00PM at St. Andrew's Cathedral (740 View  Street, Victoria). 
• Resources for parishes are available on anglican.ca/weekofprayer, including a video reflection from Scott Sharman, the ecumenical and interfaith animator for the ACC. To view these resources, CLICK HERE.

For more information on the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, CLICK HERE

This year's World Religions Conference will take place at 4:30PM on Sunday, February 2, in the Gary Oak Room of Saanich Commonwealth Centre. Speakers from 8 faiths will present their perspectives on the theme "Healing in a Polarized World." Among the speakers is St. John the Divine, Victoria incumbent Alastair Singh-McCollum. 

To view the full program, CLICK HERE.

To register, CLICK HERE.

Registration for the Spring 2025 Lay Leadership in Worship course is now open and will remain open until January 17, 2025. The course will provide the skills and resources for laity to lead worship services, morning and evening prayer, and the liturgy of the word (a church service without the eucharist). 

For more information and to access the online application form, click READ MORE.

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

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

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

Last Saturday of the Month
6 PM - Spanish Language Anglican Eucharist Service  

Office hours are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays

from 9 am until noon.