Jason Higgens, from the musical group Jacob’s Passage, lead the us in lively gospel singing.

The session was considered a great success, and was very appreciated by all.

The post Faith, Fellowship, and Song in Upper Gullies appeared first on Anglican Life.

The Alongside Hope Indigenous Partnership Program promotes partnerships based on recognition, respect, and support for the rights and wellbeing of the Indigenous partners.

Indigenous cultures, languages, and traditions are invaluable and contribute to the rich tapestry of Canadian society. Supporting Indigenous programs helps preserve and revitalize these cultural assets, ensuring they are passed on to future generations.

Mapping the Ground We Stand On

In 2015, following the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Alongside Hope developed a narrative and a process called “Mapping the Ground We Stand On.” The resulting workshop explored Indigenous presence and Settler arrival on the map of Turtle Island/Canada.

Piloted at Alongside Hope’s National Gathering in the fall of 2015, this “education for reconciliation” resource was further developed and delivered in parishes and other venues. In 2019, Alongside Hope launched a new five-year strategic plan. The fifth goal is “Mutual Reconciliation: We will accompany and support First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples, guided by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the priorities of Indigenous communities and organizations in Canada.” In 2019, a decision was taken by Alongside Hope to train a national network of Mapping Exercise facilitators.

Bring a Mapping Exercise to your community

The map of truth and reconciliation in Canada is still very much incomplete. Alongside Hope remains committed to being part of the journey towards finding a more complete map.

Each ecclesiastical province group has been equipped with a large floor map of Canada and is ready to bring this education for reconciliation resource to you. It is ideal for a synod, clergy retreat day, youth gathering, or Indigenous awareness event in your parish or community.

Archdeacon Terry Caines wrote that “during the annual clergy Lenten retreat, under the guidance of Canon Tom Mugford, an Alongside Hope representative, clergy of Central NL took part in a meaningful Mapping exercise designed to create reflection, awareness, and shared learning. Through visual storytelling and guided discussion, clergy looked at key moments and stories that have shaped our nation’s history, including lesser-known and often overlooked experiences.

The exercise encouraged clergy to engage more deeply with the historical truths of our country, including the lasting impacts of colonization and the experiences of Indigenous communities across regions such as Newfoundland and Labrador. By visually tracing these histories, clergy gained new insight into how past events continue to influence present-day communities.

Beyond education, the Mapping exercise created sacred space for dialogue, mutual understanding, and collective growth. It offered an opportunity not only to learn, but also to listen—strengthening relationships and deepening commitment to reconciliation, compassion, and informed ministry within our communities.”

If you would like to host a Mapping Exercise for an Anglican entity, Alongside Hope will cover any travel costs for our volunteer facilitators. Local hosts are asked to cover any costs associated with the venue or refreshments and provide tech support. Non-Anglican entities are asked to cover both travel and hosting costs. For more information on the Mapping Exercise cost structure, please contact Abdi Ali aali@alongsidehope.org.

Information taken from the Alongside Hope website (alongsidehope.org)

The post A Journey Towards Reconciliation appeared first on Anglican Life.

The devotion was centred around winter and snow. The hymn, “Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow” was sung, and it reminded us how wonderful it is to visualize how God can take imperfections in our hearts and turn them into something pure, clean, and lovely.

The evening included snow games, action games, winter pokey, and singing.  Even Frosty the Snowman made a visit!

Refreshments included charcuterie treats. With over 140 ladies present, it was a beautiful evening with lots of fun and laughter.

The post Winter Wonderland in Grand Bank appeared first on Anglican Life.

Congratulations to Captain Dawe and thank you for how you serve in the CLB, the Church, and the wider community.   

The post Captain Dawe Awarded Special Honour appeared first on Anglican Life.

As parishioners both past and present are quite aware, I LOVE EASTER. I love Easter because of the fact that it is the day in which Jesus rose from the dead and because of that fact there is hope in life that is on the other side of this thing that we call death. Easter Day is the one day in the year, I do not even need coffee as a pick-me-up. I can literally bounce off the walls with excitement. I will admit there are times when life is a struggle, and sometimes there is strife and it can certainly feel like a battle. Then again, this are also my CLB roots showing (I was in the CLB in Upper Gullies Company No. 1004 from 1990-2002). Yet because of this, because I deal with death on a regular basis, and knowing how in the past that I have dealt with the processes of grief in my personal life, there is something just beautiful knowing that that bad has ended, and there is something good, hopefully, that is awaiting each and every single one of us.

There is much to celebrate in the life of the Church in the Easter Season. It is why Easter is celebrated for 50 days. 50 days to focus on the most excellent gift that God has given to creation and to people; the hope in that there is something more exciting, more wonderful, more hopeful in the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In celebrating such an event in the history of our salvation, let us be exuberant, let us be joyful and let us celebrate it with every fibre of our being.

C.S. Lewis, in his book Miracles said it best: “A new Nature is being not merely made but made out of an old one. We live amid all the anomalies, inconveniences, hopes, and excitements of a house that is being rebuilt.” (Miracles, chapter 16, para. 21) The strife is indeed over, the battle is done and let us celebrate with joy the house that is being rebuilt, without human hands. The strife is over, the battle done: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

The post The First Hymn At My Funeral appeared first on Anglican Life.

We are building intergenerational relationships and understanding as this is our second visit. Each were asked what do you enjoy doing? Our youth enjoy dance, hockey, and playing guitar. When the seniors were young, among other things, they enjoyed playing tag, copy house, tiddlywinks, and with dolls. Times have changed!

The young and young at heart had a chance to mingle and chat. The youth band and leaders then enjoyed a supper at a local restaurant for more relationship building among the group. Our parish is blessed to have such a wonderful group of youth. Their kindness and care for others is inspiring.

The post Harmony Across Ages: Refuge Visits With Bay Roberts Retirement Centre Seniors appeared first on Anglican Life.

I find when I get particularly busy and need my brain to relax, nostalgia is a powerful tool. Personally, I turn towards the music and TV shows of my teenage/undergrad years and just let it filter in my brain for a while. If you had to see my Spotify playlist from my post-teenage years, many of you may be shocked at the amount of classic rock and metal that I listened to.

But it brings me into a safe place mentally.

We all have our safety nets: seemingly mundane or odd activities that we do because they re-centre ourselves. Whether it is the twelfth time doing the same 500-piece puzzle, or the hundredth listen through of a favourite album, there is something to be said about having a safety net.

However, when we think to what we are called to as disciples of Christ, safety nets are what we are told to avoid.

Think to the first followers of Christ: leave home and don’t turn back. Leave it all behind.

And then when Jesus was arrested, they had nowhere left to turn. They’d abandoned their old safety nets years ago, and now their new one was in federal custody.

Talk about a free fall!

As a Church, we are challenged constantly to search for the way forward and forget about our safety nets. We are called into the new and the foreign, and not to turn back. It is easy to want to turn back though. We like comfort! The same worn-out pair of shoes that would be useless in the current winter weather feel just right for any activity. We love that favourite t-shirt or sweater that has worn so thin that it would scarcely function as a rag.

Of my several guitars, my safety net is a Yamaha F310 that I’ve had for over 30 years—it’s beat up and splintered in places, but brings me back to when I was still learning my first chords.

As a Church, our safety net may be an 11am Book of Common Prayer Eucharist that we have memorized by heart. It might be the same five hymns that mean so much to us. It’s what’s familiar and comfortable.

It’s long time we got rid of our safety nets, my friends. The Church for centuries has called the faithful into uncomfortable places and yet has survived it all! The first church in the post-resurrection era lived with the constant fear of arrest, persecution, and conviction; yet it continued to press forward without looking for a safety net.

As our hearts prepare to celebrate in the resurrection of Christ, let us be willing to shed our safety nets as a Church, continue to step bravely forward, and trust that the only safety we need is the Light of the World.

The post Safety Nets appeared first on Anglican Life.

The calendar is a recurring Christmas gift I’ve been finding in my stocking for the past several years.

Here at St. John the Evangelist, Topsail, our rector, Canon Jotie Noel, also makes sure that we celebrate each red-letter day on the Church’s calendar.

The day that I am writing this article, Sunday, February 1st, as our congregation gathered together in our place of worship, we were happy to be welcomed to and participate in the annual Christingle service—symbolizing God’s gift to us as the Light of the World, and as an aftermath to the winding down of Advent. Christingle serves as a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas.

At the foot of the altar this morning, with three of our younger members of the congregation participating, Canon Jotie once again used the analogy of an orange as a motif to demonstrate the best gift of all.

Each child displayed an orange, which represented the concept of a circle—round like the world. A candle at the top represented God’s Light. A ribbon around the orange represented the love of God that goes around the world. Toothpicks are a symbol of love pointing in all directions.

The demonstration was greatly enhanced by the involvement of the three children as they joyfully assisted Canon Jotie while he explained the biblical meaning of the multiple components displayed on the table.

After an uplifting service, the Anglican Church Women of our parish invited everyone downstairs to participate in fellowship and food.

A rewarding day was had by all.

The Lord is my light
And my salvation
Whom shall I fear
– Psalm 27

The post The Christingle Service appeared first on Anglican Life.

Over the centuries, the parish has witnessed countless moments of joy, sorrow, and resilience, becoming a cornerstone of communal life in Port de Grave. To commemorate this bicentennial milestone, parishioners and clergy have planned a series of special events, including historical displays, musical performances, and a service of thanksgiving attended by local dignitaries and visitors from across the province. The preacher at the service will be the Most Rev’d Shane Parker, the 15th Primate of the Anglican Church in Canada. The service will be on September 20th at 7pm. Everyone is invited to come, and the clergy are invited to vest. The colour will be red for St. Luke’s Day.

“This anniversary is not only a reflection of our past, but a celebration of the people who have shaped our parish and community,” said the Rev’d Jason Haggstrom, current priest-in-charge of St. Luke’s Parish. “We honour those who came before us and look forward to continuing our mission with faith and compassion.”

The festivities have also highlighted the parish’s church building, which celebrates its centennial this year as well, and the rich traditions of worship and outreach that have defined its legacy. Local historians have shared stories of the parish’s founding families, the impact of the fishing industry, and how faith has woven itself into the fabric of daily life.

As the Anglican Parish of Port de Grave enters its third century, leaders and parishioners alike are hopeful for a future rooted in community and service. The bicentennial serves as a poignant reminder of the enduring power of the Gospel’s message and the importance of passing on the faith to the generation to come.

Our collect for our bicentennial year:

Almighty Father, we give thanks and praise for guiding this Parish through two centuries of faith, community and service. By your grace, our ancestors built a foundation upon Christ. By your Spirit, we have grown as His Body in love and in worship. Grant that as we celebrate our 200th Anniversary, we be strengthened to serve our neighbours, proclaim your Gospel, and bear steadfast witness to you in our generation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

The post Anglican Parish of Port de Grave Marks 200 Years of Faith and Community appeared first on Anglican Life.

Of course, to talk about these assumptions, I have to make some assumptions of my own. I am assuming she paid for the lunches of my colleagues because she knew or assumed they were all clergy. My rage was ignited because her generosity towards them meant she, for some reason, assumed that I was not a member of the clergy. I wondered: what about the situation spoke to this being the truth? Was it the fact that I wore leggings and a sweater (which are the only clothes in my closet that my pregnant body will currently accept)? Was it the fact that I was younger than my ministerial colleagues? Or was it because I am a woman? Maybe it was some combination of all three. Or maybe it was none of these things at all.

Regardless, the moment was a jolt to the system. It reminded me that, no matter how far we’ve come in the world of equality for women, women clergy members still have to climb invisible ladders—ladders that men will never have to climb. These assumptions, those first thoughts that people have, the ones that will either guide their actions or at least cloud their perception of the women clergy they meet—we will always be fighting against them. This playing field is not yet equal and, quite honestly, I’m not certain it ever will be.

I lament this truth. I lament it and I accept it. I will keep showing up. I will keep claiming the space and the call that God has given me. I will be gracious and courageous. I will not allow the people in my communities to keep holding onto assumptions that harm women, regardless of how harmless they seem. And I will do all this in the name of making it at least a little easier for the next woman who hears God calling her to this vocation, in the hope that one day she can be with a group of male colleagues and be seen as an equally important part of the ministry of God.

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