By Robert Griffin

The Ho Mobile Clinic is now successfully completed from our point of view. It is operating on its own budget, funded by the Ghana Department of Health.  

The Ho Teaching Hospital provides the medical team to go on the rural visits, and the Diocese of Ho provides a priest to accompany each visit with spiritual and mental health guidance.  

The project was audited by a Cadre member of the Rotary Foundation, our largest funder of the $283,000 project. 

The Ven. John Matheson’s term as archdeacon of the Archdeaconry of St. Andrews has been extended by one year, to Oct. 13, 2025.

Clergy Anniversary

October 27 -  Keith Howlett, 50 years a deacon

Clergy anniversaries are recognized at 10 and 25 years and subsequent five-year intervals.

“PWRDF is a bit of an alphabet soup,” said Debbie Edwards, our diocesan rep. “It’s not evident from the name what it is. It’s a name whose time is up.”

Now, after more than a year of collaboration, the hiring of a consultant firm, more than 15 workshops and meetings, more than 200 possible names and more than 50 committee members’ input, they have chosen "Alongside Hope."

Alongside Hope conveys the concept of partnership in a simple and uplifting way. 
•    It is easy to understand and to pronounce. 
•    It requires no lengthy or clumsy acronym. 
•    It de-emphasizes the colonial, top-down approach of giving and emphasizes a more collaborative approach. 
•    It is a name that will carry us forward into the future. 

https://pwrdf.org/our-new-name/

The board of Naomi and Ruth Women’s Centre cordially invites you to attend their annual gala at the Moncton Coliseum on Friday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m.

Join two-time Juno Award winner Natalie MacMaster, who will speak and perform in person.
Tickets & info: NaomiandRuth.ca or call (506) 875-5371.

The Naomi and Ruth women’s wellness centre in Shediac is a faith-based one year program to empower women to take control of their health and well-being and build a strong foundation for a healthy and fulfilling life in recovery. 

TOMORROW - Wednesday, Oct. 23, 1 p.m.  Nursing Home Without Walls:  Helping seniors age at home, featuring Maryann Clark, senior wellness co-ordinator and Brenda Foster, senior navigator. This free event takes place at St. Augustine’s Anglican Church, 239 Quispamsis Road (use rear entrance). Refreshments served. All are welcome.

Friday, Oct. 25  St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Petitcodiac presents Hallowe’en Dance for grades K to 2 (6-7 p.m.) and grades 3-5 (7:30-8:45). Admission is $2, canteen is available, prizes to be won. All kids must be signed in and out by a parent or guardian. Questions? Email chris.hayes@anglican.nb.ca . Find us on Facebook: St. Andrews Children’s Dances.

Saturday, Oct. 26, 4-6 p.m.   The Anglican Parish of Gagetown will hold its annual fall supper at Camp Medley.  Turkey and all the trimmings are on the menu and take-outs will also be available. Tickets at the door: $15 for adults, children aged 6-12 are $10, and children 5 and under are free.

Saturday, Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Bake and rummage sale at Covert Hall, North Head, Grand Manan.

Saturday, Oct. 26, 11 a.m.  Cemetery service remembering and honouring those we have laid to rest. Join us at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 486 Kennebecasis River Road in Hampton.

Saturday, Oct. 26   Holy Trinity Church 2 Hammond River Rd., Quispamsis will hold a delicious fall take-out meal, with a choice of homemade Boston baked beans and sausage or chili. Meal includes brown bread and apple crisp. Cost $12 per take out. Call Mark & Kathy by Oct. 22 to pre-order at 506-832-3759. Pick up times are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Holy Trinity Church.  Treat yourself to a lovely fall meal. Proceeds will help support local food banks.

Sunday, Oct. 27, 2:30 p.m.  16th annual Sounds For Sigowet benefit concert and silent auction at St. Paul’s in Rothesay. Concert will feature the Buckley Ensemble. Tickets are $25, and $10 for students. Call 506-847-1812 or 506-849-2414 to purchase. A reception will follow the concert, which will benefit orphans going to secondary school in Kenya.

Saturday, Nov. 2, 10-11:30 a.m.  Parish Nurse Tea & Talk at All Saints Parish Hall, St. Andrews, featuring Emma Keech, senior resource co-ordinator at the Charlotte County Seniors Resource Centre, who will discuss Charlotte Country senior resources. All are welcome. Presented by the Parish of St. Andrews.
 
Saturday, Nov. 16, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.  Christmas Tea and Quilt Show at St. Mary & St. Bartholomew’s Church, Saint John. Featuring a luncheon, silent auction and bake table. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under. Tickets available at the door or the church office.

Saturday, Nov. 16, 8-11 a.m.  Breakfast fundraiser hosted by the Anglican Parish of Ludlow and Blissfield at the Orange Hall, Carroll’s Crossing (top of Stewart’s Hill). Menu:  pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, baked beans, toast, juice, tea and coffee — by donation. All proceeds will go to the food programs at our local schools, UMES, CNBA and DES.

Saturday, Nov. 16, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.  Christmas Bazaar at Christ Church (Parish) Church, 245 Westmorland St., Fredericton.  Please join us for our sale of Christmas cooking, crafts and new-to-you items. Our Church Closet will be open, featuring clothing and books. Christmas café on site. Cash only.

October is Clergy Appreciation Month! Show your pastor some love! It’s appropriate that  it and Thanksgiving fall in the same month (for Canadians anyway). Thanksgiving is a time when we give thanks and express gratitude for God’s gifts. Showing gratitude and appreciation to God is a spiritual discipline – it takes practice. One way to practice this spiritual discipline is to show appreciation to your spiritual leader.

Need some tips? Here are a few:

• Ask your spiritual leader – Did you get your Sabbath/days off this week?

• Encourage your spiritual leader to take care of physical health by exercising and going for walks.

• Expect and encourage your spiritual leader to take his/her full allotment of vacation time each year and to not return from vacation to perform funerals, etc. whenever possible. Help him or her arrange for pastoral care coverage while he/she is on vacation.

• Encourage your spiritual leader in their self-care and soul-care. 

• Avoid scheduling church meetings or activities requiring your spiritual leader's presence more than two nights a week.

• Your pastor is a spiritual leader and needs time to be with God.

• Remember important milestones and dates in the life of your spiritual leader and family.

• Remembering that the way we treat our spiritual leaders reflects on our love and obedience to God.

• Celebrate Pastor Appreciation Month – Pick a Sunday in October and thank them publicly!

From the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada

What Canadian Church Leaders Should Know about Mental Health & Illness in their Congregation, is a FREE webinar open to anyone on Friday, Oct. 25 at 4 p.m. (AST). 

Dr. Joel Thiessen, Professor of Sociology, presents data-based on recent findings from a national survey with nearly 1,000 church leaders and congregants on the topic of mental health and illness in Canadian Christian congregations. The 30-minute webinar is interactive: 15-minute research presentation and 15-minute Q/A (optional 15-minutes after for networking).

Joel is Director of the Flourishing Congregations Institute at Ambrose University, Calgary, AB. The organization offers Canadian Data for Canadian Church Leaders. 

Register by clicking here. 

Archdeaconry Greater Chapter meetings

Chatham - October 26 @ 10:00 am, St. Andrew's (Newcastle), Miramichi
Fredericton - October 16 @ 6:30 pm, Christ Church (Parish), Fredericton
Kingston and the Kenn. - October 21 @ 7:00 pm, St. Paul's, Hampton
Moncton - October 24 @ 7:00 pm, St. John the Baptist, Riverview
Saint John - October 17 @ 6:30 pm, St. Luke's, Main St.
St. Andrews - October 18 @ 6:30 pm, St. Margaret's, Lepreau
Woodstock - October 23 @ 7:00 pm,  Good Shepherd, Florenceville-Bristol

Join friends from across the diocese and beyond for a 24-hour Advent breakaway. Our Advent Retreat is open to anyone (Anglican or not) looking for a moment to pause and reflect on the season's true meaning.

Our retreat leader (teacher) is Bishop Sandra Fyfe. Bishop Sandra is the 17th diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, having been elected and consecrated to that role in 2020. Before that, she served as rector of the Parish of Horton (Wolfville NS). She is a gifted retreat leader and has led a variety of retreats across the Atlantic provinces.

All are welcome - pre-registration is required.

Costs - Overnight: $140 | Couples: $215 | Commuter: $95 (meals included) 

Registration deadline is December 4, 2024; spaces are limited. (Some bursary funding is available.)

For more information, contact Shawn C. Branch: 506-459-1801 ext 1008.