25th Sunday after Pentecost November 19, 2023

Welcome to St. Laurence

Please join us for worship this Sunday and stay for the conversations! This week, we wrestle with the contrasting mindsets of abundance and scarcity found in Jesus’ “parable of the talents”.

If you are unable to join us in person, please join our livestream

service through the link below, or watch a video at your leisure. 

Telling our stories of God’s abundance

What brought you to St Laurence? Why do you stay? What are some of the ways in which you give back to this community? Over the next few weeks, we will be telling stories here at St Laurence; stories of community life, of God’s abundant blessings, of shared values and hopeful futures. This week's reflection comes from Denise Lawson.

Pledge Sunday and Celebration Lunch!

Please join us on November 26 as we give thanks for God's abundance and for our community. You are invited to add your pledge to the offering plate as a sign of your gratitude, and to stay for a soup lunch afterwards. Please sign up in the lobby or let Kelly know if you are coming, and if you wish to bring something to share.

**** Stewardship packages are due back next Sunday November 26th.

**** Please note anyone who is doing pre authorized debits from the Diocese will notice RBC on their bank statements as the Diocese has switched to RBC Express.

Why do I choose to live out my faith at

St. Laurence?

My faith helps me make sense of life. It gives meaning to the treasures and turmoils of life. I can’t imagine a life without faith in God. As a young adult, I had been to many evangelical and nondenominational churches with friends. However, in my 30’s, I returned to my Anglican roots when my first child was baptized. I consider myself fortunate to have found St. Laurence.

At St. Laurence, I find comfort in the ritual of the liturgy, inspiration from the pursuit of social justice and I appreciate the emphasis on wisdom traditions that are at the root of activities at St Laurence. Last but not least, I enjoy the ability to express my faith through participation in the choir.

Why have I stayed? Sometimes, it was a needed coping mechanism for dealing with personal tragedies. But often it has been a desire to contribute to God’s voice in the world which is so in need of the message of love and healing. I feel that the community at St Laurence is being the voice and hands of God in small but meaningful ways. We value and care for the individuals in our congregation but also extend our influence to our fellow Calgarians and the world at large.

Where do I see St Laurence a year from now? Practically, I want to see us having secure funding to pay Jane and Kelly’s salaries (>2/3 of our budget goes to pay salaries). I hope we see a few more young families attending for they are the future of the church. Also, an attitude of openness toward what God is calling us to do and optimism that we can be a channel of God’s love and peace in the world.

Denise Lawson

To view our bulletin, see here

Conversations

Join us each week in the Sunshine Room at 11:20 for reflection on theology, spirituality, and current events.

This week in Conversations: Join us for a lively discussion of the Parable of the Talents.

WISDOM CENTRE

For tickets, go to wisdomcentre.ca. Hillary will also be at St Laurence on Sunday, December 3, 10:00 am!

We are still looking for a few volunteers to help out with this event. Contact Jane at wisdomcentre@stlaurence.ca. 

Save the date for Messy Sunday Service December 10!

This Week in Parish

Wednesday 2:00 pm Memorial Service  Garrison Green

Thursday 10:00 am Centering Prayer

                7:30 pm Choir practice

Stewardship Campaign Update

On behalf of the Corporation and Parish Council, thank you for prayerfully completing the 2024 Pledge form. The information that we receive helps us to develop the budget which will be presented at the Annual General Meeting in the new year. It is our financial guide for the coming year. The deadline for submission is November 26, 2023 which is Stewardship Sunday – an opportunity to gather for a light meal and celebrate our community. Thank you for your continued support of St. Laurence and its mission.

Anglican Calendars:

Apologies to all of you who look forward to your annual Anglican Church calendars. The calendars are not available at this time because of problems with preparing and printing them. I will let you know if we do receive them. Susan Himann

Upcoming Women’s Lunches

Monday, December 4

 At 11:30 am at Pho Pham Restaurant in Signal Hill. All are welcome, no rsvp required.

Prayer Ministry at St Laurence

If you have a prayer request, the best way is to email Ross Lennox

at rosslennox23@gmail.com or phone him at 403-606-2525

Villages Calgary is hosting Giving Week, November 26 - December 2, 2023. Visit the shop anytime during that week and 10% of your purchase will be donated to PWRDF which is one of Village Calgary’s partners. Please be sure to identify PWRDF as your organization of choice. 

Thank you for your support of PWRDF.

An Appeal for Ahli Arab Hospital, Gaza

“Any contributions made to PWRDF for the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital between October 7 - November 12 will be matched by the Government of Canada. This matching will happen because PWRDF is a member of the Canadian Food Grains Bank which is a member of the Humanitarian Coalition. Donations can be made to PWRDF in the usual ways.”

 For many years, Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) has supported the work in al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza with surgical equipment and access to health care. After the recent violence, the director of the hospital has issued an emergency appeal to support its health services in this time of crisis. PWRDF has responded with a grant of $30,000. This grant will cover the cost of additional staff which is very much needed. Please consider supporting this initiative as the situation is extremely critical.

More information is available here.

To support al-Ahli Arab Hospital, please donate online to PWRDF's International Emergency Response Fund and indicate Gaza Hospital in the comments. Donate by phone at 1-866-308-7973.  You will be prompted to leave a message and the staff will return your call. By mail, send your cheque to PWRDF, 80 Hayden Street, 3^rd Floor, Toronto, ON, Canada, M4Y 3G2. Please indicate ''Gaza Hospital'' in the memo field.

Thank you for your prayerful caring.  

Interfaith Bible Study

Thursdays November 23 & 30 from 1:00 - 2:30 pm.

Hosted at Beth Tzedec Congregation

1325 Glenmore Trail SW

Wild Church Calgary

November 19, 2-3:30pm

Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

2425 – 9^th Ave SE, Calgary

In this season, moving from Fall to Winter, Pastor Dave Saude will be leading an exploration of “Nature’s Lessons about Hanging On and Letting Go,” discoveries for the transitions in our lives…

Dress warmly and bring a folding chair.

Hillhurst United Church on November 28 at 7 pm will be hosting Steven Kakfwi former Premier of the Northwest Territories and National Chief of the Dene Nation will share his story in a night of song, reading and reflection. Stephen is remarkable elder at an important point in Canadian history. For more information see here.