First reading and Psalm
Exodus 34:29-35
Psalm 99

Kids are joining the main congregation for this week's service.

The Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, prepared lovingly by St A's Altar Guild, takes place on

Tuesday 4th March 2025 from 5pm - 7pm in the Lower Hall (you may arrive at any time between these hours)

Our sisters from the Cook Islands have spent the last few years deepening into the theme: “I Made You Wonderful,” based on Psalm 139:1-18. The 2025 program invites us into the knowledge that each one of us was made with care and love by God. When we can receive this profound truth, everything in our life changes and we begin to radiate and shine from within. We also learn how to treat every other person as made wonderful by God. 

Our first Guiding Principle in the World Day of Prayer articulates that our starting point is Christian women. This has been an essential conviction of our movement over the last century. Too often, women and girls have been silenced and oppressed, making this upcoming theme from WDP Cook Islands particularly relevant. The message that we, as women and girls, are “fearfully and wonderfully” made in the image of God reinforces our movement’s support of women n expressing their faith and speaking about their lives in prayer and worship before God and in community.

The Worship Service invites us to notice aspects of our divinely created bodies that we often take for granted. The scripture reading from Psalms 139:1-18 is woven together with stories of three women from the Cook Islands. We come to understand that God knows us, is always with us, and made us unique and special. 

he service leads us to offer prayers of adoration and thanksgiving to our Creator,​​ ​followed by prayers of confession and longing. Finally, the prayers of intercession guide us to ask God for wisdom, courage and healing, that our world would come to treat all people as “fearfully and wonderfully made.”  

The Bible Study prompts dialogue around Psalm 139, particularly focusing on the relationship between God and each one of us. The study looks at 3 sections of Psalm 139, each with a different focus: verses 1-6 (God knows us), verses 7-12 (God is with us), and 13-18 (God made us wonderful).  

The Children’s Program includes a song that is popular among children in the Cook Islands, as well as several activities for coloring and creating neck garlands and flower head crowns. Children are encouraged to learn how their bodies were made wonderful by God. 
The Country Background gives an abundance of information about the history of the Cook Islands, with a particular emphasis on the achievements of women. 
Taking on the responsibility of being a writer country is always a rigorous journey, and we are grateful to our Cook Islands sisters for their hard work and patience. 

A 55-minute video of the World Day of Prayer 2025 service, with participants from across Canada, has been created to view at home and in churches.
The video is based on the worship service prepared by Cook Islands Christian women and then presented and produced by the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada.
The video contents include:
A.   Closed captioning in English for all speaking and singing content.
B.  Two engaging worship leaders – a mother and daughter from Paris, Ontario.
C.   Background content on the Cook Islands.
D.   Prayers and stories written by Cook Islands women.
E.   Familiar hymns performed by recording artists and the First Sanctuary Choir.
F.  Liturgical dances performed on the east coast of Canada by Jalianne Li.
G.   Occasions to reflect.
H.   An opportunity to donate in support of WDP and grant projects.
I.   Pictures from 2024 WDP services and celebrations across Canada and the world.

To watch a four-minute promo clip of the full-length video and further information on obtaining a copy, please click on wdpcanada.ca/world-day-of-prayer/how-to-participate/.
To watch the 2025 full-length service video, visit wdpcanada.ca/world-day-of-prayer/how-to-participate/. It can be downloaded, for free, from the WDP resource section of wdpcanada.ca.
To order a USB with the video from the WICC store, go to https://wdpcanada.ca/wicc-store/.
You may use the video during a videoconference (e.g., Zoom meeting, Facebook) or during a church/auditorium setting.

Tax receipts have finally been received from our current bookkeeper and have now been sent out either via email or post.

If anyone needs a paper copy, please let me know and I will get one posted on to you; those who have already stated this do not have to re contact.  Those without email will have their receipt posted directly on to them.

If you have not received your receipt, or have any questions, please get in touch so this can be rectified.

Thank you for your patience this year; in 2025 things should work much more smoothly.

Cheryl

While AI can and is often used for good and honest tasks such as synthesizing information quickly, it is also used for fraudulent activity. Please, do not be fooled into sending money or gift cards via an email request. Always verify the request with the alleged source of the email. If you know the person's phone number, call them. 

The Hanley Home Group meets on Monday nights, 6:45 - 8:15 pm, at 10735 52 Street.

We discuss scripture, share our lives, and pray for each other. Families are welcome!

If you'd like to check us out, please email John at john@mjhanley.net.

We began in January 2025 Marcus Borg's "The God we Never Knew"

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Sharing in circle has a long history of transformation and community strength in both indigenous and addictions recovery traditions.

Sharing in circle allows us both opportunity to listen, and when our turn arrives, to speak.

A topic is raised each Wednesday in the realms of Faith, Justice, Spirituality, and Action in the Christian tradition that we are invited to reflect on and share if we wish.

Rev. Jonathan usually facilitates the circle.  Please contact him for the zoom access: rector@staugustinesedmonton.com

We have used books, video, or individual presentations as our prompts for the evening.

"Doors" open at 7:45pm, process begins at 8pm-9pm.  The zoom stays on until 9:30pm latest for those who want to chat more.

Administration, address updates, etc: Cheryl at office@staugustinesedmonton.com, 780-466-5532