The Parish of the Valley Advent Appeal is our annual parish-wide stewardship initiative offered in support of our local congregations and their many wonderful ministries. Our Advent Appeal is now entering its fifth year, and amazingly over the last four years the Advent Appeal has raised more than $70,000 to support our local congregations and the people whom we serve. The funds raised have now been transformed by God into radiant and gracious light: into faithful worship, meaningful pastoral care, and missional outreach by our churches at the local, national, and international levels.

Again this year we invite you to prayerfully consider how you might support the work of Christ in your local congregation through our Advent Appeal. Please give generously if you can.

Because of the ongoing Canada Post mail strike, all Advent Appeal letters and packages will be available for pick up in your local church this Sunday, December 1st (and next Sunday in Rankin). Because we are unable to mail out any envelopes that are left in the churches, we are asking for your help to hand deliver our Advent Appeal letters to members of our congregations who are unable to pick them up in person. If you would like to assist with deliveries please speak with any member of the clergy team or with your local churchwardens.

Likewise, because donations cannot be mailed to your church or to the main office, if you are unable to bring your Advent Appeal donation to your church and place it on the offering plate please consider giving online by clicking on the link below. Every donation is received with gratitude and faithfully put to use.

May the light of Christ continue to give you hope, peace, joy and love this Advent. Thank you for supporting our Valley Advent Appeal!

The annual Advent Celebration of Light at St. John the Evangelist, Eganville will be held this Sunday, December 1st at 3pm.

Please join in this traditional choral evensong with prayers of remembrance. Rev. Christine will officiate and Rev. Matthew will preach.

All proceeds raised at the service and through the St. John's Eganville Advent Appeal will support the sponsorship of students through St. John's longstanding partners in Uganda, Wide Smiles For All Through Education, led by Kenneth Kasule. A luncheon will follow the liturgy. All are welcome!

Four times per year, the Parish of the Valley holds Food Bank Sunday, a day when we intentionally bring food and monetary donations to church that we offer to our local food banks across the parish. Our next Food Bank Sunday is this Sunday, December 1st.

Christmas is a time of year when many food banks are looking for extra donations to be able to support those in our communities who need it. Local food banks may have pariticular wishes during this season and we encourage you to check in with your local food banks about what they may particularly need. Contact information for all of our local food banks is available at the link below.

This Advent, step out of the hustle and bustle and into a quiet space for a time of reflection and candlelit worship.

Beginning Wednesday, November 27th and continuing for four weeks in Advent, our parish will be offering a weekly quiet service of Advent Vespers. The services will be held on November 27, December 4, 11, and 18 at 4pm in Holy Trinity Pembroke. Each service will also be simultaneously live-streamed for those who would prefer to join in from home, or watch the recording at a later time. You can connect to the live-stream here. 

Each week we will reflect on the theme of the upcoming Advent Sunday: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. We hope these brief liturgies will offer our parish a quiet centre, whether attended in person or online, and we look forward to sharing in worship with our full-communion partners from St. Timothy's Evangelical Lutheran Church and Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Pembroke.

This year, the Parish of the Valley clergy team is pleased to recommend a number of resources for daily devotions throughout the season of Advent. You can learn more about each of them and sign up to receive them through the link below.

Hope and Surprise: Reflections for the season of Advent from the Primate's World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF). 

Advent Word from the Episcopal Church's Forward Movement offers daily email meditations and an inspirational online Advent calendar.

The Texts Behind the Tunes from the Presbyterian Church in Canada offers videos and notes on the Biblical texts at the heart of seven different Advent hymns.

The Weary World Rejoices Advent reflections by author Kate Bowler.

Brother, Give Us A Word from the Brothers of the Society of St. John the Evangelist (SSJE).

Our next issue of the Parish newpaper, Revelations, will be published mid-December. We would like to recieve short articles or stories about your congregation has done in the past months. From providing space or meals for your local food bank, to special services and events, there are many things that have happened in the life of our parish over the last couple of months that we want to highlight in our newspaper! 

Not sure about what to write but have an idea from your congregation? No problem! Feel free to reply to this email or speak with Rev. Gillian.

The submission deadline is Monday, December 9th to revelations@valleyanglicans.ca.

Holy Trinity Pembroke's annual Christmas season concert, A Joyous Prelude to Christmas, returns on Sunday, December 8th at 3pm. Admission is by free will donation with all proceeds supporting Holy Trinity.

This year, we are looking forward to enjoying the musical gifts of:

• The Intermittents
• Holy Trinity Church Choir, with additional members from Calvin United Church Choir
• Sarah Coles on saxophone
• Sandra Allen on Flute 
• Ainsleigh & Molly MacInnis
• Lawrence Mahusky 
• some collaboration by some of the above artists, and...

... more musicians to be confirmed in the coming weeks! Many thanks to Paula Lundrigan for coordinating this year's many wonderful performers!

Please save the dates and plan to join us for these upcoming Christmas Concerts.

Wednesday, December 11th at 2pm - Carolling at the ECHO Centre (30 Bell Street, Eganville).

Sunday, December 15th at 2pm - St. George's South Alice annual St. George's Christmas Sing-A-Long.

Tuesday, December 17th at 7pm - The YoYo Mamas Fiddle Group will again hold a Christmas Concert at Church of the Epiphany, Barry's Bay. Admission will be by (free) ticket with a freewill offering received at the door. Text Pia (613-633-9361) or stop by Epiphany Fashions to reserve your ticket.

Thursday, December 19th at 7pm - Lessons & Carols at the Upper Ottawa Valley Heritage Centre Museum Church in Pembroke (formerly the Champlain Trail Museum). Rev. Matthew will preside.

Christmas Eve - December 24th

4pm - All Saints, Petawawa
4pm - Ascension, Killaloe
4pm - St. Anthony's, Whitney
4pm - St. Paul's, Cobden

7pm - Holy Trinity, Pembroke
7pm - St. George's, South Alice
7pm - St. John's, Eganville
7pm - Epiphany, Barry's Bay
7pm - St. Thomas, Rankin
7pm - St. Augustine's Chapel, Beachburg

Christmas Day - December 25th

9am - Ascension, Killaloe
10am - Holy Trinity Pembroke 
11am - St. John's Eganville

Worship times and locations for Sunday, December 1st are:

Here you will find our parish prayer list, scripture readings according to the Sunday lectionary, and links to worship by the Parish of the Valley and other Anglican resources and services.

Please download from the link below.