Dear members, adherents, friends, and family of Knox and St. Giles,

As another week comes to a close, I hope you’ve found moments to pause and appreciate the many blessings God places before us – whether in time spent with loved ones, the beauty of creation, or simple acts of kindness shared with neighbours and friends.

One of the greatest blessings of being part of a church family is knowing there is always a place where you are welcomed, known, and cared for. As our journey of amalgamation continues, it has been encouraging to see members of both Knox and St. Giles getting to know one another, sharing conversations, and building new friendships. These moments remind us that the church is not simply a building we enter on Sunday morning, but a community we nurture throughout the week.

From time to time, you may receive this weekly update from me as your church administrator, while on most weeks Rev. Chandra will continue to share a reflection on scripture and our life together in Christ. We hope that these messages keep you informed and connected with all that is happening in our growing congregation.

If you happen to be in the neighbourhood during the week, please feel free to stop by and say hello. Whether you have a question, would like to learn more about an upcoming event, or simply want to visit for a few minutes, I’d be delighted to see you. I’m in the office Tuesday-Friday until 2PM, and I’m always happy to connect with members and friends of our church family.

As always, we warmly invite you to gather for worship on Sunday at 10AM. Following the service, you’re invited to stay for fellowship, where conversations over coffee continue to strengthen the relationships that make our congregation such a welcoming place.

If you’re looking for more opportunities to engage in your faith during the week, we also invite you to join the Tuesday book study at 1:30PM or 6:30PM; or Wednesday bible study at 10:15AM. Whether you’ve been studying scripture for many years or are just beginning to explore God’s Word, everyone is welcome and every question is valued.

Please take a look at the attached bulletin for this week’s announcements and for more ways to participate. There is always something happening, and we hope you’ll find a place to join in. Thank you for your presence, prayers, generosity, and willingness to serve. May God bless you and your loved ones in the week ahead.

Sincerely,

Kaiden

Dear friends, family, adherents, and members of Knox and St. Giles,

Summer has a way of reminding us that growth often happens quietly.  Seeds planted months ago begin to bear fruit, flowers bloom in their own time, and what once appeared to be ordinary soil becomes filled with colour and life.  Much of God’s work in our lives happens in the same way – not always through dramatic moments, but through the steady presence of the Holy Spirit shaping us day by day into the people Christ calls us to be.  We are invited to plant, to water, and to tend, while trusting that He is at work beneath the surface.  God’s grace is patient, and God’s presence never leaves us, even if we cannot yet see the results.

One of the gifts of our Christian faith is that we are never called to walk alone.  Through worship, prayer, Scripture, and fellowship, God knits us together into one body.  As our two congregations continue along this shared path, we are learning that the work of building relationships is not simply accomplished through meetings and decisions.  It happens as we pray for one another, greet someone we have not yet met, and look out for those who are carrying heavy burdens.  Through times of joy, uncertainty, fatigue, and hope alike, we continue to discover that God walks beside us always.

Thank you to everyone who continues to participate in our Tuesday study of God With Us, and those who faithfully serve in so many quiet ways throughout the week.  Your generosity of time, faith, and kindness is helping to shape the community God is calling us to become.  If you have not yet joined us, there is always more room at the table. 

Please gather with us for worship on Sunday at 10am; the bulletin is attached, with announcements and opportunities for fellowship and service.  Whether you come carrying gratitude, questions, grief, or anticipation, you are welcome.  Come to be renewed by God’s Word, strengthened through prayer, and nurtured by the presence of your brothers and sisters in Christ.  

Together we remember that our hope is not found in our own strength, but in the steadfast love of our Lord.  May God continue to bless this season of new beginnings with wisdom, courage, and joy.  

Blessings,

Rev. Chandra Mannix

Hello Knox and St Giles!

What helps you feel close to God?  Where do you find peace and beauty and joy?

One of my favourite ways to be close with God is to get outside and go into the foothills of Kananaskis country.  It is in the seeing of the beauty of the mountains, the smelling of the wildflowers, the hearing of the screech from eagles, and catching glimpses of wildlife that I feel so very close with God.  Witnessing fields – both wild and cultivated – grow throughout the summer reminds me of the magnificence of God.  All of this and more fills me with awe. 

Romans 8 reminds us that our Creator has adopted us as sons and daughters. We are heirs to God’s beautiful kingdom.  God’s unbound love assures us of peace and security in Christ as children and stewards for eternity.  We are blessed to be receiving all the beauty and goodness around us.

So … why then has God allowed the wheat to grow with the tares in cultivated fields?  Why has God allowed the children of God to grow up around the children of the enemy?  Why is there so much suffering allowed?

Please join us each week for Bible Study at 10:15 on Wednesdays to discuss questions like these and more.  Come be with your brothers and sisters in Christ to hear where others place their hope, and how they traverse experiences of prickly thistles in their lives.  If you feel comfortable, please share with us how you live into the certainty of knowing that the garden of God’s kingdom – your kingdom – will eventually be weeded by angels, or how you receive certain peace, healing, and joy even right now through life’s difficulties.

And until we meet next in Bible study, you are invited on Sunday at 10 am, together with your fellow heirs, to worship your Creator – the one who made the mountains and molehills and you!  Come sing your praises to the holy One who loves you, and has saved both Knox and St Giles for music, mission, and ministry.

Blessings,

Rev. Chandra Mannix

“Search me, oh God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the way everlasting.”   – Psalm 139:23-24