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

Good morning members and adherents of Knox,

People miss you. It is that simple.

What am I talking about? I am talking about you, the past and current people of Knox.  It is the people that make the church.  The people of Knox that are invited to build the new church of Knox St. Giles.  You are invited to ensure that Knox lives.  

We know that if only one person comes, God will build that church.  But it is not the same without you. The people who have worshipped with you for many years miss you. They are struggling with not only having to sell the building, but having their family in Christ scattered to the wind.  

And this is a hardship that is avoidable.

Today at the building of St Giles, 1102 23rd Ave. NW., we are discussing community. We are discussing ‘God with Us’.  Congregants will gather at 1:30 PM, and again at 6:30 PM for those who cannot come in the afternoon, to share how we are comforted, supported, and challenged by the teachings of Jesus around community. We will think about our own relationships with others, and with Jesus. And as Jesus walks with us as our companion and daily life, we reflect on how we are walking with our brothers and sisters in faith. 

Our new community is not complete without you. We know people are suffering and struggling to discern which road they will choose among the unknown roads that lie before us all.  We know people are tempted to leave to other churches or to take a break from church altogether. We know people are hesitant to come and worship at the new building of Knox.

So for now, with no commitment needed, we ask you to consider joining us today to talk together as one community in Christ.  As Herbert O’Driscoll says in his book, ‘God with us: the companionship of Jesus and the challenges of life’, we “fail to realize the effect we can have on other people.  We can make a difference … when we witness to the faith that is in us, modest though demonstrations of it may be.”

The elders of both sessions will gather this evening while congregants reflect on community this afternoon and this evening.  This email will go to the members and adherents of St Giles as well, as a reminder to come today at 1:30 PM or 6:30 PM or both.If you have received this email, please place yourself before God in a few moments alone to pray and discern, and to remember the people whose lives will be affected by your decisions. A simple prayer of guidance to the Christ we serve is all I ask before making your decision about whether you will attend today or not.
It is my prayer to see everyone today.

Blessings,Chandra