So much has happened at St. Alban’s Anglican Church, Ashcroft since Christmas, and we are excited to share this with the community.
After one year of having monthly services in Spences Bridge, using the Improvement District building (the old school), we at St. Alban’s are so pleased to announce that the Spences Bridge church family has been formally registered as our new Mission Church of St. Hilda’s. I am honoured to officially be the incumbent for St. Hilda’s, and will continue to provide services and pastoral care there.
On March 23, Bishop Clara came from the cathedral in Kamloops to Spences Bridge and presented all of those gathered from St. Alban’s and St. Hilda’s with a certificate of establishment. We all signed the Covenant between St. Alban’s and St. Hilda’s to recognize her status as a Mission Church.
Now we are soon entering Holy Week: the week that leads us from the joyous arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday (April 13) to the end of the week and His crucifixion.
The services for Holy Week and then Easter are as follows:
April 13, 10 a.m.: St. Alban’s Palm Sunday and Liturgy of the Passion
April 17, 7 p.m.: St. Alban’s Maundy Thursday (Last Supper Institution)
April 18, noon: St. Hilda’s Good Friday prayer service
April 18, 3 p.m.: St. Alban’s Good Friday prayer service
April 19, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: St. Alban’s church open for prayer and meditation
April 20, 10 a.m.: St. Alban’s Easter Holy Communion
April 20, 3 p.m.: St. Hilda’s Easter Holy Communion
In addition to these services, we will be sharing a mid-week study in preparation for confirmation/reaffirmation classes. The classes will focus on the understanding of the Apostle’s Creed that is prayed over us at our baptism, and what the baptismal vows mean to us today. For those who wish to join the study but do not seek confirmation or reaffirmation of these vows, you are most welcome to come and join us too.
There will also be a service of baptism for those who are seeking to be confirmed but have not been baptized. Details will be worked out as we look forward to starting after Easter, with a tentative timeline of seven weeks from the week after Easter until the end of June.
I join with all of us here in the community and the canyon as we sense the excitement of the fresh breath of God blowing through us, and as we draw strength from our community and fellowship to continue to follow God’s calling to go forth and love God’s people and creation.
