April 21, 2026

Retreating
by the Rev. Lorie Martin

Retreating, where we come away from the regular hustle and bustle or boredom of life, often rejuvenating in nature, is an intentional time set aside for spiritual refreshing and community connecting. Retreating is a strong value for the Centre for Spiritual Renewal in the Diocese of New Westminster.

‘Church Growth’ research shows that spending meaningful time on a weekend retreat together develops and deepens our faith journey and our relationships where we get to know each other at a whole new level; one weekend together can be equivalent to knowing each other for five years of ”Sundays”. With that in mind, it is well worth considering attending one or two retreats a year to intentionally connect with God. These times of intentional connection help nourish the relationship with the divine, and help us hear the whispers of the spirit.

The Centre for Spiritual Renewal offers morning, day, and weekend retreats, with scholarships available so all may attend. We are grateful to a Centre donor who makes this possible as finances should never hold anyone away from spiritual renewal. Upcoming retreat opportunities can be found at thecentreforspiritualrenewal.org and other locations. In these challenging days, may we hear Jesus’ whisper, "Come away with me and you will recover your life." (Matthew 11, The Message)

A retreat participant shares: “The Centre retreat gathering offered a rich, sensitive and beautiful atmosphere for spiritual growth!” “This was undoubtedly a transformational experience for me.” “My energy is refreshed, my spirit is strengthened, and my prayer-life has deepened.” - Kim S

News

Mission Conference 2026: Registration Open

Mission Conference 2026 takes place Saturday, May 30. The theme is “Moving in Mission, Guided by Spirit.” Archbishop Michael Curry, former presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, is the keynote speaker. Full conference details, including breakout session presenters, are available here.

All are welcome to register for this free conference. Register HERE.

Confirmation

Clergy Deadline to register candidates: May 1

Clergy who have persons prepared for confirmation/reaffirmation/reception must register their candidates with the needed information in order to ensure they can be confirmed on May 9th at the Cathedral. We will not accept on site registrations.

Clergy must register their confirmands using the link HERE.

Confirmands (or their legal guardians) must fill out the photo/video consent form HERE.

Sing Without Ceasing

Sing Without Ceasing is a Diocesan Choir Festival taking place at Christ Church Cathedral on May 29, 2026 as part of the Mission Conference Weekend.

The evening will bring together singers from across the Diocese to form a Diocesan Mass Choir, alongside congregational singing, readings and other elements of worship.

The festival is being offered in collaboration with Neil Cockbourn, Director of Music at Christ Church Cathedral and will include a guest address from Bishop Michael Curry.

Get Involved with the FIFA World Cup at the Cathedral

The Cathedral is hoping to be open as a sanctuary for prayer seven days a week from 9:30am to 8:30pm from June 10 to July 10. To do that, we need help from both the Cathedral congregation and folks from the wider Diocese of New Westminster.

Volunteers are needed to help keep Cathedral doors open as a place of prayer for the city and visitors during this time.

Do you like interacting with people? Perhaps you have cultural ties with the nations we know will play in Vancouver – Australia, Belgium, Egypt, New Zealand, Qatar or Switzerland? Or even speak a language other than English? Your interests, talents and background can make the Cathedral an even more welcome place for visitors!

Sign-up to join us on Monday April 27th at 5:30 pm for an on-line information session to learn how you can get involved in what promises to be an interesting time for the city and the Cathedral.

Buy Nothing: Church Edition

St. James is seeking additional copies of the New English Hymnal. If your parish happens to have copies that are no longer needed (still in useable condition), St. James would happily give them a new home.

If you have copies of this hymnal you'd be willing to part with, please contact St. James at office@stjames.bc.ca

Job Opening

Holy Trinity Cathedral is looking for a part-time Music Director.

Full job description and application details are available HERE.

SAVE THE DATE: IMPORTANT DIOCESAN DATES 2026

May 4 to 6 - Clergy Conference. Register HERE by April 20.
May 9: Confirmations. 10:30am At Christ Church Cathedral
May 30: Mission Conference
August 4 - 6: "You are the Salt of the Earth," Diocese of Islands and Inlets Summer Retreat.

AROUND THE DIOCESE

Full event listing available here

April 25 - Young Adult Movie Night. 6pm at St. Timothy's, Burnaby.

April 25 - Spring Fling Tea. 2pm at St. George, Ft. Langley.

April 25 - Science & Spirituality. 9:30am at St. Thomas, Chilliwack.

April 26 - Evensong Series. 4pm at St. Mary's Kerrisdale

April 26 - Choral Evensong. 7pm at St. John's, Sardis.

May 9 - Blooms & Baking. From 11am at St. Philip's, Dunbar.

July 2-5 - Whitehorse Worship Arts Festival & Contemplative Retreat.

Archbishop's Calendar

April 20 - 24 - National House of Bishops

May 10 - All Saints, Mission

May 15 to 20 - Primate's Visit to the Diocese

May 24 - St. Clement's, Lynn Valley

HAVE NEWS OR AN UPCOMING EVENT TO SHARE?

-Want to submit an article for Topic? Contact Alicia with your proposal at least eight weeks before the publication date.

-Have an event to include on the diocesan on-line events calendar? If your parish uses a Tithely website, you can share News and Events directly from your website to ours using the "share" feature. If you don't use a Tithely website, you can submit your event using the form available here. Ideally, aim to submit your event at least three weeks before the event date.

-Something newsworthy coming up in your parish? Contact Alicia with information and we'll find the best way to share it with the diocese.

You can contact Alicia at communications@vancouver.anglican.ca