Join us for worship Sunday November 1, as we remember the Feast of All Saints, and give thanks for the witness of faithfulness and action, in those who have gone before us.

Lynn Mills will preach and Meagan Crosby will preside at the table.  

There will be bread and wine, blessing and song. Come! 

(note: we have activities prepared for children/youth on the table at the back of the sanctuary - or for anyone who would like to take part!)

Image: Communion of Saints - Baptistry - Padua © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro / CC BY-SA 4.0

19 September 2026

Dear Beloved Community of AbbeyChurch,

We have something slightly awkward to talk about… Money.

We know. Many of us have come to the AbbeyChurch precisely because we have had enough of churches asking us for money, telling us what we should believe, or making us feel that we are somehow failing at being a “good Christian.”

This isn’t that kind of letter

For more than eleven years, the AbbeyChurch has been something rather wonderful and rather unlikely. A small, scruffy, welcoming, liturgical, Jesus-centred community has grown from a living room into a congregation of 30–50 people gathering most Sundays. We share Communion. We sing. We pray. We wrestle with Scripture. We welcome children and youth. We make space for doubt and questions. We try to care for our neighbours and God’s creation. And somehow, all of this has become home for a lot of people. The AbbeyChurch means something to us. And the AbbeyChurch is facing new changes and challenges which need our collective help.

For the first eleven years, we have been blessed by financial support from the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada. That support helped make it possible for this strange and beautiful experiment to take root and to grow and flourish. We are deeply grateful for it. But that chapter will soon be coming to an end.

And you all know we are entering a period of great transition for the AbbeyChurch.   We don’t think the sky is falling. But we do need to pull together as community to make our way together from here to there.

Council has been meeting and there will be more details soon on ways to help us all process the transitions of this season – including Rob moving, Matt stepping down to take a new call, and more.  There is work happening to find the support we need to continue a vibrant Music Ministry, Children and Youth program, and more.  There are plans brewing for some time for us each to share the goodness and the grief of all we’ve experienced together at AbbeyChurch as we lean into faith through the time of transition ahead.

None of this is about building a bigger institution. It is about sustaining the little community we have been and giving it room to grow into whatever God is calling it to become.

The practical reality is that we need some additional giving over the next few months to get us through this transition. And then, beginning in the new year, we need to increase regular monthly giving so that the AbbeyChurch can become financially sustainable without depending on current grants and denominational support ($15,000).

So we are asking your help!  Would you consider two things.

First, could you make a one-time gift over the next few months? Whatever you are able to give will help us bridge this transition time and end the year in good shape.

Second, could you consider increasing your regular monthly giving beginning in January? Even a relatively small increase, multiplied across the people who call the AbbeyChurch home, would make a very real difference.

We need to raise an additional $10,000 between now and December, and we are seeking pledges for another $1,250/monthly in ongoing giving beginning in January 2027.

If you are already giving generously, thank you. Truly. We aren’t asking you to give beyond what is possible for you.

And if money is tight, please don’t feel guilty. We mean it when we say that everyone is welcome at the AbbeyChurch. Your presence, your prayers, your music, your help with the kids, your willingness to bring the snacks, your strange ideas, your questions, your laughter and your friendship are all part of what makes this place what it is.

But if you have the capacity to give a little more, this is one of those moments when it matters.

The AbbeyChurch was never meant to be a church that existed because somebody else paid for it. It was meant to be a community of ordinary people following Jesus together: praying, sharing, welcoming, serving and caring for one another and our neighbourhood.

We think we are ready for embracing the next chapter. And we’d love to do it together.

You can make a one-time or monthly donation through the ways listed on our website. We can receive e-transfers, monthly PAR giving, donations through CanadaHelps, cheques, or via Square  at worship. Learn more here: https://www.abbeychurch.ca/donate

Thank you for making the AbbeyChurch what it is! Thank you for staying when church has sometimes been complicated. Thank you for bringing your whole, imperfect, complicated, wonderful selves through the door. We are excited about this next chapter in the vibrant life of the AbbeyChurch.

With gratitude and hope,

Your Treasurer (Lynn) and the AbbeyCouncil (Margot, Josh, Phil, Isabela)

+ Mondays at 9am - Morning Prayer with Centering Prayer @ The Upper Room (aka AbbeyChurch office - off the Balmoral parking lot, metal stairs up) - in-person only.  There is not usually AM prayer on holiday Mondays.

+ Thursdays at 8:15am - Morning Prayer - online on zoom only.

+ Fridays at 8:15am - Morning Prayer - online on zoom only.

Our weekday common prayer is liturgical in nature and based on ancient monastic practices.

It's open to all who wish to join in-person or online.

We sometimes chant the psalms, listen to a reading or readings assigned for the day, have a short period of silence, sharing and intercessory prayer.

The liturgies and psalter for weekday prayer are posted here.  

Please do email for a zoom link if you are joining online.

University of Victoria Multifaith Centre is hosting a queer-led service of Holy Communion led by two drag liturgists, inspired by the unconditional love and acceptance offered at Drag Brunch.

Service will take place at the University of Victoria Multifaith Centre on Sunday, November 15th, 2026, at 2:00p.m., followed by refreshments.

Registration is required and can be found on UVic's Event Calendar. Developed in partnership with Sanctuary West and Shaughnessy Heights United Church, and with gratitude to Broad View United Church, this ecumenical eucharist welcomes everyone to “Come As Who You Are.”

We've at Emmaus and AbbeyChurch have been a part of helping out on hampers for a while.  If you can help out somewhat regularly, please do drop them a line!

If you would like to give to support the work NPNA does in serving food to our neighbours you can do so at this link.

The Emmaus Community is a neo-monastic intentional community of ordinary people who commit ourselves to following Jesus in ways akin to the monastic life.

The AbbeyChurch is a Sunday worship expression of the Emmaus Community. 

Not all AbbeyChurch folks are part of Emmaus - you're welcome to be a part of AbbeyChurch regardless of connection to Emmaus!

As a witness to unity and diversity, we are an ecumenical shared ministry of The United Church of Canada and The Anglican Church of Canada. We intentionally draw on the 'jewels' of these traditions, as well as the wider church.

The Emmaus Community and the AbbeyChurch acknowledge that we worship, take action and pray on the stolen territory of the Songhees and Xwsepsum (Esquimalt) Nations, the Lək̓ʷəŋən  peoples'.

We're grateful for your contributions to our common life as both Emmaus and the AbbeyChurch.

We are  our own registered CRA charity and have our own bank account!

We  accept e-transfers to treasurer@emmauscommunity.ca for charitable donations.  If you'd like a charitable receipt, please email your contact information to that same address or fill out this form so we can send you a receipt at tax time.

In addition to the many ways to participate, there are a number of ways you can give finanically - including PAR (monthly withdrawl), CanadaHelps (one-time giving) and by cash or debit (via Square) on Sundays at AbbeyChurch. 

You can read more about the options and a bit about our finances here.