Winter – Summer Schedule

We have established our service schedule for the first half of 2025 (January – June). You can find it here. There are a few things we’d like to highlight below in this next season. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

Lent Series: Enneagram and the Love of God

There are several metaphors to describe the role and dynamic of the Church. A hospital is one metaphor. It is a place where people experience care and healing. Another metaphor is a chapel. It provides people with time and space to pray. Lastly, a school is another metaphor. It is where people grow in their spiritual understanding and wisdom.

This Lent we’re leaning intentionally into the metaphor of Church as a school. We are trying something new. We will have three cumulative sessions of teaching on the Enneagram, a personality framework. This is in the spirit of self-examination and repentance, which is often customary of Christian observance of Lent.

The Enneagram helps people understand themselves more deeply. It reveals what (often subconscious) compulsions drive them and why. In doing so, it gives them greater self-awareness and freedom. Similarly, the Enneagram helps people understand others more deeply and, as a result, nourishes compassion and love.

Ultimately, our hope is that these sessions will clarify strengths and areas of growth in our personalities. They will help us bring more of ourselves into the love of God. They will also encourage us to love ourselves and others in greater measure.

Kids’ Time

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Though we don’t quite yet have specialized kids’ programming every Sunday (pray for us!), we are increasingly featuring designated kids’ time during our services. This time is open to anyone ages 4-12. We have been using The Peace Table which is a good, accessible contemplative Bible for children. Kids’ time is led by an adult in a separate room and includes:

  • A fun icebreaker
  • A brief time of silence (taking some breaths) to prepare to hear the Gospel story
  • Reading the Gospel aloud from The Peace Table
  • “Wondering and Sharing” time based on questions in The Peace Table
  • Guided prayer from The Peace Table

Homily: Christ in the Rubble

Christ in the Rubble

Suhail overviews the tri-focal spirituality of Advent and highlights the particular appropriateness of lament in Advent. If you would like to write/pray your own lament, you are welcome to use the sheet we used here.

⁠Christ in the Rubble⁠” is the name of a modern-day icon by ⁠Kelly Latimore⁠ created in partnership with Red Letter Christians. The icon is meant “to be a ‘holy pondering’ – a process that potentially brings about a new way of seeing [that] will create more dialogue among Christians […] during this holy season about the ways our beliefs and actions – or lack thereof – contribute to the violence we’re currently witnessing in Gaza.”


Listen to all our homilies via our West End Abbey podcast:

Presence: A Contemplative Gathering


❤️ FREE ADMISSION

7 pm – 9 pm, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024
419 Youville St., Winnipeg, MB

Presence is a contemplative gathering – held at the beautiful, peaceful chapel at St. Benedict’s Monastery – intended to nurture experience of the love of God. 

Our time together will feature silence, listening to scripture, a short teaching by Suhail Stephen, and quiet prayer. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided afterwards in the chapter room. 

If you are drawn to spiritual direction, contemplative prayer, or simply seek to deepen your experience of God with others who have a similar desire, we welcome you! 

Note: Space is limited to 30 participants; please register (either by indicating that you’re going in our Facebook event or contacting us directly) to reserve your spot. 


Homily: Hanging by a Thread of Love

Five Year Anniversary. October 6, 2024.
Hanging by a Thread of Love

On our five year anniversary of being a community (!), Suhail gives the homily / some reflections from Matthew 22:34-40.


Listen to all our homilies via our West End Abbey podcast:

Summer Schedule

Summer rhythms are different – school is closed and given the warmer weather, people enjoy things like being outside, camping, travelling/vacationing, and generally moving at a more leisurely and recreational pace. Flexibility are freedom seem more important. Weekends are especially precious and, inevitably, weekend church services take on a different complexion.

This year, we’re trying something new to take these realities in stride and to honour people’s summer dynamics and preferences.

Over July and August, we won’t be meeting weekly on Sundays at the resource centre. Alongside some informal gatherings, we’ll gather intentionally four times at someone’s home on a Wednesday evening. We’ll begin with supper and then have some curated times of prayer, scripture, singing, communion, reflection, etc.

If you’d like to join any gathering, you’re welcome! Just message us and we’ll send you the address. 🙂

Homily: Trust in the Slow Work of God

Trust in the Slow Work of God

Suhail gives the homily from Mark 4:26-34. The opening prayer (“Patient Trust”) is by Teilhard de Chardin.


Listen to all our homilies via our West End Abbey podcast: