Heavy smoke on the morning of Sunday 5 January caused us to cancel the scheduled combined morning service with our friends from Yarralumla and South Woden Uniting Churches. The Rev Chris Lockley has kindly provided (see link below) elements of the liturgy that he had prepared for the service as well as his reflection. The latter is based on the reading for the day from Matthew (2:1-12) about the journey of the Magi but goes onto consider a different journey, that which we are facing in a time of drought, fires and climate change.
Category Archives: Recent
Christmas and new year services at st james
“READINGS AND CAROLS” AT ST JAMES, SUNDAY EVENING 15 DEC AT 7-30
Join us in a service of celebration of Christmas with
- Biblical and other readings
- congregational singing of traditional and modern carols, including Australian carols
- honest analysis of Luke and Matthew’s stories about Jesus’s birth
and where we seek to discern from these ancient stories meaning for a contemporary world.
The service will commence at 7-30pm, be about an hour in length and be followed by supper. Please come along – you would be very welcome.
CAROLS ON THE BLOCK – IN CURTIN, SATURDAY 7 DECEMBER AT 6-45pm
Carols on the Block is a community gathering for singing and telling the story of Christmas. Organised by the three churches of Curtin, it is held on the vacant block opposite the Curtin Shops on the cnr of Theodore and Carruthers Streets. This will be the 24th successive year of Carols on the Block which has become a significant part of community life in Curtin.
Music is provided by Weston Winds concert band and we also have some feature artists and stories and activities for children.
During the evening we provide free BBQ sausages, hot and cold drinks and Christmas cake. We also take up a collection for the Christmas Bowl, an ecumenical charity which supports refugees and displaced people around the world.
Carols starts at 6-45pm and finish before it gets dark.
A link to a promotional flier about the event is provided below.
Housing in the ACT for People with Enduring Mental Illnesss
Housing for people with enduring mental illness is in very short supply in Canberra. Many homeless people suffer from mental illness. For some years now St James has been working with a local community organisation MyHome in Canberra to build on vacant church land here in Curtin, supported housing for people with mental illness and whom are homeless, at risk of homelessness or are in unsuitable accommodation. While the church has offered use of the land, substantial funds will be needed for the construction and then the operation of such a facility. The church and MyHome have recently approached the ACT Government in the context of 2020 -21 Budget consultations seeking support . A link to our joint submission to government is provided below. It explains the need for this type of supported housing and background on the proposal.
MyHome + St James UCA 2020-21 ACT Budget consultations
To find out more about MyHome look here