All are welcome to attend the Christmas Eve Service at Christ Church Cathedral at 5.30 pm. Enjoy the activities and simple re-telling of the Christmas story with songs and activities.

Greetings in the Name of the Lord Jesus from the Acting Dean. My name is Rob Haynes.  Leanna and I arrived early October from retirement in Goolwa, our lovely retirement Cittaslow town close by to where the River Murray meets the Great Southern Ocean. The weather contrast is stark, though we knew what we were coming to as we have lived in the Territory up to our retirement for around 25 years. My ordination to the diaconate and the priesthood took place in Sydney in 1976.  After parish ministries in Sydney Leanna and I came north with the Church Missionary Society in 1988 to live at Nungalinya College, where I had a succession of roles in relation to the training of Indigenous men and women in Bible, Theology and Pastoral Ministries. Leanna was accepted into Charles Sturt Uni and began her Social Work training. We moved out to Groote Eylandt in 1998 to support the development of church leadership in the Aboriginal towns as their three local ordained clergy had died within just a few years.  Four deacons were ordained in those years and Leanna graduated and began work with Anglicare NT. We moved back to Darwin in 2008 and retired in 2013. So many of our friends are still around and we are thrilled to meet many of them as well as many new folk in the Cathedral.  We thank Bishop Greg for asking us to join the ministry team and to lend our support to the vital work of the Cathedral parish for these few months. Please continue to pray for the calling of a new Dean for the Cathedral. To God be the glory In Christ’s love  Rob  

[caption id="attachment_3005" align="alignleft" width="250"] Terry Cleary and Julie Toomey - Anglicare staff[/caption] Anglicare Sunday recognises the extensive work of Anglicare NT. Anglicare is the social justice and welfare organisation of the Anglican church. It offers a wide range of services in the areas of early childhood, children, youth and families, support for older people, disability support, housing and homelessness, counselling, financial inclusion and mental health. David Pugh CEO of Anglicare NT comments that - "responding to community needs through 'loving service' requires persistence. One of the readings for October, Luke 18, tells the story of the persistent widow who repeatedly asked her local judge for assistance. The work we're involved in requires persistence. Social issues and needs in our communities are complex and I'm proud to say that Anglicare NT pursues a full life and social justice for all, with not only persistence but with every ounce of intelligence, kindness and professionalism at our disposal." Support can be given through prayer for the work of Anglicare, the staff, the people and communities being served.  More information can be found at the Anglicare website https://www.anglicare-nt.org.au   Purchasing Christmas cards is another way to support Anglicare https://www.anglicare-nt.org.au/cards/

The annual church service for The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem was celebrated this Sunday. The service was conducted by Bishop Greg Anderson whose pew sheet reflection is as follows; "The apostle Paul in his letters to the Christians in Rome and Galatia makes it clear that God accepts us not because of our good works but because of the saving work of Jesus Christ. On our own, we simply cannot earn our way into God's 'good books'. But Paul also writes about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives as a consequence of Christ's rescue. The Spirit empowers us to want to do good, as well as to be able to do good. In Romans, Paul writes about doing good to all people, and about living in peace with others. In Galatians, Paul writes about the fruit of the Spirit in our lives - love, joy, kindness, goodness, gentleness and more. The medieval hospitaller Orders, which are the ancestors of the Order of St John (and similar Orders), understood the importance of demonstrating Christian love. In the context of the tensions around the Crusader period in the Levant, when the name of Christ was stained with the bloody action of European militia, the Orders provided care for Muslims and Christians alike. The ongoing work of St John in the Northern Territory in the same way points to the Spirit-empowered life that embodies and expresses God's love for the whole world."

Pentecost is the festival when Christians celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit and is regarded as the birthday of the Christian church. It is a popular tradition for the priest and congregation to wear red at Pentecost. Celebrations at Christ Church Cathedral included an ecumenical service in the Darwin Mall, and two services. The children's ministry team provided meaningful activities for the children and the beautiful music by the Arafura Wind Ensemble added to this special service.