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."
School commences for children in week of 26 January. All are welcome to the 9am service on 26 January for Blessing of the Backpacks. All children and their backpacks welcome.
The Children's Ministry is an important aspect of worship at Christ Church Cathedral. Here the children are singing a new song for the congregation. 
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/ 
Bishop Greg Anderson said, " In the Diocese of the NT, we have great joy and privilege of belonging to churches that have genuine opportunities to reflect God's desire that humans should be reconciled to one another. Reconciliation is based on recognising that wrong has happened, and wanting to fix that wrong. It means coming together in a restored relationship. Working out how to fix the linguistic differences is not easy ... but I believe that the church continues to be a good place for expressing reconciliation, through listening to one another, working together, and seeking for all our communities to grow stronger, safer and more peaceful. Our current strategic plan has as one of its objectives that Aboriginal members of our diocese will be heard and valued. No 'fixing' is possible without proper conversation, including careful listening." Synod continues over the weekend at Nungalinya College.