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This is going to be the MISSION AND OUTREACH page. On it will be the different subsections of:
Our Mission Statements
E-News and it’s sign up
The St Laurence Centre
Christian Meditation
Belltower Bookshop
The Deacon’s Treasure, Parish Magazine
Mission and
Outreach
The St. Laurence Centre
At The Saint Laurence Centre we believe that all people are made in God’s image and have an inherent value and gifts to offer our society as a whole.
The Centre is a place of hospitality and community where all people are welcome, and bonds of solidarity and friendship are formed across classes and cultures.
We provide a range of services and programs that promote healing, maintain dignity, and enrich quality of life.
Whether you are experiencing significant setbacks and hardship in your life, or you are searching for a way to give back to the community, we would love to welcome you to visit and connect with one or more of our programs.
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Foundations: A Social Justice Tradition...
DR DIANNE HOUGHTON
Parishoner and physician Dr Dianne Houghton had a particular concern for those living on the margins. She served as a GP both in Australia and overseas throughout the height of the AIDs epidemic in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Living in an apartment overlooking Christ Church St Laurence, Dr Houghton was inspired by the ongoing commitment of the parish to inclusive and justice-oriented ministries.
Prior to her death in 2018, Dr Houghton expressed to Fr Daniel Dries her wishes that her assets be directed towards the social justice outreach of the parish as a new and lasting initiative, for the local community.
The Christ Church St Laurence Charitable Trust was established in 2018, in keeping with Dr Houghton’s wishes that the trust be named after the parish, not after herself.
In 2023, the St Laurence Centre was established as a start-up initiative in the lower ground floor of the parish hall, supported by the Christ Church St Laurence Charitable Trust.
Events and Programs in the St Laurence Centre
Contact
Interested in volunteering for the St Laurence Centre? Do you have great ideas for initiatives to build community while providing a safe and supportive space for vulnerable people in our community? Are you a local community organisation wishing to explore collaboration?
We want to hear from you!
Contact Mthr Kathryn Bellhouse, Director of the St Laurence Centre at: [email protected]
Monday Breakfast Hub
Friday Banquet
Ministry for Children & Youth
Christ Church St Laurence joyfully welcomes families with infants, children and youth to all of our services, and particularly to our Sunday 9am Sung Eucharist Service. We run a range of term-time events for children and youth of all ages, and provide an assortment of fun and engaging resources to support families during our services and at home. For more information on these areas of ministry, please check out the pages below. Use the button below to join our young family database to subscribe to our Children and Youth Ministries newsletter and stay up to date with upcoming events and what’s on offer.
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Our Ministry for Children and Youth is coordinated by Sarah Percival, a qualified K-12 Music teacher who is engaged with many aspects of our community, including our High Mass Choir, Dorcas Society and forms part of our office staff. You can learn more about Sarah and how to contact her by clicking on her name and viewing her profile.
Sarah is supported by our clergy, laity and a wonderful team of volunteers in facilitating our Ministry for Children and Youth. All of our staff and volunteers who work with children, youth and other vulnerable people are subject to Anglican Diocesan Safe Ministry protocols and ongoing training. This includes ensuring that those who work with under 18s are not “prohibited persons,” and hold a current “Working with Children Check” clearance. They are also required to undertake Safe Ministry Training or equivalent, and to complete a refresher course every three years.
The national Anglican Code of Conduct, Faithfulness in Service, applies to all office bearers and leaders in our parish whether paid or voluntary.
For more information on our Safe Ministry protocols, please contact Sarah Percival or our Safe Ministry Representative, Mavis Hedrik.
Upcoming Infants, Children & Youth Ministry Events
Twice each school term, we host infants, children & youth ministry events for families with children of all ages. These events are designed to introduce young children to the teachings of Christ and the bible through various fun and creative activities including singing, games, crafts, puppets shows, storytelling and more, while providing opportunities for older children and teens to take on a leadership or mentoring role with the younger participants and assist with the preparations for or facilitation of the events, whether that be performing the puppets in the puppet show, singing a hymn while the children ribbon twirl, or preparing crafts in advance for the children to enjoy. Enjoy the gallery below which showcases some highlights from our previous events.
Previous Events
Youth Ministry
Youth of all ages are joyfully welcomed to every service at Christ Church St Laurence. This section contains information regarding our Youth Ministry, aimed at children in upper primary through to high school.
Youth Engagement within our Church
At Christ Church St Laurence, we provide a variety of avenues for youth involvement in the life of the church. This includes serving and reading at the Sunday 9am Sung Eucharist, assisting with the weekly morning tea provided after services, opportunities to take part, assist and mentor with the events involving the Children’s ministry and youth specific events held throughout the year. Previous youth ministry events have included movie and games nights and cooking meals for those in need, just to name a couple. Our Youth ministry is underpinned by the Christian values of compassion, faith and outreach. The events and activities we facilitate aim to support the development of our youth as they grow, providing opportunities for them to act out their faith, embracing their unique gifts and providing opportunities for leadership and connection with peers within a safe and supportive environment.
Infants & Children Ministry
In addition to the events mentioned above, we have a range of resources available to support young families when they visit our church. Located at the back of our church behind the final pew, you will find an assortment of toys, crafts, mats, tray tables and stationary to keep little hands busy while at church.
Our take-home welcome packs include a range of Christian crafts, stationary, stickers, playdoh and playdoh mats, for you to enjoy both at church and at home. It’s our way of saying ‘Welcome! We are delighted you joined us today’.
You’ll find foam mats and blocks in this back area too, to help make our church a comfier place when you visit. Feel free to use them in this back area of the church, or take them with you into the pews.
We have a selection of additional crafts for you to enjoy as well, learning about different bible stories, Christian values, Saints and aspects of our liturgy and tradition in the process. These are designed for you to enjoy while you are here, taking one of our lap tray-tables into the pew with you to use as a workspace. We have extra stationary for you to use while you’re here, so you don’t need to bring anything with you, other than your creative juices of course!
Our Church Pals Becky (unicorn), Larry (monkey) and Francis (bear) are friends you can take with you into the pews. Perhaps you’re new to church and it’s a bit scary sitting in the pew on you own. Take one of our Church Pals with you, they would be delighted to keep you company! Help them see what is happening at the altar or in procession, and show them how and when it is time to kneel, so that they can join in as well.
Make sure you check out our range of picture books while you’re here, with books for babies, infants and children alike. From illustrated bible-stories to books that introduce children to prayer and demonstrate God’s love for all creation, there’s bound to be something for every child to enjoy.
Children and Youth Ministry Newsletter Signup Form
Christian Meditation
‘Be still and know that I am God’ (Psalm 46)
Christian Meditation is an ancient form of prayer which has its origins in the teachings of the desert Fathers and Mothers of the third and fourth centuries AD who lived in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine and Syria. They chose to renounce the world and pursue God through solitude, prayer and simplicity. Their words of wisdom and spiritual guidance have influenced contemplative prayer through the ages.
The Christian Meditation Group meets in the church on Monday evenings from 5.30pm-6.15pm, following Evening Prayer. We begin with quiet music as people assemble, listen to a short teaching on an aspect of the spiritual journey and meditate for 25 minutes. On the last Monday of the month, there is the invitation to share a meal at a local bistro.
In meditation, a form of contemplative prayer, we seek God by putting aside all thoughts, even holy thoughts, and give our attention to the silent presence of the Holy Spirit. Interiorly, we repeat a prayer word or ‘mantra’ to calm our heart and mind. There is a profound sense that God is love and mystery often experienced beyond words.
The World Community for Christian Meditation was founded by the Benedictine monk, Fr John Main OSB in 1991 and continues under the Directorship of Fr Laurence Freeman OSB. Groups meet for meditation in more than a hundred countries. A retreat Centre, Bonnevaux, has been established in a former Cistercian abbey in Marçay, France.
Enquiries to Ann Bergman at [email protected]
Parish Magazine
The Deacon's Treasure
The Deacon’s Treasure is a parish magazine published three times a year, at Easter, St Laurencetide, and Christmas, designed to reflect the life and spirituality of Christ Church St Laurence and its people. It offers a range of contributions on subjects from personal spirituality and CCSL events, to the issues engaging the whole Anglican – and the greater Christian – community. It is available for purchase from Belltower Books. Annual subscriptions are also available, please contact the Parish Office for details.
Offers of contributions to the magazine are always welcome, with preference given to people associated with the parish. Read on below for contribution guidelines. Editors may be contacted by email at [email protected]
Contribution Guidelines
The following guidelines are provided for potential authors:
- When considering a contribution, authors should have in mind that our magazine is a parish publication designed to be accessible for a wide readership.
- Please consult with the editors in regard to submissions. Length of articles is normally between 400 and 1,500 words (including footnotes listing references or referencing quotations), submitted in a Word document.
- Photographs and other illustrations in high-resolution are especially welcome, and where possible their source should be acknowledged. Photographs of parish people will only be published with the express permission of those depicted.
- The contribution should be the author’s original work and not previously published, unless expressly stated otherwise, in which case, the person submitting the work must obtain consent from the original author that the work may be reproduced.
- The editors may amend text and layout for editorial reasons and, where possible, the authors will be consulted.
- By submitting a work, the author grants The Deacon’s Treasure the right to reproduce the work.
- The final decision to publish remains with the editors, and some material may be held over for subsequent editions.
Belltower Bookshop
The parish operates a bookstore, Belltower Books, in the parish hall and in the belltower after services on Sundays and feast days. A wide range of books, cards, icons, CDs, and publications from St Laurence Press, as well as the parish magazine, are available for purchase. All proceeds raised support the work of the church.
Books published by St Laurence Press
Restored to Glory: An Inside History of Christ Church St Laurence from Foundation to Restoration, 1840-2019
Over its 102 glossy pages, this commemorative coffee-table book charts the history of our church’s interior, from its origins as a Protestant, Gothic Revival church typical of the earlier nineteenth century, to Australia’s premier shrine of Anglo-Catholicism. It combines archival images of the church’s earliest days, some only recently located, with images of the 2019 Restoration in progress. The accompanying essay documents the planning and progress of the 2019 efforts to restore the church to to the Victorian character imparted by the architect Edmund Blacket.
Copies may be purchased from Belltower Books after Sunday services for $50 each, or click here to purchase a copy by mail ($60 including postage & handling within Australia).
To enquire about multiple copies or postage to other destinations, please contact the parish office.
Earle Backen Sacred Art
Specifically designed to decorate Christ Church St. Laurence, the Orthodox Art Series, a triptych and fourteen panels, was completed by Earle Backen near the end of his life. Backen (1927-2005) was a painter and printmaker, whose work is in many Australian public collections and in the British Museum, London. William Carter’s book explains the richly symbolic character of the Orthodox Art Series, which draws on the traditions of Byzantine iconography.
To enquire about purchasing this book please contact the parish office.
