Cathedral Kids Christmas update
CATHEDRAL NEWSLETTER - 10 December 2024
Puppet Show, Cathedral Kids Advent Christmas Special, 2024
Friends in Christ, at the last Chapter meeting for the year, I was able to report that Cathedral Kids has moved from 2-4 children attending in 2022, through 4-8 in 2023, to regularly 10-12+ in 2024. For our Advent special Christmas craft and puppet show, we had 25!
And then there were about 1000 kids and their parents or carers present for the two Colin Buchanan Christmas concerts last Saturday. As a Cathedral, it is part of our opportunity to be able to bless Christian families from churches across Sydney.
Last Tuesday, without my prompting, the Chapter resolved as follows:
Chapter commends the establishment of an attractive and suitably appointed Kids Zone within the Cathedral for the use of children in the care of their parents; it notes with pleasure the blessing that is the joyous exuberance of young children in the life of the church.
So although Karyn, Samuel, Grace and Emillia are taking a well earned break from Cathedral Kids during the school holidays, we still want to welcome children. So through our morning services, the Family Zone, will extend into the office foyer, and also in the 'cry room' in the Conservatory. At the 10:30am service, I will also bring a Kids Song over January. And there will probably be some colouring sheets and activity packs.
Children in church can make a little extra noise, and their parents are very conscious of this. Actually, it delights me becuse I know the Lord Jesus wanted the little children to come to him. But I realise some people have sensitive hearing, or appreciate a very calm atmosphere. So I suggest that if too much sound and movement might bother you, then there are lots of other parts of the Cathedral to sit in over January that are a bit further away from the Family Zone.
And there's one more reminder of our Carols and Christmas Services details in the links here...
View details on Facebook. (Liking or sharing that link, or our page, helps our visibility)
A couple of practicalities... History suggests that Carols and Lessons on Thursday 19 December (7pm) and on Christmas Eve (24 Dec.) at 6pm are the most crowded services. My advice is to come early especially if you are bringing friends or family. Alternatively, why not come on the Wednesday night (18 Dec) or at 8pm or 11pm on Christmas Eve when it is not quite so crowded.
And at any of our Carols and Christmas services, it can often be humid and warm inside the Cathedral, so consider bringing your own a bottle of water and a hand-held fan.
Now, as I always say, I reckon asking someone to a Carols or Christmas Service can be the easiest invite of the year. So postcards are again available for you to pick up this Sunday in order to invite others!
Can you invite a relative or neighbour? Or friends, club-mates, work colleagues, or international students...?
And if you are going away, do your best to get to Bible-preaching church wherever you are over the 24th or 25th!
Lastly, here are a few potential conversation starters to consider slipping in there, or at the office party, or wherever you find yourself over Christmas...
Tell me one of your Christmas traditions.
What does Christmas look like for you?
What’s a really good thing that’s happened to you since last Christmas?
(If you are slightly braver… ) Does it matter if we 'keep Christ in Christmas'?
Just listen; and be ready to include your own “God bit” for your reply if you can! I hope you can love celebrating Christmas this year too.
Warmly in Christ,
Sandy Grant
Dean of Sydney