Dear Members of the Diocesan Family

Central Region – Faithfulness in Service (FiS):

There will be a FiS training day for the Central Region on Saturday 21^st March 2015 at St Matthew’s, Mundingburra, from 9am to 12pm.  

There will be further updates in a later Bulletin for other regions of the Diocese. 

Cloncurry:

We welcome The Reverend Rod and Mrs Christine Oldfield to the Diocese next month and as they move to Cloncurry.  I am thankful to Bush Church Aid (BCA) for their support of this appointment.  We also assure Rod and Christine of our love and prayers at this time.  This is basically a four year appointment.

I congratulate the people of Cloncurry who have hung in there over a long period of time and remained faithful.  I also thank The Reverend Susan Handley for her ministry.

The induction will be held on Wednesday 25^th February at 6pm.  The liturgical colour is red. I hope some members of the Diocesan family are able to make the trip to “The Curry”.

Innisfail/Tully:

Further to my announcement that The Reverend Paul Beasley is the new part time Rector of Innisfail, the date for the induction is Friday 20^th February at 6pm, at St Alban’s Church Innisfail.

I ask people to mark this date in their diaries.  Clergy are invited to robe and the liturgical colour is red.

Thank you:

Robin and I continue to give thanks to God for your prayers and cards and good wishes at this time.  Robin underwent surgery last week, is home now and making very good progress.

Senior Administration Officer at the Diocesan Registry:

Last week advertisements were placed on the web and in local press for the above position.  Please pray for the small committee charged with the responsibility of appointing a person to this position. 

Mrs Rosie Corney:

Several people have enquired about Rosie.  We will be very sorry to lose Rosie from the Registry Team. She has been a very valuable asset to the Diocese.  Rosie and her family will be moving away from Townsville.  We assure the family of our prayers and wish them every blessing for the future.

The plan is that Rosie will work with the new person for the first month or so and then Rosie will be involved with various projects that require attention. 

The involvement of the Prison Chaplains at Lotus Glen re the deaths of "Our Children" in Cairns:

I include the following from Bill and Chris Fairbrother for your information and prayers:-

As Bill and I were already in Lotus Glen when the story broke on the news, an officer called us over after a relative looked at the TV and said "That is my cousin's house." 

Of course we felt so ill equipped in such a situation, but spent some time with the boys as they called together a number of the relatives.   There were supposedly over 90 relatives in Lotus Glen. 

We then had a Memorial Service with 68 of them on the 23rd December, and I took in a heap of roses, of which I had laid some at the Murray Street Memorial beforehand. We had a short time with them before we left them together.

Then last Sunday, 11th January, they asked us to hold another one for the whole community there, and Bill and Rima Skyner led that, with assistance from Bill and myself. In two services, 250 boys attended. It was a very moving time, and we are very thankful to the management who allowed this to happen.

Blessings,

Bill and Chris Fairbrother

The Clergy Retreat:

I ask the Diocesan family to pray for the clergy as they come together to retreat.  A retreat is an opportunity, as the Psalmist (46:10) states, to “Be still, and know that I am God”.  It is important for all of us to take time to be with God and discern the will of God. 

I ask the diocesan family to pray for the clergy as they are in retreat and for the Retreat Conductor, The Reverend Canon Ian McAlister.

A thought:

This Sunday the lectionary Old Testament reading is the third Chapter of Jonah.   I read an article recently about how we approach our ministry.  The title was something like, “Are you like Jonah?”  God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh and to speak out against the wicked ways of the city.  What did Jonah do? Jonah went the other way.

It raises the issue “Are we in step with God?” 

Also, Jonah thought God would not carry out his words.  God did spare the people of Nineveh.  It raises the question “Do we really want to see people receive the love and mercy of God or would we rather see them punished?

It is not easy at times to move out of “old mindsets”.  However, with the grace and love of God it is marvelous what we can achieve. 

I ask you, as I ask myself “How open are we to the guiding and directing hand of God?”  Let us learn from Jonah.

Wishing you every blessing.

Yours in Christ,

The Right Reverend William (Bill) Ray

Bishop of North Queensland

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