Dear Members of the Diocesan Family,

Prayer:
Please continue to pray for the following:

• The Reverend Chris Yule who is back in hospital with cellulitis and lung concerns.
• The Reverend Tim and Mrs Jo Morris (Holy Trinity Mackay) – both are unwell.
• The Reverend Annette Woods who continues to recover from surgery.
• Bishop John Lewis.

Retirements:

• Last Sunday (27^th September) The Reverend Susan Handley retired as Priest in Charge of St James and St Luke’s Mount Isa. 
• On December 1^st, The Reverend Anne St. Martin will conclude her time as deacon at St. John’s Cairns. 

We thank both clergy for their ministry at their respective appointments and assure them of our prayers for the future.

Blue Card Applications:
There has been uncertainty in regard to the new policy.  
All parishes will have received the updated “Diocesan Information Document” (DID) less than three months ago.  Please consult section 4.6 “Queensland’s Positive Notice Blue Card”, commencing on page 28 outlining why we have the Blue Card Policy. The Blue Card Policy itself starts on page 103, Appendix F.  I remind members of the Diocesan family of sections 4 & 5 under the heading of “Applying for and Registering Blue Cards” on page 105 of the DID:

4) The Incumbent Priest, Locum Tenens or appointed person shall notify the Diocesan Registry of any Positive Notice Blue Card, Authorization to confirm a valid card or Exemption card application submitted to the Blue Card Service. The applicants name, Parish and position held shall be notified to the Diocesan Registry, reception@anglicannq.org within 7 days of submitting the form to Blue Card Services;

5) The Diocesan Registry will forward to the relevant Parish any notification received from the Blue Card Services about a Blue Card Holder, this to be retained for your Parish records.

Police Remembrance Services:
Last Tuesday (29^th September) was St. Michael and All Angels Day.  St. Michael is the patron saint of Police.  On this day the police gather to remember and give thanks for those who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

I thank all parishes and the Cathedral for hosting the Remembrance Day services and the clergy who were involved.  It is great to provide both the opportunity for members of the community to worship and then to enjoy fellowship afterwards.

We rejoice that North Queensland now has a permanent Assistant Commissioner of Police in the person of Paul Taylor.   I have assured Paul of our prayers.

Please pray for the members of our Police Force.  They do a marvelous job.  As I said on Tuesday, I am sure there many moments of joy and happiness in their work.  However, there are times of challenge, great sadness and at times, danger.  Please pray not only for the Police but their family and loved ones who support and encourage them.

Army - Third Brigade:
The current Brigadier, Roger Noble, will taking up a post down south later in the year.  I thank Roger and Carol and their family for the contribution they have made to the Townsville community.  They will be greatly missed.

Defence Sunday:
A reminder that Sunday, 8^th November is Defence Sunday.  Resources will be made available shortly. 

The Instruments of the Anglican Communion:
Within the Anglican Communion there are what we call the four instruments of Communion.  They are:

• The Archbishop of Canterbury
• The Lambeth Conference
• The Anglican Consultative Council
• The Primates Meeting.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has called a meeting of the Primates for January next year.  There is some tension among some of the Primates.  Please use the prayer below which has come from the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion.

A special prayer for the Invitation to the Primates’ Meeting in January 2016:

Gracious and loving Father,
We thank You for the hope and faith of the Archbishop of Canterbury in inviting his colleagues to the meeting of this instrument. We confess our individual and corporate roles in bringing the Communion to where she is today and ask for your forgiveness.As the individual Primate prays and thinks over this invitation, we pray for them that Your Spirit will speak to each of them and that each Primate will respond as guided by the Holy Spirit. May they receive wise counsel from the bishops in their Provinces, and may the bishops themselves receive wise counsels from the lay and ordained members of their respective dioceses.
We pray that Primates will hear the voice of the Holy Spirit clearly and submit to Him as they respond to this letter. We pray that there will be a response with a high expectancy level from each Primate and that there will be an outcome that will bring glory and honour to our Lord, a restoration of Godly unity to the Communion and a new energy for the restoration of a renewed commitment to faithful witness in a continuingly secular world that is in contest with Kingdom values. We pray all this through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Most Revd Josiah Idowu
Secretary General of the Anglican Communion

Attachments:

• Wollaston Theological College in the Diocese of Perth has produced a study for Advent, titled “Listening to Luke”. This study has my endorsement. Listening to Luke Advent
• FamilyVoice Australia is seeking a Sate Director. Details can be viewed via this link.

Wishing you very blessing and be assured of my prayers.

Yours in Christ

The Right Reverend William (Bill) Ray
Bishop of North Queensland

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