Dear Members of the Diocesan Family

Christmas Greetings:                                                                                          
Robin and I, along with the Registry staff wish you a holy and blessed Christmas. To those who are travelling, and those who have loved ones visiting, I pray your journeys will be safe.

I have forwarded a different electronic Christmas card to the various groupings both within and outside the Diocese this year. Each method has its pros and cons, but this way I have been able to include a prayer point.

It was wonderful to have so many people present at the Lodge last evening for the Christmas Gathering. In this Diocese the tyranny of distance is a challenge, and we missed you; but to those who were able to come, it was a wonderful evening. It was good to see people this year who have not been able to attend previously. I thank Robin and those who helped for all their hard work that made the evening the joyous occasion we experienced.

Attachments:                                                                                                        

There are two attachments:

• The Anglican Overseas Aid (AOA), Christmas Appeal leaflet. This Christmas Appeal will go towards the purchasing of solar lights for assisting in the birth of babies in Ethiopia and the Solomon

• Invitation to the 50th Anniversary of Rev Clive Brook’s ordination to the

Induction of The Reverend Greg Windsor:                                                     
I will induct The Reverend Greg Windsor as Rector of the Parish of Charters Towers on Sunday evening 24th January commencing at 5.30pm.

We will be keeping St. Paul, as it is the Eve of St. Paul. Greg and Rhonda are moving from St. Paul's Stanthorpe to St. Paul's Charters Towers.

The people of the Parish are putting in a lot of preparation for the arrival of Greg and Rhonda as well as for the induction service. Thank you.

I also acknowledge that the induction is being held during the Goldfields Ashes tournament. If people are planning to stay overnight I would urge them to book accommodation now.

It has been suggested that the Church will be hot.  The Church is air conditioned.

Retreat Conductor:                                                                                              
The Reverend Dianne Sharrock will be conducting the Clergy Retreat next year. Dianne will be focusing her talks on 1 Thessalonians. Please pray for Dianne as she prepares to minister to us in our Lord's Name.  We look forward to Dianne's ministry among us.

Synod and Clergy Conference Bible Study leader:                                       

Bishop Stephen Hale has accepted my invitation to lead the Bible Studies on these two occasions

Please remember that next year Synod will be held on the same weekend as the V8 Supercars. If you want to book your own accommodation please book early.

St. Mark's College is still available for accommodation.

Marriage:                                                                                                                
I have been asked by the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages to remind all  religious celebrants in the Diocese that there are to be five signatures registered on the Certificate of Marriage: the bride; the groom; the celebrant and the two witnesses, for the marriage to be valid.

The question has been raised, what if a person is not well enough to sign? The answer is that they are not well enough to marry at this time.

Registry Hours over the Christmas New Year Period:                                  

The Registry will close at:                   12noon on Wednesday 23 December 2015

The Registry will re-open at:               8.30am on Monday 4 January 2016

Prayers:                                                                                                                  
Please keep praying for those who have been mentioned before but please add:

• Ed Bray, who underwent surgery last Saturday. Ed is home and making good progress but he will need our prayers for some time.

• This Saturday (19/12) The Reverend Clive Brook will be celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of being a priest in the Church of

• The Reverend Deborah Kachel and her family as they support Deborah’s

Leave:                                                                                                                     
Robin and I will be on leave for two weeks following Christmas worship.

Dates for next year:                                                                                             

Clergy Retreat                     1 – 4 February 2016

Clergy Conference              5 – 8 July 2016 (before Synod next year)

Synod                                   8 – 10 July 2016

The next Bulletin will be on the 13th January, 2016.

Wishing you a holy and blessed Christmas and every blessing for the start of 2016.  May 2016  be a year of many blessings.

Yours in Christ,

The Right Reverend William (Bill) Ray

Bishop of North Queensland

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