Outreach through Offerings: Supporting The Christmas Bowl Appeal 2024

Each month St. John’s Cathedral gives a helping hand to a good cause, in Brisbane, or in Australia or overseas. The program aims to widen the scope of our concerns, of our prayers and of our giving, by becoming involved with projects to relieve human need.

This month the focus is on:

The Christmas Bowl Appeal 2024

Act for Peace this Christmas

75 years of acting for peace in the world together.

Every year, the Cathedral December Outreach Appeal supports The Christmas Bowl Appeal, run by Act for Peace. The Christmas Bowl story is one of the more remarkable stories in Australian church life.

It was 1949. Millions of refugees were still suffering in war-ravaged Europe. As a young Methodist minister, Rev. Frank Byatt looked at his heavily laden Christmas dinner table. The contrast between our relative abundance in Australia and the needs of others around the world was stark. As a Christian, he decided he had to do something.

So, he called on his congregation: "Get a bowl to put on your Christmas dinner table as a Bowl of Remembrance and ask everybody around the table to make a generous gift so that you can share your good dinner with hungry children in other lands." Frank had little idea that his suggestion would become tradition and that - in time - we would be celebrating its 75th anniversary.

That first Christmas Bowl appeal raised £1,808 for refugees - no small sum for a congregation at the time. But Frank didn't stop there. His mission was to unify all Australian Christians, of all traditions, to work together to put the word of the Gospel into action. In Frank's words, "The love of Christ can be made more vivid through Australian Christian concern, on Christmas day, the one great day of sharing."

Through the annual Christmas Bowl, for 75 years caring Australians have been giving hope to families forced to flee their homes due to conflict and disasters. This powerful tradition has changed the lives of thousands of people who have been displaced around the globe - helping to empower them to find safety in exile and rebuild their lives.

Act for Peace uses funds raised for The Christmas Bowl through partnerships with local organisations, mobilising displaced people to create change; and resourcing locally-led initiatives that reduce displacement and create safety, dignity and belonging for uprooted people. And they create opportunities for people to positively influence those around them, so they support people who have been forcibly displaced.

By advocating for a radically different response to the displacement crisis, Act for Peace is learning from displaced people, and collectively influencing regional, national and global authorities to share responsibility, resources and power equitably; and act on climate and conflicts.

When we give to The Christmas Bowl, we become a part of this important work. The Most Reverend Geoff Smith, Anglican Archbishop of Adelaide and Primate of Australia writes, "In our country most of us enjoy good health care, education opportunities, wonderful food, clean water, secure housing, reliable power and peaceful communities. Sadly, for millions of people around the world this is not their life. But we can make a difference for good, and I encourage support of the Christmas Bowl this year.”

Rev. Frank Byatt believed that we have a responsibility to share what we have with others who need it. He saw it as a fundamental part of living out Jesus' call to love our neighboursas ourselves (Mark 12.31). When we all take part, our contributions combine to make a great impact, and that empty bowl is quickly filled. People in all sorts of settings will be cared for, supported, empowered and encouraged through our support of the Christmas Bowl.

At St John's, we are committed to helping the vulnerable. From our cathedral community to theirs - our Christmas Bowl gifts help to meet urgent needs, and help to bring the peace that comes with having a safe place to belong, for those who need it most. 

Donations to The Christmas Bowl Appeal are tax deductible. Using electronic banking, make a bank transfer to:

BSB: 034 003 Account No: 385378

Please narrate your deposit "Outreach 12" and also email outreach@stjohnscathedral.com.au to inform us of your deposit, including the amount.

Please provide your postal/email details for the receipt.

For other forms of payment, please phone the Cathedral office during normal business hours Monday-Friday (07 3835 2222).

Cheques should be made payable to "Act for Peace."

Act for Peace will provide receipts in the new year. Thank you.