special ministries from Christ Church to the community
Several ministries at Christ Church are directed towards the wider community and world in which we live - these include the Anglican Resource Centre, the music programme at Christ Church, and the Meals and Food Relief program.
The Church is also open each week day for visitors to browse or to pray.
Meals
and Food Relief - the Christ Church Community Meals Program
Christ Church provides free breakfast seven days a week throughout the year and an evening meal every Wednesdays. The Community Meals Program is well known and is a respected contribution to welfare in Geelong. Our guests come from a range of backgrounds - street kids, homeless people, schoolchildren, people who need company as much as food, the unemployed, stranded travellers and families. Those who come for a meal are welcomed regardless of their circumstances and for some the meal at Christ Church may be their main meal of the day; for others it is their only meal.
The Meals Programme is run entirely by volunteers, sometimes with the assistance of students from different local schools. The Program is registered with the Anglican Benevolent Society Inc., and so donations made to the Program when accompanied by the appropriate paperwork are tax deductible.
BREAKFAST
7.30-9.00AM EVERY DAY - is available to any person. A
substantial breakfast is served 365 days of the year, comprising hot
drinks, toast, cereal, and a cooked breakfast. Approximately 10,000 breakfasts are
provided per year. Volunteers and
donations to support this program are provided by many
community organisations, several Anglican Parishes
and the St
Mary,s
congregation, local community groups and service organisations.
MONDAY & WEDNESDAY - EVENING MEAL 5.00-6.30pm On both monday evening and Wednesday evening a two course main meal is served in the Parish Hall, with tea, coffee and cordial provided.
Approximately 5000 meals are served each year. Service Clubs and the general public provide funds; Glynn Harvey provides 10kg of peeled potatoes per week and othergoods from time to time. TasmanMeats in Belmont provides a substantial amount of meat each month. Both breakfasts and the Monday/Wednesday evening meals are served at the Parish Hall.
EMERGENCY FOOD RELIEF. During the hours when Christ Church is open for visitors each week day (usually Monday-Friday 12.00-2.00pm), emergency food relief is available for pensioners, health care card holders, and those in need. Strong demand requires that emergency food relief can only be accessed by each person once per month. Annually approximately 350 people use this service. The St. John Of God Lighthouse Foundation provides items for the food cupboard which are supplemented from donations in kind by parishioners and others in the community. Emergency relief enquiries are handled by the volunteers who open the Church each week day for visitors.
If you are interested in volunteering to help at either the Breakfast or evening Meals programme, or in supporting the emergency food relief program, contact Jan McGowan (Breakfast Programme), Ann Howarth (Evening Meals Programme) or Elva Wise (Emergency Food relief) via the Parish Office.
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For many years Christ Church has operated a Resource Centre for the Anglican Archdeaconry of Geelong, as a supply hub for the whole region. The Resource Centre is situated within the Parish Office Annexe in the Parish Hall at the Moorabool St. end. The entrance is from the north side of the Annexe (off Moorabool Street)
The Centre stocks Church supplies such as candles, Baptism and Confirmation cards, Altar Breads, Incense and Parish Study material. There is also a limited range of devotional, pastoral and educational books available, and a range of greeting cards and other gift items are stocked.
A small committee supervises the Centre, and the Centre is run by volunteers. Enquiries regarding the Centre can be directed to the the Parish Office. Feel free to drop in to the Centre during its opening hours.
The Centre is open Thursdays 10.00am-2.00pm and Saturday mornings 10.00am-12.30pm, and can be contacted on 5221 4509 (phone and fax).
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From time to time Christ Church
becomes a focus for music in Geelong. Community
groups use the church as a concert venue - in 2009 Christ Church has hosted
Sudanese Chollo Choir from Melbourne, presented Stainer's "Crucifixion" at
Easter, and in May 2009 welcomed the Melbourne Singers who presented
"Music Down the years" - you can see some details and photos of this
great concert
here. Our
contribution is to provide a venue to local and Melbourne
musicians who love to perform in an historic and
unique ambience. For the Parish it provides enjoyment and
the opportunity to invite outsiders to experience
our Church and its magnificent acoustics.
Further concerts are planned and will be advertised in the
local press and via this Web site, and in Parish newsletters. If you want to
ensure that you don't miss out on future musical events and celebrations and
would like to be included on our email list, just send your details to
spswain@bigpond.com - and we'll let you know
as events are planned.
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