Parish Life

In addition to the many people who visit and spend time in the church each day, weekdays and evenings see many activities taking place on-site and in the wider community. From gardening to food-relief, a shared experience of film to Bible study, a great variety of ministries are exercised daily from Sunday through to Sunday. Christ Church also works collaboratively in key partnerships by which we participate in God’s mission to the world.

These include:

• Christ Church Grammar School

• The Anglican Board of Mission

• The Brotherhood of St Laurence

• SisterWorks

And local churches:

• St Martin’s Hawksburn

• St Joseph's South Yarra

• South Yarra Community Baptist Church

EfM

Education for Ministry (usually abbreviated as EfM) is an adult learning program within the parish that seeks to enable people to see and to experience the connection between Christian faith and daily life.  EfM helps us to interpret the richness of the church’s faith in our complex world and to express it with confidence, in both words and actions, in our day-to-day lives and in our own communities.

Explorations

The Explorations group meets on Wednesdays after the 10am Eucharist to explore the Scripture readings from the Revised Common Lectionary for the following Sunday. There is much impassioned discussion, laughter and camaraderie, not to mention the occasional red herring. It also provides an opportunity to meet other parishioners. All are welcome.
 

Altar Servers

Providing creative liturgy of a high quality is integral to our participation in God's mission. Subdeacons, acolytes, crucifers, thurifers, and boat boys and girls are all part of our dedicated team which assists in worship on Sundays and major festivals. Training is provided by the Co-ordinator of Servers, Dr Jenny Baldwin.

 

Gardeners

Several dedicated parishioners volunteer their time and talents year round in maintaining and developing the church gardens. This adds greatly to the natural beauty of the grounds and environs, and provides a wonderful setting for outdoor events. New gardeners are always welcome.
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Food Ministry

CCSY, together with St Martin's Hawksburn, provides emergency food relief each week for those in need. Members of the school and parish community collect food donations, and assist the team at St Martin's in distributing food.

ArtSearch

Several talented artists from within the parish community meet on a regular basis to decorate the church for special occasions. Recent projects have included angel wings mobiles for Michaelmas, the chancel screen angels for Advent and decorations for Pentecost. New artists are welcome.

Sunday Lunch

This ministry of hospitality is held on the 4th Sunday of each month at 12noon following the 10am Eucharist. This provides an opportunity for people to meet others and reflect on the day's Gospel passage followed by a light lunch in the Old Vicarage.

Mission Stall

Donated items including books, jewellery, clothes, and bric-a-brac are sold each month with the proceeds, of several thousand dollars each year, going to mission organisations and charities.

Cinema Group

The parish Cinema Group meets at irregular intervals to see a movie at a nearby cinema and enjoy a discussion afterwards over a light meal.

These events are advertised in the parish pew sheet close to the time involved.

Flower Guild

Sunday liturgies, weddings and funerals are all occasions when the Flower Guild has a chance to shine. Special displays are provided at Easter and Christmas.

St Martin's

Christ Church entered into a Covenant of Achieving More Together with St Martin's Hawksburn in 2016. The two parishes have much in common and share geographical proximity. We are committed to encouraging and supporting each other in various ways.

Altar Guild

The care and maintenance of sacred vessels and linen is an important behind-the-scenes ministry which is undertaken by a small group of parishioners who generously give of their time to help in this way.