Sharing God's love through Beauty, Truth and Goodness with the people of Canberra’s Inner North

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Democracy and Jazz for Sustaining Our Future

We are excited to welcome Tim Hollo for an evening of jazz and participatory democracy to address the crises of our world.

Tim’s new book will help us start a conversation about how to bring a new world into being.

7-9pm Saturday 24 September

This event is part of the Sustaining Our Future Festival

Hanging t-shirt with image of world map

Sustaining Our Future Festival

Our North Canberra Sustainability Festival is back 24-25 Sept, bigger than ever.

Saturday will see a popup market, workshops, kids’ activities, a fabulous session on ethical fashion, followed by an evening of Living Democracy and live jazz with community leader Tim Hollo. On Sunday, we celebrate Creation with our joint Holy Cross and St Margaret’s Creation Sunday worship.

Saturday Program

11am-4pm Pop-up Market

  • Conservation, sustainable living and community stalls, kids’ craft, sustainable food and drink, ethical coffee and fair trade goods.

11.30am-1.30pm e-bike rides!

Mini workshops:

  • 11.30am Labyrinth spirituality
  • 12pm Mosaic making
  • 12.30pm Roving Regenerators composting workshop
  • 12.30pm Mosaics in Christian history (presented by Dr Monica Short)
  • 2pm Labyrinth spirituality

12-4pm Ethical fashion repair cafe and slow fashion op-shop: register here

  • 12-4pm Textile repair cafe (drop in)
  • 12-4pm Slow fashion op-shop

4-5pm Sustainable Fashion Q&A: register here

7-9 pm Living Democracy in practice, and live jazz with Tim Hollo: register here

Sunday 25 September 9.30am: Creation Sunday worship

Sustainability in the ACT: Community conversation with Shane Rattenbury

Saturday 2 October, 4pm AEST – click to join here via Zoom

ACT Attorney General and Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction Shane Rattenbury will discuss the ACT’s progress toward 100% renewable electricity, the future of gas and environmental sustainability issues one year on from the 2020 ACT election. 

He will be quizzed by young people in his electorate.

The event, part of the Sustaining Our Future Festival 2021 which is this year online, is hosted by the Social Justice and Environment Group, Holy Cross Anglican and St Margaret’s Uniting in Hackett, Canberra.

North Canberra Nativity Festival

The North Canberra Nativity Festival is back for a second year running! Holy Cross is proud to co-host an exhibition of over 200 nativity displays and Community Carols by Candlelight with our friends at St Margaret’s and Holy Rosary.

Thursday 10th-Sunday 13th December
Exhibition 10am-5pm every day

Sunday 13th December
6.30pm Community BBQ
7.30pm Carols by Candlelight

bicycles and cycling options displayed at switched on cycles stall

Creative festival connecting community, faith and sustainability

In a spirit of community building and healing, the faith communities of Holy Cross Anglican and St Margaret’s Uniting in Hackett in Canberra’s inner north recently hosted a festival focussed on sustainability.

Stall with seed packets and stallholder demonstrating seed sourcing
A stallholder from Canberra Seed Savers shares the fruits of their work

The ‘Sustaining Our Future’ Festival on the weekend of September 19-20 brought together local groups and speakers to offer information on climate change and inspiration on how to reduce one’s individual or household waste and carbon footprint. 

“During these pandemic times, it’s even more important we find ways to get together safely and discuss common concerns, be inspired and make a difference,” said Reverend Chris Lockley of St Margaret’s.

People were able to test ride electric bikes and learn about composting. There was also a concert in the church featuring  singer-songwriter Lucy Sugerman and local youth bands, a visual arts exhibition, and an ecumenical ‘Celebration of Creation’ worship service.  

Dickson College students facilitate the ACT Candidates' Forum
Dickson College students facilitate the ACT Candidates’ Forum

The program included an ACT election candidates forum moderated by Dickson College students. 

“It was a great opportunity for our young people, who have a lot invested in a low-carbon future, to quiz local candidates about their sustainability policies ahead of the October poll,” said Reverend Tim Watson of Holy Cross.

This event, the first of its kind in Hackett, demonstrated the potential of the venue for more community events in the future where people can gather for spiritual and personal resourcing, community development, and to encourage each other in working for the Common Good.” 

The Festival was organised as part of Holy Cross/St Margaret’s joint Carbon Action Project, launched earlier this year. Both churches have committed to make their operations carbon neutral within two years, and to help church members and the local community take climate change seriously through local action and engagement.

The once-fixed pews in the ecumenical Hackett church were recently removed to allow for more dynamic and mixed uses of the interior worship space. 

Audiences enjoying the live music concert at the end of a great day

“The event was joyful and inclusive, and it put our mandate to evangelise as followers of Jesus into practice in so many different ways. It was a real celebration of beauty (art, music, God’s creation), truth (political debate, scientific and practical learning) and goodness (community, social and environmental action)”, said Reverend Watson.

“It also resonated with Bishop Mark’s encouraging comment about enabling people to return to church after lockdown: ‘re-integrating people to community through community, and helping us think about how we could implement similar steps with people who’ve never been part of our gathered worship’,” Rev. Watson added. 

The two ministers also thanked volunteers who worked hard to make it happen. 

“So many people made the event work. There were many hours served planning it and then during – to ensure it was safe and kept the festival moving along,” said Rev. Lockley.

Large glass and recycled metal snail pedalled on the church lawns
Pedal Powered Snail by Kinetic Sculptures

“Sustaining Our Future” Festival – Full Programme

CLICK HERE FOR THE ZOOM LINK FOR THE SATURDAY PROGRAMME.

On 19-20 September, Holy Cross Anglican Church and St Margaret’s Uniting Church, Hackett, are running a community sustainability festival, as part of our joint churches Carbon Action Project. This is a COVIDSafe event, and is open to all.

Saturday

  • 12.00 noon to 12.20 pm. Welcome to Country by Aunty Vi Sheridan
  • 12.25 to 1.00 pm. Australia’s Ambassador for the Environment and head climate negotiator, Jamie Isbister in conversation with local writer and journalist, Toni Hassan
  • 1.05 pm to 1.35 pm. Brook Clinton from Capital Scraps Composting on “The science of composting”
  • 1.40 pm to 2.00 pm. Holy Cross/St Margaret’s Carbon Action Project talk
  • 2.05 pm to 2.45 pm. Mia Swainson from Zero Waste on “How to halve your household waste”
  • 3pm to 4pm. ACT Candidates’ Forum run by students from Dickson College, with candidates for Kurrajong, including Elizabeth Lee and Shane Rattenbury. To book for this event please go to: https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=659164
  • Stalls by Society, Environment and Economy (SEE) Change, Canberra Seed Savers, Switched on cycling, ENJO & Women’s Climate Congress.
  • Pedal-powered glass snail by www.kineticsculptures.org
  • 12 noon to 4 pm. Photography exhibition with photos from lockdown
  • 4.30 pm to 6 pm. Concert with Lucy Sugerman (The Voice / National Folk Festival Youth Ambassador 2020) and local bands including Northbourne Flats and Pig Dog. To book for this free concert go to: https://www.trybooking.com/654789

Sunday

  • 9.30am: Ecumenical Creation Service outdoors under our flowering cherry tree


Launch of Carbon Action Project

West face of Holy Cross Anglican Church in morning light

Holy Cross and St Margaret’s are embarking on a Carbon Action Project, which we are launching on Sunday 1 March:
9.30am Joint Service – 1st Sunday of Lent;
11am Launch of Carbon Action Project

This is a very significant initiative in the life of both our churches, enabling us all to practice what we preach as stewards of God’s good creation.

See our Carbon Action Project page for more information.

Lent Activities at Holy Cross

Lent is fast approaching – it’s a season when all of us are called to set aside time (through prayer, fellowship, and study) to draw closer to Jesus. Here are some of the Lent activities that you are welcome to take part in over the coming weeks.

Lent Groups

– We are joining with friends from other local churches to study the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent book “Saying Yes to Life”, by eco-theologian Ruth Valerio: https://spckpublishing.co.uk/saying-yes-to-life Groups meet on Monday eve, Tuesday eve, and Wednesday lunchtime. Email the Rector if you want to sign up.

– Chris Lockley from St Margaret’s is leading a Lent course looking at Celtic Spirituality, meeting on Thursdays at 1.30pm.

Events and services

Tue 25 Feb, 5.30-7pm: Shrove Tuesday Pancake Party in the Annex
– All welcome, especially families with children!

Wed 26 Feb, 10am and 6pm: Ash Wednesday Eucharist
– A solemn and beautiful service with imposition of ashes, to mark the entry into Lent

Sun 1 Mar, 9.30am and 11am: Joint Service with St Margaret’s and Launch of Carbon Action Project
– A very significant initiative in the life of both our churches, enabling us all to practice what we preach as stewards of God’s good creation.

Tues 10 Mar, 10am-3pm: Lent Quiet Day in the Annex
– Led by Rev Joan Smith

For more information on any of these, please email the Rector.

Nativity Festival comes to North Canberra

Holy Cross are proud to partner with Holy Rosary and St Margaret’s to cohost the North Canberra Nativity Festival with over 200 nativity displays and events all weekend.

11-13th Dec – schools and families

14-15th Dec – public exhibition

7pm Saturday 14th – Looking Glass Percussion Concert

6pm Sunday 15th – Community BBQ followed by 7pm Carols by Candlelight.

Feedback from “Better Together”

On Sunday 11 August, thirty members of Holy Cross Anglican Church and St Margaret’s Uniting Church met together for a 2-hour workshop, to give thanks for our cooperative partnership over more than 50 years, and discern how the Holy Spirit is calling us into a shared future. Special thanks to Pastor Ken Perrin from Ainslie Church of Christ for facilitating our discussion with grace and wisdom!

Check out the feedback from our discussion, and please do email the Rector with any comments – we’d love to have your input into this ongoing conversation.

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