O Come all Ye Faithful

 

O come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye o come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of angels
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

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Yes Lord we greet Thee

Born this happy morning

Jesus to Thee be the glory given

Word of the Father

Now in flesh appearing

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

O come let us adore Him

Christ the Lord

Sing choirs of angels
Sing in exultation
Sing all ye citizens of heaven above
Glory to God
Glory in the highest
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord
 

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Carols through the Night

Gabriel Strachan

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Ministers Speech

Ben Hood

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Do you hear what I hear?

Phoenix Choir

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 Angels We Have Heard on High

 

Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains

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Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

 

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be,
Which inspire your heavenly song?

 

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

 

Come to Bethlehem and see
Him Whose birth the angels sing,
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.

 

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

 

See Him in a manger laid
Jesus Lord of heaven and earth!
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
With us sing our Savior's birth.

 

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

 

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Hello Hope 

Lilli & Eliza Fulwood

 

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Were you there on Christmas? 

Jodi Swigs & Rick Fisher

 

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Sleigh Ride

 Frosty the Snowman

Jingle Bells

Trish Bruggemann

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First Noel

 

The first Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay.
In fields where they lay a keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

 

They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the east beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.

 

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

 

And by the light of that same star
Three wise men came from the country far;
To seek for a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.

 

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

 

This star drew nigh to the north-west,
O'er Bethlehem it took it's rest,
And there it did both stop and stay,
Right over the place where Jesus lay.

 

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

 

Then entered in those wise men three,
Fell rev’rently upon their knee,
And offered there in His presence
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.

 

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the kind of Israel.

 

Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord,
That hath made heaven and earth of naught,
And with his blood mankind hath bought.

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Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel.

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Mayoral Address

Mayor Lynette Martin OAM - City of Mount Gambier

 

Mayor's Community Christmas Appeal

Donations can be made through the following channels:

• By phoning (08) 8721 2555 (option 1) with your credit card details on hand. Council staff can email you a Tax Invoice straight away.

• In person at the City of Mount Gambier Customer Service counter - Civic Centre, 10 Watson Terrace.

• By sending a cheque made out to 'City of Mount Gambier' PO Box 56 Mount Gambier SA 5290 with advice that the cheque is a donation to the Mayor's Christmas Appeal, to enable a Tax Invoice to be issued.

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 Nowell

Flame Trio

 

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Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Father Olek

 

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Joy to the World

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

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Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns;
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

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No more let sin and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found.

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He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders of His love.

 

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How to make Gravy

Ben Hood

 

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Hark the Herald Angels Sing

 

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.

Christ, by highest heav’n adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.

Veil’d in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail th’incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.

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Hail, the heav’n born Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.

Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King.

 

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Christmas Magic

Gabriel Strachan

 

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 Away in a Manger

 

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

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The cattle are lowing the Baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky,
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

 

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay,
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And take us to heaven to live with Thee there.

 

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O Holy Night

Maixence Williams

 

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Silent Night 

 

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin Mother and Child.

Holy Infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace!

 

Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Savior is born!
Christ, the Savior is born!

 

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.

 

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We Wish You a Merry Christmas

We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year
 

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin
We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year

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Thank you & Goodnight

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We don’t want anyone to be lonely at Christmas.

 

The last couple of years have reinforced the difference between being alone and being lonely. Free from lockdowns, and with periods of isolation diminishing, it is easy to forget what it was like when our interactions with others were reduced to screen time, voice calls, and text messages. Even those among us who prefer our own company found the situation draining.

 

What began as a novel circumstance of being alone grew over time into the more challenging and draining experience of loneliness. Although more of us experienced loneliness these past few years, loneliness is nothing new.

 

The activities of life – particularly in our relentlessly busy age – can mask the experience of loneliness. Loneliness is not actually the absence of people. It’s not just being by ourselves; it’s a lack of genuine interaction with other human beings. We can feel lonely at a party. We can feel lonely as we walk the streets of our city in these hectic weeks. We can feel lonely even as we sit among thousands at a community Carols event.

 

Sometimes we retreat to loneliness in response to pain. The pain of loss. The pain of abuse. The pain of anxiety. The pain of never being enough. The pain of feeling overwhelmed. Though loneliness is its own pain we retreat to it in preference to the pains we experience as we interact with the world around us. Sometimes loneliness engulfs us to the extent that life itself seems worthless.

 

Christmas Day is a time when we go out of our way to make sure people are not alone. What we are seeking is to ensure that they do not feel lonely at Christmas. One of the reasons for that is because of our capacity for empathy. We would not want to feel lonely on Christmas Day, and we seek to ensure others do not endure what we know is painful ourselves.

 

That impulse to dispel loneliness on Christmas Day reflects the meaning of Christmas itself. God came to humanity, as a human, and in doing so brings the promise that loneliness and all the human frailties and fracturings that cause it are going to be undone.

 

God dwells among humanity with the promise that he will deal with everything that separates us from himself and from others. He asks us to receive what he has done for us as his gift. That promise would culminate in Jesus’ experience of the ultimate loneliness as he endured pain and humiliation before an uncaring, condemning mob.

 

With words of forgiveness on his lips, he suffers that loneliness in our place. Those words bring the hope that loneliness will not have the final victory. To anyone who believes in Jesus’ name, Jesus gives the right to become children of God, that’s his legacy and his gift.

 

The promise of Christmas invites us to think of families and communities that are anchored with a foundation of unconditional acceptance; and which are nurtured in love through patience, tolerance, forgiveness, and the humble acknowledgment of our own frailties and failings. Our impulses and efforts to ensure that loneliness is absent from the Christmas Season reflect the gathering love that God shows toward us.

 

There may be reasons why some will be alone this Christmas; but as each of us are able, may the love of God through his son Jesus inspire us to do what we can to dispel loneliness from Christmas Day, and from all the days that follow.

 

A merry Christmas to you and yours.

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Gary Ware

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As we draw nearer to the Festive Season, I reflect that Christmas is not always a happy time for everyone in our community and as Mayor, I would like to work towards ensuring that we enable as many people as possible to experience the joy of Christmas.

 

Each year through the Mount Gambier Community Mayor’s Christmas Appeal, Uniting Care, ac.care, Lifeline South East, St Vincent de Paul and the Salvation Army unite to provide much needed assistance to those who are most in need locally, supporting those who are disadvantaged, isolated or vulnerable.

 

Through participating in the distribution of support, I have witnessed first-hand the significance of the work of these local agencies as they combine in bringing joy to many in our community at Christmas. Their work ensures that children, teenagers, adults and families have access to food hampers, gift cards and toys which help to ensure that this time can be special, something that many of us take for granted.

 

The Mount Gambier Community Mayor’s Christmas Appeal collects and distributes locally and every dollar raised is reinvested back into our community. This is truly about local people, helping other local people. Donations made through the appeal go a long way. In 2021, the Appeal assisted approximately 750 adults and more than 620 children and teenagers.

 

This year, as a result of the ongoing consequence of COVID-19, changes to the housing market and financial pressures on many local individuals and families, agencies anticipate there will be an increase in the number of families and individuals presenting for assistance, many of whom are new faces and may not have sought help previously.

 

For the Appeal to continue to assist those who are less fortunate, we rely each year on the generosity of those in our community who have the capacity to help. I am very conscious as a result of ongoing cost of living pressures that not everyone will be in a position to support the Appeal, but this considered, a donation as little as $50.00 will provide a food

hamper for a local family or allows a parent to present gifts to their children on Christmas morning.

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Should you wish to donate you can do so by:

• Phoning (08) 8721 2555 (option 1) with your credit card details on hand

• Presenting in person at the City of Mount Gambier Customer Service counter - Civic Centre, 10 Watson Terrace.

• Sending a cheque made out to 'City of Mount Gambier' PO Box 56 Mount Gambier SA 5290 with advice that the cheque is a donation to the Mayor's Christmas Appeal.

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Thank you for considering this request and I take the opportunity to wish you a blessed Christmas and a happy and healthy 2023.

 

Yours sincerely,

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Lynette Martin OAM

Mayor - City of Mount Gambier

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Churches Christmas Service times.

 

The Salvation Army

Corner of Gray & Wyatt Street, Mount Gambier

Christmas Day 9:30am

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Lutheran Church

Christmas Eve: 7:30pm at St Martins Lutheran College

Christmas Day: 8:30am at 10 Main St, Millicent

10:30am at 17 Edward St, Mt Gambier

 

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Jubilee Christian Centre

219 Princess Hwy East, Mount Gambier

CHRISTmas Day 9:00am

 

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Baptist Church

33 North Terrace

Christmas Day 9:30am

 

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Christ Church, Anglican Church

26 Bay Road, Mount Gambier

Christmas Eve Service @ 8pm

Christmas Day Service @ 9am

Christmas Eve Service. St. Luke's Mount Schank @ 6pm

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Eastside Christian Centre

Corner of Boandik tce and Hanson Street, Mount Gambier

Christmas Day. 9.00am

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Mount Gambier Uniting Churches

Elizabeth Street, Mount Gambier

Christmas Eve 7pm

Christmas Day 9am

Port Macdonnell - Christmas Day 9:30am

Gambier East  - Christmas Day 9:30am

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Mount Gambier Presbyterian Church

Allison Street, Mount Gambier

Christmas Eve 7.30pm

Christmas Day 9.30am

 

 

Liberty Church

Penola Road, Mount Gambier

Christmas Day  9am