Let Everyone Who Is Thirsty Come: Advent 2026 at St James’ King Street

This Advent, we ask how this Gospel shapes our own lives in an era of widespread violence and oppression, where many people flee their homes in search of refuge. We invite you to consider with us the experience of refugees in our midst, so that we may better know and love these people who are our neighbours, and are in need. We will focus on four stages of their search for safety. We will focus on the experience and embrace of the Other amidst political conflict and personal terror, noticing some elements of the Advent story that are often overlooked, or remain in the background, drawing them into the foreground for a season and into the larger story of God’s love of the oppressed and the alien.

Each week will focus on a phase of the refugee experience: Flight imperative at whatever cost; Journeys of flight; Shocks and solaces of arrival; Seeking inclusion and remaking home. Each week there will be a scriptural passage, a psalm, and a poem and excerpts from a refugee memoir, together with brief commentary, questions for reflections, and a prayer. There will be no cost for these materials, which have been drafted by Jamie Dunk and Janet Donald. You are, of course, most welcome to make a donation to the St James’ Institute if you wish to support the work.

We will begin meeting the week before Advent Sunday, continuing four weeks (ie. meeting the weeks beginning 23nd and 30th November and 7th and 14th December).

In-person and online groups will run daytime and evening at a range of locations. Please register for your preferred group by selecting a ticket below. There is some possibility that the details will change; if a group is not able to to run for want of enrolments, or needs to be moved, you’ll be contacted about an alternative. And please write to jamie.dunk@sjks.org.au if you would like to join a group but none of the options suit.

Monday 10am at Clergy House, Chatswood, led by Frances Taylor and Belinda Howell

Monday 6pm by Zoom, led by Alan Melrose

Tuesday 9:30am by Zoom, led by Libby Hindmarsh

Tuesday 11am at Bowden Brae Gardens, Normanhurst, led by Sue Mackenzie

Tuesday 1pm at St James’ Hall, led by Catherine McLellan

Wednesday 7:15pm at St James’ Hall, led by Kumar Rasiah

Thursday 7pm in Glebe/Balmain, led by Janet Donald and Jamie Dunk

Image: The Holy Family Crosses the English Channel, by Nicholas Mynheer (2025).