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Christmas at St Michael’s

“‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).'”

Matthew 1:23

‘God with us’

At the first Christmas, the Angel comforted Joseph by saying Mary’s son will be called ‘Immanuel’ (God with us). Joseph was understandably confused and shaken by the circumstances of Mary’s pregnancy. The angel assured him with ‘Immanuel’: God was keeping a promise to save His people. ‘Immanuel’: God comes to His people in the least expected and most challenging ways. ‘Immanuel’: the comfort that ‘God is with us’.

‘God is with us’ is comfort and joy for us too. A cause for gratitude, no matter the year you’ve had.

We’d love to welcome you at St Michael’s this Christmas as we explore from Matthew 1 about the God who drew near to us on that very first Christmas, and remains close even now, personal, loving and known to us.

Events & Services

WOMEN’S CHRISTMAS CRAFT
Saturday 2 December
2:30 – 5pm – Wollongong Hall

CAROLS AT CORRIMAL
Saturday 16 December
6:30pm BBQ dinner (bring a gold coin donation), 7pm carols begin

Carols at Corrimal LYRICS

CAROLS ON THE LAWN – WOLLONGONG
Sunday 17 December
6pm – food trucks & kids’ activities; 7pm – carols

Carols on the Lawn LYRICS

CHRISTMAS EVE / CAROLS IN THE CATHEDRAL
Sunday 24 December
10am – Corrimal (all ages, family friendly service)

Carols in the Cathedral at 10:30am, 5pm*, 7pm – Wollongong

* Our 5pm Carols service will also be livestreamed to our Facebook page.

CHRISTMAS DAY
Monday 25 December
9am – Corrimal (all ages contemporary Christmas celebration with carols, clips & a kids talk)
7:30am – Wollongong (Holy Communion service with carols & readings)
9:30am – Wollongong (all ages contemporary Christmas celebration with carols, clips & a kids talk)

Followed by our Summer Services (31 Dec, 7 & 14 Jan): 9am, 11am & 6pm at Wollongong, 10am at Corrimal.

FAQ

How do I get to St Michael’s?

We are one church at two locations!

Our Wollongong site is located at 74 Church Street (on the corner of Church and Market Streets). Click here for a map. 

Our Corrimal site is at 121 Princes Hwy, Corrimal. Click here for a map.

Where do I park?

Corrimal:
 There is a small carpark on site, however we try to save these spaces for people with young children or those with accessibility needs. For street parking, try Coxs’ Lane (one-way), or look for spots on Midgley Street or Underwood Street.

Wollongong:
On Sundays (and public holidays), we recommend parking in the Thomas St carpark across the road from church – on the northern side of the Church Hall.

There is limited parking available within the church grounds, including disabled parking spots. However, on Sundays we have a no-traffic zone in the driveway space between the two staircases and the Church Hall, in order to keep people safe as they move between the cathedral and the Hall. 

There are also paid parking meters in surrounding streets, and parking stations nearby. Street parking is usually free on public holidays!

What should I wear?

Wear whatever clothes you feel comfortable in. Our regular members don’t really ‘dress up’ for church.

What time should I arrive?

Most people arrive within 5-10 minutes of the service start time to find a seat. Arriving at least 10 minutes early for our indoor services (especially Carols in the Cathedral) is the best way to secure a seat! Overflow seating options will be available in the office building.

What is church like?

Church is a regular gathering where we hear from God’s word and respond to him in worship. Each of our Christmas events and services will have their own ‘flavour’, but they also have a lot in common. Sunday services usually include singing, a time of prayer, a reading from the Bible and a 20-25 minute Bible talk (usually called a sermon) which explains its relevance for our lives today. After the more formal service, we spend time getting to know each other over tea/coffee and refreshments.* 
 
* There will be a complimentary supper after Carols on the Lawn, on Sunday 17 December.

Are children welcome?

Absolutely! Children are welcome at all our services. At Christmas time and during school holidays, our regular kids’ programs take a break, so we encourage children to stay with their parents during the service.

Corrimal:
You are welcome to sit in the ministry centre, or there is a parent room to the right of our church space. This room has large windows with volume controllable audio feed and a large screen. There is a change table in the disabled toilet.

Wollongong:
You are welcome to sit in the cathedral or the church office foyer (across the courtyard from the cathedral). This space is used as a family room or cry-room with an audio-visual feed of the service, and men’s/women’s toilets available. If you require a change table, there is one in the accessible toilet room in the Church Hall.
 
* During school terms, our regular Sunday services at 9:45am, 10am, 11:30am and 5pm offer weekly kids’ church programs (for children in pre-school to Year 6). Our 9:45am, 10am and 5pm services also have a crèche available (for children under 5 years of age). Read more about our kids programs here.

Accessibility at St Michael’s

Corrimal:
At Corrimal, we ask our members to leave space in the carpark for those with accessibility needs. There is ramp access into the building from the carpark and an accessible toilet within the ministry centre. 

Wollongong:
At the Cathedral, there are several disabled parking spaces available, and a wheelchair-accessible ramp connecting the carpark to our cathedral. We also have an accessible toilet in the church hall, a hearing-aid loop in the cathedral, large print Bibles, and vision-friendly data projections. We’d love to help make things more accessible for you, so please ask us if you need anything! Click here for more information.