He is risen, Alleluia!

Celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, after his sacrifice for everyone on the cross, to bring us back into relationship and eternal life with God.

Services are at the usual Sunday times of 7.30am, 10am and in Dinka at 1pm. Please join us!

Join us in vigil as we wait the coming resurrection of Christ on Easter Day.

The new Paschal candle is lit, we renew our baptismal vows and celebrate of the resurrection of our Lord. This service is rich in tradition and scripture and includes holy communion (please note that incense will be used).

Recalling the crucifixion (video), silent reflection, invitation to pre-sanctified holy communion and a short sermon.

This service is in the Dinka language.

Good Friday

Remembering the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for us.

7:30am - Mass of the Pre-Sanctified and stations of the cross

This service continues the service begun the night before… with communion that was consecrated then set aside and watched over, as representative of Christ’s body and blood.

We re-enter the church for this service in quiet and relative darkness…

10:00am - Stations of the Cross

Travel the journey from Jesus’ rejection by the crowd to his crucifixion and death.

Join us for this moving liturgy, which includes the symbolic memorial of Jesus washing his followers’ feet on the night before he died.

Our service concludes in darkness, silent prayer and the opportunity to sit quietly in keeping vigil with Christ awhile.

The word Maundy comes from a middle English word meaning command, and we use that word today to remind us that Jesus commanded that we should love, serve and care for one another.

Inviting children and young people, parents and parishioners. No cost.

In the evening, before he was betrayed, Jesus shared the Passover meal with his friends and this was the beginning of our Christian Holy Communion.

Celebrate through a Passover meal with readings and explanation of symbolism, through sensory combinations of sound, smell, and tastes, involved in following the age-old rituals of the Jewish people.

Our Thursday evening will begin in the hall at 5:15 for our meal continuing over to Church for Maundy Thursday service with the washing of the feet and clearing of the church.

Lynne Cain must have definite numbers please by 13 April - as we want to supply the exact amount of food. Lynne: 0437 465 623

Hosanna to the King!

Palm Sunday (sometimes also known as Passion Sunday in some Christian traditions) celebrates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey. Citizens waved palm fronds and laid them in front of him, as one would to pave the way for their king.

In celebration and remembrance, we make fresh palm crosses to give out today at our services.

Each year, our palm crosses are kept and brought back before the next Ash Wednesday. Then the old palm crosses are burnt, ground and mixed with Chrism oil, to become the ash used in signing of the cross on our foreheads at the Ash Wednesday ceremonies.

Ars Cantorum Presents…

Towards Easter: A Concert of Eastertide Music

Featuring Worthy is the Lamb, by Lloyd Larsen

with supporting music by Victor Johnson, Kenneth Leighton, Tchaikovsky, David Rasbach, Claudio Casciolini and more.

Conductor: Pam Duane

Accompanist: Andrew Doecke

Tickets $25 (school aged children no charge)

Tickets available from Choir members and St James’ Parish Office (ph 46391858), or at the door prior to the concert.

Light refreshments will be served in the Parish Centre after the concert - Come and Join Us!

In partnership with Amnesty International Toowoomba Group, the film Shayda will be shown on Thursday 20th March, 7 pm, at St James Anglican Parish Hall.

Shayda is a dramatisation of (Director) Noora Niasari’s early life, set in the Iranian diaspora community of suburban Melbourne. “It was something I had experienced, but I hadn’t really seen on screen before.” - The Guardian Film Review by Wenlei Ma

Admission by donation

Come and see the film, join us for the discussion and a light supper afterwards.

On Ash Wednesday our special service of Holy Communion includes the imposition of ashes and the Lenten litany. All are welcome.

This service will be followed by our first session of our Lenten Bible Study: Hope25.

Image by Ahna Ziegler on Unsplash

Please join us in St James’ Parish Centre for the latest Movies that Matter, along with Toowoomba Amnesty International.

Tea/coffee and discussions after movie.

This edition of Bible Book Club, is about getting the most out of your Bible, an introductory webinar.

Topics will include:

• choosing a Bible translation

• the structure of the Bible

• literary genres in the Bible

• ways of reading the Bible

• resources that may help

This will be an online session, meeting via Zoom on Sunday 2 February from 7 pm to 9 pm (or earlier).  Email melissa@stjames.org.au for the link code to join.

How Bible Book Club works (although this webinar will be slightly different): 

Each Book Club meeting will focus on a book or set of chapters from the Bible, coinciding with the lectionary cycle.  Participants are encouraged to read the book or chapters before the meeting, but it’s not essential.  The meeting will be live via Zoom and recorded to be accessed later by anyone who can’t attend in person. This recording will be publicly available. 

It is hoped that Bible Book Club will enhance participants’ and viewers’ understanding of the Sunday readings. 

Start the new school, college or worrk year with a blessing.

Bring your backpack, pencil case, lunch box, handbag, or anything else that is a symbol of your daily life.

The blessing will be part of our normal Sunday service.

Start the new school, college or worrk year with a blessing.

Bring your backpack, pencil case, lunch box, handbag, or anything else that is a symbol of your daily life.

The blessing will be part of our normal Sunday service.

Join our South Sudanese community at St James’ in Toowoomba, at 1 pm on Christmas Day for a Christmas Service in the Dinka language.

Children and adults are always welcome at St James’. No prior experience is necessary! We understand that small children have needs, so it’s OK to bring snacks.

We humans are story-makers and story-tellers, but for Christians, the Christmas story is the most precious story, the story of when the one great God came to be with us, and to be exactly like one of us, in the form of the baby Jesus. That’s so important because it means that God, in Jesus, knows the joys and sorrows, the exciting times and the pain of being human.

We would love you to join us to celebrate that God is with us at Christmas and always.

This service includes Holy Communion.

Join us at St James’ in Toowoomba, at 10 am on Christmas Day for a traditional Christmas Service, with lots of carols.

Children and adults are always welcome at St James’. No prior experience is necessary! We understand that small children have needs, so it’s OK to bring snacks.

We humans are story-makers and story-tellers, but for Christians, the Christmas story is the most precious story, the story of when the one great God came to be with us, and to be exactly like one of us, in the form of the baby Jesus. That’s so important because it means that God, in Jesus, knows the joys and sorrows, the exciting times and the pain of being human.

We would love you to join us to celebrate that God is with us at Christmas and always.

This service includes Holy Communion.

Join us at St James’ in Toowoomba, at 7.30 am on Christmas Day for a traditional Christmas Service, with lots of carols.

Children and adults are always welcome at St James’. No prior experience is necessary! We understand that small children have needs, so it’s OK to bring snacks.

We humans are story-makers and story-tellers, but for Christians, the Christmas story is the most precious story, the story of when the one great God came to be with us, and to be exactly like one of us, in the form of the baby Jesus. That’s so important because it means that God, in Jesus, knows the joys and sorrows, the exciting times and the pain of being human.

We would love you to join us to celebrate that God is with us at Christmas and always.

This service includes Holy Communion.

Join us at St James’ in Toowoomba, at 5.30 on Christmas Eve for a special telling of the Christmas story for families with young children, with lots of carols.

Children are invited to come dressed as angels, shepherds, wise persons, royalty or farm animals.

We understand that small children have needs, so it’s OK to bring snacks.

We humans are story-makers and story-tellers, but for Christians, the Christmas story is the most precious story, the story of when the one great God came to be with us, and to be exactly like one of us, in the form of the baby Jesus. That’s so important because it means that God, in Jesus, knows the joys and sorrows, the exciting times and the pain of being human.

We would love you to join us to celebrate that God is with us at Christmas and always.

This service includes Holy Communion.

Preparing for Christmas:

in a service of music, symbols and readings

(featuring St James Choir and Ars Cantorum members)

at St James on

Sunday 15 December 2024 at 5pm

followed by parish party meal, two courses plus wine for $20 per person.

Funds raised from the meal will go towards mission projects supported by the parish.

All are welcome!

Please RSVP by email here.

Why a Blue Christmas?

Cries of “Merry Christmas!” and non-stop carols contrast with the feelings of many people at this time of year. For those suffering from the recent or impending death of loved ones, for the lonely and for those whose families are in crisis, it can be a very isolated and dreary time. Every greeting and every song reminds the grief-stricken of how unhappy life is at this moment.  Many churches have begun to recognize that Festivals of Lessons and Carols, celebrations of Christmas, and children’s pageants do not meet everyone’s needs. To fill this gap we offer a Blue Christmas service, a Service of Solace for those who find this to be a painful time of the year. People who are not having a very merry Christmas and friends who support them are invited to come and sit with one another in a liturgy that speaks of the love of God for the grieving. Our service will include gentle music, Bible readings, prayers, private prayers and anointing. The service also includes ways to physically express our feelings by lighting a candle in prayer, and laying a cloth in the crib as a prayer offering. These prayers will then be gathered up again on Christmas Day.

5.30 pm, Sunday 8 December 2024

St James’, Toowoomba

St Anne’s, Highfields

The inaugural Bible Book Club, focussing on the Gospel of Luke, will happen online via Zoom on Sunday 24 November from 3 pm to 5 pm.  Email melissa@stjames.org.au for the link code to join.

How Bible Book Club works: 

Each Book Club meeting will focus on a book or set of chapters from the Bible, coinciding with the lectionary cycle.  Participants are encouraged to read the book or chapters before the meeting, but it’s not essential.  The meeting will be live via Zoom and recorded to be accessed later by anyone who can’t attend in person. This recording will be publicly available. 

Our inaugural meeting will be on the Gospel of Luke, as we prepare to enter year C of the lectionary cycle, which is the year of Luke.  We’ll talk about the origins and structure of the book, key themes and passages, and highlights to look out for during the year. 

It is hoped that Bible Book Club will enhance participants’ and viewers’ understanding of the Sunday readings.  Meetings during 2025 will relate to the books and chapters that occur in a significant series in the lectionary.

Discussion Topic:

Forming and guiding young people and members of our community to know peace within themselves and to build peace in their communities.

Guest Speakers:

• Rev’d Charissa Suli, President of the Uniting Church in Australia.

• Professor Dr Hoon Chang Yau, Director of Asian Studies, University of Brunei Darussalam.

• Mr Carl Maurer, Manager of Welfare and Self Reliance Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Speaker Panel: Rev’d Charissa Suli, Prof Dr Hoon Chang Yau, Mr Carl Maurer.

Panel Moderator and Host: Rev’d Melissa Conway

The forum will be followed by a meal in the adjacent Parish Centre hall. 

 This is a free event, but bookings are needed for Catering purposes. Please RSVP by Wednesday 13 October at this link:  https://events.humanitix.com/community-and-faith-leaders-forum

Thank you to Pure Land College for providing the meal and hospitality. Thanks to the Anglican Parish of Toowoomba – St James’ for the use of the venue.

Please join us at St James’ for the Annual Service of Prayer For Reconciliation

 This is a joint initiative of

Anglican Diocese of Brisbane

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane

Roman Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba

Light refreshments will be offered in the Parish Centre Hall after the service.

All Souls Day gives us the opportunity to remember those who have gone before us, forming the “great cloud of witnesses,” but who are not recognised as saints: family, friends, teachers, ancestors. In this traditional service we use prayer and symbol to remember, grieve and celebrate those who have gone before us.

This is a “high church” service, which includes a large sanctuary party wearing special robes, candles, incense and bells, as well as our wonderful choir.

Tap into the rich history of Anglican tradition.

Rev’d John Rolley Preaching, Rev’d Melissa Conway Presiding.

October 15th is International Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day, where bereaved parents from Australia and around the world pause to remember their babies who’ve died.

Around this day we offer a special, quiet remembrance service for those who have experienced the loss of a child, no matter how old or how long ago, but with special care for those who have experienced a stillbirth or infant loss in the past year.

Join us at St James’ Church, 145 Mort Street Toowoomba.

This service is sensitive to the needs of people of all faiths and those who have no faith. It will be held outdoors in our peaceful grounds, weather permitting.

More information about October 15 at: Oct 15 | SANDS - MISCARRIAGE STILLBIRTH NEWBORN DEATH SUPPORT

Photo by Alfred Schrock on Unsplash

Join us to mark the 155th annivesary of the Dedication of St James’ Church in Toowoomba.

This will be a combined whole of parish service - there is no service at St Anne’s this weekend. Our Holy Communion Service will be followed by shared morning tea. You are invited to bring something special to share.

Our special guest presider and preacher will be Archbishop Jeremy Greaves.

“Almighty God, we give you thanks for the work you have done in this place. We give you thanks for your love and faithfulness. When we called on your name, you made your presence known to us. When we prayed, you heard us. When we preached your Word and administered your Sacraments, you were in our midst. You have accepted our humble sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving. You have listened to our confessions and forgiven our sins. And you have sent your Holy Spirit to heal and comfort our hurts, our sorrows, our infirmities, and our losses.”