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Nyhet / Publicerad 29 oktober 2020 / Ändrad 1 december 2025

Newsletter

Summary in English

Newsletter  December 2025

 

The Vicar’s Thoughts

We in the church would like to wish you all a joyful Advent season and a blessed Christmas!

It was a wonderful feeling to light the first Advent candle during Sunday’s Advent service. When the candle was lit and the choir Skutan, led by Suzann Frisk, began to sing – I truly felt: Advent is here. It was a joy to celebrate the First Sunday of Advent together with so many of you – and what a powerful moment it was when we all sang together! Advent and Christmas music really has the ability to go straight to the heart, doesn’t it?

Advent is a time of waiting, and I believe we are all waiting for different things. Some long for peace, others for community, someone perhaps for a change in life, and many of us need, more than anything, to feel hope. The beauty of Advent is that it holds space for all of this.

I’m really looking forward to everything we’ll share this month: the Lucia celebrations (many of you have already talked to me about them!), the Christmas concert, and of course, Christmas Eve and the early morning Christmas Day service – moments when we can come together in joy, stillness and fellowship.

Here in the church, it’s clear that Christmas is approaching. So much is happening, and it’s wonderful to see the energy and life within our congregation. Our premises are full of people – children and parents, choirs rehearsing, visitors at the Christmas market, friends catching up over a coffee, worshippers, volunteers helping out, and someone lighting a candle and sitting for a moment in quiet. I often think: this is the church at its most alive.

The Christmas market is in full swing and on Saturday we held our “Scandinavian Food and Fun Day.” It was a great success, with thousands of visitors. Thank you to everyone who helped in different ways and to all who participated. Your support means the world to us. I hope you know just how much it means.

On behalf of myself and all the staff, I want to sincerely thank you for your support and presence throughout the year. You carry the church together with us, and that means more than you can imagine. It is thanks to you that the church continues to be a meaningful place for so many. In the encounter between people, faith comes alive. Together, we create the congregation.

I hope that this Advent season brings you light, peace, and hope in the midst of everything going on.

Wishing you a truly beautiful Advent and Christmas season,
Katja Lin
Vicor in Melbourne, Church of Sweden in Australia

Church Opening Hours

Café and shop: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 10 am – 4 pm, and Sunday 12 pm – 4 pm
Worship service every Sunday at 11 am

Note – the last day the café and shop are open before the summer break is Sunday, December 21.
The church and the shop are also open in connection with the Christmas celebrations on 24 December and the early morning Christmas service on 25 December.
Opening hours:
Christmas Eve: 11 am – 2 pm
Christmas Day: 7 am – 9 am

The Church Takes a Short Break…

After an intense Christmas month with the Christmas market, the church will take a short break.
From 26 December the church will be closed and will reopen on Saturday, 10 January.
We look forward to next year and to beginning our activities and congregational work for 2026 again.

Church services in December

Second Sunday of Advent
Sunday December 7 at 11 am
Norwegian Christmas Service
Deacon Håvard Tønnessen Osland
Staffan Thuringer – organist
aTempo – vocals

Third Sunday of Advent
Sunday December 14 at 11 am
Theme: Prepare the Way of the Lord
Lay-led service with music by Daniel Andersson
Gunnar Wenehult – lay leader
Ebba Marklund – church warden
Daniel Andersson – musician

Fourth Sunday of Advent
Sunday December 21 at 11 am
Danish Christmas Service
Pastor Christian Rønlev Berwald
Staffan Thuringer – organist

Christmas Eve
Wednesday December 24 at 11 am
Swedish Christmas Service, gathering at the crib for all ages
Pastor Katja Lin
Mats Björklund – musician

Christmas Day

Thursday December 25 at 7 am
Theme: The Birth of Jesus
Swedish early Christmas morning service (julotta)
Vicar Katja Lin
Ebba Marklund – church warden
Daniel Andersson – vocals
Staffan Thuringer – organist
Gunnar Wenehult – trumpet

Thursday December 25 at 10 am
Finnish Christmas Service
Pastor Ian Vainikka

Welcome!

Christmas Market 2025

November 20 – December 18
Christmas is at the door,
but the door to the Christmas market is already open!
Come and experience wonderful Christmas spirit at the church’s Christmas market in Melbourne. The market is in full swing and continues until Thursday, 19 December.

Opening hours: Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays 10 am – 4 pm, and Sundays 12 pm – 4 pm.

Traditional Lucia Celebration

You are warmly welcome to celebrate the traditional Lucia festivities with Christmas atmosphere and beautiful singing performed by The Choir Skutan!

We offer two Lucia concerts:

December 12, 8 pm at St John’s Anglican Church in Toorak
88 Clendon Rd, Toorak 3142

December 13, 5 pm at the Swedish Church in Toorak - SOLD OUT
21 St Georges Rd, Toorak 3142

Performers:
Skutan Choir – vocals
Suzann Frisk – conductor
Paul Frisk – didgeridoo

Entry: $20 per person, children under 10 free (children’s tickets must also be booked via Trybooking)

Tickets for the Lucia concert can be booked via Trybooking here.

Don’t forget to bring your ticket to the concert. Limited seating – book now!

Thursday December 11 – Lucia with Lille Skutt!

This Thursday we replace our usual singing time with our own little Lucia procession in the church at 12 pm.

All children are warmly welcome to come dressed as Lucia, star boy, attendant, Santa, or gingerbread figure. Don’t have anything at home? No problem – the church has costumes to borrow.

In the café, in addition to the usual menu, we serve delicious rice porrige to add an extra touch of Christmas spirit to the day.
Warm welcome!

Christmas Concert with Duo Bengtsson | Paulson

Thursday December 18 at 19.00
Church of Sweden in Melbourne

We are very happy to welcome you to a warm and unique Christmas concert with Duo Bengtsson | Paulson.

A Christmas concert marking the end of this year’s Christmas market.

Fredrik Bengtsson, double bassist from southern Sweden, and Josefina Paulson, nyckelharpa player from Västmanland, meet in this duo to explore and challenge the traditional roles of their instruments. Together they take new musical paths, letting the melodies tell their stories in a personal and surprising way.

Warmly welcome to celebrate the music and fellowship of Christmas with us!

Entrance: Voluntary donation at the door via eftpos or cash.
The concert is a fundraiser for the Swedish Church in Melbourne’s work

Christmas Eve Celebration

Warmly welcome to celebrate Christmas Eve with us!
We begin the celebration at 11 am in the church with a gathering by the crib for all ages. Afterwards we continue with dancing around the Christmas tree and a visit from Santa, who gives presents to the children.

Please bring two Christmas presents:
• one for your own child (labelled with the child’s name)
• one extra gift that we, through the Salvation Army, will pass on to a child in need of some extra Christmas joy.

From 12 pm we serve rice porrige, Christmas ham sandwiches, lussekatter, gingerbread biscuits, julmust, mulled wine, and coffee/tea.
Package price: 28 dollars.
You can also just pay for what you choose to eat or drink.

Around 1:15 pm we end the celebration by watching Donald Duck’s Christmas in the chapel.

To help with planning, we gratefully accept registrations at
melbourne@svenskakyrkan.se– but of course everyone is welcome even without registering.

Christmas Greetings from the Church Council

We in the church council in Melbourne want to wish you all a joyful and peaceful Christmas. It feels like it wasn’t that long ago that we last celebrated Christmas, but now the church is decorated and the Christmas market is in full swing again.

Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to finish the floor in the veranda before the Christmas market, but the latest update is that the work will begin in January and is expected to take about six weeks.

We also welcome a new tenant, Fleur D'Altera, “Fleur Creative,” a florist who will rent the room next to the boiler room for her business.

As we have previously informed regarding the property matter, the issue will be raised in the Church Board in Sweden on 18 December. Thank you to everyone who in different ways has engaged to emphasise the importance and increase understanding in Sweden of what the church and Toorak House mean to all of us. The matter is now with the Church Board in Sweden, and we hope and pray that the outcome will be positive for the congregation in Melbourne and the Church of Sweden in Australia.

A functioning congregation depends so much on individual engagement and personal responsibility to make everything work. A big thank you to the staff, volunteers, church council, and board in Melbourne for the work that has been done during 2025.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Mats Marklund
Chairperson of the Church Council – Swedish Church Australia LTD

Two-day Swedish music worksop
with Josefina Paulson, Fredrik Bengtsson och Big Fiddle Little Fiddle (organiser)
at The Swedish Church

New Membership Year 2026

It is now time to renew your membership in the Swedish Church in Melbourne for the entire year of 2026 – or to become a member for the first time.
As a member, you help carry our congregation.
You make it possible for us to continue offering worship services, children’s and youth activities, cultural events, volunteer efforts, community gatherings, and support for people in both joy and difficulty.

Membership Fees 2026

Student: $45
Pensioner: $60
Single: $80
Pensioner couple: $85
Family: $95

How to become a member or renew your membership

It is easy to support our work:
Read more and become a member via our website – click here.
Pay directly via Shopify – click here.
Or pay when you next visit the church.

We are extremely grateful for your support. Together we build a vibrant Swedish meeting place in Melbourne – where faith, traditions, and community have a home.
Thank you so much for being part of it!

Church Records

Baptised
Oskar Ivor Jones
Born 6 August 2018
Baptised during the service on 23 November at St Pauls Lutheran Church in Sydney.
Baptising minister: Pastor Katja Lin

Wedding
Laura Charlton and Trevor Dunn
Wedding held 26 October 2025 in Sydney.
Officiant: Katja Lin

Deceased
Jan Gustav Lövgren
Passed away 16 November 2025
Funeral held at the Swedish Church in Melbourne 26 November 2025.
Funeral officiant: Vicar Katja Lin

 

If you have questions about baptism, confirmation, weddings, or funerals, 
contact Vicar Katja Lin.
T: 0421 045 112
E: katja.lin@svenskakyrkan.se

Regular Monthly Activities

Worship service
Sundays at 11 am.

Lunch Prayer
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12 pm in the chapel.

Children’s group “Lille Skutt”
Meets Thursdays 10 am – 12 pm in the church hall. Singing time at 11:30 am.

Tuesday Gathering
A meeting place for those free during the day, meeting on the second Tuesday of the month at 12 pm for a shared devotion and lunch. Due to the Christmas market it will no be a lunch in December. 

Book Club
Meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 1:30 pm to discuss current Swedish books.
Next meeting is December 16.

Young Adults
A gathering for young adults who are permanently or temporarily in Melbourne and want to meet new people. Keep an eye on our social media for details.

Choir Skutan
Rehearses Wednesdays 7 pm – 9 pm.

Thursday Lunch
Thursdays between 12:15 pm – 1:15 pm. Due to the Christmas market it will no be a lunch in December. 

Gardening Group
Fridays at 10 am the gardening group meets to care for the church garden.

Ecumenical Prayer Group
Meets the last Thursday of each month at 10 am in one of the churches in Toorak.

If you have questions about any of the activities or groups, contact the church via email: melbourne@svenskakyrkan.se

We are here for you

Contact us via phone or email if you want to talk or need support.
You can also contact us if you wish to receive a home or sick visit.

How to reach us:
Katja Lin, Vicar
T: 0421 045 112
E: katja.lin@svenskakyrkan.se

Gunnar Wenehult, educator
T: 0459 225 532
E:  gunnar.wenehult@svenskakyrkan.se

Do you want us to pray for you or for someone you know? 
Every week we, who work at the Church, gather to pray for the needs that arise. We include everyone in our thoughts and prayers. No one should feel forgotten. Get in touch with your prayer topics to Katja or Gunnar.