There is History in This Bowl – Christmas Bowl 2025

Each Advent, as Uniting Church communities prepare for Christmas, we remember that worship doesn’t end with our liturgy. It continues in the ways we make love visible, through acts of justice, mercy, and compassion for our neighbours near and far.

For 76 years, the Act for Peace Christmas Bowl has been one of Australia’s most enduring Christmas traditions. It began in 1949 when Rev. Frank Byatt placed an empty bowl on his family table as a reminder of those going hungry in those places scarred by war. He invited his congregation to give what they could as a practical expression of Christ’s love. That small gesture grew into a movement that now unites churches across the country every Advent season.

The Christmas Bowl is more than an appeal. It is the church’s living witness that the Gospel is good news for all people. It affirms what the Church proclaims: that to love God is to love our neighbour, and to honour God is to act with compassion and justice.

A Story of Hope from Ethiopia

Among the many communities supported through the Christmas Bowl is the Tesfa program in Ethiopia, which offers urban refugees a pathway out of poverty. Tesfa means hope, and for Arsema*, a young mother who fled Eritrea, this program has delivered on its mission.

When Arsema arrived in Ethiopia, life was extremely difficult. She was alone in a new country, without support, and struggling to provide for her child. She describes feeling isolated and without purpose.

But everything changed when she joined Tesfa. With mentoring, short-term financial assistance, and the opportunity to study a vocational course in make-up artistry, Arsema began to rebuild her life. Her daughter was cared for at daycare while she trained, and gained both skills and confidence to start earning an income.

Today, Arsema* is full of hope for the future. “Before Tesfa, I felt invisible. Now I feel like I have a place in the world. To find family from someone you don’t know is God’s work,” she says.

Arsema’s story is one of dignity restored and a reminder that every gift to the Christmas Bowl is more than charity. It is solidarity. It is compassion in action.

Our Call This Advent

As the Church, we are reminded in Micah’s words to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.” The Christmas Bowl is one way we live this calling together.

When we pray, when we give, and when we stand alongside our global neighbours, we bear witness to the light of Christ shining in the darkness.

“This year, the needs are urgent. Around the world, families are being forced from their homes by war, persecution, and climate disasters. Yet, through the Christmas Bowl, we can stand alongside our sisters and brothers, declaring that no one is forgotten, and every person deserves a safe place to belong.” Rev Charissa Suli, President, Uniting Church in Australia.

This Christmas, as bowls are filled across the country, may we remember that there is a history of generosity in this bowl. Each gift, each prayer, is part of a 76-year legacy of Australian Christians acting for peace and justice.

We invite you and your congregation to add your gift to the Bowl again this year, to carry forward this living tradition of faith, compassion, and hope.

For resources and to learn more, visit: www.christmasbowl.actforpeace.org.au

*Name changed for safety reasons.

Article by Carmen-Lee Myers