By Aimée Keay
For 75 years, church communities have been uniting through the Christmas Bowl to give hope to families who are displaced.
In 1949, Rev Frank Byatt first laid a bowl of remembrance on the Christmas dinner table asking his family to “share your good dinner with hungry children in other lands”.
From this simple act of compassion, the annual Christmas Bowl appeal was born, now a much-loved tradition in churches across Australia.
The Christmas Bowl legacy runs deep, in families, across generations, cultures, denominations and nations, and countless lives have been changed and bridges of solidarity built.
Tasmanian resident Ian Newman understands the legacy of the Christmas Bowl perhaps better than anyone.
“My parents were friends with Frank Byatt and his family and so we had the Christmas Bowl on our Christmas table in the 1950s,” Ian says.
For Ian, those foundational childhood experiences were crucial in shaping his world view and providing him with a tangible way to practise generosity.
“I’m very thankful for Act for Peace providing me with a mechanism that I feel is reliable to provide support for people who have much, much less in the way of resources than I and my family have had,” he says.
“It’s an important thing for me to do and certainly a fundamental attitude and in a way, a moral obligation as a Christian.”
Across oceans, families like Ian’s have been providing much-needed support for families displaced by conflict and disaster.
Families like Jane’s* in Zimbabwe.
When Cyclone Idai hit in 2019, Jane tragically lost everything, including her three children and her home.
“The cyclone started around 8pm when I was asleep with the children in the house,” Jane says.
“I woke up to find the house shaking and about to collapse.
“I was taken up with the water, fractured my skull and hurt my leg.”
Jane was heartbroken to discover that she had lost her three children, and she spent two years living in a tent after the disaster.
In the aftermath of Cyclone Idai and then Cyclone Ana in 2021, Jane was one of 700 displaced families who required relocation.
For 75 years, generous families like Ian’s have been helping families like Jane’s to rebuild their lives.
The Zimbabwe Council of Churches has been able to improve services like electricity, water, schools, health clinics, sanitation and hygiene for relocated families.
Jane and her family now drink safe, clean water from the new piped water scheme and also have access to social support services.
The program ensures people who have been displaced have control over their lives and can thrive in their future, helping them to find safety, dignity, and belonging in their new homes.
For 75 years, churches and individuals across Australia have been giving hope and practical support to people who need it most.
From supporting refugees after World War II, to caring for families affected by famine in Ethiopia in the 1980s, and more recently, supporting people fleeing Ukraine, through the Christmas Bowl the church has made an incredible difference in the world.
Please pray and act for peace in the world as Act for Peace celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Christmas Bowl.
Please give today at christmasbowl.actforpeace.org.au