Over 1000 attendees flocked to the annual “Joy to the World” Christmas concert that was hosted on Sunday 15 December by the Brisbane Australia Stake (diocese) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.(diocese)
People of all ages, nationalities and religious traditions were welcomed to Kangaroo Point to enjoy live Nativity scenes, musical performances, Christmas stories and a Jerusalem marketplace with their Latter-day Saint neighbours.
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| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
One attendee, Rod Kippax, Senior Inclusion Manager at Mercy Community, said of the event: "The concert fully lived up to its title, “Joy to the World!" We experienced joy everywhere: in the beaming eyes of the choir, in the welcoming warmth of the organisers, in the invitation to sing along, and in the gentle interaction between those in the Nativity scenes and those passing by. More than this, it was a joyful manifestation of the hope that comes when different faiths are genuinely and warmly welcomed under the one roof to celebrate our relationship to God and to each other."
Another attendee, Habib Jamal, President of the Islamic Council of Queensland, noted, "We were impressed with the kindness, warmth and friendship shown to us by the congregation. We were amazed to see so many youth involved in the various activities. And last but not least, enjoying the singing from front row seats was just fantastic. The choir was just awesome."
In addition to guests from Mercy Community and the Islamic Council of Queensland, guests from the Baháʼí faith, Jewish faith and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Hare Krishna) also attended.
Dr Esben Strodl, a local leader from the Church was overwhelmed by the community response. He said: "We were thrilled that our Christmas musical production could be enjoyed by members of the local community as well as those from other faiths and organisations. We hope that each year this free production may bring a little cheer, as well as a sense of peace and goodwill to those living in this neighbourhood as we all try to serve each other in our respective ways."
This annual event is quickly becoming a highlight of the Southeast Queensland Christmas calendar. The program was headlined by a local community choir, MUSICA, who have been participating in the event for the past several years.
