In May of 2021, our government will announce a new three-year funding cycle. December is a critical time when politicians are setting priorities for the next year's budget. Their decisions will determine aid and climate finance spending for the next three years, so it's a key time to have our say on where the budget goes. In the lead up to this announcement our diocese wants to put forward the challenge for a Collective Resilience Plan to be implemented. The Big Hearts, Connected World campaign centres around Anglican Movement’s support of the Collective Resilience Plan, in collaboration with Oxfam, World Vision and Christian World Service. This plan covers three main areas of development for the upcoming funding cycle:

• a 20% boost to the overseas aid budget, focused on healthcare, social support and resilience

• a doubling of finance for climate action overseas from new and additional sources

• a target for getting aid spending to 0.7% of gross national income by 2030.

In the 1970s, New Zealand, alongside many other wealthy governments, committed to provide 0.7% of its Gross National Income (GNI) to overseas aid. But unfortunately, New Zealand has never come close to reaching this target, we are currently providing 0.3% of our GNI towards overseas aid. In a year of crisis for many, and particularly for those most affected by climate change, poverty and economic instability, it is important to our whānau to demonstrate Jesus’ commitment to those most in need on a global scale.

This Sunday, on 6th December, we will be hosting volunteers to share at our morning services across the region around why sending aid overseas matters to them and then inviting parishioners to produce their own passionate messages through writing, taking photos, or even drawing pictures after the service. The hope is to get together a large collection of messages from all around our diocese to send to our MPs to demonstrate our belief in protecting and caring for the vulnerable.

There will also be an opportunity during the services to donate to the Christian World Service Advent Appeal, for us to give generously as we ask our government to do the same.

For more information on the Big Hearts campaign, go to: https://movementonline.org.nz/bighearts