At a time when the rest of the country and the globe is busy celebrating, there will be many people who just don’t want to join in. Christmas and New Year can be a difficult and distressing time of year for lots of people, for many different reasons. For those living with mental distress of any kind right now, the increased stress can make life even harder to manage. When you offer those in mental distress some respectful support, you’re offering a gift that’s wrapped up in love.

We’re looking forward to another year of discipleship and formation in our 2021 Anglican Studies programme, and we are excited to offer two streams of study together. We will offer two semesters of in-person classes in 2021 as well as a selection of short 5-7 week courses as we have done in 2020.

In 2014, Bishop Justin was approached by a man with a plan. This man was a community-builder-for-Jesus extraordinaire, who had orbited the Diocese and could see the opportunities available for strategic kingdom partnerships.

In May of 2015, Keryn Martin established the Bishops’ Community Development Trust. This week, Keryn steps down from his role for a sabbatical period, and it is timely that we recognise the incredible achievement that has been made by Keryn, supported by his colleagues Adele, Annelies, and the trustees.

We encourage all of our Diocesan whanau to continue to pray for the work of the Royal Commission into Abuse in State Care, as outlined in last week’s Bishops’ News. This week, there will be Redress Hearings relating to cases within the Anglican Church. Archbishop Philip Richardson and Archbishop Don Tamihere have released the attached statement on behalf of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand, and we encourage you to read this. We also offer the following prayers…

On Sunday, thirty churches across our Movement took action to call for generosity towards our global neighbours. During their church services, hundreds of Anglicans took time to write personal messages to Minister of Finance Grant Robertson and Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta, urging them to boost aid funding.

Your mental health matters 365 days of every year. Here are some ideas to help you enjoy this festive season – and be better able to enter 2021 positively.

Every second Sunday of the month, a group of around 20 young leaders from across the diocese have gathered at Anvil House, in Wellington Central to share stories, learn from one another, and hear the wisdom of those who have also walked through the challenges of leading.

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.

No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all. (Luke 8:16-17)

Grief is the normal process that begins after any difficult loss. It’s the way God’s wired us to be able to gradually adjust our life to the reality of what’s happened, and to slowly move forward. The thing is, while those bereaved by suicide face similar painful emotions as others who grieve a death, suicide grief is especially complicated.

In response to our ongoing series on mental health, and our recent focus on supporting those with thoughts of suicide, a member of our diocese who volunteers as a Samaritan has shared some thoughts around mental health in that space and where she hears God in the phone calls.

Every year we have a service at St Peter’s, Gonville to honour the prophets Te Whiti o Rongomai, Tohu Kākahi and the people of Parihaka and to remember the events that unfolded at Parihaka on 5 November, 1881.

Psalm 94:18 also reminds us God is there for us in the toughest of times. David wrote “When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.” There are times when God does this for others through us – through our words, actions, love and care. Or perhaps for us, through others. Each of us can play a part in suicide prevention.

In January this year, Blueprint Pioneer Mission Unit sent out six of their young adults to replant Brooklyn Parish. Working with the Diocese, they purchased a building at 2 Todman Street on the main intersection of Brooklyn, and began dreaming what a fresh expression of church could look like in the suburbs.

Since it was first dreamt up in November 2010, The Free Store located in central Wellington has tried to respond to the excessive food waste from cafes and eateries by collecting it each weekday and offering it to those going hungry in our city. As this is a big undertaking for a predominantly volunteer-run enterprise, for the last four years the crew involved has run a tremendously fun Free Store Festival as an annual fundraiser to help cover the costs of maintaining that dream.