As Carmen and Casey Lee prepare to move on from their many years of mission at St Matthew’s, Tītahi Bay, they share some thoughts on that time and being obedient to God’s call on their lives.

Rev. Chris Frazer shares some thoughts on how we prioritise our time during the holiday season.

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.