Dear Friends
Every year I amazed at the power that the Christmas Story has to pull the crowds into
church. It’s the same story each year and yet people never seem to grow bored of it.
Perhaps that’s because it’s such a good story – it contains all the elements needed for the
perfect drama: surprise; faith against the odds; a big baddie; innocent and vulnerable
underdogs; mystery; adversity; danger; love; journeying; hope; joy; and so much more.
It’s a story that speaks into the story of our lives and Christmas of course is a time when
we naturally share stories. Think of all those Christmas dinners spent with friends and
relatives where we remember and retell stories of Christmases past. This is one of the
reasons that Christmas can be such a difficult and poignant time of year for many.
Stories are powerful and all of us who go to church throughout the year are there
because someone – maybe a parent, a friend, a colleague – shared with us the story of
their journey into faith. How are we sharing our Christian story with others today?
Just as the Christmas story powerfully draws people to church so too can our own story
of faith when it’s shared appropriately with others through word and deed. My hope for
2026 is that each of us who go to church finds the courage, determination and the will to
give voice to the story of our Christian journey, and in doing so help others to discover
something of the joy, hope, peace and healing of knowing Jesus Christ.

Yours in Christ