At the recent Diocesan Synod for Canberra and Goulburn, the Hope25 motion going to all dioceses across Australia was passed unanimously. In putting the motion, The Ven Jonathan Holt (Archdeacon for Canberra South and Queanbeyan District; Rector of Lanyon Valley Parish, and Chair of the Exploratory Ministries Unit) spoke about moments and movements:
“Hope25 is a moment, that helps us have movement…following Jesus and walking with him suggests movement. We must take hold of this moment, to help us have movement…all movement is made up of moments. In Hope25, we are invited into a shared movement, made up of many moments: the moment when the Ministry and Mission Commission conceived of this Hope25 idea; and the moment when representatives of Dioceses gathered to pray and plan; the moment at clergy conference when an idea was shared and a prayer was prayed; the moment in mid-August, when our Cathedral was opened to provide equipping for scattering the seeds of hope; this moment right now when we commit to supporting Hope25. Many moments make momentum.”
The Rev. Sally Cullen of Binda Parish seconded the Hope25 motion. She emphasised that this initiative was needed in rural settings like hers as much as in other parts of the Diocese.
Immediately after passing the motion, the Synod moved into Conference mode to gather more conversationally around some questions inviting people from every part of the Diocese to imagine and dream how they might engage with Hope25 in their school, op shop, parish, office, or agency.
To set the scene for those conversations the Synod watched the video inviting us all to join in the Hope25 initiative and an interview with Dr Monica Short, from the General Synod Mission and Ministry Commission, who was invited to be present at Synod to share her enthusiasm for how Hope25 links us together and points us toward our common hope in Jesus.
