Saturday 13 December 2025: A Place to Belong – Creating Safe Spaces of Grace

Reflection

As we journey through Advent, we remember that God’s invitation is always open. Yet many in our communities feel like there’s no place for them, those grieving, those with heavy burdens, those facing mental health struggles or isolation. Christ came to make room where there was no room. May our hearts and churches be places where people feel they truly belong.

Prayer

God of compassion,
You welcome all with open arms.
You see those who feel unseen,
You hear those who struggle in silence.

We pray for those who feel forgotten,
the weary, the anxious, the grieving.
For those whose mental health is fragile,
and for those who care for them.

Make us communities of refuge and grace,
where no one has to pretend,
where love replaces judgment,
and where peace flows freely.

Help us to be still enough to notice,
brave enough to reach out,
and kind enough to walk alongside.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Annah Mwadiwa  Area Trustee London, Beds Essex and Herts, South East

Photo by Sebastien LE DEROUT on Unsplash   Photo by Diego Céspedes Cabrera on Unsplash