
Hope25 Reflection
The Most Revd Kay Goldsworthy AO DD, Archbishop
When we think or speak of mission, it is vital to remember that Jesus himself was the first missionary – sent by the Father to reveal God’s love and saving purpose for humanity.
Through his life and ministry, he showed what it means to seek out the lost, the broken, the fallen, and the outcast, offering them the good news of hope and restoration. In doing so, Jesus gave his disciples a living model of mission. The Church’s missionary calling is therefore a continuation of Christ’s own mission to the world: ‘As the Father has sent me, so I send you’ (John 20:21).
To receive the Gospel is also to accept the responsibility of sharing it with others. Christianity has always affirmed that no relationship with God – however intense, profound, or personal – can be separated from a missionary concern for others, for both their spiritual and temporal wellbeing. In a world increasingly fragmented by war, hostility, suspicion, and loneliness, the most vital thing the Church can offer is the hope we have in, and because of, Jesus Christ.
In response to this need, the Anglican Church of Australia launched Hope25 – an intentional season of witness and outreach, running from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday in 2025. Each parish was invited to undertake at least one initiative during this period, with the vision that every Anglican church (across towns and cities, suburbs and rural communities) would join together in proclaiming the hope of Christ to an uncertain world. The Mission and Ministry Commission of the General Synod provided a wide range of helpful resources to support this effort, and our own diocesan working group, chaired by Bishop David Bassett, played a key role in encouraging and enabling Hope25 events throughout the Diocese of Perth.
There has been deep encouragement through the positive and enthusiastic response to this invitation, and by the faithful, imaginative ways our parishes have embraced the initiative. These outreach efforts have taken many forms, including: open days welcoming visitors into church buildings and grounds; a community bonfire; distribution of small crosses, prayer cards, and copies of the Gospel of Luke; brunches and morning teas; concerts; historical displays; walking groups and informal gatherings at local cafés; quiet prayer in open churches; the gifting of pot plants with an accompanying written prayer; special events coordinated with broader community celebrations; Tenebrae service; and discipleship programs such as Alpha.
Our Anglican schools have also played a meaningful part in Hope25, most notably through a 116km Pilgrimage Walk of Hope undertaken over five days. More than 450 students and around 100 staff participated in the Walk, alongside parishioners, clergy, and community leaders. This powerful act of witness and mission was led by Bishop Hans Christiansen and The Reverend Dr Eleanor O’Donnell, and images from the Walk were featured in last month’s edition of the Messenger.
Although Hope25 has now formally concluded, its spirit continues. Many parishes are building on the momentum it generated, continuing to reach out to their local communities – offering welcome, worship, and tangible expressions of God’s love. The Church’s mission is never limited to a single season. Rather, it is deepened and renewed by initiatives like Hope25, which equip us to carry forward the enduring call to Christian witness.
As the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, so insightfully reminds us:
‘Making disciples is a matter of shaping people who are willing to go on learning from God. Interestingly, Jesus doesn’t seem to talk about making members, recruiting people to sign up: he wants disciples. He wants members of his body, not members of an organization. And the members of the body are those who share in the action of the body – a disciple is a learner, somebody who puts themselves to school under God and God’s Messiah. So go and make learners; encourage people to embark on the journey of discovering what the gift of God is.’