Dear Inner Circle,
What a year it has been, right?
I’m not entirely sure how it unfolded for you and yours, but from where I stand, it seemed particularly challenging. My heart broke when I saw our community members in distress. As a nation we struggled, and wars continue to rage on.
In such times, the temptation can be to retreat and go into a shell, and to get on with whatever is right in front of your face, as many have understandably done to survive. Yet, amidst these tribulations, there were inspiring moments where our community united, striving against the odds to create pockets of hope and change in a world yearning for its full potential.
Our Christmas Day Street Party on Monday was one such moment. Thanks to the generosity of people like you, we were able to transform Wayside at Kings Cross into party central. We blocked off the street and created the most fun and inviting Christmas atmosphere you could imagine. Over 130 amazing vollies were there, dishing out around 800 meals, with a huge helping of love. Honestly, I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the day. It felt like one big family, with no ‘us and them’ – just us.
As we close the chapter on 2023, this will be the last Inner Circle note until February. To longstanding friends of Wayside, your enduring presence warms my heart. And to our new members of the Inner Circle, I extend a spirited welcome; you’ve joined a community bound by laughter, empathy, and a resolve to make a difference.
I leave you with a “best of Inner Circle” compilation, not chosen through metrics but for the heartfelt responses they’ve drawn in my inbox — your reactions and insights mean the world.
What Would Love Do?
Once you’ve worked that out, stop thinking and go do it.
Note To Self
Where a thousand acts of meaning-making are sent out into the world.
Showing Up
Showing up is a form of resistance to a world that seems hell-bent on enshrining our feelings as the arbiter of our actions.
The Long Pause
It’s the small requests that aren’t so small at all that can make or break a precarious existence.
Smoothed By Tides
Celebrating Jimmy from Bondi
Wishing you all a reflective end to the year and an inspiring start to the next. Until we meet again in this note, take care, and keep the spirit of community alive.
Thank you for being a part of our Inner Circle,
Jon
Rev. Jon Owen
CEO & Pastor
Wayside Chapel
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