Connect People With Jesus Bishop’s message
LCNZ Bishop’s Message – December 2025
People have many ideas about what the church should be doing. Some of these are good The real question is: Are these what God is calling us to do? Are these what God wants to be known for?
The New Testament gives us a constant theme: the church—meaning you and me — is called to actively connect people with Jesus (John 1:40–42 and John 4:27–30). This is the focus we encourage everyone in the Lutheran Church of New Zealand to embrace, to live out, and to embody in all we do.
And the Advent and Christmas season provides a wonderful opportunity, both for communities of faith and for individuals, to help people connect with Jesus. As people engage with Christmas daily, we can use this opportunity to point them to what Christmas is truly about: God taking the initiative to enter our imperfect world, showing His love through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
So why not invite your friends and neighbours to join you at a Christmas service. Go for a walk in the community your church building is based and invite people to a service. Spend time praying that God will open opportunities for you to share why Jesus is central to Christmas. Consider inviting someone to share a Christmas meal and over this meal explaining why Jesus matters to you. Or send a card or small gift—even to someone who has never given you anything. Include a note reminding them of the greatest gift of all: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
History shows that the more we focus on connecting people with Jesus, the more it becomes clearer to us that Jesus is connecting with us. Giving us His grace, love, and forgiveness that transform our lives and our future.
May your Christmas, and the Christmas of everyone you know, be a time when Jesus draws near to you.
Bishop Richard Schwedes
Sydney NSW
December 2025
