It is Advent. We have moved into a new Church year – a time of preparation for Christmas but also for a future we cannot yet see, a future which promises, at some point, the fulfilment of all God’s promises in the return of Jesus Christ and the beginning of his reign of justice, mercy and peace. But meanwhile we live in that in-between world where, while as Christians we always live in hope, we are still immersed in the everyday challenges of living in and among the challenges that are part and parcel of an imperfect world. At this watershed, I want to share with you some of the issues we are dealing with as a Cathedral and some of the ways in which our Cathedral is engaged with the life of our city. 

 
Ukraine 
As you know we have been working alongside Peterborough Citizens and Citizens UK in developing a project which seeks to find homes for refugees from Ukraine and is offering support to host families and refugees who are already with us in the city. This is not something we had planned for or anticipated – last Advent no one had expected to see the war that is currently raging in eastern Europe, which has seen so much bloodshed and devastation in Ukraine and had so many consequences, economic and environmental further afield and certainly in our own country. 
 
While we have had some success in placing families in homes through the work of our co-ordinator, Jurgita Bilinskiene, we are still a long way from our initial hope of finding 50 placements around the Diocese. Not surprisingly, there is a degree of caution about what it might mean to host a family, and how long such an arrangement might last, but the need remains very great and if you can, or if you know of someone who could act as a host, we would be delighted to hear from you. 
 
Meanwhile we offer a weekly drop-in session each Wednesday, offering support and advice to refugees and have a special Christmas Gift project and would welcome your support for that initiative. Further information about the project and how you could help can be found here: Ukraine - Peterborough Cathedral (peterborough-cathedral.org.uk), or by emailing our Project Coordinator via ukraine@peterborough-cathedral.org.uk. 
  
Peterborough Citizens 
As founder members of Peterborough Citizens, the Cathedral is proud to be a part of this emerging organisation which aims to bring together and empower citizens from across the city – from churches, mosques, schools, colleges, trade unions and voluntary sector groups, in the pursuit of a fair and just city and in a shared endeavour to improve the well-being and quality of life for all its people. Over 400 people recently attended a Founding Assembly which highlighted and celebrated the impact this new organisation has already had in areas such as public safety, young people’s mental health and refugee welcome. Now Peterborough Citizens is seeking to shape its priorities for the next phase of its life and has initiated a listening exercise to determine what people see as the most critical challenges for the city and how Citizens can help to address them. Gathering thoughts from all those who are already supporters, in February another Assembly will establish which three issues should be the focus of its efforts in the coming year or so. 
 
This is a chance for you, and for the Cathedral as a whole, to have our say about what those priorities should be. If you are a Peterborough resident, reflect, think, pray about the things you really feel need to change to make our city a place of which we can be truly proud. You might like to email me at  Dean.PA@peterborough-cathedral.org.uk with any thoughts you have, and there will be an opportunity to share thoughts after the service on Sunday 15th January at 12 noon. 
  
Money 
An ever-popular subject! As everyone knows, the Cathedral has faced some tough times financially in recent years and as a community we have had to take some difficult decisions to bring our finances under control. Perversely, the past couple of financial years which were so impacted by Covid have turned out to be financially positive for the Cathedral and, in our recently published accounts for the financial year 2021-22, we posted a surplus for the second year in succession. 
 
The accounts are available here: Annual Accounts 2021-2022  
 
That of course is good news but not unqualified good news. In 2020 we were able to take advantage of the Government’s furlough scheme, were in receipt of some emergency grants and received a rent from the Department of Justice for using the Visitor Learning Centre as a ‘Nightingale Court’. In 2021 we once again benefited from the Court and received a further award from the Cultural Recovery Fund. However, the Courts have come to an end, and this year our underlying operating deficit has re-emerged. The brilliant success of the dinosaur exhibition has gone a long way to compensate for lost revenues in other areas, but numbers of visitors and levels of donations at other times of year have continued to be impacted by the ‘tail’ of the pandemic. At the same time all of us are very aware of the rising costs that every family, business or organisation is suffering from. 
 
The Cathedral is blessed with a very fine staff team and with hundreds of volunteers who do so much to help us fulfil our mission of worship, welcome and service, and we are looking for creative ways to bring in revenue where we can. Nevertheless, we are having to be very disciplined about what we spend and your continued prayers, support and generosity will be essential to securing our sustainability. If you are new to the Cathedral or are in a position to increase your current giving we would be delighted to hear from you. There are various ways to give; by joining the Keys scheme, through the Parish Giving Scheme, or by standing order to the Cathedral. For information on this please contact:  cfo@peterborough-cathedral.org.uk. 
 
Hope 
We do live in challenging times. Many of us feel anxious about the future. But at Advent we really are reminded that the future is in God’s hands. Through the resurrection we have a living hope allied to a confident trust that Christ is with us in every trial and will one day come again. Meanwhile, we are called to be faithful; to respond to his immeasurable generosity towards us with an equally generous heart; to care for one another and to reach out to our neighbours in loving service and with the Good News of the Kingdom. Whatever 2023 brings we are Christ’s Body in the world, blessed by his presence and called to share that blessing with everyone. 
 
May we be alert to God’s presence this Advent, rejoice in his promises, delight in our preparations to celebrate the Saviour’s Birth and be ready to meet him when he comes in glory. 
 
With every blessing