Christian CND New Year Message

Looking Back With Gratitude, Moving Forward With Hope

As we step into a new year, we take time to reflect with gratitude on all that has been shared, built, and witnessed over the past twelve months. In a world still marked by war, fear, and the threat of nuclear violence, Christian CND has continued to offer a faithful Christian witness for peace - rooted in prayer, action, and community.

One of the highlights of the year was our Spring Pilgrimage in the Peak District, a journey that brought together faith, walking, worship, and activism. From our act of witness overlooking the Sheffield Forgemasters site, through prayerful walking into the Peak District, and visits to places such as Padley Chapel and local churches, the pilgrimage reminded us that peace is not only something we speak about, but something we live and embody together. Times of worship and reflection grounded our activism firmly in faith, and many participants spoke of how the journey strengthened both their commitment and their sense of community.

Greenbelt 2025 was another major moment for Christian CND. Marking the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it was particularly important for us to be present and visible. A dedicated team staffed our stall throughout the weekend, welcoming hundreds of conversations. We were encouraged by the depth of engagement: prayers written, cards sent to MPs, leaflets taken, badges worn, and - most significantly - a record number of new members joining Christian CND. Alongside the stall, we contributed to the wider festival programme through a seminar on remembrance with the Iona Community, a youth workshop with thoughtful and engaged young people, and the powerful performances of Michael Mears' play on Hiroshima, which ensured nuclear weapons were firmly part of the Greenbelt conversation this year.

Our commitment to remembrance and reflection ran throughout the year. Monthly webinars helped us remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki not as distant history, but as events that continue to challenge our faith, ethics, and responsibility today. A particularly visible and moving expression of this was Leah Hislop's artwork, Hope Will Bloom From These Ashes, created to mark the 80th anniversary of the bombings. Displayed at Coventry Cathedral throughout August, including during the Hiroshima Day Commemoration Service, the artwork was seen by many visitors and received wide attention, including from local politicians. Accompanied by information about the story of the bombings and Christian CND's work, it became a powerful tool for reflection, conversation, and witness. We remain deeply grateful to the Edith M Ellis Trust and the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation for making this project possible.

This year also marked a significant moment of transition as we said goodbye to Liddy Buswell, our Outreach Manager. Over three years, Liddy played a vital role in helping Christian CND reach new people and new spaces, particularly younger Christians. From pilgrimages and Greenbelt stalls to educational resources, school materials, and a forthcoming Bible study guide, her work has left a lasting foundation. As was said at Greenbelt, echoing the memorial words for Christopher Wren: "If you seek a memorial, look around you." The impact of Liddy's work will continue to be seen in the lives and commitments of those she reached, even if we never fully know where those seeds will grow. We give thanks for her time with us and wish her every blessing for the future.

None of this work would have been possible without you - our members, supporters, donors, and prayer partners. Whether you walked, staffed a stall, wrote a prayer, gave financially, attended a webinar, or quietly held this work before God, you are part of this story.

As we look ahead, the challenges remain real and urgent. But so too does our calling. We move into the new year with renewed hope, strengthened by what we have already seen God do among us, and committed to continuing our faithful witness for peace in a fragile and hurting world.

Thank you for walking with us.

Join Christian CND here: http://christiancnd.org.uk/join-us/