Who Doesn't Need More Joy in Life?

Care NewsSeptember 4, 2025Veronika Peters, Head of Philanthropy and Fundraising

A shot of two young girls with their mother, sitting comfortably with a blanket over their heads on a sofa in the living room of their home in South Shields, North East England. They are all smiling, looking at a digital tablet which the mother is holding. In the background the kitchen is in partial view, and it is dusk outside.

Video similar to this scenario available.

Recently I had an opportunity to attend a retreat on joy. I love Jesus and I tend to be a glass-half-full person in most circumstances, but when have I last displayed deep, overflowing joy?

I was challenged to consider joy as a fruit of the Spirit and a spiritual practice, not just for God's sake and my own, but for those around me, particularly those younger than me.

In a world that is relentlessly fast-paced, with media and news often carrying a negative and fearful bias, how do we keep looking at life through a joy lens? How do we experience deep joy within ourselves in a way that becomes contagious as the next generation considers the truth of the Bible and practices joy in their own lives?

An appreciation for God's word and goodness, a sense of belonging, meaningful connection, gratitude, generosity, beholding beauty, wonder and awe, laughter, kindness, and worship are some ingredients for increasing joy in our lives, even in the midst of grief and life's challenges. Our children and grandchildren need us to be joyful examples of living by faith in Jesus and navigating life well through every season.

This edition of Care News focuses on the next generation, and I invite you to do what you can to bring the next generations on the journey with you. Let's make it a joyful one together. As always, thank you for walking side by side.

Yours in Christ,

Veronika Peters

Head of Philanthropy and Fundraising

philanthropy@anglicare.org.au

Anglicare acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the original and ongoing custodians of the lands and waters on which we live and work.

Inspired by the gospel of reconciliation in Jesus Christ, Anglicare's vision for reconciliation is a nation in which Australia's First Peoples are restored in dignity, respect, empowerment and opportunity.