Kintsugi Hope is a Christian charity making a difference to people’s mental wellbeing. 'Kintsugi' is a Japanese technique for repairing pottery with seams of gold. The word means 'golden joinery'. This repair makes the object more beautiful, unique indeed: Instead of hiding scars it makes a feature of them. Kintsugi Hope wants mental and emotional health to be understood in supportive communities where people grow and flourish,  and is warning churches and Christian organisations about the danger of employee burnout. Faith groups are especially susceptible to burnout: because people are highly motivated working for God, more pressure is put on them. Kintsugi Hope is offering employers training on the problem. Also the World Health Organisation has published its first ever mental health guidance to employers to help them avoid employee burnout, and a new NHS scheme will provide therapists for the workplace.

Liz Truss is coming under more pressure from some of her own MPs to rethink the tax cuts announced in last month's mini-budget. Paul Goodman, the editor of ‘Conservative Home’, a political blog, says MPs are considering alternatives to her as leader. Foreign secretary James Cleverly says Truss is sticking with her plan and removing her as PM would be disastrous. Her strategy was criticised when she attended a meeting of Tory backbenchers on 12 October. One MP accused her of wrecking 10 years of Conservative policies aimed at helping working people. Truss has repeatedly defended the proposed tax cuts, funded by borrowing, which were outlined last month. During PMQs she also pledged not to make any cuts to public spending. Pray for her as she presses on after a tumultuous first month in office. Pray for party divisions to be repaired with wise decisions. Pray for any necessary changes to be made and unnecessary options to be avoided.

This year, the Day of Atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles occur in October, preceded by the Feast of Trumpets in September. Along with the spring biblical festivals, these mark the agricultural and liturgical year, prompting us to remember God’s deeds in history, give thanks for His material and spiritual provision, and pray for His blessing on the year to come, including on its harvest. They are also eschatological. ‘Trumpets’ looks to the coming of Jesus, the rising up of believers, the releasing of God’s judgements, and the coming of His Kingdom (Revelation 8:6-11:19). ‘Atonement’ is fulfilled by Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 9:7-14), by the repentance and redemption of Israel (Zechariah 12:10-13:1), and the day of God’s favour and vengeance (Isaiah 61:1-3). ’Tabernacles’ looks forward to the final harvest and the Messianic kingdom (Zechariah 14:16-19). As we ponder our present times, give thanks that God is still working His purpose out.

Following Nigel and Sally Rowe’s recent legal victory against the department for education, which led to a £22,000 settlement for legal costs and a commitment from the Government to reform its transgender policies,  they have urged the Archbishop of Canterbury to scrap the ‘Valuing All God's Children' (VAGC) guidance in CofE primary schools. This says children as young as five should be affirmed if they want to identify as the opposite gender. The Rowes want the archbishop to do this so that staff and children in schools are properly safeguarded and protected from harmful transgender ideology and practice. They also want to meet him to discuss these points and what the CofE can do about them. Recently a charity considered ‘a reliable source on transgenderism for CofE schools’ was found to be offering chest binders to children without parental knowledge.