St Michael’s is partnering with the charity Kintsugi Hope, to run Kintsugi Hope Wellbeing Groups.
What is Kintsugi Hope?
“ We need to get rid of the idea that there are those people who need help and others that help people! We are all broken in some ways and we can all learn from and help each other!”
The word Kintsugi is the name of the Japanese art form of mending broken pots with golden glue. Rather than using superglue so that the cracks are hidden , the gold makes a feature of the cracks and the item potentially becomes more beautiful …it certainly becomes more unique.
This analogy can be used for us in our lives. By facing the cracks instead of trying to hide them we can discover treasure in our scars ,find beauty in our brokenness and a hope for the future! In that way we can begin the journey to become the people God intended us to be .
Kintsugi Hope was set up by Patrick Regan OBE and his wife Diane. After personally facing challenges he realised that what helped most was being able to be authentic and honest, sharing his struggles and realising he wasn’t alone. He set up the charity “Kintsugi Hope” not so much as a charity but as a movement where churches across the country could provide safe spaces for this to happen. A 12 week programme has been produced to be run with small groups to provide safe and supportive spaces committed to people’s wellbeing and working with an attitude of humility – not to judge, fix or rescue but to come alongside and love one another.
St Michaels was one of the first churches to be involved after running a pilot group and has been officially partnering with Kintsugi Hope since September 2019.
How is your emotional wellbeing?
After the last few years it may well have taken a bit of a battering! Maybe you are struggling with anxiety, depression, anger, grief or stress or maybe you are supporting someone dealing with these issues…
They are all very normal emotions; so please know that you are not alone!
Why not consider joining a 6 week wellbeing programme being run by St Michael’s Church, Stoke Gifford?
It’s called Kintsugi Hope and is based on the belief that there can be treasure found in the scars of life.
Each week, in a small, safe and supportive group, we will look at subjects rarely talked about in depth such as : Honesty, anxiety, depression, perfectionism, shame and anger.
The aim of this shared journey is to gain support, understanding and tools that will enable us to become more resilient.
Kintsugi groups are suitable both for people of faith and for those with none.
Please email Jess and Abbie if you have any questions
