This week, along the Murray river where I live, the ground has been covered in a thick frost every morning. Each morning when I peer out the window of my cosy little house, I give thanks that I am inside, and able to look out on the stunning horizon - fog lifting above the paddocks and fields, the Victorian Alps blue peaks in the distance.

However, I was reminded at Prayer Circle this week that many in our community are not looking out upon this winter landscape from a cosy window. Rather, they are camped out in it.

The recent flooding on the Mid-North Coast has left many homeless in that region this winter. Our congregations are reporting an increase in people seeking shelter or services connected to unstable housing. Saints Care continues to experience peak demand in their youth homelessness and youth at risk services. This week, in the depths of winter and wild weather, my thoughts are with those living in their cars, in tents and caravans, temporary shelters, and sleeping rough.

As Christians, we are called to advocate for the most vulnerable. How will we respond? I encourage each of you this week to pay attention in your local communities to those experiencing homelessness, check out the local services that are available, see if they need assistance or resources. Our National Pastors Meeting this month will have a focus on homelessness, as we seek to better equip our leaders with information that will enable them to support those in their local communities.

Annie Falcke