Diaconia brings light into darkness, brings hope where it can seem lost and brings transformation through the love of every person as a beloved creation of God. However, it is often the case that when we are asked to measure the changes our services bring and that our advocacy achieves, we are asked to focus on financial savings or number of people reached rather than the quality of the services or the wellbeing of society and individuals as a whole.

Measuring hope, or feelings of value and of being loved and cared for just does not give the same ‘return on investment’ in our current political climate. Yet we should not allow our distinctive Christian approach, our light, be put out. We need to continue to stress impact beyond that which is human-driven but promote that which is also God-driven. Nor can we hide our light and the impact our social action achieves for communities and for people who experience challenges. 

What diaconia brings to society and to individuals should never be hidden and never be undervalued.