A new year lies ahead, a time when people make all kinds of resolutions to change and be better. The danger is that this can be all about trying harder, whereas the key to the Christian life is all about surrender, accepting that we cannot control the events of our lives and can do nothing without God’s grace. This idea of giving up control and trusting God is very much the theme of this issue. David Payne, the director of Catholic Evangelisation Services, brings us up to date with what has been happening with CES. He also tells how God has been teaching him in this past year to step out in a new way and not to rely on his own strength but to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit. I myself have felt God calling me to surrender more to Him and to really trust that even when things don’t go the way I want, that He is in charge and using events for my good. Lalith Pereira, the founder of the Risen Lord community in Sri Lanka, tells how, 24 years after being baptised in the Holy Spirit, he was asked by the Lord to surrender again his life and the difference this made to his ministry.

Fr Pat Collins looks at why we sometimes find it difficult to trust God, and the difference between what we profess to believe and our subconscious attitudes which are a result of our childhood experiences. The disparity that often happens between what we say we believe and what we show we believe by our behaviour is echoed in Fr Chris Thomas’ article where he encourages us to surrender to the love of God.

Charles Whitehead in his teaching gives practical advice on how to discern our calling in life and to discover what God wants us to do. Ann Rees who lost her sight as a result of complications after the birth of her son, tells how even though she is now blind, she is able to experience the blessing of God through the love of her family and creation and the goodness of people around her. Frank Mason, shares how he learnt the secret of tithing and that God can really be relied on to help you in your need practically when you give your finances to God.

January is Christian unity octave and in this issue we hear of a special ecumenical initiative this year to commemorate the centenary of the Edinburgh 1910 mission conference, which calls Christians in the UK to witness to Christ together. Shaun Growney also fills us in about the main points of the African Bishops’ synod that took place in October 2009. Fr Ephrem Andom, the Eritrean chaplain in London, tells us a little about his country and the faith of his people and how Charismatic Renewal gave birth to his vocation and blessed his life. Pat Kennedy in her series about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives looks this month at the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, which are a sign of growing maturity in the life of the believer.

In the news pages we have some feedback from our readers and hear about the Advent Healing group in the Northwest and Damian Stayne’s recent trip to the United States where he has been organising charism schools and catholic miracle rallies. We also hear more about people’s experiences of the Life in the Spirit seminars in different contexts both in England and in Europe, and about the recent revival that seems to be happening among the Catholic travellers community in the UK.

This year we are co-publishing with the Catholic Truth Society (CTS) a revised edition of our very popular “Road to Pentecost” prayer guide. This new edition has a new cover and new instructions on how to use it. Please help us with the distribution of this in your parishes, groups and among your friends. We feel it is a great tool that the Lord has given us to promote the culture of Pentecost in the Church and to help people to understand how Pentecost fits in the Salvation story and to experience a personal Pentecost themselves.