About ‘Hopelinks’
Hello, and a warm welcome to my website ‘Hopelinks’. My name is Jane Frazer Cosgrove and I live in Brisbane, Australia.
In 2009, I was one of the people who established ‘A Nouwen Network’. ‘A Nouwen Network’ was a grassroots, cross-denominational outreach to those whose lives are affected by mental health issues. I was the network’s volunteer facilitator for just over a decade. I sent out e-Updates that provided details of Coffee Gatherings, regional mental health workshops, and upcoming Awareness Days. The e-Update also highlighted mental health advocacy issues, and I always began it by offering a quote from the writings of Henri Nouwen for reflection. The last of these ‘A Nouwen Network e-Updates’ was sent out early in February 2020, and on February 27th, the prime minister Scott Morrison, declared the COVID-19 outbreak a national pandemic.
By June 2020 it became evident that the COVID-19 physical distancing restrictions would continue to make most of A Nouwen Network’s regular friendship and advocacy activities quite impracticable. The network’s simple grassroots model had worked successfully for a decade, and it was still attracting new people. The decision to cease operating was made very reluctantly indeed. However, the shared opinion was that individuals, using their knowledge of local circumstances and restrictions, are now best positioned to make wise decisions as to how to maintain connections, and to offer appropriate support and advocacy.
I established a facebook page for A Nouwen Network in 2013 , and I have been the page Administrator ever since. I have recently been able to have that page recategorised from a ‘Community Organization’ page to a ‘Personal Blog’ page. This was done to enable a continuity of communication with the almost 2,000 people who are followers of Spirituality, Pastoral Care & Mental Health
I have created this personal website, ‘Hopelinks’, so as to record the history of the years in which A Nouwen Network was operational (2009 - 2020), and to preserve the rich resources that it offered. It is my intention to provide an adapted form of my old
e-Update on a page here at ‘Hopelinks’. Those who wish to may subscribe and they will then be advised (via Mailchimp email) when a new e-Update is posted.
The existing A Nouwen Network website will remain hosted online until the end of 2020 to allow for the transition of content.
Please note that my new contact email is jane@hopelinks.info
While creating this new site I was very conscious of my great debt of gratitude to all those who were members of A Nouwen Network. I am indebted for both the inspiration and the material that I have been heavily drawing upon. Thank you my friends!
“Frequently people seeing our [A Nouwen Network] webpage and resources assume that we have an office. I believe it is important to know that the present website is the precious legacy of an entirely voluntary ‘baton passing’ journey that is conducted in private homes.”
2012
2013
2015
2020
based on a meditation by St. John Henry Newman (1801-1890)
God knows me and calls me by my name.…
God has created me to do some definite service;
God has committed some work to me
which has not been given to another -
I have my purpose!
I may never know it fully in this life,
but I shall be told it in the next.
I am a link in a chain,
a bond of connection between persons.
God has not created me for nothing!
I shall do good! I shall be an instrument of peace,
a preacher of truth in my own place,
even when not intending it -
if I but show love.
Therefore, I will trust God.
Whatever I am, wherever I am,
I can never be thrown away.
…Even if my friends are taken away
and I am thrown among strangers;
if desolation makes my spirits sink
and the future seems hidden from me -
still, somehow, all thing work together
for good in God’s plan of Love!
Indeed, God has committed to me that work
which has not been given to another.
I have my purpose in this life!
The choice of the name ‘Hopelinks’ for this website arose from twin desires:
- • wishing to continue the spirit of A Nouwen Network, and
- • wanting to express something of my own heartfelt convictions about what needs to be done in the new daily circumstances that the pandemic is presenting us with as individuals and as a community.
Through coffee gatherings, activities, resources and advocacy, A Nouwen Network always sought ‘to give new hope’. When promoting the annual ‘A Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding’, we would urge others to ‘join in’ and ‘Be Hope Bearers’.
On several occasions prior to the formation of A Nouwen Network I had publicly articulated my own sense of the vital role that Hope plays in our lives. I have certainly done so countless times since! I believe that Hope and Friendships are essential components of establishing and maintaining good mental health.
This website itself is an act of Hope. As far as possible I want to provide continued access - a link, to whatever resources and insights A Nouwen Network had to offer. After a decade of outreach there was wisdom to share. I deeply hope that ‘Hopelinks’ might be of assistance to some of those whose lives are affected by mental health issues, and also to some of the people who want to offer support and advocacy.
More than ever, there is a need for us to reach out to the people in our neighbourhood to help reduce anxiety and loneliness, and to boost their emotional and mental health. We are all being challenged right now to find new ways of staying connected. It is my hope that the ‘A Nouwen Network’ content of ‘Hopelinks’, (as well as the links that are provided to other organisations), will be of some assistance to you in caring for yourselves, and your families, friends and neighbours.
Depression can cause somebody to feel like there is no hope - but that a feeling not a fact! Catching up with them in person for a coffee, when it is possible to do so, is a good means of connecting and offering them support. However, please never doubt that receiving a simple phone call from a person who genuinely cares can make all the difference to someone. I believe that a regular caring connection can often provide a desperately needed link to Hope.
I have carried the words of Newman’s ‘Meditation’ with me (and within me), since I first read them in 1965. They have frequently sustained and encouraged me. I was diagnosed with of ME/CFS and fibromyalgia in 1993. Through the years that have followed they have given me hope.
2007…”Her passion is the grass roots work she sees congregations could do to assist people experiencing mental illness in the community.
…”For Ms Frazer Cosgrove the idea of ‘hope’ is a key to recovery.
“So much depends upon not losing the hope that people will still want to be in a relationship with you. “If the message you are getting from people is, ‘hey, we know you are in a bad space, we know you’re in there’, at least you have got that coming in.”
2018 …”Personally, I encourage congregations to be creative and generous and to offer multiple opportunities for genuine friendships to be established and maintained.
Our true friendship is the greatest gift we can give. It can give new hope to people. It tells them that they do not have to go through rough times alone, and reminds them that they are precious and they are loved.”
“The poet Robert Ingersoll once wrote, “In the night of death, hope sees a star. And listening love can hear the rustle of a wing.” Faith communities can be that shining light of hope to bring people through the dark night of the soul; they can hold on to the hope for the hopeless. They can illuminate the way for those who are resistant to help or for those whose ideas about mental health create barriers to a well society. Finally, faith communities can be beacons to engage others in the movement of suicide prevention and mental health advocacy.”
~ Tim Doty and Sally Spencer-Thomas in ‘The Role of Faith Communities in Suicide Prevention: A Guidebook for Faith Leaders’
(See this RESOURCE featured on this site)
..."Those who offer us comfort and consolation by being and staying with us in moments of illness, mental anguish, or spiritual darkness often grow as close to us as those with whom we have biological ties. They show their solidarity with us by willingly entering the dark, uncharted spaces of our lives. For this reason, they are the ones who bring new hope and help us discover new directions."
~ 'Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life', Written by Henri J.M. Nouwen, Donald P. Mcneill and Douglas A. Morrison
Learn more about A Nouwen Network in the Archive Pages:
- • History of A Nouwen Network
- • Inspiration - John 16:15, Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Flannel Flower.
- • Goals, Activities and Projects
- • Coffee Gatherings
- • Online presence - Blog, website, social media
- • Prayer Cards and Bulletin Insert
- • Comfort Cushion Project & Helen’s Cards
- • Background to A Nouwen Network’s call for ‘A National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding’
- • Call for ‘A National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding’
- • Pastoral prayers for Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding
- • Bookmarks - the “Receive The Gifts” Collection
- • Awareness raising, Stigma reduction
- • Anti-Stigma graphics
- • Mandorala Project
- • Media features
- • In Memoriam
‘Hopelinks’ is unable to provide crisis support or counselling. If you have Domestic Violence, Abuse or Suicide issues, please seek professional advice on how to protect yourself, as well as seeking prayer support.
If you or someone you know needs immediate help,
call Lifeline (24 hours): 13 11 14.
If you have a non-urgent health concern and you’re not sure what to do call Healthdirect Australia: 1800 022 222 to speak with a registered nurse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Contact details for other agencies offering information, resources and support services are available at: The Australian Psychological Society