In his first Christmas message as Bishop, David Morris, Bishop of Bardesy in the Diocese of Bangor, has paid tribute to Welsh ambulance crews, police officers, firefighters and volunteers who will sacrifice their Christmas celebrations to keep communities safe this year.

His attendance at an emergency services annual carol service earlier in December inspired the message.

In his message, Bishop David says that emergency services “are under considerable pressure to keep us safe and respond to critical emergencies”.

"Many of our emergency services personnel will not be spending Christmas Day with their families and friends. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who put their own lives on hold for the sake of others."

His message also draws attention to the Church in Wales' support of the 'Save a Life Cymru' campaign, noting the sobering statistic that only five per cent of the 6,000 annual out of hospital cardiac arrest cases in Wales survive.

"‘Help is closer than you think’ is a slogan for Save a Life Cymru, reminding us that simple steps by ordinary people can save a life. This can also remind us that God is never far away from us in the midst of life’s challenges,” he added.

Bishop David emphasises how the Christmas story speaks to those under pressure, noting that "Christmas is about the movement of the heart and its core message can be a life saver for those who are experiencing pressures too heavy to carry and who have little hope."

Read Bishop full Christmas message below.

I recently attended a Carol Service for our emergency services.

This was a welcome opportunity for the ambulance, police, fire and voluntary services to reflect together on the meaning of Christmas, especially at a time of year where they are under considerable pressure to keep us safe and respond to critical emergencies.

Many of our emergency services personnel will not be spending Christmas Day with their families and friends to ensure they are available if we should need them. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who put their own lives on hold for the sake of others.

The Church in Wales is proud to be a supporting the ‘Save a Life Cymru’ campaign. Every year in Wales over 6,000 people will experience an out of hospital cardiac arrest, and the survival rate is currently five per cent.

Every minute counts and without swift intervention the chances of survival reduce significantly. ‘Save a Life Cymru’ is a national campaign aimed at raising awareness of the chain of survival, encouraging training in CPR and in the use of defibrillators, and making these life saving devices more widely available. It is hoped that through increased awareness and resource, more lives will be saved.

While the ‘Save a Life Cymru’ campaign is concerned with the movement of the heart physically and the preservation of life, Christmas is concerned with the movement of the heart metaphorically – it’s about love and loving action – as we celebrate the birth of the one who came that we might life in all its fullness.

The scriptures tell us, ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life’. Essentially, this describes how God came to our rescue and saved us in an unconditional act of love and mercy.

‘Help is closer than you think’ is a slogan for ‘Save a Life Cymru’, reminding us that simple steps by ordinary people can save a life. This slogan can also remind us that God is never far away from us in the midst of life’s challenges and the Christmas story which tells of God’s coming among us in the babe of Bethlehem, speaks of a God who came alongside us and gifted us the ability to choose life and to love as he loves.

Christmas is about the movement of the heart and its core message can be a life saver for those who are experiencing pressures too heavy to carry and who have little hope. Whoever you are and wherever you are, may the peace, joy and love of the Christ be yours this Christmas.