Vowed religious life, with convictions, passions and concerns regarding its present and future shape, continues to be re-imagined in today’s world. Now, in fact, is a critical time for Religious Congregations, a time calling for ‘a world of a difference. Christians hold as fundamental the coming of God’s Kingdom. Religious life is a part of this story, a special way within the church and the world, of striving to proclaim and give witness to the Reign of God. The future of vowed religious life is inextricably linked to the coming of the Kingdom and has no meaning outside of this; attention to its life and growth is vital. I believe the living of our vows, where we are ‘bound to be free’, can further the Kingdom within and around us and so bring about a world of a difference.