Minister's Letter |
Dear Friends,
I want to thank you all for joining me in some very special worship over Easter. I felt that we truly went through the emotion and drama of Holy Week until we could celebrate on Easter Day. I am so grateful to our Stewards Team and everyone who made the Easter services so meaningful with their hard work. It was lovely too to greet so many people on Good Friday as we enjoyed fellowship before worship, as well as meeting many people out on the pavements outside the church on this very special day.
I have also been very moved by the “success” of our Warm Space sessions since January. We have met some lovely people and got to know many folk from our local community. I think we really under-estimated the power of opening our doors and putting the kettle on!! I honestly believe that the isolation and loneliness that some people cope with on a weekly basis is as challenging as the rising cost of energy. During the weeks that we have met, real friendships have been formed and now our guests are looking out for one another in a way we could never have imagined. The Warm Space has now become Monday Coffee and Chat and will continue into the summer.
I also think that the volunteers have been blessed by getting to know each other better as we have chatted in a relaxed environment and worked together as a focused team. My gratitude to Jane and Peter Sowler who were at every session and lead the team so well. It has been and is a powerful ministry.
I note that this edition of the Newsletter features the last ‘Church News’ that Barbara Coombes will provide for us. I am very grateful to Barbara for her quiet support since I came to Glenfield and her sensitive reporting of the ups and downs of church life. I wish Barbara well as she steps away from this important role.
I write this letter a week before our Annual Church Meeting when we gather to discuss the work and mission of the church. Obviously, we have had ongoing conversation about how God is guiding us to use our newly developed site for some time now, but this is an important meeting in the life of the church allowing members who are not on the church council to have their say and share ideas. We do ask God’s blessing as we move forward together and God’s guiding into the future. Jesus’s promise in the Great Commission that he “will be with (us)always to the end of the age” is very important for us to hold fast to at this moment in the life of our church.
Yours in Christ’s love,
Helen
I want to thank you all for joining me in some very special worship over Easter. I felt that we truly went through the emotion and drama of Holy Week until we could celebrate on Easter Day. I am so grateful to our Stewards Team and everyone who made the Easter services so meaningful with their hard work. It was lovely too to greet so many people on Good Friday as we enjoyed fellowship before worship, as well as meeting many people out on the pavements outside the church on this very special day.
I have also been very moved by the “success” of our Warm Space sessions since January. We have met some lovely people and got to know many folk from our local community. I think we really under-estimated the power of opening our doors and putting the kettle on!! I honestly believe that the isolation and loneliness that some people cope with on a weekly basis is as challenging as the rising cost of energy. During the weeks that we have met, real friendships have been formed and now our guests are looking out for one another in a way we could never have imagined. The Warm Space has now become Monday Coffee and Chat and will continue into the summer.
I also think that the volunteers have been blessed by getting to know each other better as we have chatted in a relaxed environment and worked together as a focused team. My gratitude to Jane and Peter Sowler who were at every session and lead the team so well. It has been and is a powerful ministry.
I note that this edition of the Newsletter features the last ‘Church News’ that Barbara Coombes will provide for us. I am very grateful to Barbara for her quiet support since I came to Glenfield and her sensitive reporting of the ups and downs of church life. I wish Barbara well as she steps away from this important role.
I write this letter a week before our Annual Church Meeting when we gather to discuss the work and mission of the church. Obviously, we have had ongoing conversation about how God is guiding us to use our newly developed site for some time now, but this is an important meeting in the life of the church allowing members who are not on the church council to have their say and share ideas. We do ask God’s blessing as we move forward together and God’s guiding into the future. Jesus’s promise in the Great Commission that he “will be with (us)always to the end of the age” is very important for us to hold fast to at this moment in the life of our church.
Yours in Christ’s love,
Helen
