Hello everyone,
Happy New Year to you all. May you know the richness of God’s blessings this year as well as the closeness of his presence.
Everyone has been very busy with Christmas including presenting the Christian message and welcoming people to church. Looking back over our services we often ask first, how many were there? Depending on the answer we deem our season to have been successful or not, we even compare it to previous years. In truth we are very hard on ourselves.
Often overlooked are the scores of people it takes to make all these services happen. People make sure the buildings are open, warm and inviting. Others lead praise with everything from high organ style worship to praise groups. Ministers, Elders, Worship Leaders, Lay Pastors, Deacons, OLM’s, alongside myriad others wrestle with scripture to find ways of making the message of 2000 years ago relevant to today, before either going out late or getting up early to deliver these messages. Let’s not forget those who make up Christmas themed orders of service who then spend hours folding them. Not to be missed are there are those who make the tea and coffee or engage in one of the many social outreaches our congregations undertake this time of year. Many, many more will be involved in other aspects not named above.
On behalf of a grateful church, thank you for all you do! You give your time, the one thing you cannot ever get back. You do it willingly and you do it to see God’s kingdom grow. Although you think your service might at times go unnoticed, it is not. At all times it is appreciated. The church today and the church tomorrow are being built because of your service and sacrifice.
Thank you.
Going forward into 2025, we want to remind congregations the Presbytery website is now live and is here to help you. For instance, if you or your people cannot make it out to a service on Sunday you will find a list of places offering streamed or recorded services. (Presbytery of Lothian and Borders) Please let Caroline know if your own congregation streams and she will put the details up. We would also like to let people know if/when congregations are open as people like to go into churches to reflect and pray at times other than Sunday.
Lyne Kirk, part of the Charge of Peebles St Andrews Leckie linked with Lyne and linked with Manor has been classed as B in the Presbytery Mission Plan. We have been asked to share the following info. Friends of Lyne Kirk (HOME | Folk) are currently well on the way to acquiring the building and want to let people know what is happening in case they wish to contribute to the purchase. Their aim is to retain it as a place of public worship and architectural interest. Click on the HOME | Folk link for more info.
Like many ministers I am going to take a January holiday and will not be around from 13th to 20th January as I will be abroad golfing somewhere sunny. There is a Presbytery Council on Wednesday 22nd at which point we will finalise the agenda for the next Presbytery (Tuesday February 4th at 7pm via Zoom) and send it out. It is slightly under the two weeks we are meant to have but I hope you are ok with that.
God Bless
Norman Smith
Presbytery Clerk
