From The Newsletter

Dear Friends

Scaffolding around our church has become quite familiar;  it’s almost like a plant that grows, withers away, then sprouts up again. The good thing is that the scaffolding has helped the various workmen to make our church weatherproof – the hall roof was re-felted and new wood put in to hold the tiles, the gutters of the church have been cleaned, the ‘string’ or stone parapet high up at the front of the church has been covered in lead, the windows have been repaired, puttied and painted. It is easy to get overwhelmed with buildings.  I have heard the view expressed in our Synod that we would be better off without our old and historic listed buildings!  However,  we know that buildings are not the living church,  but they are a valuable resource. 

 The building is a place of worship where people can meet to pray and celebrate the sacraments,  mark the rites of passage of birth, marriage and death, or simply enjoy company, and the building can be open to the wider community as a meeting place.  Last month when a small working party was updating the church banners for this Pentecost season, working away in the upper hall, it was so encouraging to know there were others downstairs, the happy sound of toddlers’ voices with their grandparents. We tend these church buildings so they can be put to use, and we pray that as people encounter each other, they can in some small way encounter God.

And actually caring for buildings, can teach us something. The craftsmen, woodworkers, painters, gardeners, put real pride into their work, and enjoy talking about their work. Maintenance of a church building demands patience and care from the church members. Perhaps this can remind us how our relationships also need patience and care if they are to flourish. The new wood and paint in the windows has made a surprising difference, out of proportion to their size in the whole building, but many have commented that the church looks so much better for the restored windows. Small things make a difference, and not just to appearances, but also to relationships. 

Simply noticing other people can make all the difference. Didn’t Jesus speak of something as simple as giving a cup of cold water in his name, as a significant action?

 So let's be thankful for our church – the building and the people. May our care, work and enjoyment, become a sign of God’s Kingdom.

In Christ,

SPI

                                                    SECRETARY'S SNIPPETS

Church Health Check :-

Sunday, 11^th July and Sunday, 18^th July

Barbara Goom