Letter from the Manse

It seems that we’re constantly having to make changes these days. Most obviously there are changes in the people who attend the church. Long-established members move on and new faces appear.  Even the arrival of lots of new babies brings change to the congregation – new challenges, new strains, new opportunities.  Do we need an organised crèche?  Should we start a mother and toddler group?

There have been changes in leadership over the last couple of years and there are more on the way.  …

Every church needs reliable leaders. The New Testament teaches that in every church there should be two groups of leaders. 

Firstly, there should be elders (or pastors or overseers: these are all different labels for the same group of men).  Elders are responsible for overseeing the spiritual life of the church.  They preach and teach the Word of God; they give themselves to prayer and they guide the church in much the same way that a man governs his family.  At the present …

Anne, Jesse and I had a very happy holiday last month up in Haverigg. The weather was fine, the area is lovely and we were able to relax.  It was actually the longest complete break we’ve had since we were married.  Usually, if we go away, I combine the holiday with preaching engagements.  But on this occasion, it was a fortnight without any commitments.  And we didn’t feel we had to push ourselves to do anything. When we’ve been away on holiday in the past, …

Sunday should be the happiest day of our week. Right back at the beginning of history, God laid down the pattern by which we should live. God commanded Adam and Eve to work for six days, caring for the world he had made. They would find great happiness in doing that work and they would bring glory to God.  But every seventh day was different.  On that seventh day they should cease from the work they …

Last Friday we held our usual monthly services at the nursing-homes.  During the morning, I phoned the nursing-homes to make sure they were expecting us.  Since last month a new matron had been appointed.  She came to the phone; I explained who we are; she assured me that everything would be ready for us when we arrived.  Then she hesitated.  “There is something else you might be able to help us with,” she said.  “There have been some very strange incidents at the …