The Minister writes… from our September 2026 newsletter
Dear friends,
As we step into September we find ourselves at the beginning of a new church year, traditionally a time of fresh starts, although looking out the window – and at the wider world – it can feel like we are navigating a season of intense challenge.
Lately, our UK weather has mirrored the global climate: unpredictable, more extreme, and marked by a prolonged drought. Added concerns about worldwide changes can easily leave us feeling small, wondering if the future is entirely out of our hands.
It reminds me of the recent solar eclipse – and many thanks to Robert Godden for his fantastic photo of it. For a short time, the sun is obscured, the sky darkens, and the warmth fades. Yet, we know with absolute certainty that the sun hasn’t vanished; it is simply temporarily hidden. The darkness never has the final word. In the same way, no matter how obscured our path feels by global anxieties or local changes, we have a faithful God in whom we can always trust. His light, love, and resurrection power remain constant behind the clouds.
Even when we struggle to see what lies ahead, Scripture offers us a brilliant reminder in Isaiah 43:19:
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”
We see these shifting shadows—and these new things springing up—in our own church family. We face an ageing demographic and slowly-declining numbers, which naturally mean fewer hands to do the same amount of work. Yet, look a little closer and the light is breaking through: we have been blessed with some wonderful new faces in our church community recently and we welcome them with joy!
Our changing landscape also means that, going forward, we have fewer ordained ministers and Local Preachers, leading to more Local Arrangement services. Whilst it can feel unsettling to move away from familiar routines, these services are a great opportunity to discover and celebrate the unique, God-given gifts of our own congregation. When we step up to share a reading, lead a prayer, or offer a reflection, we aren’t just filling a gap—we are actively being the Church together.
This new church year isn’t about struggling to do things the way we’ve always done them; it is an invitation to co-create something fresh, sustainable, and deeply community-led. So let us move forward into it, not anxious about what we lack, but with hope for what we can build together. God’s light is still shining brightly on us, and I am excited to see where he leads our church next.
With every blessing, Sharon