The Minister writes… from our October 2026 newsletter
Dear friends,
As I write this we are just about to celebrate our Harvest Festival service and I know that, as ever, the church will be beautifully decorated, the hymns will be filled with praise, and lots of food donations will be made for those in need. It is a wonderful part of church life, but once the food gifts have been given and the displays taken down, it is worth pondering what harvest means for us on a personal and spiritual level.
In our everyday lives, a good harvest rarely comes as a surprise. It is the result of a long, quiet process. If you look back over the last few months, what kind of seeds have you been planting in your own heart? Maybe you’ve been trying to sow a bit more patience during a stressful season or paying more attention to a friendship that needed a boost. Perhaps you’ve just been trying to carve out a few quiet moments for prayer each morning.
Spiritual growth takes time, and it usually happens when nobody is watching. It’s a lot like a seed buried in the soil during those cold, grey days when nothing seems to be happening on the surface. But underneath, life is quietly taking root. The good things we find within ourselves today – our resilience, a deeper sense of faith, a capacity for joy – these are the fruits of that patient, steady growth.
Harvest is also a communal experience. In traditional farming, no one brings in the crops alone; it requires a village working side by side. The same is true for our church family. We reap the fruits of human kindness: the fellowship of shared lunches, the dedication of our volunteers and lay and office workers, and the comfort we offer to those who are grieving or lonely. We gather the harvest of our collective love and labour.
As the evenings get darker and the autumn chill sets in, I invite you to take a moment to look inward. What are you harvesting in your life right now? Is there some joy or gratitude you can share with a neighbour who might be feeling isolated? And as we look toward winter, what new seeds of hope and kindness can we start planting together?
May this autumn be a season of gentle reflection and deep gratitude for all that God is growing within us and among us.
With every blessing,
Sharon
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)