Message from our Locum – Joan Kilpatrick – June 2015

Dear Friends

I am amazed we are heading into the summer – at least that’s what we should be expecting in June!  Hopefully the weather will improve so we can enjoy being outside rather than inside for a change.  I also hope you will have time to relax and re-charge your batteries over the next few months as it has been a busy 8-9 months with all that has been happening.

I would like to suggest you take some time to reflect on how much we’ve achieved as the church family in Clincarthill and to be reminded of the great and mighty God we have who has accompanied us throughout everything we have experienced individually and together.  Our recent Pentecost Service which was led by YPC, is a reminder of how blessed we are to have such committed young folk and leaders who have enabled them to know they are of great value in our church family – thank you.

As the work continues in the large hall it gives us time to look forward to having a building which is in great shape for the future, and the new minister – how blessed we are to have such a gift for ourselves and our community.  One of the great experiences I’ve had has been being invited onto the Parent Partnership in MountFloridaPrimary School.  The parents involved are very committed to all aspects of their children’s learning and care, from looking at the problems of the traffic outside the main entrance to enabling their talents to be brought out through the Mount Florida’s Got Talent show as well as the choir and orchestra along with so many other events.  For me, to have the school come into the church has been both exciting and rewarding.

Within the church we’ve managed to run two Bible Studies and these have proved to be times of struggle as we talked together and tease out what is being asked of us as we try to get closer to God through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.  As we learnt together we have grown in our relationships with each other and God.  We hope to continue these Studies after the summer – something to look forward to.

I’m sure there are things you will remember that will both bring you joy as well as sadness, whatever they are and however you feel, God has been right there in the midst of it all, carrying, caring, forgiving, healing, loving each one of us and will continue to do so – I am so grateful to Him for being with me over these past months as He has guided and filled me with peace from week to week, it has been an amazing journey.

I am also grateful to you for the prayers and words of encouragement, support and understanding, all of this has been very precious to me and I treasure all of it.  I pray you will be refreshed by God’s Spirit over the summer and know that He is the One who will give you all need whatever is going on in your life at this time.

Thank you again for being you and you bring to Clincarthill.

Blessings

Joan