Hello Everybody,

Firstly, I would like to thank everybody at SHMC for the care and love that I have been shown, since moving here. As I write this letter, I am actually ‘on holiday’. I was going to go back up north and see my family, but due to the COVID-19 version 2.0, that hasn’t been possible. I have found myself sitting and just ‘being’, holidaying at home! Who’d have thought it? Many people have said to me “this must be a really strange way to start your ministry?” but, to be honest, it is the norm for me – I don’t know any different.

The one thing that I have found difficult and strange, as I am sure many of you have, too – is the fact that we haven’t been able to meet physically for fellowship. But, as we do not know if we can open after the ‘lockdown’ ends I think it’s important to remember that during this Advent season, as we wait, we have to look forward to things that point towards Christ, to remind us of Immanuel – God with us.

However we celebrate Advent and Christmas we have to remember that God sent Jesus into the world as a sign of hope and love. We have had a year like no other, where we are learning to be Church in a different way – to not be disheartened or discouraged but to find ways to proclaim the Gospel, trying to offer different ways to inspire people to encounter the living God. It may be that this just ‘being’ at home has helped us to explore our own spirituality? Maybe it has allowed us to focus on Jesus.