Dear Friends, Happy New Year! As we enter a new year it’s often good to pause and think about the direction of our lives. It’s so easy to bump along from one busy week to another without ever stopping to ponder where we’re going and where we should be going. Once, when the people of…
Anniversary Letter 2021 Dear Members and Friends, As we approach our church anniversary we are so thankful to God for His faithfulness throughout another year. He truly is the Lord of the years, whose love has kept and guided us. It’s been an unusual year in many ways, yet it’s been challenging, causing us to…
Dear Brothers and Sisters, As I was contemplating what to share with you this month, I was drawn to this familiar passage. The story as told in Acts 16 goes like this. After casting an evil spirit out, Paul and Silas were beaten, thrown into jail, put under close guard, and placed in the inner…
Dear Brothers and Sisters, There is a story about D. L. Moody when he made a visit to Scotland in the 1800’s and opened one of his talks at a local school with the rhetorical question, “What is prayer?” To his amazement, hundreds of children’s hands went up. So he decided to call on a…
Dear Brothers and Sisters, As we approach another Christmas, we acknowledge that this year has not only been incredibly challenging for most, but it’s been devastating for the many families who have experienced the crippling effects of the current pandemic. Someone recently referred to 2020 as ‘the darkest year in their memory!’ Throughout Israel’s history,…
Dear Brothers and Sisters, It’s with great joy in my heart that I write my first Pastor’s letter to you all. We certainly live in uncertain days, yet the Lord remains on His throne ruling, reigning and surveying all that He has made. Wales’ First Minister, Mark Drakeford, has today, (19th Oct) announced a fire…
Dear Friends, I think this will be my final letter for the Gazette as pastor at Emmanuel, but I have thought that before, then Covid-19 happened! We have had a significant month. A date has been agreed when the current pastorate should end; the final AGM of Emmanuel as a particular charity has been held; a call has been issued for a…
Dear Friends, September normally heralds the return to routine after the disruption of the summer holidays, but what will it hold this year? It is five months since Lockdown began and we are now beginning to wrestle with the challenges of its easing and release. That is not simple, therefore we need to pray for…
Church re-opening We want to resume services as soon as possible but only when we are satisfied that the necessary measures are in place for the safety of all who attend. With the current restrictions we cannot accommodate our normal congregation and so we may need to limit the numbers of those who want to…
Dear Members and Friends of Emmanuel Church, I write with a heavy heart that we as a nation, a country and the world have come to such a position. It is tragic to see what is happening as a result of Coronavirus, but we do not fret as those who have no hope, since we…