BLAIRGOWRIE

Hello,

This is nearly six months with you all now, and it feels like the time has just flown by. It’s been a marvellous experience getting to know my way around the parish, and everywhere I have gone I have been met with a warm welcome. What has also struck me has been a willingness among the wider community to engage with exploring what we as a Church family can do to continue to be relevant in their daily lives. It’s these seeds for mission which are filling me with such excitement for the future.

The one thing that I have to accept, and we must help each other with, is the need to have patience! Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will many of our outreach initiatives if they are to be successful and sustainable. But likewise, however tempting it might feel at times, it’s no use putting things off indefinitely. That’s why it’s so good to see things like: the “Soup-Lunch” on a Wednesday starting soon, the pilot scheme to support families, KIDSMATTER, beginning to take shape, and the response from our Craft Group to an appeal from a local school slowly taking shape. On their own they might seem like small things, small stones if you like, but together they are going to make positive differences, and they are all built around our keystone, as Brothers and Sisters in Christ…………..FAITH.

It’s been great too to see new faces coming along to Church on Sunday, nearly every week, and also watching the numbers growing who are choosing to stay after the service to enjoy a cuppa and a blether. The numbers watching on livestream are steadily rising as well. We had a great attendance at our first Songs of Praise evening service, on the last Sunday in September, and I would encourage all who can to come along to these services in future. It was live streamed too, for the first time !!

Before sitting down in my study here in the Manse to write this article, I nipped into Tesco’s for some essentials and what did I see? You have probably guessed it; shelves being stocked up with all the Christmas goodies. Not only did it do little for my new diet to see all the tempting chocolate selection boxes, fruit cakes, and plum puddings, but it also reminded me that we are moving into a busy time in the Church Calendar for everyone at Blairgowrie Parish Church. After the relatively quieter time of the summer, we have just had both the Guild Dedication Service and the Harvest Festival Service. Coming up soon shall be the Remembrance Service, and in the week leading up to this I am hoping to invite along the pupils from the local schools to appreciate the efforts of the team preparing the sanctuary so beautifully, for what is a cornerstone event in the Blairgowrie Church Calendar.

Then, it shall soon enough be the beginning of Advent, with “Carols in the Wellmeadow”, “Carols and Lessons Service, “Newhill Primary School Assembly & Service”, “Christmas Eve Christingle Service”, “Watchnight Service”, “Christmas Day Service” , and various informal services along at some of the local care homes - so it’s going to be a busy time for everyone in our Church family, but what a richly rewarding time for everyone too, and what great opportunities to reach out and let people know what we are about: sharing the Good News ! Please keep all these events in your prayers, and although we can’t expect it to be warm, let’s pray at least for a dry day for the Carols in the Wellmeadow.

We shall also be having a “Blue Christmas Service” for the first time, on the 20th December, at 6.00pm. This will be a quiet, reflective service, aimed at reaching out to those who are perhaps struggling a wee bit, with whatever challenges they are facing. Perhaps grief, loneliness, isolation, or whatever other individual challenges someone may be encountering can all feel a bit overwhelming when there seems to be so much going on, and we wish people to feel that they are not forgotten about, and that their challenges are being recognised.

Lastly, can I take the opportunity, on behalf of Yana and myself, to wish everyone in our Church family, and in the wider Blairgowrie Community a happy and enjoyable time, as we travel towards the end of 2026, and …………

“Amid the hustle and bustle, help us to find stillness in Your presence. May we feel the comfort of Your love surrounding us, calming our worries and fears.

Let Your peace reign in our gatherings and in our hearts, guiding our thoughts and actions. May we reflect Your serenity to those around us, creating a sanctuary of peace.”

God Bless

Michael