Compared to the same event in Sandown in October the CRE Exeter was buzzing, especially on the first of the two days.  Perhaps people were now prepared to come out more readily with the Covid issues receding in severity and in number.   

Greyfriars has just opened their Foyer, Coffee shop and Bookshop, with a new wide doorway through into the church’s West End. It is light, contemporary, and full of life. It is called The Atrium.

Christmas is traditionally a time for giving, be that presents, love, joy, food and hospitality.

In my mind, Jesus coming to earth as a baby is the greatest gift of all. God gave us Jesus for our salvation, in eternity. We open our Christmas presents just the same. We have to open the gift of Jesus Christ by believing in him and accepting him in order to have the blessings of the present.

We all thought in 2020 at Christmas time, that Covid would pass, and we would be back to normal by 2021. Not so. The new variant has hit the news with a dark cloud of concern and negative expectation. Will it be worse? Will the vaccine work? When will a new Omicron booster be available? We had hoped it was going to be a back-to-normal Christmas?

Many will already know about the Messy Church initiative which is has been helping churches connect with local families, reach out to the isolated and boost engagement since 2004. Growing in popularity, there are now ‘Messy Churches’ in over 20 countries.

The widespread popularity of the song titled ‘The Blessing’ is the kind of viral infection we actually did need last year. The sung version of the blessing from Numbers 6: 24-26 is deeply moving, yet somehow uplifting.