January 2026

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Dear friends

 

My warmest greetings to all of you as we enter another year.

 

Many of us approach the New Year with hopes, expectations and a longing for change and something better.

 

For me, and I apologies to those who I have bored with my woes but, I am praying, hoping and longing for my Internet to be working again. On 28th November the line was upgraded to full fibre (no expense to circuit!) and I was informed by the engineer that the line was working fine but there was a network problem at the exchange and they were working on it!

 

Having no internet at the busiest time of the year is inconvenient, very stressful, frustrating, causes a load of extra work and – yes – a complete pain in the ?? Having spent around 11-12 hours on the phone to BT, over the last 4 weeks, today (24/12/25) I am mildly hopeful that I might be getting somewhere – however, I’m not holding my breath.

 

Having no internet highlights how many things we rely on the internet for: simple searches online, copying and pasting Bible passages, sending orders of service, sharing documents, as well as printing, watching TV programmes and controlling our heating thermostat which, thankfully, can also be done manually.

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This got me thinking about how one action can affect so many other things; like dropping a stone into a pond and watching the ripples spread out across the water. I wonder, how have my actions and yours affected others in the past year? What have we said and/ or done that has had a positive or negative on one or many people?

 

We are continually reminded and challenged about how our lack of care for the environment directly affects our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world, including rising air and sea temperatures, sea levels, deforestation, flooding, extreme weather etc.

 

As we enter another year there is always an instinct to look both back over the past year and forward to 2026: To learn from our mistakes and the effect they have had on others and commit ourselves to being more aware of how our words and way of living can affect others.

 

As followers of Jesus, we are called to have a positive effect and influence in our world and especially amongst our family, friends and neighbours … and even with strangers. Sometimes, something as simple as a smile, saying hello or thank you, making time to listen or a ‘Happy Christmas’ can affect someone in a good and positive way.

 

As Jesus taught, we are called to be salt, yeast and light, or in today’s world, ‘Influencers’!

 

We simply don’t know what this year will hold apart from a few planned events, (have I mentioned I’m on Sabbatical from April to July ? J  Also, Rev Mmasape moving on in August L and Rev Chris Sandy joining us in September J [subject to Conference]). However, we do know that the Christ born for us at Christmas will go with us, wherever our journey takes us. As he walks with us, He will be the Love, Peace, Hope and Joy that flows through you and me to positively affect all we meet: Let us be open to all He longs to do both with us and through us to enable us to be the ‘Influencers’ for His Kingdom.

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One Solitary Life (by Dr James Allen Francis)

 

He was born in an obscure village,
The child of a peasant woman.
He grew up in still another village,
Where he worked in a carpenter shop
Until he was thirty.
Then for three years
He was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book.
He never held an office.
He never had a family or owned a house.
He didn’t go to college.
He never visited a big city.
He never travelled two hundred miles
From the place where he was born.
He did none of the things
One usually associates with greatness.
He had no credentials but himself.
He was only thirty-three
When the tide of public opinion turned against him.
His friends ran away.
He was turned over to his enemies.
And went through the mockery of a trial.
He was nailed to a cross
Between two thieves.
While he was dying,
His executioners gambled for his clothing,
The only property he had on Earth.
When he was dead,
He was laid in a borrowed grave
Through the pity of a friend.
Twenty centuries have come and gone,
And today he is the central figure
Of the human race,
And the leader of mankind’s progress.
All the armies that ever marched,
All the navies that ever sailed,
All the parliament that ever sat,
All the kings that ever reigned,
Put together have not affected
The life of man on Earth
As much as that
One Solitary Life.

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As we enter another year, may our solitary life, empowered and guided by our Lord Jesus, send out positive ripples, gracious effects and loving influences in all that we do – to the glory of God the Father.

 

May you all truly know the richest blessings of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit throughout this New Year.

 

Andy