Mont-Orford is a tourist magnet right now. This October tens of thousands of visitors will descend on this ski resort in Quebec, Canada to witness one of the world’s great displays of autumn glory. The Canadian “Fall” is a cascade of colour, orange and gold, auburn and crimson as forests shed their foliage, signalling that winter is coming. Of course, nearer home, our very own “big tree county” of Perthshire is at its most spectacular in autumn with forests awash with amber and red.
Winter 2022 is coming and with it the worry of price hikes, astronomical heating bills and turmoil in government. Volatility in Westminster spells apprehension in our homes as many of us wonder whether to put the heating on or fear looking at the escalating figures on our smart meters.
So, as we head into an uncertain winter, please remember that we have a fellowship fund administered confidentially by the pastors which can provide some assistance directly to people wrestling with bills. You may also find it useful to know about British Gas Energy Trust https://britishgasenergytrust.org.uk/ who have funding to support households struggling with energy bills (and you don’t even have to a customer of British Gas).
We also want to share the warm spaces we have as church with others and are exploring how we can best coordinate this with local agencies. We will be able to share details soon. However, there are already places where we can gather for company and warmth. On Thursdays “the Gathering” is open to anyone from 11am – 1pm for lunch at Camphill and the Wellbeing café runs on Fridays 10:30 am to 1:30pm at The Point.
It seems like a lifetime ago we were instructed daily to mask up and socially distance as the Covid pandemic swept the globe. Of course, the virus remains with us and learning to live with Covid is part of our “new normal.” The public health response was led by Prof Jason Leitch, the National Clinical Director of the Scottish Government and friend of QPBC. We are delighted that Jason will be with us on November 11th to tell us the story behind the headlines and to respond to our questions. The “Transforming health” event is geared at both Christians and non-Christians, so this is a great opportunity to invite friends and family. Many folks are booking up quickly and more than half the tickets have now gone, so please book up, as they say, to avoid disappointment!
As seasons change so does our staff! You will recall that we have been looking for a “Youth Lead” and we are now moving towards the interview stage with several candidates. We are hopeful of making a good appointment and would value your prayers for the interview panel, youth and youth leaders as we determine who will be the best for us at this time.
As we head to Sunday we are continuing to “Get Stuck into life in God and mission in the world” as we look at Johns gospel and his appeal to Abide (in Christ) and Go (as the Father has sent) in the world. We will be looking at John 5 (focusing on 19-23). We will be thinking about “what makes me, me?” As we do, we will hear God’s invitation to find true personhood and in union with God Father Son and Spirit.
See you then!
Iain