Letter for January/February

Dear friends,

This month sees the induction of our new Minister the Rev Paul Bedford. Paul had hoped to have time to write this letter himself, but at the time of going to print, he and Susan are in the throws of moving. He has however asked us to say that he is very much looking forward to being with us soon and to working with us in the years ahead.
We too, no doubt, are looking forward to new times and new challenges. Undoubtedly some things will change and that can be both exciting and refreshing, but perhaps, at times, a little unnerving too .But we do not travel alone, for God is with us and is ‘ever the maker and keeper of our days’ as a hymn we sang recently told us.
Through out the time we have been looking for a new Minister, God has been by our sides, supporting, guiding and leading us into making the right choices, He has also been with Paul, leading him to us; together we, that’s all of us here at Fareham URC, Paul and God himself, have work to do. Exactly what that work will be we cannot know yet, but God knows and he will show us, all we need to do is to be ready and willing to let him.
The other day, just for a while, the water in the tidal creek outside my study window was unusually still. There was no wind and at that moment, no wildlife to disturb it. However, there was a small boy walking along the path with his mother and the little lad did what little lads do, he picked up a pebble and threw it into the water, This of course caused a splash and a circle of ever enlarging ripples emanating from the stone’s point of entryThe church is like that stone. We are here to cause ripples; ripples of love reaching further and further out into our local communities and beyond into the world around us; showing care, offering help and fulfilling needs, just as our Lord and Saviour would have done himself. I’m sure that with Paul’s help there will be new and wonderful
possibilities to explore. The Lord has placed us together and together we will go forward in his name.
As the hymn said,’ God is with us beyond our understanding;
God of our present , our past and future too’.
With that in mind the future looks very bright indeed.
Gill B.