The cost-of-living crisis is expected to put 16.4 million people in fuel poverty with many forced to choose between food and warmth. The Warm Welcome Campaign is the community response to this crisis, supporting thousands of churches and community organisations to open their doors to those struggling to heat their homes. We’re proud to be … [Read more…]
Dear Friends This week I will not be sharing worship with you all – I hope you won’t miss me too much! I will be camping in a field in Northamptonshire, near Kettering. I love going to the Greenbelt festival, away from everyday stuff, like running water, toilets, mobile phones, computers, showers – in fact … [Read more…]
For the second time in as many months we have faced the loss of a dear friend and elder of St Columba’s. On 27th June the church was full once again with family and friends who came to celebrate the life of Margaret Williams. On her 80th birthday, a few years ago, we featured an … [Read more…]
Dear Friends As I get older, I find that there is little in this life that is not improved by doing it together with others. I have had an incredibly busy week – not all of it work related – and it has been amazing! Last weekend we had a naming ceremony at church for … [Read more…]
Dear Friends Many of you will have joined the service, either in person or on-line, to celebrate the life of our friend and church elder, Margaret Grice. The church was full to over-flowing with people who had come to pay their respects to someone who had touched their lives in many different ways; family, friends, … [Read more…]
Dear Friends On Friday I took part in the Billingham Churches together walk of witness. On the walk across the park, trying to be nonchalant with a 5 foot cross over my shoulder, I was very aware of walking by myself. Some people smiled at me while others studiously looked the other way – I … [Read more…]
Dear Friends This has been a busy couple of weeks at St Columba’s. With everything opening up again, we have been able to so some of the more “normal” things – as a consequence I have found myself making pancakes, a lot of pancakes!! It always makes me smile that people get so excited about … [Read more…]
Dear Friends Every January is the same – as soon as the days start being noticeably longer, my thoughts turn to spring, which I am confident is just around the corner! I know it isn’t really and that we have at least a couple of months of cold, dark days before we see the back … [Read more…]
Dear Friends Well, here it is, Merry Christmas – everybody’s having fun! Or that’s what the song says anyway! It feels a very different Christmas to last year. Covid is still around, and we are being warned to be careful, but does it feel to you as if everyone is trying to do twice as … [Read more…]
Dear Friends Memories form our lives – how we remember what went before, shapes how we move into our future. Our faith is all about remembering what happened in the past – the bible stories in the Old and New Testament inform how we live our lives now. This weekend is particularly significant as Remembrance … [Read more…]