Our Minister Writes

Here is Revd Neil Thorogood's October 2026 message to us.

Dear Friends

How fabulous it is to welcome Rachel as her ministry begins with us. Please hold her in your prayers as she starts joining us at things and as she develops a pattern of the days she’ll be with us in the pastorate. In particular, please join us for a very special service of Ordination and Induction at Trinity-Henleaze on the afternoon of Saturday, 17th October. Our Synod Moderator, Revd David Downing, will lead us and we’ll be joined by friends from near and far as a new chapter dawns for both Rachel and us all.

Beginnings are such important times aren’t they? I suspect we can all think of beginnings that went really well for us, and others that maybe weren’t so great. There is lots to discover and understand as we enter into new relationships or work, as we settle into a new home, as we begin a new phase of education. Other beginnings can bring their deep challenges as we cope with illness or something that may change life profoundly for us or those close to us. Bereavement marks a very different sort of beginning for those of us who remain when someone we love dies. There are beginnings we choose. There are beginnings thrown at us from out of nowhere.

Beginnings speak to us of change. Our lives are never static. We change and others change around us. History rolls ever onwards and the world of today and tomorrow is already different to yesterday’s.

The treasure at the heart of our faith is the knowledge that God chose to enter in to the limitations and possibilities of time by coming amongst us in Jesus. The timelessness of eternity was too far removed and God wanted to change the story and to embrace time. It is an astounding act of self-limitation. We don’t know the exact dating, but we do know that Jesus was born on a particular day in Bethlehem; a particular place in a particular province of a particular empire. He experienced a life amongst us for maybe 33 years. In that time, he will have shared so many of the beginnings we know: his first solid food; first crawl; first standing up; first tottering walk; felt his first rain; spoken his first word; cut wood as a carpenter’s son for the first time; had his first argument; made his first friend; caught his first cold; tasted wine for the first time; suffered his first injury; lost someone close for the first time.

Jesus reveals that God cherishes us in our beginnings. God knows what it is to take that first step, to start something somewhere because a start has to be made. Jesus joins us in the intimacy of change and newness as we experience them. Which means Rachel’s beginning with us is truly holy ground.

Welcome Rachel then, with all we can do to make this a beginning that is truly a blessing not just for her, but for us all.

Yours in Christ,

Neil