Activities | History | Nurture

December 2024 and January 2025 magazine

stjohnstmarkchurchburySunday, December 1, 2024

Here’s a link to the December 2024 and January 2025 magazine, paper copies of which are now available in both of our churches.

This issue contains news and updates from all our various groups, together with prayers and reflections for advent, Christmas and the start of a New Year. Plus information of all that’s going on in the busy couple of months ahead of us.

The December 2024 and January 2025 magazine also contains this letter from Harvie and Sally…

Emmanuel – God with us. You’d better believe it!

We write this as we approach the Christmas season, a time to reflect on God’s love as He left Heaven to walk among us.

For many, the word Emmanuel is just something seen on Christmas cards each year, but we can testify that He does walk with us today, helping us to face the challenges of everyday life, both big and small.

As most of you will know, in September our life was turned upside down with a diagnosis that we had not seen coming, and yet we have never felt His presence more clearly. This has been experienced through the strangers who have come into our story as well as our friends, bringing the right words or actions at exactly the moment we needed them, not only for us but for our children as well.

In Jersey, He placed two women in my (Sally) path which resulted in managing to get a walking stick when Harvie was unable to walk. In the early days, when Harvie was wakeful and confused, He heard God’s still, small voice when listening to the Lectio 365 App (highly recommended), listening to the promises of God in Scripture, that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Harvie received a wonderful drawing that somebody had drawn for him, depicting something so personal that could not possibly be known by the artist, but perfectly expressed something that has been on Harvie’s heart for a long time and spoke to him very directly. This is now framed and hung on the wall to encourage us every time we enter our home. This is God in action – not theoretically, but actually, here and now in Bury!

The peace of the Christ child

And now, as Walmersley Road prepares to enter the New Year, we would encourage you to remember that God is with you wherever you travel and whatever you do. Sometimes we have to make sure we keep our eyes open, ready to see God at work. We need to lift our eyes from ourselves and look for what He is doing, holding on to his coat tails and allowing him to gently lead us. And, we need to keep faith when the waves threaten to overpower us. We need to learn to rest with Jesus at the back of the boat, instead of struggling with the oars, knowing that He is mightier than any storm and will not forsake us.

So, may the peace of the Christ Child be with you and those you love, now and as we move forward into 2025. Harvie and Sally