October Blog
Dear Friends
We are now in October! Leaves are falling, the heating is coming on, and we have just agreed services for Advent and Christmas!
Our youth and children’s team is busy getting ready for the October half-term for our alternative celebrations for Halloween, where we share good news and the hope of Jesus, rather than celebrate darkness – great missional opportunities.
We have settled into our office, and the builders have arrived, ready to start working on the roof.
This last weekend was a historical moment for us in the Church of England, where Bishop Sarah Mullally has been appointed as our next Archbishop – our first female archbishop, which is a historical moment! Over the last 12 months, she has supported the senior leaders of the Church with wisdom and peace, particularly in safeguarding. We will be praying for her as she prepares to take on this role and lead us in this next season in the Church. Our role is simple to pray and encourage.
There is a word you are going to hear a lot in the next 12 months, and in fact, always, as this is simply what Jesus asked us to do. Pray, not argue with each other, not judge each other, but it’s simply pray. We believe this is a key word for us in the next 12 months, to come in prayer. So, there are two important responses this month. Firstly;
Saturday 18th October 10am-3pm Dobwalls United Church Benefice vision day
Join us for a day where all of our worship communities will join together to reflect on the last year of
“People Not Projects”
Then looking at
“What does a praying Church look like?
We would love to see all our different worship communities there. There will also be a time for children and young people to reflect and play some games too. We invite you to bring a packed lunch, and then we shall share lunch altogether with plenty of hot drinks throughout the day.
The hope of the day and why we will be running these vision days each October is so we can really listen to each other, God, and begin to think about what God might be shaping us to do in 2026.
However, if we are going to think about prayer, we should be praying, so from Sunday 12th– Saturday 18th Oct we are going to have a week of Prayer, with prayer stations set up in St Martin’s from our different worship communities, work we are doing, and our world. We shall also host some special prayer meetings on Tuesday and Friday.
Then, on Wednesday 15th-Thursday 16th, we shall be doing an in-person 24-hour prayer. We encourage you to come along and pray for an hour, gathering with others or taking time to pray through the stations. Over this week, we hope to share some of the things God has been saying over the week on Saturday.
To sign up for 24 7 prayer, click here: https://signup.24-7prayer.com/signup/b6bad0 we hope to have every hour covered, but also the more the better – come and join with someone else! Also, just turn up. Doors will be locked from 10 pm-7 am but will have a mobile number on the door to come and join in to be let in.
As I have been preparing and reflecting on all that is happening within the Church, community, nation, and world, where there is so much fear, anger and war, I have been drawn back to Jesus’ words throughout the New Testament from the Old Testament law, where he is asked about following the law, and he says this in Matthew 22: 34-40
34 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 One of them, an expert in Moses’ Teachings, tested Jesus by asking, 36 “Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in Moses’ Teachings?37 Jesus answered him, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and most important commandment. 39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ 40 All of Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets depend on these two commandments.”
As I look out and look forward to the coming year and commit in prayer and discover what God is asking of us in 2026, I am drawn to a conversation I had with my children over the summer after the 50th fight of the holidays. The words we are saying, are they encouraging or discouraging? Are they of love or not? As I write this, Gary Neville, the football pundit, is being slated for challenging about flags, immigration and the horrific attack on a synagogue in Manchester as he shared a message of a challenge to what it means to live well together I was struck by his ending of his video where he asked what would our nation be like if we lived full of love and peace.
He did not quote the bible, but his conclusion was essentially what Jesus asked us to be. Be a person who loves God with all their heart, mind, and strength. Then to love our neighbour. To do this, we need to be people full of love and peace, and our words are powerful and are actions are powerful. So, as we prepare for what God is asking of us in 2026, how we might be praying, I ask us all that same question we asked our own family. What we are saying and doing – is this loving? Is this going to encourage that person?
I believe this is an important question and prayer for us as a Church, community, nation, and world. Imagine if we lived this out daily, what would our world be like?
So, I encourage you this October to stop. PRAY with us and seek what and how God maybe encouraging us to do, and who God is encouraging you to show love to. Look forward to joining with you in the coming weeks, and we seek and listen to God together.
As we shared on CAP Sunday, Jesus said these words:
John 10: 10
I have Come to give you life and life in all it’s fullness.
Love and prayers – and keep praying!
Rev Mark