Dear Friends,
Death & Resurrection
Spring is upon us! This is an exciting time of year, when fresh earth, growth and anticipation of summer fills our senses. And it also an important time for us as a congregation. We are part of the living body of Christ on earth. We are enabled and sustained by the Spirit of God. We have a growing ministry team, with new interns to come this summer, as well as new Cell groups. We are touching and reaching out to the lives of more people. God is at work among us.
It is fitting that in this season of Lent, as we approach Easter, we are reminded that our Christian life is a journey. A journey moving forward, into new and unfamiliar territory. Stepping out!
It is fitting that in this season of Lent, as we approach Easter, we are reminded that our Christian life is a journey. A journey moving forward, into new and unfamiliar territory. Stepping out!
This is clearly seen in our initiatives in redeveloping our building premises to make our facilities fit for purpose and our future witness in the Gospel. Over the last 15 years, and especially in recent months, my own perception of what we need has grown steadily clearer. The developing vision of being a baptistic baptist church, which we are growing in, has been a major factor. I am now fully persuaded that our present building and its design is no longer fit for purpose in pursuing this vision. What we need is a simple facility where we can centralise congregational activities, administration and ministry base. Which can serve Cell groups committed to Christ-like ministry all over Edinburgh and beyond.
As you will see from elsewhere in this magazine, the advice we have received in pursuing the path for redevelopment of our buildings is that we seek to determine their market value. I fully welcome this. And indeed, if it means that we sell and take time to move elsewhere, then so be it. We, at Bristo, have done this before! And this may well be the way that the Lord is leading us in now.
What matters is not the style or location of the buildings we use, but what we use them for. A place to gather for congregational activity that reaches out in a Jesus-way. A place where we can grow as a congregation that is Christ-centred, Christ serving and Christ-following. Reaching out to touch the poor and the foreigner in our midst. Offering people the touch of God’s Peace and an invitation to a different way and vision of living. More emphasis on being sincerely ‘Saviour following’ than simply ‘Seeker friendly’! These are the things that matter.
So let us step out. There will be those who are scared. There will be those who want to go back to old securities, no matter how useless. There will be those who have no vision at all! But let those who see Christ’s way lead in the path forward, inviting and encouraging the others along. Confident that God is with those who follow the difficult and costly way of self-sacrifice in the name of Jesus Christ.
In His love,
Jim
