As we come to the close of another year in the life of St Paul’s & St Barnabas, I want to pause, reflect, and say thank you. Not a rushed thank you, or a polite one, but a deep and sincere word of gratitude that comes from seeing, week by week, the faithfulness of God expressed through the faithfulness of His people.
This year has been marked by growth, by steady commitment, and by a renewed sense that God is at work among us in ways that are both ordinary and extraordinary. I have been continually struck by how much of what happens in our church never seeks attention, never asks for recognition, yet quietly sustains our worship, our witness, and our life together. And it is right, as the year draws to a close, to name that and to give thanks.
I want to thank those who serve in our worship week by week. Our musicians and singers who lead us with care, sensitivity, and faith, helping us to lift our hearts to God and sing truth into one another’s lives. Those who prepare readings, lead prayers, and serve at the Lord’s Table, often unseen, yet always with reverence and devotion. Those who open the building, prepare the space, welcome people at the door, and ensure that when we gather, we do so in a place that feels ready, warm, and hospitable. These things matter. They shape how we worship, and they shape how people encounter Christ among us.
I am deeply thankful for those who carry responsibility within the life of the church. Our vestry members and officers who give time, wisdom, and energy to the care of the parish, often dealing with complex matters faithfully and prayerfully. The work of governance, finance, safeguarding, and stewardship may not always feel glamorous, but it is vital, and it is an expression of discipleship. Thank you for carrying that responsibility with integrity and care.
Our Sunday School and those who serve with children and families deserve special thanks. Week by week, faith is being planted, nurtured, and encouraged in young hearts. That work is holy work. It is slow, relational, and often unseen, but its fruit is eternal. I am grateful for every volunteer who prepares, teaches, listens, and prays, and for every family who entrusts their children to the life of our church.
Beyond our gathered worship, I want to give thanks for the many ways this church continues to serve our wider community. Through acts of care, listening, hospitality, partnership, and presence, we seek to live out the love of Christ in this part of Belfast. Mission is not something we add on, it is something we embody. Sometimes it looks like organised outreach, sometimes like quiet faithfulness, sometimes like simply staying rooted in a place and loving it well. Thank you to all who give themselves to this work, often sacrificially, and always with compassion.
As we reflect, we cannot help but look ahead. In the coming year, we will mark 175 years of worship and witness on this site. That is a remarkable legacy. Generations before us prayed here, gave here, served here, and believed that Christ was worth building for. We are the fruit of their faith. Yet this anniversary is not simply about remembering the past. It is about asking what it means to be faithful now, in this moment, and for the sake of those who are yet to come.
My prayer, as we move toward that milestone, is that we will be a church shaped by thankfulness and hope. Thankful for all that God has done, and hopeful for all that He is still doing. A church that honours its history without being held captive by it. A church that continues to grow, not for its own sake, but so that more people might come to know the hope, grace, and life that are found in Jesus Christ.
I am profoundly grateful for the strong cohort of people who make up our church family, and for the many new faces God has brought among us this year. I am expectant about those He will bring in the year to come. The Lord has been faithful to us, and I believe He is calling us to keep stepping forward, together, shaping a hopeful future as we continue God’s work in this city.
With gratitude, confidence, and hope, we will go on.
Yours in Christ
Andrew
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