November 2024. We are the oldest church in the Circuit

Well, what a year 2024 was!

The chapel’s 200-year Anniversary. We are the oldest church in the Circuit and we celebrated with a number of different events, the final one being a free Coffee

Concert on a wet and windy Saturday morning in November with a packed church. Our thanks to those folk who organised and took part in all our events, especially to our Minister, Rachael, and to everyone who came along to support the celebrations.

In the midst of all the frantic activity however, it’s all too easy to get swept along with the busyness and not allow ourselves time to pause, reflect and recognise just what we have.

In Downley, we’re very fortunate to live in a beautiful place, with easy access to buses and the town’s various facilities, frequent trains to London and Birmingham but also wonderful green space, with many miles of footpaths right on our doorstep.

A combination of features which we too often take for granted but which are seldom found elsewhere.

Our thoughts around Christmas were being guided towards a “Hush the Noise” theme which focussed on setting aside the hectic busyness and listening. Making time to listen to the silence, to our inner thoughts, to appreciate our blessings and to listen to God who is always ready to listen to us.

It seems that fewer people write New Year’s Resolutions these days, but taking time to do so always seems to help lift one’s mind to greater things. To rise above daily concerns and problems and focus on more important things – a change of attitude, a lifestyle shift, a long-held objective, an intention to be different, to be better. So maybe we all need to make some time to reflect on what we have, where we are in life and where God would like us to be.

It may be belated, but may we all at Sunnybank still wish you a very reflective and peaceful New Year.

Clive Knapman