New Year message for 2026

Dear Friends

Here we are again the start of a new year – 2026. I am now officially a pensioner!, I thought that meant relaxing!, my life seems busier than ever. In my mind I am still young and long may that continue with my twice weekly swimming and my daily walks as I listen to religious music, my chance to spend time with God.

Christmas and the New Year are always a time of reflection, and as you look back over 2025, I wonder what your highlights will be, what things would you have done differently and where did God fit into your life.

The one message of Christmas is that God breaks into our lives in the most unexpected ways, if only we open our eyes to see those ways and to welcome Him into our hearts. The Shepherds believed the angels and ran to see Jesus and leaving the stable they knew their lives would never be the same again.

The Wise Men travelled for around two years, searching and looking and working out where He would be. Had they not looked up, they would not have seen the star, nor would they have followed it. Their reward was to kneel before Jesus and offer to Him the greatest gifts that they could.

We, like the shepherds and the kings need to believe when we hear, act on our instructions and then, we will see Jesus and our lives will never be the same again. Like the kings we have to look upwards, look around us and see the signs that are there, that point us to Jesus. We need to follow those signs until we find Him and then we need to give him the best of our gifts, our humble thankful hearts.

May 2026, bring you joy and happiness and a life filled with the Spirit of God.

Amen

Written by Julie Newitt, Pastor of Blaby Congregational Church