Pastor's Letter April 2016 

 Dear Friends
 
Welcome to British Summer Time!!  Actually, returning to work after a week’s holiday, I have to say that the offices did feel a little warmer.   Over the winter the offices within Liberty Centre have not been the most inviting place to be (Judith and Helene deserve endurance medals for sticking it out while Fiona and I have frequently worked from home!) The initial excitement and enthusiasm of moving in last Summer was dampened (literally) by leaky roofs and lack of heating. 
 
I have, however, had the opportunity over the last couple of months to show a couple of people around the building and talk, again, about our plans for developing it into a home for the Church and an outreach hub into our community, and there is nothing like re-visiting plans to re-envision.  As I consider, again, the possibilities for ministry and growth within Liberty Centre, and match those with the heart and gifting within the Church family, I’m stuck again by the incredible opportunity we have to serve our community in this generation and to lead people to freedom in Christ; freedom from debt, poverty, addiction, loneliness, fear, sickness, sin, and freedom to live life in all its fullness.
 
As you may well know, having initially received a rejection to our “change of use” application, we are now in the place where we have submitted our appeal and also a re-application (belt and braces), and are awaiting a date for the appeal review board, which we hope will be within the next month.
 
As we move towards the Summer can I simply encourage us all to continue to bring Liberty Centre before God in prayer, to ask for favour and a clear “YES” from Fife Council to our plans, to ask that God would provide all the resources we need (both human and financial), and to re-visit our own pledges towards the building.  I will say again that the building is not, and must never be, the focus of our church life, but it does open up many opportunities for us as a Church.
 
On the Thursday before Easter, a number of us met together and shared a “Passover meal”, at the end of which we all spoke out the words “next year in the New Jerusalem”.  It was only after I had said these words that I thought “next year in Liberty Centre”.  My desire is that next Easter we would be celebrating together in our new home. I invite you to join me in that vision as we move forward together.
 
Love and Blessings
 
Jon