From the Manse: A Thought for the Week

Sunday 31st May 2026

 

Dear Friends,

 

Last week I found myself doing something I never imagined I would do,

ever, never mind twice in one week as a minister — going on a pub crawl!

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Before rumours begin to spread too far, I should explain that this was all

part of a wonderful historical tour around Grantown. The organisers were

looking for someone to play the part of a minister from the town’s past, and

somehow I ended up fitting the role rather well!

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The tour was great fun. There was laughter, storytelling, local history, and a

real sense of community as people moved from place to place hearing

tales from Grantown’s past. Yet, as the week went on, I found myself

reflecting that perhaps something more important was happening too.

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For many years, the Church has often expected people to come to us — to

step through the doors of our buildings on a Sunday morning. But

increasingly, I believe we are being called to go out to where people

already are. Jesus spent surprisingly little time inside religious buildings.

Much of His ministry happened on roads, by lakesides, around dinner

tables, and in the everyday gathering places of ordinary life.

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And so, standing in pubs telling stories while dressed as a minister

became, unexpectedly, a reminder of something important. The Church

belongs in the heart of the community, not simply inside church walls.

Sometimes the best conversations about faith, life, hope, and belonging

happen in the places we least expect.

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What struck me most was how many people engaged warmly with the

character of “the minister.” People asked questions, shared memories,

laughed together, and perhaps saw the Church in a slightly different light -

not distant, formal, or closed off, but present, approachable, and part of

community life.

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If we are honest, churches can sometimes feel intimidating to those who

have not attended for years or perhaps have never attended at all. Yet

when we meet people in familiar places, barriers often begin to fall away. A

conversation becomes easier. A smile matters more. Community grows

naturally.

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Now, I am not suggesting that worship services should all move

permanently into pubs! But I do think there is something valuable in

remembering that faith is not confined to one building or one hour on a

Sunday. The Church is called to be present wherever people gather,

wherever stories are shared, and wherever kindness and connection can

be found.

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So yes — your minister went on a pub crawl twice in one week. But

perhaps, in a small and unexpected way, it was also an example of the

Church stepping outside its comfort zone and walking alongside the

community it serves. And not to blow my own trumpet, but I suspect that is

exactly where Jesus would have been too.

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Peace and blessings,

​

Rev. Jade