Dear Friends

On Monday 24th October, we laid to rest our dear friend, Pastor Martin Bell, in the Crieff Cemetery.  He had died after a short battle with cancer.  At the funeral service we heard about his life and work.  He was a gifted man, a wonderful preacher and a genuinely caring chaplain.  As the director of Roundelwood for many years, he impacted an enormous number of people with his warmth and spiritual insight.  He will be missed by his family, the retired church workers for whom he served as chaplain, and his many friends in Crieff and around the UK.  Although it is very sad that we have lost such a great man, we are comforted by the sure and certain promise of the resurrection for Martin, and all who believe.

Two days later, Karen and I were delighted to hear that our daughter had safely given birth to our first grandchild, Zara, 7lb 10oz!  It is quite a transition and has lifted our spirits enormously.  I discovered why the old custom of the grandparents visiting ASAP after the birth is so important.  But witnessing the new parents with the baby, and holding her ourselves for a short while, was well worth all the time and effort of driving to Oxford to see them.  After the long wait of the pregnancy, the baby is finally here.  We sat together around the hospital bed and praised and thanked God for this new life, a sign of hope that life goes on.  As we held her completely helpless little body she reminded us of our need to be born again and become vulnerably dependent on our loving Father God.

Pastor Bernie