For some time now the Vestry has been in touch with Road Services to see if we can have a directional sign on the main Belfast-Bangor road pointing in the direction of the church. We have now had confirmation that signs will be erected on both sides of the road in the very near future. The whole process has taken over a year and we are grateful to Lady Sylvia Hermon who was able to open up some doors for us at the right departments at Stormont to get things moving. There should be no excuse now for missing the turning on to Seahill Road!

We hope that everyone has had the opportunity to view the Garden of Remembrance sited at the rear of the Church Hall. There are a few finishing touches to be completed and some of these may well be ready by the time you are reading this note. The Sinclair family has donated a wooden bench for the Garden and this is being painted with a preservative at the moment. Rev Ray is also on the hunt for a cross that he hopes to able to get from a redundant church somewhere in the country. We are presently awaiting a reply from the Bishop’s office so that a date can be fixed for the consecration of the Garden. The whole process became rather complicated and required what is called a ‘petition’ to the Diocesan Committee on Churchyards written in rather antiquated language. All of those who have reserved a plot in the Garden will be informed of the position as soon as we receive a reply from the Bishop.

A very good Tapas Evening was enjoyed by all in September just before we ‘lost’ Paul for a few months. We have Wendy McBrien and her associates to thank for the arrangements which raised £552 for church funds – something that is always more than welcome. In addition to that Helen Houston again arranged a pre-Christmas Fair in the Church Hall in early November and that again should provide some extra funds.

It is in November each year that the Vestry gives consideration to the donation from Glencraig to a whole range of charities. These charities rely almost wholly on donations to keep up the good works that they do both here at home and abroad. Our giving represents a sort of tithe, one tenth of our income, to an amount of £6300.

Having mentioned our giving for the Needs of Others, it is opportune to remind ourselves that we should, at this time, consider our own giving to our church. Without our own giving we would not be able to provide as we do for the Needs of Others. The turn of the year seems to be an appropriate time for us all to give some thought to our gifts to the church. Say no more!

Everyone who comes to church will have noticed the deterioration in the steep driveway down to the church. It’s hard to know what to do about the slope that has been with us for well nigh forty years ever since Seahill Road was widened and the surface of the road raised. There is also the problem of the increasing number of potholes on the paths surrounding the church. Much of these have been caused by traffic driving right round the church from the car park at the rear. We have mentioned before that this car park should be used only by those parishioners in cars who find it difficult to negotiate the steep driveway. Maybe we could all give this some thought. The Vestry is in the process of carrying out a ‘risk assessment’ of the various hazards. Obviously one way to resolve the problem would be to tarmac the whole surface. But that would cost multiples of thousands of pounds which we simply do not have at the moment. And with a debt of about £130 000 we are not in a position to add to that amount. It is intended to carry out some temporary repairs to the worst potholes in the hope that in so doing it will tide us over until further funds are available. We must pay tribute to a number in the Select Vestry and other parishioners who have expressed a willingness to carry out these repairs.

Wasn’t it lovely to be able to surprise Paul that Sunday before the service started? It is hard to believe that Paul has been with us for twenty years and that someone with such a youthful spirit should also be celebrating this year the 25^th anniversary of his ordination. For once, he was almost speechless. It was wonderful to be able to tell him something he did not know about the working of the Parochial and the Diocesan Nominators leading up to the decision to invite him to come to Glencraig and look after our spiritual needs. A Vicar does not just come alone. He brings with him a family. Twenty years ago there was Paul, Christine and a very little Lydia. Then came Simon within a month of their arrival among us – and finally Emily. And the whole family has become very much a driving force in our community. We hope that Paul will derive every blessing from his three months away from us and we can look forward to his return refreshed and prepared for anything.