Minister’s Letter – December 2025 / January 2026
Dear friends,
As we step into the season of Advent and prepare our hearts once more for the coming of Christ, I find myself reflecting with deep gratitude on the life and witness of our churches across Lancashire East Missional Partnership this past year. In every congregation, in every committee, in every act of kindness, I have seen signs of God at work through you.
At our recent URC Extra ordinary General Assembly, the Church Life Review invited us into a season of honest reflection and renewed commitment. It reminded us that the Church is always being shaped and reshaped by the Spirit, called not simply to preserve what has been, but to imagine what could be. I was struck by its emphasis on courage: the courage to celebrate the faithfulness that already exists among us, and the courage to acknowledge where God is nudging us toward new ways of being Church.
As I look around our partnership, I see that courage lived out in very real ways. I have seen it in your willingness to try new forms of worship; in the hospitality you have offered to neighbours, community groups, and those seeking connection; in the perseverance shown by elders, volunteers, treasurers, and countless others who quietly hold our churches together. Each of these contributions, small or large, visible, or unseen has helped weave the fabric of our shared ministry.
So let me say quite simply and sincerely: THANK YOU. Thank you for your faithfulness, your generosity, your patience, and your hope. Thank you for every extra mile walked, every difficult conversation approached with grace, every prayer whispered on behalf of our partnership and its mission. You have made this year richer and more vibrant than you may realise.
As we approach the end of 2025, Advent invites us to pause, to breathe, and to lift our eyes to the light that shines in the darkness. And as we prepare to enter 2026, we are reminded that we do not journey alone. Christ walks ahead of us, the Spirit moves among us, and God’s love surrounds us with a faithfulness that does not fail.
My prayer is that this Christmas will bring you rest where you are weary, joy where you feel stretched thin, and peace where the year has left you anxious. And as the New Year unfolds, may you step into it with renewed courage — trusting that God has good things yet in store for our congregations and for the communities we serve.
May the light of Christ guide your path, and may the coming year be filled with grace, hope, and unexpected blessings.
With every blessing,
Your friend and Minister
Gilbert Esambe
COMMUNITY MINISTER’S LETTER DECEMBER 2025 – JANUARY 2026
Dear Friends
It is hard to believe that this is our 11th Christmas in Blackburn and is in actual fact our penultimate one. I say penultimate because for the first time in 30 years ministry Lorraine and I are going away for Christmas and then in 2027 I will have retired.
We have many fond memories as well as challenges including the Manse fire in 2016 spending 17 weeks in Foxfield’s during which many church members provided us with welcome evening meals and lots of other support including prayers.
Then in 2023 I was diagnosed with my brain tumour and needing emergency bowl surgery and again members of the church and colleagues rallied round to offer much needed support and prayer.
During our time here we have seen many changes especially with the merger of Revidge Fold and Trinity earlier this year and by the time you read this North Blackburn URC will have celebrated their first Christmas Fair together in aid of their nominated charity for the year ‘The Bethany Girls School in Tanzania’.
In the New Year work will commence on redeveloping the Church buildings as a multi-purpose church area which will also give us opportunities to enhance the worship and mission of the church. We have also been exploring new ways of worshipping and mission opportunities at Westbury Gardens.
As we get closer to the year-end we can look back on so many exciting times and look forward to a New Year in furthering God’s kingdom in the two communities where I carry out my role as your ‘Community Minister’ and how that might pan out during the last eighteen months of my time here.
Also, hopefully we will finally welcome Noma and family to be part of our missional partnership.
It only remains for me to wish you all a very happy Christmas and peaceful New Year and to thank you all for the continued support you have given to Lorraine and I during the past twelve months and we hope that as we celebrate the Christmas story together we can all go back to the first one and once again receive Jesus God’s precious son given to us over 2000 years ago, the greatest gift we will ever receive, unwrap it and share it with all those around you this Christmas and beyond.
Yours in Christ,
Mal
News of our Church Family
We send our congratulations to Ian and Barbara for having recently celebrated their 65th (Blue Sapphire) Wedding Anniversary what a wonderful achievement and example to the rest of us. Everyone sends congratulations and best wishes as you continue in your loving relationship – Well Done!
It was good to see Bill and Barbara Bateman at a recent First Monday session where we learnt a lot about the Ffestiniog Railway from Neville. Our thoughts and prayers are with them both as Bill is waiting for some hospital treatment.
As we are now entering the winter months, we all need to keep warm. As you know every Monday morning, we have our Community Café and Art and Craft group where everyone has tea/coffee and toast etc with lots of chatting and laughter as we share time together in a warm and friendly atmosphere. If you would like to come, please do because we will be pleased to see you there 10.30 – 12.30
Blackburn with Darwen Community Volunteer Awards 2025
The Town’s Community Volunteer Awards have been taking place over a good number of years recognising the importance of volunteering to the life of the town.
Garth Hodgkinson, CEO Community CVS, said the essence of Life is to serve others and to do good. He went on to say that the Awards recognise what thousands of volunteers do each year in Blackburn with Darwen which is a vital part of the life of the Borough.
This year’s awards were held in Blackburn Rovers Premier Suite where 200+ people gathered to celebrate and mark the achievements of many different volunteer groups across the Borough. The host for the evening was Graham Liver, a well-known local radio personality.
As we all know, many within our local churches do lots of good work day by day to help other people and it is important to recognise this in our local communities which is what these community awards do. We therefore want to say well done to the ‘Community Harmony’ Project in Blackburn which aims to provide meaningful, practical and emotional support to refugees, asylum seekers, migrants and other minority communities. The group has built a thriving and inclusive network that reaches over 25 nationalities and 4 different faith groups working to reduce isolation, build confidence and promote peaceful community cohesion. This important community group was started and is nurtured week by week by Fozia and Aftab Mughal and they were awarded the ‘PEACE’ group award.
On the same evening Derek Estill received a ‘Special Recognition’ award for his service to Blackburn with Darwen through doing work to helping develop an inclusive community in and around East Blackburn, and wider afield, in many ways including by helping to build up good Interfaith relations.
Derek commented that the work he does in and through the Blackburn with Darwen Interfaith Forum, which he has been a member of for 25 years, previously serving as the Chair and currently as the Secretary, is important in a diverse community like Blackburn with Darwen and that all it takes is a little sensitivity and appreciation for one another.
Fozia, Aftab and Derek are members at Westbury Gardens URC.
Congratulations and well done to them!
Social Events
Looking back, we all enjoyed a lunch and quiz on 1st November which raised £120 for Commitment for Life (Christian Aid).
Built on that success we are now planning another quiz which will be a Christmas Quiz. This will be held on 13th December at 1 pm with a light lunch, Christmas raffle followed by a Christmas Quiz cost £5 each. Half the proceeds of the afternoon will go to church funds and half to the church’s chosen Christmas charity.
We have had good feedback about the Reindeer Drive we held last year. However, because we can’t fit another of these this year we will arrange another Beetle/Reindeer Drive in the Spring of next year so watch this space for more information!!
Christmas Carol Singing at Linden House
This will be held on 11th December at 2pm when a group of us from Westbury Gardens will go to Linden House, which is not far from Westbury Gardens, to sing Carols. We are planning to do this so that we sing with those living in Linden House rather than singing to them so that we all sing together. This we hope will build on our last visit to them which we understand they enjoyed.
Bible Study
This is going well with us meeting each week on a Wednesday evening at North Blackburn URC. There are about 15 in the group and at the moment we are following an Advent theme particularly thinking about women at the Nativity.
These sessions are proving to be both informative and enjoyable and helping us to build our confidence when speaking to others about our faith which we all feel is so important as we go forward doing our best to live the life of Jesus today and every day.
If you would like to join in and find out a little more about these sessions please speak to Gilbert, Mal, Derek, Margaret or Neville.
Community Activities
As reported in the last newsletter Carrie Charnley (Cally’s daughter) held successful Summer and Autumn holiday club sessions for young children and parents from our surrounding community with our support and help in our Church and we understand that she might be able to do something similar in the Spring 2026. We have told her and others in her group about the Lantern Service and hope that she and some of the mums and children may come to this Carol Service on the 18th December. As you know all the Judo children, young people and families come and always enjoy it. This will start at 7pm with drinks and light refreshments – including mince pies!! following the Carol service.
Everyone is welcome so if you would like to come put it in your diary, we will be delighted to see you there.
Church Life Review
You will be aware that our national church is conducting a thorough review of our church’s structure/organisation/funding recognising that change is needed.
A special General Assembly in November this year has now agreed the actions that will help our churches locally, regionally and nationally to be better able to take on the changes that are needed.
To help this to be done a central fund will be established which each Synod will contribute funds to. This new fund will be used to help churches work in new ways to establish local mission by supporting/helping them to access the expertise they may need whilst they continue doing the work that they are already doing. This may need to be done locally or regionally to get specialist expertise, or to employ someone locally to relieve churches of some of the burdens they currently carry.
This initiative is necessary and a very important and central part of us being able to continue following our local mission in ways that God is calling us to do.
More information will become available in the coming weeks and months so please watch this space for more information.
PILGRIMAGES IN 2026
TO HOLY ISLAND, LINDISFARNE and IONA COMMUNITY
Hi folks,
During 2026 on behalf of our Lancashire East Missional Partnership and working with McCabe Pilgrimages I will be organising two Pilgrimages/Retreats to Holy Island, Lindisfarne from 21st – 24th April and Iona from 3rd – 7th July and you are all invited to join Lorraine and I on these trips along with members from our Partnership Churches.
Brochures giving details of cost and tour information are available in your church or by contacting me direct on [email protected] or on 07825662203 and I will be happy to send you the details.
We do hope you will be able to join us on either or both.
A warm welcome awaits you.
Yours in Christ,
Mal Breeze, Community Minister 6
21st October 1966
0n 11th November we remembered all those who lost their lives in various wars and having lived in Wales for 17 years, I was aware of a disaster in 1966 remembered there every year. A retired colleague of mine shared the following reflection on Facebook which I’d like to share with you.
On this day in 1966, 144 people were killed when a coal tip above the village of Aberfan, was engulfed in slurry from a waterlogged coal tip. It demolished houses and the local school, killing 116 children.
Enquiries and committees had met and discussed the disaster, and as a result, the remaining tips in the South Wales valleys are checked for safety at regular intervals.
In the face of such tragedy, all that can be said, has been said, and maybe a silent thought and prayer for the families and community is the best comfort and respect we can offer. Some thoughts for prayers.
The Families and community of Aberfan, those who came to help, the on duty people, police and medics who were responsible for the care and dignity of the little ones, the local doctors and staff.
The Ministers and clergy who were faced with giving help and comfort to families. All who were injured or harmed by the disaster. God be with them as they are remembered.
Mal Breeze,
Community Minister *******************************************************
Minister’s Letter – August/September 2025
Dear friends,
As summer moves on and we begin to look toward autumn, I want to take a moment to give thanks for all that has been happening across our churches in East Lancashire Missional Partnership, and to share a word of encouragement as we look ahead.
Firstly, we rejoice in the wonderful news that we have collectively welcomed a new minister: Reverend Nomaqhawe Marambi to work alongside us. This is a genuine answer to prayer and a sign that God continues to lead and provide. We look forward to all that this new chapter will bring for our shared ministry.
At the same time, we continue as a missional partnership to brainstorm and explore the possibility of recruiting for the role of Family Worker, someone who can help us nurture and support the children and families in our communities. Please keep this in your prayers.
Most of our churches have been busy and faithful in ministry. Whether through Messy Church, Eco Church, Warm Hubs, or countless acts of kindness and hospitality, the love of Christ is being made visible in beautiful and practical ways. Thank you to everyone who is giving their time, energy, and hearts to these ministries.
In July, I had the privilege of attending the URC 2025 General Assembly. It was uplifting to witness churches being recognised for the impact they are making in their communities. We were also introduced to the 2025-2026 General Assembly Moderator, Catriona Wheeler who was inducted into office. Another high point of the General Assembly was the election of the Revd Neil Thorogood as GA Moderator for 2026–2027, a reminder of the strength and hope that runs through our wider church family.
As we head into August and September, whether you are taking time to rest or beginning to plan for the autumn, I encourage you to remain hopeful and prayerful. God is at work, often in quiet ways, but always faithfully. God is extremely interested in what we see through our “spiritual eyes.” If we have a vision for victory in our lives, we can rise to a new level. But if our gaze is on the ground instead of on the possibilities, we risk moving in the wrong direction and missing all the wonderful things God wants to do in and through us. Let us focus our minds for success. May we continually think positive thoughts of victory, of abundance, of favour, of hope. Let us choose to live with an attitude that expects good things to happen to us. Start your day with favour and set your mind in the right direction, then go out expecting the favour of God. With God you have good things coming. May the Holy Spirit refill
you and show you all the good things God has in store for you. Sow seeds of love, truth, and service, trusting that in God’s time, they will bear fruit.
With every blessing,
Your friend and Minister, Revd Gilbert
COMMUNITY MINISTERS LETTER – AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER 2025
Dear friends,
As I write this letter it doesn’t feel much like summer as it’s dank and raining, having said that the sun is trying to shine through yes that round orange thing in the sky. However some of the gardens around still look beautiful and there are amazing colours as you drive through countryside as I have done several times in recent weeks.
However, we still have a lot to be thankful for and much to be happy about as Jesus’ teaches us in His Sermon on the Mount’ in Matthew chapters 5, 6 and 7 which we know as the Beatitudes.
Some time ago I led a Bible Study on the Beatitudes and I used the following anonymous reading entitled ‘The smaller Beatitudes and several people were taken with this reading so I offer it to you as my letter to you to think about during the next few months and beyond.
Blessed are those who can laugh at themselves;
they will have no end of fun.
Blessed are those who can tell a mountain from a molehill;
they will be saved a lot of bother.
Blessed are those who know how to relax without looking for excuses;
they are on the way to becoming wise.
Blessed are those who know when to be quiet and listen;
they will learn a lot of new things.
Blessed are those who are sane enough not to take themselves too seriously;
they will be valued by those around them.
Happy are you if you can take small things seriously and face serious things calmly;
You will go far in life.
Happy are you if you can appreciate a smile and forget a frown;
You will walk on the sunny side of the street.
Happy are you if you can be kind in understanding the attitudes of others;
You may be taken for a fool, but this is the price of charity.
Happy are you if you know when to hold your tongue and smile;
the Gospel has begun to seep into your heart.
Blessed are they who think before acting and pray before thinking;
they avoid many blunders.
Blessed are those who recognise the Lord is in all whom they meet;
the light of truth shines in their lives: they have found true wisdom.
Whatever you do during the rest of the summer I pray that you will find good weather and a time to be still and know God, reflect on these beatitudes and find a space where you can recharge your batteries ready for the next stage of the journey which Jesus has planned for each one of us and our churches taking comfort in knowing that he will be with us every step of the way guiding us and taking care of our every need.
Shalom
From your friend and Community Minister.
Mal
Summer Holiday Club
The Summer Holiday Club being run by Cally’s daughter Carrie, in his memory, is now well underway. On the first day approximately 30 people (Children 5-11 years of age and adult carers of parents) attended all of whom enjoyed spending time doing painting, drawing, playing with toys, doing craft activities etc and sharing light refreshments. We as Westbury Gardens URC are so pleased to tell you that this important community work that is reaching out to children and young families in our neighbourhood is doing good work. Those coming to the holiday club are clearly enjoying it and are looking forward to more fun and games as it continues to run for 2 sessions a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays 11.00 pm – 12 noon with half an hour lunch break then from 12.30 to 1.30 pm) throughout August.
We at Westbury Gardens Church send Carrie, and her friends who are helping, our congratulations. We are very pleased to be able to help/support this important activity in Cally’s memory.
Judo at Westbury Gardens
The Judo Club held at Westbury Gardens, twice a week, has been doing this for about 25 years. Originally Judo was part of BEACH Sporting Club which was created by our church to help run a number of local youth football teams in response to local need. Whilst the Judo Club is now a separate entity, known as Club 62, we are pleased to recall that Judo was originally part of Beach Sporting Club and therefore part of our church and I know that they still feel that connection.
Under the guidance and enthusiasm of Joe Burns the Judo sessions have become a thriving separate club attracting lots of children and adults to Judo sessions twice a week, and at other times too. We therefore send our congratulations to Joe and all who help to run the Judo sessions so successfully over the last 25 years.
It is good to remember that we as a church have been, and are still, actively supporting the good work that the Judo Club does in so many ways for young and older people from our neighbourhood, and wider afield.
Lancashire East Missional Partnership (LEMP)
New Minister for our Missional Partnership
Great news! Our Missional Partnership has now got another Minister to work amongst us as the Rev’d Nomaqhawe Marambi (Rev’d Noma) has now accepted our ‘Call’ to become a minister working in our Missional Partnership alongside the Rev’d Gilbert and Mal Breeze our community minister. She will be living in a Manse in Blackburn where Adam used to live. Over coming weeks, she will be working towards coming to be with us and as she has 2 school aged children it will be important to her, and her family, that they arrange their schooling to start in the new school year at the beginning September. It is therefore expected that she will be with us from September onwards so an Induction service is being arranged during September. At present it is thought that this will take place at Great Harwood Methodist/URC on 20th September. More details and confirmation of the date will follow. We are looking forward to welcoming Rev’d Noma, and her family, as they come to be us.
Church Life Review
Our recent Missional Partnership meeting heard from Tim Hopley, Synod Clerk, and Elizabeth Hall who are both on our national church’s Church Life Review committee, about some of the work that is going on to address how we can best take our Church forward recognising that things are changing and we all need to do things differently. The Church Life Review is thinking hard about how best to help the local churches cope with the changes that are coming by providing, through the various Synods, help that our church congregations may need as they respond to the changing situations in their own churches. This will include help with employing people, managing financial needs and finding ways for this to happen across all 13 of our Synods. At present each Synod has their own ways of working so the review is looking to find new ways that take account of this by streamlining these ways to be more cost effective.
We in the North West Synod will be discussing this at a special meeting in October and will therefore be able to report more in our subsequent Newsletters. Clearly this is important work and we pray that new ways of working across the whole Church will help us all to respond to local needs as we each address changing situations in our own churches.
Way Forward
As you will remember we are thinking hard about the Way Forward for us as a church. The thinking so far following a meeting of the Elders, Gilbert and Mal is as follows –
- Support the South East Blackburn (SEB) Children’s Summer holiday club, 29th July twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays 11-12 noon – 12.30-1.30 pm starting on 29th July until the 21st August for children 5 – 11 years of age.
All agreed that we want to support SEB doing this good work as much as we can to make sure that all who come (young and older) feel welcome and appreciate the holiday club.
We have therefore secured a Synod grant of £150 to help pay for food and materials as needed and will work with and support the members of the SEB Holiday Club team.
- Sheila relayed information to us about a church she knew of which has provided hot chocolate drinks to local children as they passed the church on their way home from school. This had been appreciated by the children and helped to build up the church community connections and get to know the children. It was thought we may like to consider doing something similar in our local community.
- Services – It was agreed that we need to build up our use of new music during services, perhaps using videos to introduce us to new songs/hymns. It was also thought doing this would help us develop new services that appeal to a wider age range of people. Both Gilbert and Mal use videos when leading Worship/Prayers etc on Zoom and they may be able to help us investigate/use this idea further.
It was agreed that it might help our congregation get used to new tunes if these were played before the service so they are more easily remembered when used in a service. It was also agreed that we should encourage those leading worship to feel they have freedom to change the Order of Service that we currently use to help promote/develop new and different types of service.
It was also agreed to consider holding services at different times during the week that may suit people better than a Sunday morning and we will encourage the use of more contemplative worship and music from time to time.
- We agreed to re-introduce bringing the Bible in at the beginning of a service to signal that worship is about to start and conversations should stop and take it out again at the end of the service to show that we are taking the word of God out into the community.
- It was agreed to stop giving out verbal notices at the beginning of services and instead give out written notices after the service so they don’t distract us from the service and will be more easily remembered.
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