Queen's Park Baptist Church

Lets…’s Gs…’

office@qpbc.org (Queen's Park Baptist Church) — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 11:09:20 +0000

A long time ago I was invited to be part of a mission team to the USA. A church in the Edmonds area of Seattle had asked Bill Hog, then British Youth for Christ’s evangelist in Scotland, to bring a team out to do some detached street evangelism, prison work, and whatever else they could find for us to do.

Pike Street

One of the things the church had organised for us was to take a meeting at a mission on Pike Street.

At the bottom of Pike Street is the famous Pike Street Market which has featured as a backdrop or location in numerous films including Sleepless in Seattle, and The Vanishing to name two.

The part of the street we were in was less photogenic. The mission was below a strip joint. At first we could not get in to the mission because the police had a guy, spread eagle on the ground, with their guns pointed in his back. The mission reached out to anyone and everyone, but particularly the poor and marginalised.

We led the meeting, and people responded and were prayed for. But as we were packing up to go, a guy with a wee dog came in. The team got chatting to him.

The Guy with the Wee Dog

He’d a busted-up leg, so we prayed for healing and saw God touch him. But he needed more than his leg healed – he was homeless and needed a roof over his head that he could call home. We were in an unfamiliar city and were unable to provide a good solution to his homelessness problem. I felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

How was the good news of Jesus good news for this guy? He needed more than a prayer for his leg. He needed a home and a stable job.

My sense of helplessness and that the gospel of Jesus needed to meet all this guy’s needs and not just his spiritual need was visceral.

A Word

The next day the co-leader of our team came and said he felt God had given him a word for me. I’d not shared with anyone on the team my reaction to the guy with the dog at the mission. Ed (the name of the co-leader) said, “God sees you’re in turmoil and have loads of questions, but I believe he says to you that you need to learn to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).”

Lifelong Learning

As Ed shared it did not answer all my questions, nor did it conjure up a home for the struggling man. But it filled me with hope. God had seen my dismay that we could only scratch the surface of what the guy with the dog needed. And if God had seen my dismay, then surely God had also seen the needs of the guy.

Learning to walk by faith and not by sight is a daily, perhaps even hourly, lifelong learning

Luke 4

This experience, over 30 years ago, still feels fresh and was formational in multiple ways for me.

It means that I can never read our text for Sunday, Luke 4: 14 – 21, as just referring to spiritual poverty, blindness, captivity, or oppression. The good news of the kingdom, of “the year of the Lord’s favour” (v19) is practical and earthly as well as spiritual and heavenly.

Key to the passage is Jesus’ declaration that the Spirit of the Lord was upon him and had anointed him for a specific purpose. In John 20:21 Jesus says; ‘As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ This means you and I are sent with the Spirit of God upon us, and we are also anointed to minister as Jesus ministered.

What an incredible truth, a truth which I know I don’t always walk in and need to learn to do so more.

Put me to what you will

At my ordination, Rev. Dr. Deirdre Brower used what is known as the Wesleyan Covenant Prayer. It is a prayer of commitment and availability to be who God needs us to be and has called us to me in any and every circumstance we find ourselves in.

It is a prayer which reminds me that I’m sent as Jesus was sent, and so the Spirit of the Lord rests on me, rests on us, to proclaim the good news of the kingdom.

Here is the prayer:

I am no longer my own, but yours.

Put me to what you will, place me with whom you will.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be put to work for you or set aside for you,

Praised for you or criticised for you.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and fully surrender all things to your glory and service.

And now, O wonderful and holy God,

Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer,

you are mine, and I am yours.

So be it.

Amen

See you Sunday.

Brodie

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office@qpbc.org (Queen's Park Baptist Church) — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:58:30 +0000

Frequently, word will reach me that someone whom I’ve never met, but in one way or another has impacted or influenced my life, has died. This week, I was saddened to learn of the death of author/poet/environmentalist/activist/thinker/Kentucky farmer, Wendell Berry.

I’d written the Wednesday Morning Office for 2nd September several weeks ago and included in it Wendell’s poem The Peace of Wild Things to aid our reflection on Matthew 6:25–34 about not worrying. This seems all the more poignant now.

Key to all of Wendell’s writing, be it his novels, essays, or poetry, are the ideas of place, soil, and planting. His love for the land he farmed was not sentimental, but worshipful as he understood the deep connections between God as creator, and how this flows into our understanding of place, how we tend the soil, what we plant in the earth, and what we allow to be planted in our souls.

These themes of Wendell’s life and writings drew me back to Iain’s sermon on Sunday and in particular his section on “Take ground: The Soul.”

Soul Soil

Taking ground through caring for our soul makes me think of the parable of the sower and the soil (Matthew 13:1 – 23; Mark 4: 1- 20; Luke 8:4 – 15).

I don’t know about you, but more often than not, when I’ve read this parable I’ve read it evangelistically, i.e. as about sharing the gospel with someone. But that is only half the story, for the parable is about discipleship.

Eugene Peterson called discipleship “a long obedience in the same direction.” He even wrote a book with this as its title, read it, it will nourish your soul!

Discipleship includes evangelism, our sharing the good news of Jesus is a key way we grow in our faith. Yet, growing in our faith, also requires care of the soil of our soul, care which includes obedience and faithfulness (i.e. in the same direction). It is not either/or but both /and.

Obedience

Yet, obedience to the commands of Jesus does not always come easy. Sticking with the imagery of Jesus’ parable, often we are like soil which is rocky, dry, full of thorns. That results in obedience to Jesus which is patchy or sporadic.

Wretched man that I am!

It can feel that we are caught in a bind given obedience cultivates good and rich soil, yet obedience needs good and rich soil to flourish. No wonder the apostle Paul cries out “ I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me?” (Romans 7:24 The Message).

Paul answers his own question for us by exclaiming, “The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does.”

Keeping in Step

That the Bible tells us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus lays bare the truth that even while we desire to follow Jesus, we can be easily distracted and not fix our eyes on him. I’ve really appreciated and benefited from learning a slowed down spirituality through Emotionally Healthy Discipleship (EHD) which prioritises being with Jesus before doing for Jesus.

To stick with the imagery from the parable, EHD has given me some tools to get rid of some rocks, break up some hard ground and pull out some weeds.

A good number of you have already done either Part 1 or Part 2 of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, and I know from some of the feedback that many of you have also found it incredibly helpful in tending to the soil of your life that Christ may grow richly in you for the sake of his mission in this world.

I’m planning to run Emotionally Healthy Spirituality which is the first part of Emotionally Healthy Discipleship this autumn. So far, we’ve run this on a Saturday morning, but that excludes many people. In a move to try and make this available to those who can’t make a Saturday morning it will run on a weekday evening and take place on Zoom which saves on travelling time and hopefully makes it a possibility for those who need childcare. Details about this will be in the update soon, so watch this space.

This Sunday

Our new Autumn preaching series formally kicks off Sunday 13th when we will pick up the “Let’s Go” theme Iain introduced last week. This week we are sticking with “Let’s” and a word beginning with “G” Let’s Grow. So, basing ourselves in Acts 2:42 – 47 we are going to think about “Let’s Grow” and how three key practices of the Christian life help us grow in Christ and witness to Christ as saviour, so others come to Christ, know the life he gives, and grow in him also.

Let me end with a poem from Wendell Berry. If you click on the title you can listen to Wendell read the poem for you.

The Man Born to Farming

The grower of trees, the gardener, the man born to farming,

whose hands reach into the ground and sprout,

to him the soil is a divine drug. He enters into death

yearly, and comes back rejoicing. He has seen the light lie down

in the dung heap, and rise again in the corn.

His thought passes along the row ends like a mole.

What miraculous seed has he swallowed

that the unending sentence of his love flows out of his mouth

like a vine clinging in the sunlight, and like water

descending in the dark?

Grace and peace. Brodie

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A Day in the Life of a Lead Pastor

office@qpbc.org (Queen's Park Baptist Church) — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:38:45 +0000

So, in this blog I am supposed to tell you about my day and what I get up to! Of course, no two days are the same for a pastor so let me offer you a smattering of what’s going on this week.

My week kicks off with a coffee and a fresh page of my notebook: dated and entitled “to do”. I write up my (expanding) list and draw nice big boxes to tick off my achievements. This week I have a funeral and Sunday sermon preparation at the top of the list. Many years ago, a wise person illustrated their planning with a bucket, sand, rocks and pebbles. “How do you get everything in?” they asked. The answer: biggest stones first then pebbles and sand. Try it for yourself.

So, I make space for the big, unseen, God focussed items first. There are always many noisy nagging little demands and distractions begging for attention, but I fight them off and fit them around the other stuff.

It is an immense privilege and awesome responsibility to deliver God’s word week by week. It’s one I take very seriously and carve out focussed and uninterrupted time as a weekly priority. It seems even more vital in today’s world that QPBC is a church of Word and Spirit, anchored solidly in scripture and empowered by the Spirit. So, I like to get into sermon preparation on a Monday morning if possible. That way thoughts and prayers are percolating through my head throughout the whole week. It’s not something I find natural or easy, so some weeks my brain is a furious whirlwind as I cry out to God asking, “what on earth do you want me to say about this?”. Usually there is a turning point when my anguish turns to revelation and an assurance of the Spirit that this is where things are going.

To remain fresh and not simply repeat the QP back catalogue I read more generally, take notes and squirrel away my thoughts and reflections for a moment when they might be required. Currently I am working my way through “The Unseen Realm” by Michael J Heiser and learning about the Nephilim and Rephaim, and other strange and supernatural creatures of the Old Testament… Coming to a sermon near you soon!

On the list this week is leading a funeral, and time to plan our Sunday prayer to kick off Prayer Surge (12:30pm in the sanctuary area after the service: come and join in!). This blog was not on my list… but our Tuesday afternoon team meeting is a great reminder of who is doing what this week.

Like many of you, every day includes digital whack-a-mole with emails, WhatsApps and every form of messaging just shy of pigeon-post streaming into all manner of digital inboxes. Don’t believe what you hear! Most of you are super-nice and encouraging in your correspondence.

This is also annual staff review season, so I am meeting with our SLT and some of our lovely staff to discuss what they are up to and why! This week we also have an extra SLT meeting – you can pray for us – it’s tonight (Thursday) and I had minutes and agendas and papers to get out to everyone and we have some decisions to make!

Planning events, gathering teams and publicising what we are doing together is a big role for our staff in a church like QPBC. So, I am grateful to be assisting Nick Fletcher with Alpha and not carrying it all myself – thanks Nick! This week we have a training evening.

Most weeks you will find me trying to find a parking space at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital or some other health establishment, or popping in to see someone at home.

Did I mention there is a sermon and blog (!) to do?

Somewhere in this, Anne and I may find time for a walk together and I may even get a couple of runs in to resist the creeping tide of physical decrepitude. I am generally good at taking my days off so we may see our kids or hack back the jungle that we call a garden.

Of course I could not get through this week on my own. So, this week the blog comes sponsored and supported by

The Macaulay family, the QP team, the power of the Holy Spirit and many great cups of coffee.

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My Cup Runneth Over

office@qpbc.org (Queen's Park Baptist Church) — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 10:52:07 +0000

I wonder if you have noticed a theme, a common thread, in the blogs by Angela, Mairi, Fiona, Josh, and Corrin over these past weeks?

Ok, no prizes for saying “a day in the life of someone who works at QPBC”. The common thread I have noticed is that there is no such thing as a typical day, and that is very true of my role.

My official title is Pastor of Community and Mission. In QPBC language, ‘Community’ means QPBC Community and this includes discipleship, pastoral care, small groups, School of Leadership etc. Mission hopefully is self-explanatory.

The photo above tries to capture some of what I may get up to in any given day or week. There is also much which is not in the photo as it would be inappropriate to photograph many of the things a pastor does.

There are lots of other people in most of these photos. “The job” after all, is about people. What these photos don’t capture is the emails, phone calls, meetings, typing up notes from meetings, WhatsApps, Teams messages, face-to-face conversations, having a meeting about the meeting we had, editing videos, searching for resources, disappearing down rabbit holes, praying and thinking, reading, bouncing ideas off people, sermon prep, working on the run sheet for Sunday, putting together the speakers rota for The Gathering, editing the rota for The Gathering, meetings with ministry leaders, writing the blog, which allows the stuff people see to happen!

What’s missing from this list is …cups of tea (not coffee – coffee makes me ill!). So, the photo above includes an image a pastor in New York posted on Unsplashed of a cup with my cup runneth over embossed on it. This can of course be taken two ways i.e. My cup runneth over = I’ve got too much to do to fit into any given day, week, month, year, or, My Cup runneth over = I am so blessed to do what I do. One need not exclude the other!

One of the reasons my cup runneth over is all of this activity happens in the context of teams: the staff team, the Gathering Team, the Pastoral Visiting Team, the SLT, the Community Sector, the Missions Sector, the School of Leadership Team …the list goes on.

Teams remind me of my godly limitations. God has not called any of us to do everything. He has placed us in local expressions of the body of Christ, the church, given us different gifts and abilities, fitted us together as living stones to build each other up in the Lord. Vitally, crucially, he has empowered us by His Spirit. I have a part to play, and you also have a part to play, in God building His church.

Oftentimes, this can lead to busyness, but busyness is not a good metric of “success” or “flourishing” or “blessing”. If the list above communicates busyness, then that’s not my intention. My days and weeks are full, but as we’ve been learning in the Emotionally Healthy courses, our doing needs to flow from a place of being with God. That is a continual “work-on”, but spending time with God means – on the whole – my cup is full, it runneth over.

I am blessed and privileged to serve as one of your pastors. I’m blessed to call QPBC my home and you my brothers and sisters in Christ. My cup runneth over …surely goodness and hesed shall pursue me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord (whether you are employing me or not!) my whole life long.

Grace and peace.

Brodie

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A Day in the Life of a Church Officer

office@qpbc.org (Queen's Park Baptist Church) — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:41:23 +0000

“You’re always really busy on a Sunday, what do you actually do?”
I was asked this last Sunday… before it got really busy as usual.

I’m Angela – if you don’t know me, look for the colour yellow or listen for someone talking about their tortoise, and you’ll find me.

Pre-service:
I’m always first in, unlocking doors and ensuring the church building is fully prepared for worship.
I check several operational duties on my list such as checking heating and lighting are sufficient, reserving accessible parking spaces, and making sure the place looks as welcoming as possible. There’s also the weekly pigeon waltz where I clean up the front steps. When they’re not flying around the hall, they’re mistaking our steps for the loos.

During the service:
I prepare post-service refreshments and whilst the coffee is perking I set out the biccies and cakes with any available Service team.
I generally monitor all is OK for everyone e.g. I check with the service team all’s well, the creche is still cosy, the loos are still clean and tidy, and the folk I encounter are welcomed.
As well as being a First Aider, I’m also an Evacuation Officer which means I work with the Service team to ensure all people are safely evacuated in the case of an emergency.

In 1 Corinthians 12:27 we are Christ’s body, and as I am here to support and help care for the congregation within the church building, I can be connective tissue behind the scenes as part of the operational work, to help those who help run the service i.e. the pastors, worship team, sound guys, group leaders, the service teams and everyone in God’s hoose.

It’s a very unusual job pace-wise. It starts very quietly when I open up by myself, then various teams arrive to set up then woooosh it’s suddenly packed as folk come to worship, some needing direction to relevant people, or items needing to be found. Sometimes, extra tasks are added such as prep for baptism, making sure the tank is filled and warmed to suit.

Post-service:
Service teams assist with refreshments and it’s kept busy whilst folk chat everywhere in the building whilst I liaise as needed, supporting who needs what, whether it’s a coffee or a chat.

Afterwards when folk are leaving I stay to finalise closing up, cleaning up and locking up. I’m always last out, and it’s quiet again.
I’m usually on duty as a solo church officer but I always feel part of a very supportive team so although I’m on my own I’m not by myself, and enjoy the lively atmosphere as well as the stillness before and after.

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A Week in the Life of Josh Silver

office@qpbc.org (Queen's Park Baptist Church) — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 10:51:45 +0000

A couple of months into the role here in early 2023 the Holy Spirit came upon me as I drove by swarms of high school pupils leaving Hillpark High School.

I pulled over the car in tears and I was marked by God’s heart to see the emerging generations turn to Jesus and see them turn from the things of this world.

Each day here serving our young people is an adventure. I often descend to the prayer room and seek the Lord first thing. Looking after P7s – late 20s means seeking God’s will and a lot of differentiation/creativity in planning. We take time to mix pizza and snacks fun with worship, discipleship and spiritual renewal. This means that most days involve a combination of planning between myself, our brilliant youth leaders and our older youth. Our volunteer team of youth leaders give so much of their time, gifts and heart to Jesus in serving our youth – and cover my many blind spots!

During term-time we run 2 fortnightly lifegroups: P7-S3s (Sundays) and S3-S6s (Sundays) which involve games, fellowship, Bible study, prayer and ministry. We also run our weekly Young Adult Hub which is a space for young adults to grow in fellowship, encounter Jesus through His Word and presence and to be equipped, activated and released into the mission of God in their context. Taking place between church and homes this involves slowing down to be present with Jesus and each other.

On Sunday mornings we have our youth group which meets during the service. This involves myself and a team of youth leaders setting up in the Point from 9:30am and delivering a lively session with fellowship, a game, worship, Bible teaching, group discussion and prayer. We as a team enjoy checking in with as many youth as possible to hear about school, hobbies, key life moments, mundane weeks, their faith journey and often to chinwag about the football results. It is also a joyful part of my day when I get to connect with our amazing team of youth leaders. We pray, plan and reflect together – and we get to do life together! This has facilitated a deep culture of discipleship where we encourage one another and build each other up in Jesus.

Tuesday afternoon is our staff meeting where we meet to discuss plans and reflect together. An hour or 2 most days is spent checking on rotas, WhatsApp messages, phone calls and emails. Weekly admin is devoted to Magnitude worship nights, the Magnitude summer festivals and our youth weekend away.

Throughout the week I also have the pleasure of meeting with a couple of the young lads here and pouring into them. I enjoy sharing life with them – listening, advising, reading the Word together and praying. This takes place in the church, in cafes and homes. Sometimes we head out together to share the good news of Jesus with those around us. I am also mentored by two amazing men of God (one within QP and one out with).

Partner ministries through the week provide support to fellow youth leaders by praying and connecting. I also support youth and young adult ministries which work to bless the body which includes zoom calls.

Study – for the past year I have had a day dedicated to theological study which I have loved. This has involved lots of reading, learning in a weekly evening class and online zoom tutorials. Writing has ranged from Christology to 4th century martyrdom and from church leadership to man and woman in Genesis.

My heart is for all young people to live and know the truth of Psalm 34:8 – “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” To know Christ and Christ crucified.

I also long to see young people moving in the power of the Holy Spirit in all areas of their life, including being led by His voice. Jeremiah 1:7 says- “But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.”

This move of God that we see is inviting us to put Jesus on the throne of our lives with a faceless church that points to Him. Young people are driving this!

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Miscellaneous

office@qpbc.org (Queen's Park Baptist Church) — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 11:50:48 +0000

Recently I was out with my sister, and she asked me the question: “So what is it that you actually do?”
I get this a lot.
When I tell people what I do, it’s usually followed by: “why does a church need social media?” “What do you even do in a day?”
I explained some of my daily tasks to my sister when she asked this, and some other things I’ve gotten up to at work, and she said “Ok so your job is just miscellaneous then?”
Yeah… pretty much.

You never know what a day is going to bring. I can’t plan or prepare for many things, so I try to pray to start the day and ask that whatever I do today is what God wants.
A regular day? There’s no such thing!
It will usually begin with taking time to answer emails, check in with our social media platforms, and checking the calendar. If we have external bookings, rooms in use, or groups coming in to use the buildings, I’ll check in with these groups or staff and prepare the rooms they’ll be using.
I also check in with our lovely office volunteers and the wonderful Fiona. We all look after each other and work well together, making sure we’re as prepared as we can be for what the day brings – groups, visitors, friends, and many questions.

Much of my day will be spent answering enquiries, whether this be through emails, phone calls, or welcoming people through the door. Our visitors can be anyone from our church members to people walking by just interested in the building, to the many people armed with a ladder and a screwdriver to fix something, to those who see a church as a place of help and sanctuary. I am often able to point someone in the direction of the food bank, give contact details for Glasgow City Mission, or make myself available for a chat for those who are in need.
There are also those daily unpredictable visitors and questions – a recent one being “Hi there, can you check the date on my chewing gum packet?”

The other parts of the day you can find me sitting at the computer updating our website, sorting documents, general admin, and the pastors’ favourite part… creating posts for our social media. When they receive the ‘Morning, do you have 10 minutes today to film a video?’ message, they very graciously don’t run and hide! I love finding creative ways to share the gospel or about the life of our church, and more often than not, God shows me that He’s been in the creative and decision making process behind each post.

Each day working in the office is a privilege, and I think I say the phrase ‘every day is a school day’ every single day! I’m incredibly grateful that God has placed me here. This job and this church have strengthened my faith not only in God, but in His people. I can see His love in the people I meet and with those who interact online, and through this I learn more how to love those people with a Christ-like love too.

‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’ – John 13:34-35

P.S. let me know if you ever have 10 minutes to film a video!

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A Day in the Life – Mairi Greenshields

office@qpbc.org (Queen's Park Baptist Church) — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 09:22:50 +0000

I was kneeling on the floor chatting and playing with a group of children one Sunday. A child was standing beside me patting my head. “Mairi, why can I ask you a question?” said the young child. “Of course!” “Why is your hair so grey?” Being around kids is a joy, but it also keeps you humble!

As Pastor for Children and Families, my time is spent in a variety of different ways often with lots of different people of different ages.

During termtime on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the day starts with setting up Pollok ready to welcome the children and adults for Playtime or BabyPlay. The team are a well-oiled machine as we put out toys and activities, prepare snack for the kids and teas and coffees for the adults. Once set up we pray together and get ready for everyone arriving at 10am (sometimes sooner!) The time goes quickly as we chat with the adults and play and talk with the kids. Before you know it, it’s tidy up time, followed by snack time and then songs and a bible story to finish. We love to see how everyone lingers to chat at the end of the session while they get the kids organised. Once the families are away everyone mucks in to tidy away toys, sort dishes, hoover the room and get it tidy, ready for the next group to use the space.

Tuesday afternoon is staff meeting when we gather as a team to reflect on the week that’s gone and plan for the week ahead. Wednesdays and Thursday afternoons are my times to plan and prepare for QPKids groups (and/or Messy Church or even an All-In service), catch up with emails and admin (rotas, ChurchSuite admin, printing, risk assessments, paperwork for the various groups), do some pastoral visits or catch ups, pick up snacks and supplies for various groups/activities, and so on.

On those Sundays when my lovely family are not serving in other areas, they help to set up the toys in the Sanctuary, check the basement toys and set up the tech we use in the large lounge and the hall, while I put all the supplies in the rooms ready for the teams. Once teams start arriving at 10am, I check in on each group to touch base and make sure they have everything they need for that morning. Most Sundays I will serve in a group, especially if we are short on team. If I am not needed to stay, I will check in on each group a couple of times through the service to make sure everything is going okay and nothing else is needed. This is a great chance to say hello to the kids!
When it comes to school holidays the daily routine looks a bit different. No toddler groups means time to get everything ready for the new term, practically and spiritually. Into the usual admin mix goes restocking supplies, researching resources, curriculum and admin preparation for the coming school year and cleaning cupboards (please let me know if you would like to give me a hand with this last one- all offers gratefully received!). If I am not away on holiday then I lead the joint Adventurers and Explorers group on a Sunday with a small team made up of existing team members (giving generously of their time off) and parents/carers.

Just last week (after a morning of sorting cupboards with Helen Williams -thanks for the help, Helen!) I was reminded of these verses in Colossians 3

“23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.”

What a great reminder that whatever task we are putting our hand to, even if it mundane or ordinary (like cleaning cupboards), is serving Jesus, if we do it with the right attitude.

As I reflected on these verses, I was reminded of another verse, Psalm 127: 3,

Children are a gift* from the Lord;
they are a reward from him.

*some versions use the word inheritance

The children in our families, in our church family, that we welcome into QPKids, Messy Church, Playtime, BabyPlay and so many other places in our church life are a gift from God and are to be treasured. I am so grateful to God for the part I get to play in nurturing that precious gift and for all those who play their part in welcoming children and families just as Jesus asked us to.

See you Sunday!

Mairi

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A Day in the Life

office@qpbc.org (Queen's Park Baptist Church) — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:44:57 +0000

“Fi! There’s a bird flying in the sanctuary! Oh no, it’s now stuck above the kitchen ceiling!”

Let me give you a little insight into what a “day in the life” as the QP Operations Manager can look like. It is hard to capture it all, as no two days are ever the same, but this should give you a flavour of what my days can involve. My responsibilities cover a wide range of operational areas, including buildings and facilities management, personnel management, office management, financial and HR systems, communication and events coordination. Although these areas are distinct, on any given day my time is often split between them all.

As most of you will know, the office is located at The Point. Some days, I’m the first one there, so I open up the building, check the heating has come on (it can be temperamental), check for leaks or funny smells, and unlock the front door. From that moment on, you never know who will be ringing the bell throughout the day.

Once at my desk, I check what’s on the calendar for the day. We have regular external bookings at The Point, alongside our own Babyplay/Playtime, Renew Wellbeing Café, Life and Soul, etc. Corrin, the office volunteers and I catch up and make sure the rooms are ready for the groups coming in.

Once we are happy with what we know lies ahead for the day, I can begin to focus on my own work. I try to dedicate time to reading and replying to emails as early as possible, before the office gets too busy.

A big part of my day involves building management. We are blessed to have two magnificent buildings. However, they can cause problems and can keep you awake at night. I am so thankful for the Enabling Group and the Fabric Group for their support and work, as I couldn’t do it without them. Very often, I meet with a contractor to discuss an issue or get a quote for a specific repair or building project. Most of the time, it is for the Camphill building, so I walk over and enjoy some fresh air. There, I am met by our Church Officer, Davood, who is in Monday to Friday taking care of our building. We catch up, look at what’s happening during the week or weekend, and plan accordingly. The Camphill building also has regular events throughout the week, such as The Gathering, the Ladies Fellowship, the English Conversation Café, Park Run Café and an external dance class group. I make a note of supplies that need topping up and order from a range of suppliers. Weekly, during term time, we can have over 500 people at Camphill and 200 people at The Point. That’s a lot of tea bags, milk, toilet rolls and cleaning products.

Back in the office, I review risk assessments, focus on a specific aspect of our operational strategies and try to refine it, talk to our insurance broker, manage contracts with third party suppliers/contractors, and ensure bills are forwarded to the Finance Team to be paid. I’m regularly on the phone to our plumber to fix an issue with one of our nine boilers or toilets. One minute, I can be talking about sludge or air build-up, and the next I’m organising a games night for Global Focus. I catch up with our volunteer coordinators, and we plan events, message volunteers, discuss cleaning rotas, etc. Lunch gets squeezed in either in the kitchen or outside on a sunny day. Then with the rest of the staff team, we plan the weekend events/services and catch up every day. I’m also in touch weekly with the Enabling Group (part of the SLT). We review quotes, talk about projects, repairs and prioritise accordingly.

A final check in with Corrin and those around and just like that, it’s time to go home, via nursery, and enjoy some quality time with the family.

Like in any job, there are always unforeseen events or incidents, such as a bird making its way into the sanctuary a few hours before a big event and then getting stuck above the kitchen ceiling. There are also unwanted rodents visiting the sites, far too many pigeons, and the occasional invasion of ladybirds up in the gallery.

My goal every day is to make sure that our office runs smoothly, that our buildings are safe, and that every person who enters is welcomed and loved. Multi-tasking is key, and each day requires flexibility and focus, from the big things right down to the smallest details. Again, I couldn’t do it without the support and hard work of our amazing staff team and volunteers. On a daily basis, I am reminded of the words of Paul in Romans 12: 4 “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

We are all part of the same body, and it is a privilege for me to play my part as the Operations Manager. Even on the busiest or most unexpected days, I am grateful to see how each person’s contribution matters, and how together we strive to make QP a welcoming and caring place to encounter God.

Fiona

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Unsung Heroes

office@qpbc.org (Queen's Park Baptist Church) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 10:39:58 +0000

Summer is here. The schools have broken up for the of term, uni students are desperately looking for summer jobs, and many people will be heading off on holiday.

The Living is easy?

Gershwin in his famous song Summertime tells us that in this season the “living is easy” [FYI – the lyrics were by DuBose Heyward, not Gershwin]. While summer can certainly be an opportunity to “re-charge our batteries,” I wonder if we take the “living is easy” vibe into our relationship with God and switch off a little? It is certainly a temptation, but it would be a mistake – for God wants to meet with us as powerfully in July as He does in January.

Unsung Heros

While we don’t want to “slack off” over summer, it is an opportunity to do things a little differently.
This week we’ll kick off our Summer Sunday Morning preaching series which we are calling Unsung Heros.
Narrowing down the unsung heroes in the Bible is no mean feat. There are too many to list, so please don’t be too disappointed if your favourite unsung biblical hero does not feature in our summer series!

Sarah

This week we will think briefly about Sarah (previously Sari). Her story runs from Genesis 11:29 through to Genesis 23 where we read of her death and burial by Abraham. While she comes in and out of the narrative as a named person, her story is so entwined with the story of Abraham, Hagar, Ishmael and Isaac, that she is never far from our thoughts. Indeed, there are times, Genesis 22 in particular, where her absence from the story raises lots of question – where was she, did she know what was happening, did she consent to this? – questions to which we can give no definitive answer.

Our Focus

Our focus this Sunday will be those aspects of Sarah’s story where she is not hidden in the narrative but is visible. While Sarah’s appearances are brief, what emerges is the story of a complex character who, despite the position of privilege and power she holds within the confines of the patriarchal structures and culture of her day, knows God’s grace and enjoys divine favour in very trying circumstances.

That’s not All

The sermons as part of this series will be shorter than normal (not that the sermons are normally long!). Not because these unsung heroes are unimportant, or because “the living is easy”, but because we want to ground the series through hearing the testimony of what God is doing today.

So, this Sunday we’ll hear from a couple of people as well as the sermon.

See you on Sunday.

Brodie

PS. For a bit of fun, which version of Gershwin’s Summertime is do you like best?

Option A

Option B

Option C

Option D

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