As many folks know, my wife and I stepped out to pioneer in the Stirling area in Jan 2020. The road map at that time wasn’t clear. We had a few folks around us who were keen to see a fresh Pentecostal work that was strong on Word and Spirit, and strong on the grassroots kind of fellowship that we see in the book of Acts. Our initial pioneering work had two strains: one was monthly Encounter meetings in partnership with Eric Scott (pastor of Perth Elim), these were held once a month in Auchterarder, and once a month in Stirling (Guide Hut). The plan was to give this three months and see what happened. Towards the end of those three months, Lockdown happened and Encounter style meetings would be off the cards because of Covid.
The second strain was a small group that met in our house in
Braco, Perthshire. It was clear to me at the start that it’s impossible to
plant a new church with ‘big’ monthly meetings alone. We need to build big and
small at the same time. The small group that met in Braco, soon became the
weekly mid-week meeting on Zoom. As the mid-week began to grow, and Lockdown
stretched on and on, we realised that we needed to meet on Sundays too.
It was during this time (towards the end of April) that we
formally became ‘Kairos Church’. Up until this point we had only really given a
name to the monthly outreaches (Encounter Meetings). On Sun 3rd May,
we had our first service, online, as Kairos Church.
In the midst of these developments there are people.
Connections made. Lives touched. People’s callings reconnected. And professions
of faith made.
In the summer of 2020 we saw the easing of Lockdown, and the
opportunity for the church to gather – albeit in a restricted capacity. During
this season we were unable to secure a hall hire in Stirling, but
providentially we were able to hire the Braco Hall.
It was during this time (September 27th 2020) that
we formally joined the Apostolic Church UK. I was ordained as a pastor in the
denomination, and our church plant was welcomed into the movement. We are not
just affiliated with the denomination, we are fully incorporated. I have to
say, this incorporation has been a blessing for me and Kairos. The benefit of
apostolic oversight, the network of pastors, administrative support for bank
accounts, Covid updates, financial accounts, insurance etc. etc. has been an
incredible blessing. Joining ACUK was a God-move.
As we come out of this second Lockdown, we have begun meeting in the Braco Hall again.
As a leadership, we have been conscious that we need to
secure a venue in Stirling. We realise that if we are going to make an impact
on the city, we need a hub 24/7 not just a hall for a couple of hours on a
Sunday. In light of this, we have started fundraising towards that end.
In the interim, a city centre hall has become available, and
it is also available during the week for drop-ins and that kind of thing. We
see this as an exciting next step. From the 9th May we will be
meeting at the Stirling Boys’ Club right in the centre of old Stirling, across
the road from the historic church of the Holy Rude – the second oldest building
in Stirling. The building is in the city centre, it’s at the top of the town
giving a good view of the city which gives it a sense of being a great place to
pray for the city. It helps to pray for a city when you can see the city. (I
wonder if that is why Jesus went to hill sides to pray?)
So we are at the start of a new season. We are encouraged by
the leading of the Spirit and the provision of God. We give thanks to God for
what he has already done, and all that he is going to do.
Soli Deo Gloria
