Neil's blog

After pre-season training at Killie last week I’ve been feeling my full 48 years and more! I did my best to keep up with the running pace and managed to give some of the unfit stragglers a fright or two, breathing down their necks. I took the week off to spend time with the new crew in charge of Killie’s small, but hopefully growing, squad, as they up fitness levels and focus on a new season in the SPL. Both Mixu & Kenny (manager & assistant manager) are great blokes with new life, fresh ideas and a clear view of what they want out of the players. It’ll be another hard season but I have every confidence in them to do well!

The rest of the week was spent with my darling wife chilling out on dog walks, at the cinema, lunches out & a day trip to the island of Bute & the spectacular Mount Stuart House & grounds. The week was topped nicely with a full manse to watch the World Cup final.

I’ve still another few weeks of holiday time to take before the new church season starts in September, which leaves me with about 4 weeks pre-season planning and preparing before the ‘silly season’ of congregational life, outreach & discipleship start again. Like Killie’s new season our churches face fresh challenges too. One of the exciting prospects in Irvine is a united churches Alpha Course. Next week we meet to pray for people to find faith in Jesus and join His Team, through Alpha. How do we best do pre-season for Alpha? Surely it’s our daily loving and caring for colleagues, neighbours, family and friends, that get people closer to an Alpha Course and saying ‘Yes’ to Jesus. It’s living the faith in daily life that intrigues people into seeking the Source.

So, let’s get into pre-season training with Christ, truly walking the talk, that those we invite to courses like Alpha will want to check it out, and that we may see a wheen of folk finding in Jesus their joy, hope and peace, life in all its fullness! Now that really is something worth training for!!!