Gilcomston Church

Monthly letter – May 2026

Any Given Sunday

Dear brothers and sisters,

At a minister’s conference I was once asked to imagine church as a castle. I was then asked whether on Sundays, the drawbridge to the castle was up or down? In other words, are our weekly gatherings only for those inside the castle, or are they for anyone and everyone?

The answer is that the church gathers to worship the LORD of heaven and earth, and so the primary reason we gather is to worship God. We hear the preaching of His Word, we sing the praises of His name, and we are fed by the sacraments given to us by His gracious hand. But in His great wisdom the LORD has made the preaching of His Word and the praising of His name amongst the people of His kingdom, to be the most attractional force for good in the world. The gathered church is arguably the single most effective means of evangelism. The apostle Paul assumes the presence of unbelievers whenever the church gathers:

“23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.”- 1 Corinthians 14:23-25.

I want to encourage you to have this mindset amongst yourselves – that #AnyGivenSunday is a great Sunday to invite someone to come to church. It might just be the best thing you can do for that person. The gathered Church is an incredibly effective tool in evangelism, because people get to hear the Gospel and be amongst a people who believe in the Gospel! The gathered church is a place where burdens are lifted in the power of the Spirit – burdens of sin, burdens of loneliness, guilt, shame, broken relationships, broken marriages, all these can be mended by Christ. As the church gathers to worship God it is functioning as it ought, and providing a means of grace to everyone in earshot. It can be a taste of heaven on earth, a garden amidst a wilderness, an oasis in the desert. And we have the privilege of experiencing this every single Lord’s Day.

So don’t be shy. Invite everyone you know #AnyGivenSunday.

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Nathan

Any Given Sunday

Dear brothers and sisters,

At a minister’s conference I was once asked to imagine church as a castle. I was then asked whether on Sundays, the drawbridge to the castle was up or down? In other words, are our weekly gatherings only for those inside the castle, or are they for anyone and everyone?

The answer is that the church gathers to worship the LORD of heaven and earth, and so the primary reason we gather is to worship God. We hear the preaching of His Word, we sing the praises of His name, and we are fed by the sacraments given to us by His gracious hand. But in His great wisdom the LORD has made the preaching of His Word and the praising of His name amongst the people of His kingdom, to be the most attractional force for good in the world. The gathered church is arguably the single most effective means of evangelism. The apostle Paul assumes the presence of unbelievers whenever the church gathers:

“23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.”- 1 Corinthians 14:23-25.

I want to encourage you to have this mindset amongst yourselves – that #AnyGivenSunday is a great Sunday to invite someone to come to church. It might just be the best thing you can do for that person. The gathered Church is an incredibly effective tool in evangelism, because people get to hear the Gospel and be amongst a people who believe in the Gospel! The gathered church is a place where burdens are lifted in the power of the Spirit – burdens of sin, burdens of loneliness, guilt, shame, broken relationships, broken marriages, all these can be mended by Christ. As the church gathers to worship God it is functioning as it ought, and providing a means of grace to everyone in earshot. It can be a taste of heaven on earth, a garden amidst a wilderness, an oasis in the desert. And we have the privilege of experiencing this every single Lord’s Day.

So don’t be shy. Invite everyone you know #AnyGivenSunday.

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Nathan