This month the Queen makes history by celebrating her Platinum Jubilee. 70 years in the job!
We join with millions across Britain and the Commonwealth who thank God for Queen Elizabeth’s dedication, wisdom, and steadfastness over the past seven decades.
The world has changed so much since 1952. But through it all, our Queen has kept her long-ago promise to the British people, to serve them with all her heart and might. And, because the Queen is a Christian, we know that God has honoured her and helped her in her role.
Truly, God has blessed Queen Elizabeth II, and we thank Him for her.
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Meanwhile, we are celebrating another, rather more modest anniversary this month:
With this June issue, Parish Pump celebrates exactly 23 years in existence.
23 years is breaks down into 276 issues of Parish Pump. That may not sound like much, but as Anne, the editor, has not had a month off since May 1999, it sometimes seems like a long time, to her anyway. (Though of course, she still has 47 years to go before she can beat the Queen’s record!)
During the past 23 years Parish Pump has found it thrilling to learn how God is using the talents of YOU, Christians with a passion for communicating the Christian faith, to produce magazines for your churches and communities, both here at home and abroad.
You, as a church magazine editor, remind us of the verse in Acts:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NIV UK)
Because you really do have spiritual power, and you really do reach the ends of the earth as His witnesses. We have discovered that there are church magazine editors in English-speaking churches not just throughout the UK, but also as far as Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and even Borneo!
In each church, wherever you are in the world, YOU have the great privilege of being an on-going witness to the risen power and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. What a wonderful thing to celebrate in the month of Pentecost!
We pray for the success of your on-going publishing ministry at this happy time of Pentecost and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
warm wishes from Anne Coomes and the Parish Pump Team