After 30 years of editing and presenting Outlook, and arranging for its widespread and expanding distribution in Great Dunmow and Barnston, Catherine Salmon is hanging up her editorial scissors. Thirty years is a very long time in any job, and Catherine has fulfilled this responsibility with a mixture of dogged perseverance, warm wit and good humour. For all this hard work, Catherine, we thank you very much indeed.

Characteristically, Catherine’s last edition is full of news of major celebrations in our churches. Christmas Services bring much that will be familiar – but this year there are also some fresh new opportunities to celebrate the coming of Jesus into this world. See the various articles in this edition for all the details.

January 1st will be a new start for Outlook, as with everything else. Outlook will look different, feel different, and be different. For the first time for a very long time it will be the product of an editorial team. It will still be produced by St Mary’s & St Andrew’s and issued freely to all the homes in our town and village, but after that everything will be new.

The A4 format of broadsheet will become an A5 booklet. Local firms are taking advertising space to promote their businesses. Church organisations will be submitting articles of interest to the wider community, and the style of material will be refreshed. There is much to look forward to.

However, that’s for the future – this month is about the difference that God made to this world when he sent Jesus. We celebrate his coming. We sing his praises. We pray for the world he loves. We look forward to bumper congregations sharing in this wonderful Good News.

Happy Christmas.