Over the years I have become aware of the different ways that churches engage with local community events.  The Glasgow West End Festival is one in which the Gathering Place has a very long track record of hosting excellent, well attended events.  This year, after a gap of a few years, the Mardi Gras parade will pass the end of our road, with the main road being closed pretty much all day, and a fortnight later a national cycle road race will mean more road closures and hundreds of cyclists whizzing by with a few tens of yards of our front door.

On a bit of a whim, and based on what I have seen other churches do very successfully, I unilaterally suggested that we put up a sign saying "free, clean toilets" and have one or two people on hand to oversee that.  I am really pleased that enough folk have volunteered to staff the first of these - and that more are on hand for the second.

We had two choices when we heard the roads were closed - to sulk and protest about how it made life difficult for us, or to say, what can we do to make this better for others.  I feel we have made a good choice.

♫ ♫ When Festival came to Sheepfold St, ♫ ♫

♪ ♪ Let my people go! ♫ ♫

♪ ♫ With free, clean loos and baby change ♫ ♫

♪ ♪ Let my people go! ♫ ♪

♫ ♪ Smiling, friendly, church folk to meet and greet...  ♪ ♫

♫ ♫ It is mission to ♪ ♫

♪ ♪ let my people go!! ♫ ♫

Demob happy?  Moi?  You betcha!  (But I am on the loo watch rota!)