No.58 19th September 2025
Hi, hope this finds you well.
Couple of things to focus on this week which were picked up from last Sunday's morning and evening services...
First of all we are looking ahead to a couple of weeks where the Sunday mornings will pick up the theme of prayer. You can read about this below and it dovetails well with the suggested list of things we can pray for our fellowship - these were in last week's mag but I've put in again as last Sunday morning Scott pointed out that by taking the way of the Cross, Jesus showed that we needed much more than just quick fixes in our life - we needed spiritual life and a relationship with God to be restored because of our natural 'deadness' and that his death was the way this could be provided.
How does that short list compare with the sort of things which are regularly on our minds to pray about?
Secondly -
and it will no doubt be deeply disturbing for Scott K to know that in any shape or form he has been having similar thoughts to me - I had already added into the magazine a reminder of what those of us at Sunday's evening service had watched regarding the Open Doors' presentation of persecution in Yemen, when Scott's letter came in for the magazine in which he had also included an Open Doors focus - no bad thing that these terrible situations are impressed upon our minds.
Do you have a favourite Bible passage or story? More than that, do you have verses which have really spoken to you and even shaped your life? Sinclair Ferguson has been looking at the verses which have done this to him and in the
Coffee Break we highlight one of these - take a moment to listen.
There is lots going on in the next few weeks - there are details below of the various events across Glasgow coming up in the Autumn.
Enjoy the Mag.
MB
Sunday 21st September
Morning service - 10.30am
Rev Scott Kirkland
Bible Reading - Mark 7:1-23
This week is Session 2 - God Reveals Himself
Have you done your homework yet!
If you would like to be in a group (meeting fortnightly) speak with Scott K
From The Manse
Dear Congregation,
We reflected last week on the fact that we have well and truly begun our new church season of activities. I think we sometimes take these for granted and therefore fail to attend ourselves to the gift God gives us in them (Sunday worship, prayer meetings, home groups, serving one another openly and joyfully.)
Recently we had Dr Adam come to our prayer meeting on a Wednesday night. Though his home is in Texas, he shared how he ministers the name of Jesus in Europe and also in a country where believers gather in very small home groups because Christianity is not allowed. There are now, perhaps, thousands of home groups across the country.
On the evening he visited our prayer meeting, we had twenty-two present. He said that would be too big a gathering for one of these home churches as it would be too conspicuous. What was striking was that these small "house churches" are completely independent of one another and this is deliberate. They don't even ask where another group might meet. The reason is not because they have fractious spirits, but so that you cannot tell under torture what you do not know. Under torture, it is so bad, you will always tell what you know. They deliberately remain in ignorance of one another.
How blessed we are by God to live in a country where we can worship and serve in peace!
However, that blessing comes at a cost due to our sinful tendencies. Blessing in the pleasant sense tends to make us complacent, take things for granted, lacking in thanksgiving and application. We know that, because how often have we found that it is only when something is removed from us that we suddenly realise how precious that thing/person, was!
Dr Adam shared the view that we rarely see the "incredible" works of God in the West because we rarely minister the name of Jesus in a way that needed God's special providential interventions. I found this quite a striking comment.
We prayed for Dr Adam's ministry.
However, I was left wondering what the Lord might be saying to the Church in the West, to our congregation, to me.
On a similar theme, "Open Doors UK" is a mission organisation seeking to raise awareness and prayerfulness for the plight of many Christians who suffer persecution around the world (we are also very familiar with the work of Release International). We have had communication from Open Doors. They have begun a campaign to raise awareness of a terrible situation of displaced Christians in Nigeria. Here is a 3 minute video which though harrowing, shines a light on the life of our brothers and sisters in Christ in Nigeria. You can watch it here.
"Open Doors" is hoping to also raise this awareness through a petition with a million signatures. You can read the details of the petition here.
On the matter of future property…
Back in June, our Property Team gave a wonderful presentation about our hopes for a future church property. We decided it was important to spend the summer praying about what financial pledges we could all make toward this exciting prospect.
Sandy McDougall asked us to return our pledge statements by the end of September. We're almost there and we are delighted that a number of us have already done so! We'd love for this to truly be a shared vision across our entire church family. It would be a great encouragement if we could all now bring our prayers to a conclusion and submit our pledges. Please place these in the box at the back of the church – templates are available at the back if you have misplaced this. Only Sandy McDougall will review these. We're praying that everyone, whether they can give a large or small amount, will be able to share in this wonderful vision for our future, to the extent the Lord enables us.
Sandy will be assessing the congregation's response after Sunday, October 5th. If you have any questions, please feel free to talk to him.
Holidays…I will be on holiday from 25th September to the 7th October. For any pastoral matters or emergencies please contact our Associate Minister, Scott Hamilton. You can reach Scott H by email at associate@mearnsfree.org Or by phone: 07738 283020
With warmest regards,
Scott
Scott Hamilton
Last Sunday it was very good to see the formal aspect of Scott Hamilton being admitted into Mearns Free Church eldership and kirk session. He answered the questions put to him and received the right hand of fellowship from the other elders present.
Not only did he answer the questions put to him but John McN confirmed that he had seen the document and that Scott H had managed to stay within the lines.
for Mearns Free Church
Earlier this year we looked at what the Bible teaches us about Jesus & Prayer. We learnt from Jesus’ own example that he made a habit of making time in his busy life for prayer.
We also discovered that he expected his disciples to follow his example. Indeed he spent time instructing them how they should pray. He reminded them that their prayers should not be hypocritical, but should reflect the relationship that they enjoyed with their Heavenly Father. He also warned them against mechanical prayers, not to simply go through the motions, but stressed the importance of praying with their minds fully engaged upon GOD.
Finally, in what we refer to as the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught them that they should first prioritise GOD’s concerns, but of course since one of these concerns is to provide for his people, Jesus also instructed his disciples to bring the whole gamut of their human concerns to GOD when they prayed - their physical, spiritual & moral concerns. Thus we were challenged not just about whether we made prayer a priority in our life, but also whether we actually wanted to prioritise prayer !
In the coming weeks, we shall complete our 4 part series on ‘Prayer’ by looking at how both the Early Church & the Apostle Paul responded to Jesus example & teaching in their own lives.
If you first want to refresh your memory about Jesus example & teaching on the subject of prayer, you can do so by clicking on the following links:
Mark 14:32-41 Does Jesus Prioritise Prayer?
Matthew 6:5-13 Does The Teaching Of Jesus Help Us To Pray?
Martin Smith
What to Pray For:
Last week we reproduced this list of things to pray for (from an article by Jonathan Leeman) -
1. That we would have unity amid diversity—loving those with whom we have nothing in common but the gospel.
2. That a culture of discipling would form in which making disciples is viewed as an ordinary part of the Christian life.
3. That faithful elders would use Scripture to train members to do the work of ministry.
4. That a hunger for studying the gospel would form among members so that they can guide and guard one another in it.
5. That transparent, meaningful relationships would become normal and remaining anonymous strange.
6. The preaching of God’s Word—that it would be biblically careful and Holy Spirit imbued.
7. That elders would remain above reproach, kept from temptation, complacency, idols, and worldliness.
8. That the church’s songs would teach members to biblically confess, lament, and praise.
9. That the church’s prayers would be infused with biblical ambitions, honesty, and humility.
10. That adult members would work to disciple teenagers and not just leave it to programming.
11. That the church’s primary teachers grow in dedication to God’s Word even when no one’s watching.
12. That it would grow in being distinct from the world in love and holiness, even as it engages outsiders.
13. That members would share the gospel this week—and see more conversions!
14. That members would be prepared for persecution, remembering to love, not curse, their persecutors.
15. That hopes for political change would be outstretched by the hope of heaven.
16. That giving would be faithful, as well as joyful, consistent, and sacrificial.
17. That more members would use their careers to take the gospel to places it’s never been.
18. That members would be good and do good in their workplaces this week.
This is hardly the “official list” of the 18 most important things to pray...the point is for all of us to start praying more intentionally for our churches, and to encourage others to do the same.
J. Leeman
Over the last few weeks Scott has been using the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) as a framework for prayer - helping us to pray through the great truths contained there... you can read the others by going to previous magazines.
The Free Church of Scotland recognize the WCF as a 'standard', not as important as Scripture but secondarily authoritative for defining theology.
God’s providence and sovereignty are a main theme of the confession...the WCF states that God governs all events in the world according to his will, which is perfect, and nothing happens by chance... we believe that God controls all circumstances
Read Scott's prayer focus on Providence here.
Ladybird Book of Mearns Free Church
What's On This Week?...
The Cafe Connect started last week with a good number attending -
Can YOU get along this week?...and take a friend?
Please get in touch with the office if you need more info: office@mearnsfree.org
Lifts can be arranged too.
We meet on Wednesdays at 7.15pm for one hour.
For September we will be meeting at the McDougall's house.
Speak to Scott about being added to the 'Signal' app for getting PULSE messages.
Last Sunday's Evening Service had a focus on the persecuted church - since we were looking at the Church at Smyrna 2000 years ago we also took a moment to consider fellow believers today in Yemen.
How are Christians persecuted in Yemen?
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If someone is reported to be a Christian, they could face severe monitoring, arbitrary detention, torture, ill-treatment and even murder.
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Christian converts can face severe punishment from the community, including being disowned, disinherited, divorced and losing custody of their children, being banished or even murdered.
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Yemen continues to be torn apart by civil war, and the Christian minority are discriminated against in relief aid, which is mostly distributed through local Muslim groups and mosques.
The Open Door webpage has details of many similar, pressurised situations... their YEMEN page is here
We watched a remarkable video telling Zahra's story - watch it here.
"We are afraid of the extremists, spies and the government itself, as at this point, they all work together against Christians. This reality discourages us a lot of times, especially that we can’t go out with boldness to tell others about Jesus. We are very careful in all our meetings and conversations. I know that sometimes when I enter a house, I might not come back out... They could take you to the extremists, or the police station, and that is where the interrogation starts. They could even issue my death sentence... I cannot carry the Bible with me. They can search me at any checkpoint on the way, so I try to memorise as much as I can before my visits.
"Zahra*, whose Christian friend was shot in the street.
We are partnering with Govan Free Church which will be a blessing to both congregations.
As part of the relationship there is an opportunity for one or two of volunteers to help out with their weekly foodbank.
This runs from 12:30-13:30 each Thursday and if you are interested it would be helpful if you could pick up some of the food each week before going along to help out. As well as helping distribute the food there is an opportunity to have a coffee and chat with those who come to the foodbank.
David MacPherson, the minister gives a Word each week along with prayer.
Please email Jack (jgeddes0802@gmail) if you are interested in getting involved.
Details of the Food Bank can be found on their webpage
here
“Prayer is our lifeline to God.” (Billy Graham)
Many thousands have taken part in the past and been hugely blessed by it. Although a full day, it will be interactive with praise and breaks throughout.
We’d love to have as many as possible attending, so please book a space and come along. It promises to be a transformational day.
There is a charge (which includes a Prayer Manual written by Ian), but if that’s a problem please contact Andy Hunter, as we don’t want that to be a barrier.
To book use the QR Code or click here (where you'll find more info):
Two events to consider getting along to in order to find out more and support this longstanding work in Glasgow.
This special evening will explore how food and hospitality are at the heart of Glasgow City Mission’s work. Through stories from staff, volunteers, and guests, you’ll hear how sharing meals creates welcome, dignity, and community.
Join us on Sunday 5 October for our event at St. Georges Tron in Glasgow City Centre.
We're talking about our ministry of hospitality at Glasgow City Mission, where we serve hundreds of meals each week to those affected by homelessness, poverty and addiction.
We believe that sharing food together is the best way to build connection and relationship and we want to share more about our ethos and motivation behind what we do and why we do it.
What to Expect...
You can look forward to a live cooking demonstration, stories of transformation from staff, volunteers, and guests, and the chance to sample some of the dishes we regularly serve at our drop-ins.
As food is prepared and shared, you’ll get to taste some of the hot, nutritious dishes regularly served to our guests at our drop-ins. We’ll also pause to reflect on the deeper meaning of hospitality in the Christian faith, considering how the simple act of sharing food can open space for encounter and hope.
The event starts at 18:30 and will require a ticket to enter as space is limited.
Click HERE for more information and tickets
Did you know it's our 200th birthday next year?!
To celebrate, we have a year's worth of activities planned for 2026, but to get us in the mood, we're hosting a ceilidh in October at Sloan's in the city centre on Wednesday 22 October at 7pm.
More information and tickets by following this link
'Verses which have shaped me'
Sinclair Ferguson's short daily thoughts are called THINGS UNSEEN
You can listen via the links below or find them on Spotify.
He had a series this week on Bible Passages that meant a lot to him, or shaped him in some particular way.
This is a
link to the one from today on 'Yesterday, Today and Forever' (Hebrews ch13 v8) . Sinclair explains what the writer meant when he said that about Jesus - it might surprise you...but he also goes on to say WHY it shaped him.
The week's
'Verses which have shaped me' are
here.
Mearns Free Church also has a What's App Group for Prayer
The "PRAY NOW" Group
Purpose: A platform to share information regarding a sudden and crucial need for prayer.
How to connect: Speak or email Margaret (mandmboyd@hotmail.co.uk) if you would like to be added to this WhatsApp group.
LARGE PRINT - SONG WORDS
If you find viewing the song-words on the screen in Sunday worship a problem, we currently print a limited number of large-print song sheets for specific people.
We don't want to print unnecessary copies so please speak with the door team and we will begin to make these available for you each week.
Emailing The Minister
Please be careful when emailing Scott that you are using the correct current email address minister@mearnsfree.org. A number of emails continue to be sent to accounts no longer in use. Please be doubly careful when sending from a device that is not your normal communication device (like a phone) or if you use “reply to all”.
Email Addresses For Mearns Free Church
Please make sure you change your email address list now we are part of the Free Church.
Tom Brown (Office): office@mearnsfree.org
Scott Kirkland (Minister): minister@mearnsfree.org
Scott Hamilton (Associate Minister): associate@mearnsfree.org
Sandy McDougall (Treasurer): finance@mearnsfree.org
Pauline Forster (Children and families worker): children@mearnsfree.org