No.85      3rd April, 2026

Hi, 

The magazine comes out during a busy period of church activity - perhaps you are reading this before the Good Friday service - it's good to have times like the Maundy Thursday Communion and the additional Good Friday service to slow down and reflect properly on the wonder, scandal, and impact of the Saviour laying down his life, to take it again on the third day. There are a couple of links to Easter readings and videos (alongside Scott H's own reflection and Scott K's prayer) to help us to do that. Our reading on Sunday morn is from John - in his writing he really does slow us, the readers down, so we can reflect on the key aspect of the purpose of Jesus becoming a human  - notice that for 9 chapters out of a total of 21 he focusses on the last few days of Jesus life...it's right that we do that too.

Hope you have a very peaceful Easter.
Enjoy the mag.
MB

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Easter Sunday

Dawn Walk
6.30am at Rouken Glen Car Park (at Garden Centre) followed by breakfast at Belmont

Morning service - 10.30am
John 20.1-18

  
There is no prayer meeting this week (8th April).
We meet again on the 15th at the Merrimans'.

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Last Sunday Scott H took us through why Christians can trust the Gospel accounts of Jesus death and resurrection - and why it is such a key truth to hold on to AND TO TELL OTHERS!  In this short video on YouTube or X, Wesley Huff goes through the same areas Scott covered so it's a great refresher, but it's also a helpful link we can send to friends and family who might be interested in what and why we believe at Easter time. It's around 5mins long so a really good 'starter'.   
"This Easter, I invite you to look at Jesus, consider what he said and did, and ask for yourself what I believe is the most important question you will ever answer: Did he really leave behind an empty tomb? And if he did, what does that mean for you?"
Watch the short video HERE on YouTube or HERE on X

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Letter from the Manse

Dear Church Family,

We had a wonderful Fun Day last Saturday! We are truly indebted to Fiona Waugh for the incredible effort she put into organizing such a successful event. Many thanks to all who created the teams necessary to have such a great day.

As we prepared for the doors to open, I counted about fifty of us ready to fulfil various duties. That number doesn’t even include the many others who contributed so generously by baking, supplying items, who attended in person or committed themselves to prayer. Let’s continue to pray that the Fun Day will, in some way, assist in growing Mearns Free Church to the glory of God.

It was super to hear from Scott H last Sunday night on the evidence of the Resurrection. We do hope it helped you realize that the resurrection is not just wishful thinking but an event in history.

Last night, about fifty of us gathered for our "Maundy Thursday" service. It is an unusual name for a service (so we do not make a big thing of it). "Maundy" begins as a Latin word and slips into English. It meant something like "command" and may have originally referred to the way the disciples were to love one another in service. We concentrated on another command from that Thursday evening 2000 years ago. Scott Hamilton pointed us to the Scriptures where Jesus met with His disciples to institute the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. The Lord Jesus commanded, "Do this in remembrance of me".

It was a very special time for us to share in the Lord's Supper together. (As it happens, our prayer below is from the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 29, "Of the Lord's Supper.")

Tonight, we gather again but this time at 7:00 PM for our Good Friday service. We will focus our hearts on the events of the Crucifixion. All are welcome—is there a family member or friend you might like to invite?

On Sunday, we plan to hold a Dawn Service at 6:30 AM. We will meet at the Rouken Glen car park (at the Garden Centre) for a brief act of worship, followed by a 15-minute walk to the standing stones for a second short service. The walk is not difficult, but I advise wearing sturdy shoes, as it may be damp and "blowy." Afterward, a breakfast with lashings of hot tea and coffee will be served back at Belmont. You will have time to go home, change, and perhaps have a hot shower before returning for our Easter Day Service at 10:30 AM.

I truly hope you can join us for these additional services and activities. It is such an encouragement to share with one another in worship as we focus on the heart of the Gospel: the death and resurrection of our Saviour, Jesus.

I especially want to thank everyone who will be assisting in leading us through these services. As ever, a considerable number of you are helping with the music, AV, door duty, and catering, as well as leading from the front—and in many other often hidden ways. How wonderful it is to truly share together as a church in both worship of and witness to our Risen Saviour.

Please take a moment to read Scott Hamilton’s Easter message below, and keep Scott H in your prayers as he begins a week of holiday from Monday.

With warmest regards,
Scott K

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Letter from the Other Manse

Hello church family,

Ever feel like God has momentarily lost control of the steering wheel?

Imagine how the disciples would have felt the night after Jesus was executed. Imagine how they slept that evening. Imagine what they would have discussed on that very first Easter Saturday, the heartbreak, disbelief, and sorrow all mingled into a complicated blend of doubt and uncertainty.

Their King was dead. The King of the Jews, carrying the expectations of a nation on His shoulders, dying a criminal’s death, He who should have been overthrowing the very Romans and religious elite who enabled His execution.

Once again, God has surely lost control of the steering wheel. His Son is silenced. The Messiah is murdered. The King is crucified.

Yet the gospels are adamant that this was always the way through which God’s people would be saved. Jesus dies on the cross, the substitution for sinners like us, the atonement to the Father that we desperately need. Jesus dies on the cross, taking the penalty that we deserve, as God’s wrath is redirected from His enemies to His Son, who covers us in His righteousness as He takes our sins upon Himself.

From day one, this was always the plan.
Luke mentions that the last summer unfolds “just as Jesus had told them” it would (Luke 22:13). Jesus “will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes” (Luke 22:18). Jesus “goes as it has been determined” (Luke 22:22).
There isn’t just good fortune here in what takes place at Easter. God isn’t just making the best of the awful circumstances at hand. There is a real command, a real control here from the Triune God, working together in their different roles to bring about the salvation of His people for His glory. God cannot lose control of a situation. He is all powerful and all knowing. He is ontologically incapable of being outmuscled or outmanoeuvred, never once surprised or caught off guard. He is always entirely sovereign over all things, seen or unseen, even during the darkest days for His people.

I wonder if there’s a lesson here for us this Easter. We look around at our surroundings with bemusement and despair. It’s easy to think that God has momentarily abandoned or forgotten us. Yet, just like for the disciples two thousand years ago, their hopelessness was replaced by genuine, lasting, gospel hope as they saw the risen Christ Jesus once more.

See the risen Jesus this Easter. See God’s salvation plan unfolding in front of your very eyes. Remember that He who has begun a good work in you will carry it until completion. He is not finished with us. He is not finished with our world. He sees us in our distress, and He promises us that there are many, many more chapters still to come, a limitless number of which will be in a renewed creation where, just like the disciples, we will see the same King, Christ Jesus, face to face.
Blessings, 
Scott H

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Sunday Evenings...

After a short Easter break the usual Sunday evening programme will resume - see below for overview.
2nd and 4th Sunday evenings are services with Newton Mearns Baptist. Starting with a one off evening with Rev Willie Philip from The Tron, and then a series looking at John Epistles.
Home Groups are 1st and 3rd Sundays (and the Monday and Tuesdays of that week depending own your group).
Ask Scott K or Scott H if you want to be fitted into a Home Group for this session.

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This week the prayer Scott K has written is based around what the Westminster Confession of Faith looks at the Lord's Supper. The significance of the Lord's Supper should be clear even from the very fact that at most intense and emotional evening with the disciples (and one who would betray him also at the table) and with the Garden of Gethsemane ahead, and the outrage of the cross ahead Jesus takes time to teach his friends what his death means and how they should remember him. The prayer reflects on this, and also is careful to consider both what the bread and wine 'are' when we are eating and drinking at this time, and what they are not.
Take time to read the prayer here.

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Thanks!

A huge thank you to everyone who helped with our Easter family Fun Day.
From helping organise, set up Friday night, clear up at the end, helping on the day and donations for baking and prizes. We raised £1300 which will be split between Glasgow City Mission and Govan Free Church Foodbank.
An amazing team and church family!
Fiona.
Here are some images from the day...



A really busy hall with stalls and cafe...there was more outside and in the classrooms - like John's Illusionist Show and the Mini Zoo.

Much of the hard work was done beforehand in organising and setting up, liaising with local groups and letting people know we were running the Fun Day - huge thanks to Fiona who took on so much of that 'unseen' work. This photo looks like Scott was taking part in Karaoke but thankfully no, and a great amount of money was raised - not that these two comments are connected in anyway.

Another happy winner (not the person in the Arsenal strip - obviously!) - this was for guessing the weight of the cake.

Jaan getting some artwork for her face (thanks to Hannah!) - 'I won a voucher' was the best explanation she could come up with before being led away by her husband.

An awkward discussion - Eric is sticking to his guns and explaining to Alastair that it certainly had not been made clear that there was an upper age limit for the Bouncy Castle, and that Alastair just repeating 'Well, a grown man should know better' wouldn't actually stand up in a court of law.

Liz and Susan were in charge of adding up how much had been raised for both charities. Susan admitted, 'I adopt this position of prayer and supplication when I do the household finances too'.

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Events coming up...

Some of these events have been mentioned in previous magazines - click here to view full details and to follow the links for sign up and registering.

Scottish Day Conference 2026
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
Date: Saturday 18 April
Time: 10am – 2.30pm
Venue: Sandyford Henderson Church. Join us for a day of worship, fellowship, and mission-focused teaching.

Saturday 25 April starting at 10:30
David MacPherson, the minister at Govan Free Church is taking part in the Kiltwalk to raise funds for the church's foodbank that we support with food donations and two volunteers
David is taking part in the Big Stroll which is 14.6 miles long from Clydebank to Balloch.
Do you fancy signing up to walk with David and support Govan Free Church? It would be fantastic if Mearns Free Church had a presence. Read last week's mag to see how to get involved.


Everyone who has PVG certification through Mearns Free Church must undergo safeguarding training (or refresher training) every 3 years. Some have still to undertake this training. The Free Church provides excellent online safeguarding training (places can be booked through the following link: Safeguarding Training Booking – Free Church of Scotland).
The next training sessions are on:
Tuesday 28th April – 19.30
Monday 25th May – 19.30

‘Left to Their Own Devices’
- A Care for the Family Meeting
Parenting support event to Glasgow on the 19 May,
Newton Mearns Baptist Church at 7.30pm.
great event for parents of children aged 8+

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Can you join the audience on 15th May to encourage this ministry for disabled people who love music.
Ian White is leading the Orchestra and you can hear more from Ian in this short clip here.

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Ladybird Book of Mearns Free Church

 

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At the AGM one of the areas covered by Sandy was how we can support the work of the Free Church and our own Mearns Free Church by arranging our legacies accordingly.
There are details in this FCoS leaflet 'A LASTING LEGACY: IMPACT THE FUTURE' - click here.
And if you want to see how this can be part of YOUR legacy this document is a template to which you can add your own details and that of Mearns Free. Speak with Sandy McD for more details about this.

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TUESDAYS 2 - 3.30pm
in Newton Mearns Baptist Church
A great opportunity to meet friends, and enjoy some tea, coffee and home baking.

Last Tuesday was the last Cafe before an Easter Break  so there were special table decorations to go along with the Easter treats.
EASTER BREAK - No Cafe on 7th or 14th April
If you want more information or need a lift to get along to the Cafe speak with Elizabeth Smith.

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11 different Easter SU Holidays are running, representing hundreds of young people and team members in different locations, including the Ski Holiday in Austria.
Can you join the prayer support team - or do you know someone who would love to do this?
Register the weeks you are available and you will be send prayer letters and urgent prayer requests during the weeks you are available. Click HERE for details.
Thank you!  

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