No.98    JULY 2026

Hi, 
Hope this finds you well.

This is a Summer special magazine - the magazine will appear weekly again in early August as activities begin again.
In particular we are thinking about the Community Weekend starting off.  Please look below at what is on and help publicise these events.
'Church Family' is a phrase that is used a lot around MFC and those 3 days in August will be a good time to show what that is like - of course the events are for those round Mearns to enjoy too, but making sure that we commit to supporting and attending things like the Family Ceilidh is important.  Last week the 3rd of our Sunday evening events had the 'Togetherness' of God's people as its theme and it was a really thought provoking video. The link for the talk is below. This Sunday coming (26th) has our final Sunday evening event - get along if you can.

I've suggested some Summer reading - both for adults and teens. One of the books looks at Ecclesiastes and reading it alongside listening to the sermons on a Sunday morning has been so helpful. A friend once told me that 'reading makes a person more interesting'...actually, what may have been said was, 'reading will make you less boring' but that's just nitpicking.

Last Sunday morning Scott mentioned that he avoids talking about 'football' from the pulpit - In Glasgow? what could possibly go wrong!!? But he made an exception for the World Cup finalists since we had representatives from both Argentina and Spain in the congregation. Well, if Scott can step into football territory you will see that the magazine can too.

While we are on the subject of shock results Scott Hamilton is now married! Anyone who knows Scott, would agree that in getting a lovely girl like Ashlyn he is batting above his average in a way rarely seen since Old Testament times.  Good work, Scott! 

Enjoy the mag,
MB

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Sunday 26th July

Sunday Morning 
Rev Scott Kirkland 
Ecclesiastes ch4/ch5
Sunday Evening
Video - Discussion - "Today's Parenting Challenges" (See note below)

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Sunday 2nd August

Sunday Morning
Rev Scott Hamilton
Ecclesiastes ch5/ch6

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The Prayer Meeting starts again in August.

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Congratulations! 

Scott & Ashlyn

We want to wish  Scott and Ashlyn the very best, and pray for them as they start married life together and look forward to welcoming Ashlyn into our fellowship.


A number of Mearns Free folk headed across to Glasgow Uni to see Scott H marry Ashlyn on Friday 17th July. Here is a photo of some of the young people who have been enjoying getting to know Scott well during Youth activities and Bible times together in the last year.

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'Togetherness' was the topic of one of the Sunday Evening videos this month.
Dane Ortland explained the depth of connection we have firstly with Jesus through faith, and then in turn with one another - it's not an optional extra!!
Watch or Listen to Dane here.

This comment from David' Powlison's excellent daily reflections book 'Take Heart' captures the same idea.
"Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."—Ephesians 4:15–16
The Lord’s people are called to help each other grow up. We are called to know and be known by each other. We are called to counsel each other, to be change agents in each other’s lives. We are called to speak the truth in love, and make a difference as brothers and sisters, shepherds and sheep.

To pick one example, Jesus is a wonderful counsellor. He cuts to the heart. He’s inconceivably generous and merciful. He’s eminently approachable. He asks great questions. He’s fiercely tough-minded. And he turns lives upside down. In comparison, we might be bumbling, misguided, ignorant, ineffectual, harsh, or timid. We might not even want to think of ourselves as counsellors—though from Jesus’s point of view, all of us are always counselors, whether foolish or wise. Sure, we’ve got a long way to go. But it is into that image of Jesus that we are all being transformed. It is our joy that such a transformation turns churches into communities of wise love.

We rightly see that public ministry from the pulpit is crucial, but we often fail to see that interpersonal ministry in conversations is equally so. In fact, the quality of conversations in the church is proof of whether public ministry is succeeding or failing to achieve Christ’s goals.

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Ladybird Book of Mearns Free Church

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The final Evening Event of the Summer Sundays is this Sunday - 26th July
7pm - 8.15pm
The evening format of Video presentation followed by opportunity for informal discussion and final summary has worked well through July.
This week's topic is a vital one - How can we help our young people steer wisely and Biblically through the minefield of subjects such as sexuality and gender. 
Our responsibility is not just to know what we know - but to discover how best prepare our young people and protect them.

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SUMMER READING!

The note above is about the evening event designed to help us help our teenagers survive the pressures of a culture who have ditched so much of the Christian influence it once enjoyed...if you are thinking of a teenager you would like to have a clear Christian view on the big questions of life this new book might be worth getting into their hands.

How to Be Human: 12 Truths to Build Your Life On (Identity and Biblical Worldview for Teens and Young Adults)
Trustworthy answers to the most fundamental questions about life and identity for teens and young adults.
Available here.

Being human can feel surprisingly difficult. How do we decide how to live and what to prioritise? What’s the point of life supposed to be? Every young person develops answers to these questions, maybe without even realising it. Their conclusions impact their whole life. Finding trustworthy answers matters!

How to Be Human takes the questions and doubts of teens and young adults seriously, offering honest, punchy and biblical responses to questions like...

• If God loves everyone, what’s special about me?
• Is God against sex?
• If the world is just a bad place full of bad people, what’s the point of trying to do good?
• Why should I listen to Jesus?

Walking through Genesis 1 to 3, these short chapters address key topics connected to identity, purpose, faith and relationships. These biblical, true-to-life insights are perfect for sparking thought and conversation.
Each easy-to-read chapter is edited by Andrew Wilson and written by an author connected with youth and student ministry. 

A similar book for Adults is Rebecca McLaughlin's Secular Creed:

"In this house we believe that
Black Lives Matter
Love Is Love
Gay Rights Are Civil Rights
Womens Rights Are Human Rights
Transgender Women Are Women"
These messages offer an all-or-nothing package deal in short, a secular creed.
Rebecca McLaughlin helps us disentangle the beliefs Christians gladly affirm from those they cannot embrace, and invites us to talk with our neighbours about the things that matter most. Far from opposing love across difference, McLaughlin argues, Christianity is the original source and firmest foundation for true diversity, equality, and life-transforming love.

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Ecclesiastes on Sundays

Sunday morning sermons have focussed on the teaching from Ecclesiastes and it's been so helpful to have Scott H and Scott K steer us through passages which are difficult to understand and see that they actually have relevance for how we approach each day, how we can and should enjoy the gifts we have been given by God and how we can live well by understanding life being like a 'breath'.


If you want to dig deeper into the themes and teaching of Sunday mornings then a very highly recommended book is 
Living Life Backward: How Ecclesiastes Teaches Us to Live in Light of the End by David Gibson.
"Only by keeping the end in mind can a person truly learn how to live in the here and now. Living in light of our death reorients us to our limitations as creatures and helps us see God's good gifts right in front of us-enabling us to live wisely, freely, and generously. Drawing on wisdom from the book of Ecclesiastes, David Gibson teaches us to embrace this countercultural mind-set and live life backward: to take the one thing in the future that is certain-our death-and work backward when it comes to our priorities, goals, desires, and decisions. If we do this, we'll learn that only with a proper perspective on death can we find meaning and satisfaction in life--and see just how great God is."
You can buy here or Amazon and it's available as an audio book too.

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KESWICK Resources

On Sunday evenings we have used videos from the collection supplied by Keswick ministries.
There is a whole range of material to watch and listen to on the Keswick site - and it's free - click here.


For instance, this year some of our own folk have been enjoying the sun at Week 1 at Keswick and also enjoying the Evening Celebrations with Amy Orr Ewing speaking.
You can it watch Monday night's event here on Youtube The whole event can be watched and if you want just the Bible reading and talk scroll on to 59mins.

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Since Operation Mobilisation launched Logos Hope in 2009, nearly 11 million people have visited the ship.
A group from Mearns Free added to that number this month, heading across to Leith. They enjoyed finding out more about the difference the Logos ship ministry made across the world and the breadth of work it was involved in.


This photo was taken before the Port Authorities forced their way back into the wheelhouse and untied the Helmsman.

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Get involved! Come Along! Bring a friend!


Have you taken some printed flyers  - we are really relying on church members to take these and hand them out to relevant people.
(There will be images to send to friends and family too - and these will be for each of the events so it will be nice and clear. We will put things on Facebook too.)
Another way to raise awareness is to LIKE and forward the details which are on Facebook.



This is not just a weekend of events for children, there is something for everyone  - We would love as many people in our church to attend as possible to be able to introduce people to our Mearns Free Church family. 

There will be many ways to get involved during the weekend too from car parking, welcoming, catering, praying and working with young people.

The only roles which require a PVG are working with the children during holiday club and the youth event.
If you want to be involved in anyway please contact Pauline Forster or Scott Hamilton. 
If you can help with Baking let Margaret Boyd know.



The link to register a child for the club is here.


It would be great to see as many Mearns Free folk along at this event - put the date in the diary.
The team need to get numbers for catering so please click this link to register. Thanks.

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Sing Psalm 34

In July, we sang as we gathered and read from Psalm 34 at our service - the song (which was new to us at Mearns Free) was written by Shane and Shane. This cover of the song from the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir is a really tremendous performance and has been viewed thousands of times online - Watch and listen to it on YouTube  here 

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Football and Faith

After the World Cup 3rd and 4th play off, the TV presenter Dan Walker commented on his Facebook page  
This is such a beautiful moment from the World Cup.
7 men, from 2 rivals… praying together at the end of their journey this summer.
Opponents on the pitch… together in their faith [❤️]
Dayot Upamecano, Bukayo Saka Maxence Lacroix, Eberechi Eze
Marc Guéhi, Jean-Philippe Matte, Trevoh Chalobah
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labour: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.
Ecclesiastes 4 v 9-10


This follows a post on Instagram which highlighted Arsenal’s growing contingent of Christian players who have been praying and reading the Bible together throughout the season. Following their Premiership title win, they took to social media here to give God glory.

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It's been great to see people supporting Govan Free Church's Food Bank.
Thanks to those who brought items in recent weeks.
Look out for the Green Box at the back!

Coffee, Teabags, Cereal, pasta / pasta sauce - all these are welcome- remember any size of jar/box will be divvied up into smaller bags - can you help?
If you have any questions about the Food Bank speak with Sue A, Mary R or Martin B
 

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Let us keep the Free Church Youth Camps in our prayers as they gather across Scotland throughout the summer. Many of us know first-hand just how valuable these camps are for Christian growth.
We have committed to supporting in prayer the girls attending Free Church Camp at Renfrew Bible Centre -they sent a recording of the girls singing their Psalm for the week, Psalm 27. You can listen here.

Gowanbank SU Holiday

Grace and Sarah McN were on the SU team at Gowanbank in July. (Remember Sarah had taken part in the event for Trainee Leaders planning to be helping out at residential events and holiday clubs this year.) Keep praying for them as they finish their week at Gowanbank, and for the other teams as they prepare to give children and young people fantastic holidays and opportunities to hear about Jesus and the call to follow Him. 

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DATE FOR THE DIARY

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COFFEE AND TREATS AFTER CHURCH

BAKING  - it's great that so many people are on the baking rota - this means that it is around every 7-8 weeks that they are called on. Can you join this group - or know someone in your family who is a great baker, who could make something which you can pass off as your own work? Speak with Margaret Boyd
CUPS - already a lot of people bring their own cup along - this does save on costs for paper cups so if you can bring your along that would be great,  and the team will almost certainly speak about you behind your back less than they currently do!