No.111     30th October

Hi, 
Hope this finds you well. 
You'll notice a Halloween link below... I know there are different opinions and questions about Halloween - do you let the kids take part? Is it just plain evil? Who cut the eye holes in the bed sheets to dress up as a ghost?!
We learned from the Sunday morning teaching of Jesus in the Upper Room that we are 'in the world' even though not 'of the world' and that means decisions are made on a daily basis about what we take part in - and what we 'take in'!! For example, what are we watching or listening to? These things will have an effect, and so last Sunday we were encouraged to follow the wisdom of Paul from Philippians 4:8 and apply a thought filter - the filter Scott referred to is in the magazine this week to reflect on once more.

Enjoy the mag,
MB

Halloween: Trick or Treat?

While Halloween can often be a time associated with ghosts, devils and darkness, this video is designed to share the good news that Jesus is the light of the world!
Glen Scrivener's Halloween poem may surprise you - but not in the 'sneaking up behind you - 'Boo!'' sense!
Watch it yourself - gather the kids round and watch together or send it over to them. HERE it is.

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Sunday 1st November

Sunday Morning - 10.30am
Rev Scott Kirkland
1 Kings ch 18

⚠️ Fire Evacuation Procedure - Sunday morning presentation ⚠️
On Sunday morning we will run a brief video before the start of the service to raise awareness of our fire evacuation procedure in the event of a fire alarm. We are also ensuring that those on duty as Fire Wardens are familiar with their duties. We are intending to run a fire drill also in the next few months to test out these procedures.
If you have questions about this speak with Alastair Mc.

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This week...

This week Home Groups meet.
Speak with Scott K if you would like to be involved in a small group - usually around 8-12 people, meeting fortnightly.

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Our weekly prayer meeting  on Wednesdays is at 7.15pm
Throughout November we meet in the Robertson's

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Letter from the Manse

Dear Church Family,
I am greatly looking forward to Sunday worship, where I shall launch a new three-week mini-sermon series titled ‘Invisible Hands: God’s People’. This cryptic title was inspired by a recent podcast series by David Dimbleby, ‘Invisible Hands: The American Century’. Its premise is that the greatness of the United States we witness today is a result of the contributions of several individuals who remain mostly unknown to the general public.
As one example, do any of us know of Harry Dexter White? According to the evidence presented by David Dimbleby, Harry Dexter White is probably the most significant person behind making America the current economic success she is.
He developed a global economic vision that aimed at placing the USA at the centre of the world economies. He believed the way to achieve this would be to  peg currencies around the world to the American dollar. Quite astonishingly, in the midst of World War II, in 1944, he managed to gather financial leaders from forty-four countries to Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. There, with genius (and according to Dimbleby, “guile”) White not only drafted the policy but secured agreement on it. The dollar effectively became the global standard currency.
Harry Dexter White, unknown to most, may be the most significant "invisible hand" in building the USA to her economic prowess today.
This made me reflect on how many of God’s people in history have been hugely significant in prospering and protecting God’s people, helping them become what the Lord has wanted, yet they remain largely unknown to the majority. They are the invisible hands used by God.

Scott Hamilton has kindly agreed to join me in this mini-series, exploring the theme over the coming three weeks. I am grateful to Scott for agreeing to this because, after I preach the opening sermon this coming Sunday, I will depart this coming Wednesday for two weeks of study leave. The Presbytery of Glasgow and Argyll encourage ministers to take study leave each year as part of what they call “continuing professional development”. I will personally use this opportunity to prepare some online lectures for an ETS Access Course I have a small part in supplying. The Access Course is a wonderful, rudimentary introduction to studying biblical and theological subjects. My small part in the New Year will be to teach over six sessions the most basic material in a subject called “Systematic Theology.” I aim to use this time away to help complete preparations for these classes. I will also attend a short course on the Apostles' Creed in Pennsylvania.

Lord willing, I will return on 18th November and preach on Sunday 22nd. If there are any pastoral matters during my absence, please do not hesitate to contact Scott Hamilton and/or your elder.

See you this Sunday.
With warmest regards,
Scott K.

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Letter from the Other Manse

Young adults Bible study (YABS) met again last night. There were twelve of us gathered around God’s Word as we looked at the remaining verses of chapter seven, where Paul expresses his frustration at the battle between his spiritually renewed mind and his flesh which causes him to sin.
These are tricky verses to understand, but we shared Paul’s frustrations with his experiences as a believer. We were encouraged that his struggles are the same as our own struggles and we were reminded by Paul that the solution and resolution to these struggles can only be found in Jesus. Verse twenty-five, which says, “thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord”, is a direct answer to the question of verse twenty-four, “who will deliver me from this body of death?”. Our hope of rescue from sin’s penalty, power, and presence can only be found in Christ alone.

Please keep on praying for us as a cohort. We’ve increased the frequency of our studies, and we’re excited to spend more and more time around each other socially. This will help us in our discipleship as we encourage one another in our joys and struggles as young believers. Pray for the Bible studies that we do as we move into parts of Romans that are well known and some parts that are slightly more complicated.



Also, do keep on praying for those who are around us and who are almost ready to publicly profess their faith, as Calum did on Sunday (see above). I’m sure we were all heartened by what we heard him say. I’d love to hear a few more of those stories and see a few more young adults join the church over the days to come.

See you soon, 
Scott

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Ladybird Book of Mearns

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BOXES

The Annual Box Check STARTS NEXT WEEK - Monday 2nd November
Weekdays from 10am to 3.30 in the garage at Maxwell Mearns Castle Church

Can you help?  Denise will  welcome you and clear guidance is given on what to do.
All welcome  - just knock firmly on the shutters at the garage.
Refreshments are provided.



This photo proves that literally anyone can help...if it needed to be made clear just how little ability is required this surely this is all the evidence called for...we can't really emphasise enough that you really don't need any qualif...okay, you get the picture.
Not sure what's involved? Speak with Margaret Boyd or Pamela Merriman if you want to know more about the Box Checking.
And if you need to see the joy it can bring to those receiving the Shoeboxes read the stories from Blythswood here.

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Last Sunday Scott reminded us of the encouragement to fill our minds with wholesome things as a wise way to live in this world.
You can see a short reel on our Facebook page.
This filter was referred to:

The issue is not just avoiding unhelpful and destructive things - we can't live in a vacuum - we need to fill it with helpful things.
We are heading for the end of the year and over the next few weeks the magazine will highlight some regular and daily devotional material which others in the church are using through the year - do you have a Bible reading pattern? There is a lot of good material (books, videos, audio podcasts) which can help us get into the Bible. 
Here is a great example.  Alastair Begg has online material as well as his 'Truth for Life' volumes which have daily reading - you can see it here - give as a gift this Christmas?
You can set up lots of ways to make sure your week is centred on reflecting on the Bible.
If you have any suggestions of helpful Bible reading plans which you want to tell others about please let me know.
Martin

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Thanks again...and again!

We had a photo last week which summed up nicely the sort of serving that people do from week to week to make sure 'church' runs well. 
This week's photo does that too - we are so glad to be able to use Belmont each week but that includes leaving it in the condition we find it. Each Sunday there are people on a rota that involves set up and welcoming, as well as setting down...and any necessary cleaning up .

In this photo Liz is taking Scott's teaching on Philippians 4:6 seriously and rejoicing as she cleans up after someone has enjoyed at least 'some' of their tea and cake.
It looks as if Alastair might be on another rota of people who decide if the Defibrillator should be used for resuscitation at any given point.

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The end is in sight for the Arise Africa global petition. ​

Stop the violence.
Start the healing.

On average, 12 Christians are killed for their faith every day in sub-Saharan Africa. Nobody is talking about it. Today, you can. Will you sign and share the global Arise Africa petition, help reach 1,000,000 signatures?
There's still time to add your name and call for protection, justice and restoration for Christians in sub-Saharan Africa - millions of whom risk displacement, attack and even murder, every day. Help us reach a million voices.
The deadline is 2 November. 
Clck here:  Arise Africa petition - Open Doors UK & Ireland

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Sandra has been writing Wee Scoops on a whole range of topics and over the Summer, as she listened on Sunday mornings, she turned her mind to Ecclesiastes ... below is  just an extract and you should click the link at the bottom to continue reading.

'Have at it'
Clichés are clichés because they are true, I suppose. Before clichés were clichés, the writer of Ecclesiastes was perhaps expressing the truths that led to these clichés being clichés in the first place.  

This chapter begins set out visually as poetry. The poem encourages people to use their resources – to be bold and generous, but in humility:
“Cast your bread upon the waters for you will find it after many days”
There is a twist at the end of the poem:
 “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.”
This links back to the “Cast your bread” idea – that you have opportunities to have a go, to act, to participate in life – but if you wait for perfect conditions, you will miss the boat. So we should make a decision to act. Try.
The Preacher goes back to prose but stays on the theme of the limitations of humans:
“As you do not know the way the spirit comes to the bones in the womb of a woman with child, so you do not know the work of God who makes everything.”
This has been a recurring theme in Ecclesiastes – that God is in heaven and is God, and you are on earth and are human – and we should keep to our lane!
The advice from the preacher is to have a go – “sow your seed” – make an effort to be productive, and to be generous. And we don’t have to be certain about success or prosperity; we should not let worry about outcomes paralyse us in our contributions to life and society. 

Read Sandra's whole blog here.

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Cafe Connect

At the Cafe Connect this week we had Debbie leading everyone in some exercises - and no doubt, the benefits of doing these stretches are as wide ranging as the noises that were being made during them.
Debbie spoke on the storms and floods we find in the Bible and God's faithfulness to us throughout the storms we find in our own lives. In keeping with the theme we also watched and sang the old kids chorus 'The Wise Man built his house upon the rock' - this photo was either taken at the time of exercises or it could have been while people were doing the actions for the chorus 🤷.
The other photo was sent in by Catherine, if you know the MacKays, you'll be aware it is Graham's photographs which are usually publicised but not this time...after being reminded of Noah's story in the Bible, Catherine was greeted with a double rainbow on the way home from the Cafe.

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Please support this event next Saturday.
(Supporting can start with looking at the stall we are running and seeing if you can contribute - speak with Fiona W)
 

It's for everyone

Apart from just having a good time together with friends and introducing them to where we enjoy church each Sunday, there are a range of stalls and activities.
Bring friends and family - children, grandchildren, your great aunt twice removed on your mother's side?

We are fundraising for the Preshal Trust and Iain McCallum will give a short presentation.

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Govan Free Church

Food Bank

It's always great to be able to take some groceries with us down to the FoodBank - 
Things like sugar, coffee, teabags, pasta can be split into smaller bags for families so don't worry about bringing large bags.
Speak with Sue A, Mary R or Martin B for more info.

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CAN YOU HELP?!

If you are on Facebook or Instagram please engage with the Mearns Free pages.
One of the ways we would like to raise the profile of Mearns Free is by using social media. Facebook is an open goal in terms of being able to put the church activities on people's radars... if you can like or forward the posts and reels that would make a difference.

 

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This comment from Tolkien fits well with the sermon from last week - from Philippians ch4:8 - it is the small, everyday choices we make, how we act and react with our words and actions which can change things - for better or worse.
And it fits well with Sandra's blog above from Ecclesiastes about being active in this world and taking opportunities to do good and use what God has given into our hands.

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COFFEE CUPS!

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 own along that would be great,  and the team will almost certainly speak about you behind your back less than they currently do!

 

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