No.18 18th October, 2024
Hi,
Hope this finds you well.
What sort of week have you had? Enjoyable, relaxing ... or perhaps you have children?
Or maybe grandchildren and you have been entertaining the wee ones for part of their October break. Talking of children, the Hizkidz are on the story of Abraham and Sarah who were childless and yet were made promises by God which they were prepared to believe even though Sarah was as they say, a woman of a certain age. So the main lesson for the children is 'Remember God can always be trusted' (and not 'Be careful what you ask for!)
Enjoy the Mag.
MB
Sunday 20th October, 10.30am
Scripture - Genesis ch2
Rev Scott Kirkland
SUNDAY EVENING
Home Groups - ask Scott how you can be added to a group
Wednesday 11th - 7.15pm
PULSE prayer meeting
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.
From the Manse
Dear Congregation,
We’ve had a couple of wee practical issues at Sunday worship recently.
Gremlins: One has been a slightly “airy” or “fresh” temperature in the hall. I was hoping to have this resolved for Sunday. However, with the school being on holiday we may have to wait an extra week. (A coat, hat, gloves, simmit will do the job!) However, the weather has been milder this week so it should be ok.
The second issue has been around the live-streaming of our service. Intermittently, gremlins have caused us problems. Thankfully, some of the congregation are gifted technically and are working to resolve this. We may have to invest in some new AV equipment. I am very hopeful that we will resolve both the above issues in the coming weeks.
CMJ: The presentation last Sunday night by Aaron Eimie (Director for CMJ UK) certainly gave us a different perspective on CMJ, the Middle East and Jonah chapter 2. We appreciate greatly the work Margo undertook to bring CMJ to us (and also give Aaron a few nights' accommodation). It was good to have such a healthy congregation present. Thanks also to the band and singers for leading us in praise.
SU Weekend Away: Have you got any young people in your household in S1-S6. We want to encourage all our Youth to book into the SU weekend at Gowanbank (March 28th-30th). We need to book soon. Our Finance Committee has agreed to subsidise the £92 cost by 50%. You can find more information
here. Please let Cathy Renn know if you intend to book. We shall use this opportunity rather than go away as a Youth group of MFC on our own.
Outreach Coffee Morning At Belmont: On the back of the “Starter for 10” day, we created an “Outreach Core Team”. We aim to help equip MFC to become increasingly outward focussed. We are developing several initiatives.
We have organised a
Coffee Morning for Saturday 2nd November at Belmont. We have several aims.
i. By inviting friends/family/neighbours/colleagues we hope to raise awareness of the presence of Mearns Free Church in the area. (We are still quite unknown.)
ii. We would love you to invite friends/family/neighbours/colleagues so that they can mix with members of the church and realize you are not the only Christian in our community.
iii. Because of point (ii) above, our prayer is that they might become increasingly open to conversations with you (and us) about Jesus and may even be willing to attend church (having been in the premises and met some of the congregation).
iv. We shall also have an opportunity for donations to be made to the work of Glasgow City Mission. One of their representatives will be present and speak and we hope Jesus will be front and centre in the presentation of their care.
Let’s invite and let’s pray for those who attend.
We shall have leaflets on Sunday for you to give to a friend.
Also, would you like to help at the event? We will need people to help...
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set up chairs and tables (Friday evening 1st)
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bake
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serve tea and coffee on the day
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welcome guests and speak with them
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help in car park
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pray
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help create a craft/play table with any children that might come
Please speak with me or Margo McN if you would like to help.
Scott
Three Things?
There’s a John Piper quote to think about when life is hard or frustrating:
“God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.”
It’s comforting to remember in times of suffering that the Lord is working in my life in ways I don’t see. I imagine the joy of swapping stories in the new creation and finding out more about what God was doing through what seemed pointless or unfair.
As important as it is to take comfort in the 9,997 unseen things God is undoubtedly doing, we also ought to rejoice in the three we do see. So take the time to notice how God is at work in your life and in the world, and praise him for that.
(From Gospel Coalition News)
Save The Date!................
CAN YOU BAKE SOMETHING ?
Speak with Margaret Boyd this week if you can make something delicious to contribute to the Coffee Morning!
For other mere mortals...
Two things:
One: Mark off on your calendar the morning of Saturday 2nd November.
Two: Start praying and inviting family and friends to our first Mearns Free Church Coffee Morning.
I am sure we will have our usual array of delicious cakes interrupted only by enjoyable conversation! The focus of the Coffee Morning will be on the work of Glasgow City Mission. We will invite financial donations for their work. This is an easy way for you to invite guests to come and get to know us at MFC and support the good work of GCM. A Glasgow City Mission representative will be present with us.
Scott
Free Church’s
Safeguarding & Training
The Safeguarding Team is now following up those who have applied but who don’t yet have PVGs in place. We will be in touch with those in that position. We are here to help those who need assistance with the online parts of the application process – the ‘self-declaration form’ and the final form in the process that needs to be completed for Disclosure Scotland.
Please be aware that all who have applied for PVG certification need also to engage in the Free Church’s safeguarding training. This is currently provided online from the comfort of your own homes, and takes a couple of hours. The next training session for congregations is Thursday 31st October at 19.30. You can sign up for the training sessions through this link to the registration page: Safeguarding Training Booking – Free Church of Scotland
Thank you for embracing safeguarding. Doing so is essential to ensure that Mearns Free Church is a safe environment for all who worship with us and for all who engage in our ministries to children, young people and vulnerable adults.
Alastair McLellan
Next Meeting - 27th Oct
Sam Chan has written a very helpful and practical book called "How to Talk About Jesus".
We held the first of four meetings last week to discuss some of the issues raised by the topic of talking about our faith and introducing Jesus into the conversation.
We hope this will help us understand the book's theme very clearly, but also, encourage one another on how we might put the book into practice in these coming days as Mearns Free Church.
if you didnt make the first one don't worry it's easy to get involved - the next one is 27th Oct. 7.15pm
Outreach Core Team
Hizkidz and YOU!
7: Abraham’s Covenant
Bible passage: Genesis 15 and 17
Big Truth: God can always be trusted.
Memory Verse: He believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:6
Ladybird Book of Mearns Free
How Not to Be an Approval Junkie
Part 1
How Our Lust for Man’s Approval Blinds Us to Sin
Last year, Lou Priolo, a gracious friend and mentor went to be with the Lord. Afterward, I pulled some of his books off my shelf and was reminded of how the Spirit used him to counsel me. One book, in particular, helped me see more evidence of the fear of man in my heart than I previously recognized. Therefore, I am sharing with you a helpful list from chapter three of Pleasing People: How Not to Be an Approval Junkie. The chapter is entitled, The Dangers of Being a People Pleaser, where Lou gives six ways in which pride (the desire for man’s approval) may blind us to our sin.
Pride tempts us to exaggerate our virtues.
A proud person is likely to overvalue the knowledge, wisdom, gifts, abilities, character, and maturity that God has given him. He often forgets that every good and perfect thing he has was given to him by God (James 1:17) and that without God, he can do nothing (John 15:5). The proud king Nebuchadnezzar boasted (to himself, if not to others) about God’s accomplishments as though they were the result of his own genius and skillfulness when he asked, “Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?” (Dan. 4:30).
Pride tempts us to minimize our flaws.
A proud person may minimize the terribleness of his sin because of an exaggerated view of his virtues. So I’m not perfect, he thinks to himself, but I’ve got so many redeeming qualities, surely God will overlook this little habit of mine. David said, “For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin” (Ps. 36:2 NIV). The humble Christian is well aware of his weaknesses, sinfulness, lack of faith, and need of God’s forgiveness and grace, but the proud person flatters himself too much to detect and hate his sin.
Pride tempts us to distort and magnify the seriousness of our flaws.
On the other hand, pride can cause a person to overreact to the sins and imperfections in his life. Such a response is not motivated by a genuine concern that one has sinned against God, but rather by a selfish desire to be perfect. Perfectionist tendencies usually flow out of an inordinate desire to win the approval of others or fear of being rejected by them. The conscience of a perfectionist has often been programmed not by the Word of God but by his inordinate desire for approval.
by Paul Tautges
We would like to invite you to consider joining a new prayer initiative.
You can join as a group of 3 or you can join as an individual to be matched up with 2 others. Groups will be male/female/mixed according to preference.
It is a great opportunity to form closer, prayerful relationships within our church family.
Jesus said in Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.
Please speak to Sue Amery-Behr or Catherine MacKay if you would like to find out more.
Mearns Free Church has a What's App Group for Prayer
Purpose: A platform to share information regarding a sudden and crucial need for prayer.
How to connect: Speak to Margaret Boyd if you would like to be added to this group or email Margaret at: mandmboyd@hotmail.co.uk
What tech do I need?: You need to have a Smart Phone with WhatsApp to get set up.
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
Sandy McDougall (Treasurer): finance@mearnsfree.org
Pauline Forster (Children and families worker): children@mearnsfree.org