No.35 28th February 2025
Hi
Hope you have had a good week.
The magazine has details of a load of events coming up so there are a number of 'keep the date' notices. Wide range of things going on in March and then into Easter. Make sure you take note and get involved where you can.
Last Sunday it was encouraging to see so many people waiting after morning service for Lunch and to hear about the work of SU Scotland - read about it below and if you can find a link to support them if you haven't done so already.
We are looking forward to Iain Morrison visiting us this Sunday - let's keep him and Scott who is preaching in Kilmallie in our prayers.
Enjoy the mag,
MB
Sunday 2nd March
Morning service- 10.30am
Rev Iain Morrison. Psalm 16
If you normally watch the service live from home (or know someone who does) be aware there are issues with YouTube at the moment. If we can't stream live at 10.30am it will be recorded and available straight after the service. Sorry for inconvenience.
HOME GROUPS WEEK
Studies in Jonah
Wednesday - PULSE Prayer Meeting
7.15pm -meeting in Rosalie's
Letter from the Manse
Dear Congregation,
We are very grateful to Fiona Waugh for arranging our night out bowling at the Quay. Unfortunately, due to ill health we had to postpone the evening. Watch this space for a rematch!
As with the Church of Scotland, each year the Free Church asks that Presbytery inspect the records of all congregations in its district. This is a good practice and helps ensure that the affairs of each congregation are in good order. The congregations of the Glasgow and Argyle Presbytery had their records inspected last week. I think it right to bring to your attention the exceptional job Lorna Hamilton does as Clerk to the Finance Committee and Alastair McLellan as Clerk to the Kirk Session. The Presbytery Clerk reported back to Presbytery that only one congregation had no negative comments about their record keeping: Mearns Free Church. This is certainly due to the gifts the Lord has given to Lorna and Alastair. However, it is more than that, it is I believe testimony to the whole-hearted way Lorna and Alastair serve the Lord within these roles. Please thank the Lord for them.
LAMPS Passion Play…
I want to give advance notice of an Easter Event we shall hold on the evening of 14th April (7.30pm). LAMPS is a Christian organisation that will perform a version of the Easter Story in Scotland during “Holy Week”. We have asked them to come and perform at Belmont. It will be an opportunity to invite friends and family to hear the Gospel message as dramatized by these actors. (See the flyer below.)
They are coming from Oxfordshire and we aim to host the five cast members in our homes. We will provide dinner and overnight accommodation on 14th April (3 male and 2 female). Would you like to host one (some)? Please let me know.
“MFC-Connections”…
this new initiative I mentioned for the first time last week is to help ensure we have good, consistent connection with one another as we go through life together as a church. I am personally very enthusiastic about this and I hope you will come to share in that enthusiasm also. Please have a read at the details here. We are sending out details of these initial connections by email this coming week.
AGM…
Please read the article below on the upcoming Annual General Meeting and put Friday 21st March into your diary as this is an important meeting (see below).
Pray…
Please pray for me as I travel to Kilmallie this weekend for their “Communion Season”. Please pray for me as I lead worship on Saturday night, Sunday morning and Sunday night. I am delighted that we shall have Rev Iain Morrison with us from Dowanvale Free Church. Please give Iain (and family) a warm welcome and encourage Iain in his ministry as you always do our visiting preachers.
With Warmest Regards
Scott
SU Scotland Update
Last Sunday we enjoyed a great presentation from Jenny Hamill on the work of SU Scotland.
We heard how they support and resource those who are teaching Easter and Christmas and other elements of the Christian faith in schools appropriately ie. in ways that fit with the Curriculum for Excellence. There was news about the residential holiday events too (and Pauline was able to demonstrate how that aspect of SU Holidays played out locally with stories and photos from our own group from the Mearns who were at Gowanbank a few weeks ago.)
From the photo above you can see too that SU Scotland have kept faithful to their values 'Deepening Relationships - Dependence on God' and also include this set of "Anchors".
Thanks too to those who helped organise the Lunch we enjoyed - especially, Sandra and John McN and Margaret B who planned, organised tables and the food and drinks... and their willing team of helpers!
If you want to support financially you still can. simply follow the QR code above.
Did you take your copy of the booklet “Listen Up” that Scott has been promoting.
There may be a few copies left this Sunday?
And did you read it - Which character did you identify with?
Adam or Beth? - expecting God to speak or not...?
Chloe or Dylan? - can you admit God knows better than you?
'This means I must expect the Bible to call me to repentance and not to reassure me that I'm ok. It will never make me comfortable or complacent in my sin.'
Ellie or Finlay? - do you follow the passage being preached from?
Hamsa or Gareth? - did you know the bible teaches that the 'normal' place for listen is when we gather? We get shaped together.
Indira or Jake? - weekly, not irregularly. 'We need...to sit regularly together week by week, under the systematically preached word of God.'
Keith or Lakshmi - Do what the Bible says - are you aware of YOUR need to change? (not the person beside you).
Mike or Nell - are we listening? Are we JUST listening? We need to respond - today?
Scott writes:
Perhaps oddly you will think, it is a practical guide on how to listen to a sermon! I believe it is so helpful it even has a closing chapter on how to listen to a “bad sermon”! One reviewer said,
“The Director of the Cornhill Training Course in London, England, Christopher Ash has done congregations and preachers a great service...Each of the seven sections starts by introducing us to two different listeners and their approach to listening and why one profits from the sermon and why the other doesn’t. Each of the seven concludes with practical steps to take. In between is very good advice on listening. This advice is also good for the preacher to remember as he prepares his sermon.
Ash’s counsel is solidly based on the belief that the Bible is the Word of God. “However, when the Bible is faithfully opened up, we are to listen to the preacher’s voice as the voice of God Himself. The preacher stands in the great tradition of prophets and apostles who spoke the word of God” (p 4). He makes it clear that the preacher’s authority is borrowed and it is only as the preacher sticks to the truth of the text that he should be taken seriously. He advises the listeners to constantly ask themselves “where did the preacher get that from?” (p 10). He insightfully spells out why sermons should be listened to in person at church. He cautions against a steady diet of “celebrity preachers” (p 18).…Both preacher and listener will benefit from this booklet.”
United In Prayer:
Dowanvale Free Church
Wednesday 12th March
Our weekly meeting for prayer will be suspended on 12th March for us to join with others in the Free Church to pray. You are welcome to come over to Partick with us even if you are not regular at the Wednesday prayer meeting. We hope to share transport. Arrangements for sharing transport will be confirmed in next week’s magazine and by email.
If you do plan to go, but want to travel on your own, we shall be praying in the building of Downanvale Free Church is at 35 Dowanhill St, Glasgow G11 5QR
(See the invitation below.)
Scott
“The vision of the Free Church of Scotland is for ‘A Healthy Gospel Church for Every Community in Scotland’.
We recognise that we are completely dependent on God to bring about this vision.
Therefore, our focus in 2025 is going to be on thanksgiving and prayer. Giving thanks to God for all that he has done among us in the last 5 years and praying for the next 5 years.
We would love for you to join us at an Area Prayer Meeting at Dowanvale Free Church, Partick, Glasgow, on Wednesday 12th March. It will start at 7.30pm but doors will be open from 7pm with the opportunity for conversation and a cup of tea.
We look forward to joining with you in prayer. In prayer we express our complete dependence on God. And we join together in prayer asking that we might indeed see A Healthy Gospel Church for Every Community in Scotland.
To find out more, click here.
Annual General Meeting
21st March 7pm-8pm
The Annual General Meeting for Mearns Free Church will be on the evening of Friday the 21st March, 7pm-8pm at Belmont. All are welcome but especially if you are a member of the congregation.
This AGM is very important as it will be our first at Mearns Free Church. We need to hear how we can pray MFC forward into a second year.
Finance Committee: We will appoint members to the Finance Committee for the new-year.
The current Finance Committee members are: Catherine MacKay, Daniel Clarke, Lawrence Renn, Lorna Hamilton, Margo McNicol, Tom Brown. You may nominate others at the meeting (though they would have to agree in advance). All nominations will be voted on and a majority is necessary for each to be elected. Each member of the committee is elected for one year but can be re-elected annually.
The current Finance Committee members, who have actually only served less than one year are all willing to be re-elected.
Finances: It is important there is financial transparency. We shall review the annual accounts. However, it is also important that we all understand the relationship between Mearns Free Church and our former church entity, now called NMNC Trust Limited.
The AGM I am speaking of in this notice is for
Mearns Free Church. However,
NMNC Trust Limited will also make their accounts available to us at the same meeting so that we can see the full financial picture for both entities. The relationship between these two entities (Mearns Free Church and NMNC Trust Limited) is of great importance presently. We currently employ/pay ministry assistance (our Family and Children Worker and future Associate Minister) from the Trust. It may also be of great significance for future ownership of property.
Please put this meeting in your diary.
Passion Play
Monday 14th April (7.30pm)
At Belmont House School
Keep a look out for details soon
Save the dates! Looking ahead to:
Easter
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Saturday 5th April - Easter Family Event
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Sunday 23rd March - info/prep meeting for Easter Family Event
Summer
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Sunday 3rd - Sunday 10th August - Community Week
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Sunday 1st June - Community week team meeting
As always, we will need people to get involved in many ways to make these events happen. If you are interested in finding out more please speak to Pauline or Scott.
Easter Code
Every year the Baptist Church plays host to P7 pupils from all the local schools to help them explore and discover Easter.
The sessions run Monday - Friday 10am -12noon. Many people are needed to enable the sessions to happen.
If anyone would be interested in helping out for one or more mornings then please speak to Pauline. On the day you would be paired with an experienced team member and would help the pupils with activities, discussion and snack. All teaching and leading is done upfront.
Typology in the Bible
Last week we thought about how, throughout the Old Testament, there are 'types' or shadows of Jesus and the work he would achieve.
This week in Paul Tripp's daily devotional book 'Everyday Gospel' he picked out a 'type' which you might not have thought about, but it helps understand how to look for them, and how to reflect and meditate on the depth of Christ's redeeming work.
It is vital to remember that Jesus is not just your Saviour. Between your conversion and your homegoing, he is your refuge as well.
God’s attributes never work in conflict with one another.
His love does not weaken or negate his holiness.
His justice does not derail his mercy.
His sovereign plan does not work in conflict with his tender, patient heart.
We see this clearly in Numbers 35:34: “You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the Lord dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.” In these words we see the Lord’s holy justice and patient mercy working in cooperation. Let me explain. Note these words earlier in Numbers 35: The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person without intent may flee there. The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation for judgment.” (35:9–12)
Now compare the two passages I have quoted and note that two things from the heart of God are operating here. First, God is uncompromisingly holy and will not have the land in which he dwells defiled by sin that is not properly dealt with. But that is not the only thing happening here. A city of refuge would provide mercy for the accused, a place where he could flee and stay until given a just trial. Although confined to a city of refuge, he would not be driven out of the land but, in mercy, could remain and be properly tried for his offense.
In the creation of the cities of refuge, we see God’s holiness and mercy acting not in conflict with one another but in perfect cooperation. In the cooperation of divine holiness and mercy we find hope right now, and hope to come. We see God’s holiness and mercy working in beautiful cooperation in a later account, too. The entire biblical narrative marches to a hill outside of the city, where, on a rough-hewn cross, God’s uncompromising holiness and tender mercy would meet. The cross was necessary because God would not turn his back on the idolatry and rebellion of sin and act as if sin’s offenses against him were okay.
But the cross was necessary also because the God of mercy promised to provide a way for sinners to be forgiven and reconciled to him. This means that we, too, have a city of refuge to which we can run. Our city of refuge is not a place but a person, and his name is Jesus. It is beautiful to know that Jesus met all of God’s holy requirements on our behalf and paid the penalty for our sin so that he could be a refuge for sinners like you and me."
These are the links we had from last week which help explain and give examples of the subject of Biblical Typology.
Bible Project -Hebrews link
Sinclair Ferguson - link
Ladybird Book of Mearns Free Church
Safeguarding Training
We want encourage those involved in service at Mearns Free to sign up for the Free Church’s training on safeguarding. We and the Free Church believe that training is essential to deliver on our safeguarding responsibilities. The training is free and is delivered online; it takes about a couple of hours and is delivered well.
The next training sessions (you only need to do one of these sessions every 3 years!) are on:
Tuesday 22nd April at 7.30pm
Monday 19th May at 7.30pm
Tuesday 26th August at 7.30pm
You can register by filling in the form that is available online here:
Safeguarding Training Booking – Free Church of Scotland
For more details speak with Alastair McL.
DATE FOR DIARY
Saturday 22nd March
Make sure you keep this space free in your diary - proceeds are going to the work of The Haven in Kilmacolm.
More details to follow in next couple of weeks.
Speak to Margo for info.
What does Christianity have to say about
HOPE? PEACE? PURPOSE?
3 Sunday events to explore where we can find real, lasting hope.
Look out for details and invites to explore with others at Mearns Free Church in an informal setting and Afternoon Tea.
Speak with Margo for more information
Each Wednesday we meet to pray for the church- local, national and worldwide.
you should try and get along - 1 hour flies by and it's such a important time of fellowship too.
7.15-8.15pm
Praying for One Another
The Free Church page on prayer is found here
It includes the Praying for One Another
Each week we send out a prayer calendar, via email, with prayer points for the week ahead.:
"We pray for the church locally, nationally and globally. It is a real encouragement to see all that God is doing in our communities.
What a privilege we have in prayer! We can approach the throne of grace with utmost confidence that we are coming before a God who knows us perfectly and loves us endlessly.
Click on the link to sign up for weekly updates.
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.
Mearns Free Church 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 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.
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
Sandy McDougall (Treasurer): finance@mearnsfree.org
Pauline Forster (Children and families worker): children@mearnsfree.org