No.39 28th March 2025
Sunday 30th
Morning service - 10.30am
Martin Smith
(nb. Services will not being live streamed but will be recorded and on YouTube shortly after the service.)
HOME GROUPS
PRAYER MEETING
NO PULSE MEETING THIS WEDNESDAY
Letter from the Manse
Dear Congregation,
There is so much happening over the next month, please excuse me using most of my weekly letter to highlight these. I am sure there will be fuller information on each, in our magazines. April has a lot happening.
However, let me first thank our new give Finance Committee for allowing themselves to be re-elected. They have steered us well since becoming Mearns Free Church. We did not need to count hands because it looked very much like a unanimous vote of all present to re-elect Catherine, Daniel, Lawrence, Lorna, Margo and Tom. With the elders, they will make up the Finance Committee until the AGM of 2026.
Secondly, I want to thank Tom Brown and Graham MacKay for the massive amount of work they undertook on our behalf in bringing the church directory together. The directory is good for several obvious reasons. However, can I encourage you to use it as a prayer list? Please take time to recognise who is there and bring them into your prayers each day (a page a day?). Perhaps you could name those on each page and pray for them something along the lines of Paul’s prayers in Ephesians 1.16-21 or Colossians 1.9-14, 2.1-2 or Philippians 1.9-11?
To mark in the diary…
Please pray through all the gatherings below also. Pray for them conscious that these might be the very occasions that the Lord uses to change lives!
Do come along and bring to each gathering as many friends and family members as possible. Easter can provide an “easy-ask”.
Having said how busy April will be, I am on holiday from this Sunday 30th March for a week. Please contact Alastair McLellan (Session Clerk) or any elder if there are pastoral matters you would like supported through.
Saturday Afternoon 5th April: Pauline will lead “The Wonder of Easter” the All-Age Easter Event at Belmont. She does need a team. Please contact Pauline if you can assist. If coming to simply appreciate the ministry, it may be helpful to let Pauline know that you are coming and especially if bringing children.
Sunday April 6thSunday Morning: I will lead worship at Bishopbriggs Free Church and Martin Smith will conclude a 2-part series on prayer at MFC. (Part 1 will be Sunday 30th March).
Sunday Evening: I will lead the Communion service at Covenant Church Newmilns, Ayrshire. Come join with me and them in worship. Let’s go together. Margo will help arrange the sharing of cars if we gather at Belmont School to leave the Belmont carpark at 4.45pm. Worship begins 5.30pm. We will be heading to “Morton Hall”, 123 Main Street, Newmilns, KA16 9HB.
New Prayer Initiative Saturday Morning 12th April…We are launching a new prayer venture on Saturday 12th April. This launch is timed to follow the two Sunday services (30th March and 6th April) where the focus shall be on what Jesus says about prayer. (See details on this below.) All are welcome even if you have not made gathering for prayer your habit in the past.
Palm Sunday
Morning Worship 13th: We shall have a usual “Palm Sunday” service on 13th. In addition, we look forward to the Christian singer song/writer Ian White being with us. Ian will extend a personal invitation to the Inspiration Orchestra Festival 2025. Several of us have been to this over the last few years (May 24th). Our Outreach Committee are planning a day out which might include a walk. We have decided it would be good to combine the two and include attending the Festival in that day out. (More details about “The MFC Away Day In May” later. However, this is also advance notice for the diary!)
Evening Worship 7pm 13th: We shall join again with NMBC for our final hearing of what the Lord would say to us presently from Paul’s Letter to the Galatians.
Monday April 14th 7.30pm: “The Passion” We are hosting at Belmont, a dramatization of the Easter story. The events of that first Easter will be told through the voices of those present with Jesus at that time. (See more details below.) Please do come, and forgive me for repetition, but if possible bring a friend and/or family member. We are praying that the truth of the Gospel Message, so central to the Easter story, will be heard clearly and the lives of those of us present will be impacted. Entry is of course free.(There will be an opportunity to make a donation on the day to defray costs incurred by MFC.)
Good Friday 7pm (18th April): We shall have a joint service where we have been invited to share in leading the Communion part of the Service. The service will be at the Newton Mearns Baptist Church premises. The time of his service will be at 7 pm (N.B. earlier advertising said it would be 8pm. That is no longer the time.)
Easter Sunday 20th April:
3 Events:
6:30am Roukin Glen Park: We will gather at the Garden Centre carpark at 6.30am. After a brief act of praise and prayer we shall walk about 1 km or so to the small outcrop of limestone. We will then share in a short service of outdoor worship. All are then invited to return to John and Sandra McNicol’s home for breakfast.
Easter Morning Worship 10.30am: Belmont School.
Easter Evening 7pm: We will gather again at Belmont School for “A Very Different Easter”. This is another opportunity to come and worship and bring a guest. This is a special gathering so that you have more opportunity to invite friends/family along.
Sunday 27th April: We look forward to having Rev Kenny McLeod with us, minister at Dowanvale Free Church. Kenny will lead us in our morning worship which will be a Communion service.
Pray do take all these April gatherings to the Lord in prayer…
Psalm 127.1 Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain.
Speaking of prayer: Wednesday Night “The Pulse”: “The Pulse” will not meet on 2nd April but resume on 9th. April’s gathering for prayer will all be at the home of Murray and Margo McNicol.
With Warmest Regards
Scott
New Prayer Initiative Saturday Morning 12th April…We are launching a new prayer venture on Saturday 12th April. This launch is timed to follow the two Sunday services (30th March and 6th April) where the focus shall be on what Jesus says about prayer. (See details on this below.) All are welcome even if you have not made gathering for prayer your habit in the past.
Palm Sunday
Morning Worship - 13th April : We shall have a usual “Palm Sunday” service on 13th. In addition, we look forward to the Christian singer song/writer Ian White being with us. Ian will extend a personal invitation to the Inspiration Orchestra Festival 2025. Several of us have been to this over the last few years (May 24th). Our Outreach Committee are planning a day out which might include a walk. We have decided it would be good to combine the two and include attending the Festival in that day out. (More details about “The MFC Away Day In May” later. However, this is also advance notice for the diary!)
Evening Worship 7pm 13th: We shall join again with NMBC for our final hearing of what the Lord would say to us presently from Paul’s Letter to the Galatians.
PASSION PLAY
Monday April 14th 7.30pm: “The Passion” We are hosting at Belmont, a dramatization of the Easter story. The events of that first Easter will be told through the voices of those present with Jesus at that time. (See more details below.) Please do come, and forgive me for repetition, but if possible bring a friend and/or family member. We are praying that the truth of the Gospel Message, so central to the Easter story, will be heard clearly and the lives of those of us present will be impacted. Entry is of course free.
(There will be an opportunity to make a donation on the day to defray costs incurred by MFC.)
Good Friday
7pm -18th April): We shall have a joint service where we have been invited to share in leading the Communion part of the Service. The service will be at the Newton Mearns Baptist Church premises. The time of his service will be at 7 pm (N.B. earlier advertising said it would be 8pm. That is no longer the time.)
Easter Sunday Services
20th April - 3 Events:
-
6:30am Roukin Glen Park: We will gather at the Garden Centre carpark at 6.30am. After a brief act of praise and prayer we shall walk about 1 km or so to the small outcrop of limestone. We will then share in a short service of outdoor worship. All are then invited to return to John and Sandra McNicol’s home for breakfast.
-
10.30amEaster Morning Worship: Belmont School.
-
Easter Evening 7pm We will gather again at Belmont School for “A Very Different Easter”. This is another opportunity to come and worship and bring a guest. This is a special gathering so that you have more opportunity to invite friends/family along.
Sunday 27th April: We look forward to having Rev Kenny McLeod with us, minister at Dowanvale Free Church. Kenny will lead us in our morning worship which will be a Communion service.
Pray do take all these April gatherings to the Lord in prayer…
Psalm 127.1 Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain.
Speaking of prayer: Wednesday Night “The Pulse”: “The Pulse” will not meet on 2nd April but resume on 9th. April’s gathering for prayer will all be at the home of M & M McNicol.
With Warmest Regards
Scott
Dear Friends,
Govanhill Free Church is holding a fundraising Afternoon tea on Saturday 29 March from 2.30-4.30pm to raise funds for Women For Mission.
Women for Mission are linked with the Free Church of Scotland and each year choose different projects to raise money for.
This year they a
oin us.
MFC Directory
The MFC church family directory is available in PDF format for use on phone, tablet, or computer.
To comply with our Data Protection policy we have only listed those who gave permission for their details to be shown, and would also respectfully ask you not to circulate the directory further.
If you would like a paper copy of the directory please let me know so that we can arrange print volumes. The format of the paper version will be A5 (same as before), but if you would like a larger-print A4 version we can help with that.
Graham M did so many sessions to get the photos looking as good as they do
(thanks Graham!) If you would like a copy of your particular photo in much higher resolution than we use in the directory please speak to Graham on Sunday morning.
Meanwhile if you wish your details to be changed, added, or deleted please email the office.
Ladybird Book of Mearns Free Church
Some Ministry Opportunities
We have some opportunities you may want to consider serving in.
i. We transport sound equipment from a local garage to Belmont (usually pick up at 5.15, deliver at 5.30). You may have help to load and unload the car.
We currently transport 11 items which fit in a Octavia estate or a Karoq when both have their back seats down. The idea might be to create a rota. The planning of that we can work out with you.
ii. We have a lectern that we move each week and it is getting a bit scraped and bashed. Would you like to protect it in a bag of some sort. Would you like to measure up, become creative and create a suitable covering? How/appearance etc. we would leave to you.
iii. We have joint services with Newton Mearns Baptist Church fortnightly. We will continue these from 27th April – end of June. We could do with extra assistance in ministering to one another.
a. Would you like to assist with the AV? (Simply moving slides forward on the computer or on the sound desk.)
b. Help make and serve teas and coffees?
c. Welcoming people at the door and general stewarding (especially if the need of emergency exit arose)?
Easter events
There are a range of easter events which you can find on our webpage (and this week's letter from Scott.)
Who can you invite along?
for instance...
EASTER MORNING WALK
"Very Early on the first day of the week Mary Magdelene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb……."
We meet together at 6.30am at the garden centre carpark at Roukenglen. Please wear sturdy shoes as our route is a muddy track that a has a slight incline.
We will walk together for about 15 to 20minutes ( 1 km) until we reach a clearing in the woods where we will have a short act of worship celebrating the resurrection and Jesus victory over death.
After returning by the same route to the carpark everyone is welcome back to Sandra and John's house for a tasty Easter breakfast 🐣 ( address given at event).
Hope to see everyone bright and early ☀️ If you wish to attend the sunrise service but not able to take part in the walk please speak to Margo.
This new MFC magazine feature doesn't necessarily need to involve holding a tea in your hand but it does involve stopping for a few moments to consider a short video which will encourage, challenge, inform and help deepen faith.
This week, we turn to Sinclair Ferguson about what it means to be a Christian - how do you know you are a Christian? especially when you definitely know you are sinful!!
This is the first short video.
The second is also about how the changes in our life happens - we are not just rescued and left to ourselves...watch here
In recent months our own Session has felt that it might be beneficial for us as a church to re-assess our personal and corporate prayer life. There will be a short series of sermons during our Sunday morning services where we will examine the New Testament’s teaching about prayer. Please pray that GOD might speak on these occasions, that He might help and encourage us with something that if we are honest we all find difficult – the discipline of prayer.
It will be good to
reflect on our prayer life, but
reflection without action is pointless. In addition to Pulse, our regular weekly prayer meeting on a Wednesday evening, Session have agreed that it would be good to commence a regular monthly prayer meeting where we specifically focus on praying not only that GOD would
lead us in and
equip us for our life & ministry as Mearns Free Church, but that
He himself would make our service fruitful by
His actions.
These monthly prayer meetings will be initially be held at 9 am on the second Saturday morning of each month starting in April.
Mearns Free Church Monthly Prayer Meeting
9am - Saturday 12th April
Martin & Elizabeth Smith’s home - contact office or see church directory for address
We have invited “LAMPS” a Christian organisation, to perform a version of the Easter Story at Belmont.
They will be in Scotland touring with this production.
They say: The life, death and resurrection of Jesus are recreated in this moving, memorable and ultimately joyful retelling of the Easter story. Told from the perspectives of Peter, Mary Magdalene and a Roman centurion named Marcus, this powerful contemporary drama leads us up to and through the events of Holy Week, to the cross and beyond.
This is a great opportunity to invite friends and family to an Easter event at Mearns Free Church and to hear the Gospel message as dramatized by these actors.
So often, Easter provides an easy way to invite friends and family to a church event. Please do make use of this opportunity.
Here are some reviews:
-
"The Passion by LAMPS is an utterly compelling retelling of the Easter story with actors whose talent is beyond words". Rev Nathan Ward St Margaret’s, Rainham
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"We watched and listened in complete silence for over an hour as the Easter story was told… The audience responded with a lengthy standing ovation – it was a great evening". Eleanor Jenkins Bury Green Chapel
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"A life-changing experience for me and my understanding of the scriptures… Like many others no doubt I shed a tear or two". Roger Dennett St James the Great, Radley
The event is Free -however, if you would like to support the event there is an opportunity to give on the evening to cover the costs involved to the church or you can use this link. Thank you.
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