Bulletin - Sunday 15th August
Creche and Tweenies 11:00 in downstairs church hall.
If you are wishing to book a place for your child, please contact Fiona Macleod on 07825 000 250. If you haven't been to Creche or Tweenies before we would be delighted to see you there!
We are now looking for volunteers for creche. This will be on a rota basis. If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Marianne Macaulay on 07791 187 236 or [email protected]
Tuesday 17th August 7.00pm
Kirk Session will meet on Zoom
Wednesday 18th August 7.30pm
English Prayer Meeting in the Seminary, Francis Street and on Zoom, led by Rev Kenneth Ferguson.
Zoom details of English prayer meetings available from Mairianne at [email protected] or 704397.
Thursday 19thAugust 7.30pm
Gaelic Prayer Meeting in Seminary, led by Mr Joe Macphee. Please note that it will not be on Zoom or livestreamed.
Services next Sunday – 22nd August
11am English Service(Church): Rev James Maciver
11am Gaelic Service (Seminary): Rev Donald A. Macdonald
6.30pm English Service (Church): Rev James Maciver
CDs and DVDs are available on request of all the services.
If you wish to order any, please get in touch with Erica Macleod on 705028, or leave your order in a collection plate. The cost is still £2.00 each.
Further easing of Covid related restrictions
On Monday 9th August Scotland came under what has been described as ‘the move beyond level 0’. This means that most of the remaining legally imposed restrictions have been lifted and the points to note from the move are as follows:
1. Physical distancing is no longer a legal requirement, but we are still advised to maintain a safe distance from others. The pews in the church and the Seminary are fixed and the distance between them is less than what can currently be considered a safe distance. For this reason, we will continue using every second pew and the office-bearers on duty will ensure that sufficient space is kept between members of different households.
2. The one-way system for entering and exiting the church and the Seminary has worked well and it’s been decided to continue with it for a while longer.
3. One of the most welcome changes arising from the move is that contact details for Track & Trace purposes is no longer required for places of worship. There is, therefore, no further requirement for anyone attending a service to make an advance booking.
4. Wearing of face coverings is still mandatory for adults (unless they have an exemption for medical reasons) but children under 12 are now exempt from the requirement in all settings including Sunday Schools.
5. Rigorous hand hygiene continues to be essential, and the hand hygiene facilities should be used on entry and exit from all our buildings.
These measures are subject to regular review and will be adjusted as required. We trust that everyone in the congregation is assured that everything possible is done to ensure that the seating, hygiene, and safety measures in place are in the best interests of everyone attending our services.
There is still seating capacity in the church and the Seminary to accommodate many more at our services. If you still haven’t come back after lockdown, we urge you to seriously consider joining with us again as we come together every Lord’s Day to worship and to praise God.
Marking the retirement of Rev K. I. Macleod:
Due to the various Covid related restrictions and the recent school holidays, it wasn’t possible to mark Kenny I’s retirement before it was formalised on 2nd August. Now that restrictions have eased considerably and the school holidays are over, an opportunity is given to the congregation to contribute towards a gift which will be presented on a specially appointed evening sometime around mid-September.
Contributions clearly marked ‘Presentation’ should be placed in the collection plates in the church and Seminary on the next two consecutive Sundays - 22nd and 29th August, or at the weekly prayer meetings. If your contribution is by cheque, please make it payable to ‘Stornoway Free Church’.
Volunteers required to assist with live streaming of church services:
For the past number of months, the Lord’s Day services from the church and Seminary have been live streamed on YouTube. The services, in English and Gaelic, are viewed by people all over the world and are particularly appreciated by those who, for various reasons, are not able to attend church services in person.
Live streaming requires hands-on involvement and operating the equipment every week is currently done by a small number of people. Having a larger pool of operators would make a huge difference and it would be greatly appreciated if you would consider being trained to use the equipment (it’s not onerous!) and having your name added to a rota of operators.
This appeal is not intended for members only and is addressed to anyone associated with the congregation with an interest in this such matters. If you would like to discuss what’s involved in operating the equipment, please contact Lizzie on 07900 586930 or by email to [email protected]
Toilet facilities in the Church foyer
The toilet facilities in the church foyer have now been refurbished and are available for use.
