Notices - Sunday 14th May
Creche: 11.00am in the upper hall for children up to age 3.
Volunteers Today: Fiona, Catherine, Ruby and Alison.
Volunteers 21st May: Annette, Kathleen, Anne Mackenzie and Tina.
Tweenies: 11.00am in the main hall for children aged 3-5.
Volunteers today: Elizabeth, Anna and Lydia.
Volunteers 21st May: Johan, Kay, Aileen and Kirsty.
Sunday School and Bible Class arrive in church at 11.00 with family, then go into M.A. Hall after children’s address.
Everyone is welcome to a time of fellowship in the M. A. Hall following the morning service
D.R. and Diana will be serving today.
There is a joint YF with the High Free at 28 Goathill Rd tonight from 7.45pm until 9.15pm.
Monday 15th May 1.00pm-3.00pm Toddler Group meets in M.A. Hall.
Monday 15th May 7.00pm – Kirk Session meets in Kenneth St Session Room.
Tuesday 16th May 7.30pm – Hope, Peace & Purpose meeting in M.A. Hall.
Find out how the Prodigal found Hope, Peace and Purpose in Tim Keller’s book, the Prodigal God.
Meetings are held in a relaxed environment and suitable for all who are looking for the hope, peace and purpose that is offered in the Christian life.
There is no need to book, just turn up and bring some friends if you can.
To find out more, please contact Cala (07818 076163) or Roddy (07900 807375).
Wednesday 17th May 7.30pm
This meeting will be in the M. A. Hall and will be the congregation’s AGM. After a time of worship, the trustees report and annual accounts for the congregation will be presented. The reports are available on the congregations’ website and paper copies are available for collection at the church and Seminary.
Thursday 18th May 6.00pm-8.00pm – PVG/Safeguarding
The Kenneth St. Session room will be open for anyone who requires to complete a PVG application. Safeguarding training will be available online on the Free Church website, the next ones being on 29th May and 20th June.
Thursday 18th May 7.30pm – Gaelic Prayer Meeting in the Seminary.
Thursday 18th May – Explorers groups meet in M.A. Hall.
Friday 19th May 2.30pm-4.00pm – 55+ Fellowship.
The speaker will be our own Elder, Murdo Macleod (Churchill Drive), and the singing will be led by Christopher Martin. If you need transport to or from the event, please contact Duncan Norman on 07787 973802 or 01851 860418.
Saturday 20th May 12.00pm - 2.00pm – Fundraising Soup and Pudding Lunch for Ronald Macdonald House, Glasgow.
Nicolas and Laura Jayne used the Ronald MacDonald House facilities in Glasgow at the time of their daughter's birth and subsequent surgery.
Saturday 20th May 7.30pm – English Prayer Meeting in Seminary.
Services next Sunday 21st May
11.00am – English Service (Church) Rev Calum M. Smith.
11.00am – Gaelic Service (Seminary) Rev Donald A. Macdonald.
6.30pm – English Service (Church) Mr Scott Macleod.
Rev James Maciver will be on annual leave from Tuesday 16th May until Wednesday 24th May.
Record Subscriptions.
Subscribers to the Record will know that it hasn’t had a formal editor since May of last year. Sarah Robinson, the denomination’s Communications Manager, has been appointed as interim editor. Since January 2022, 12 copies have been issued, 7 monthly and 5 bi-monthly, which means that subscriptions are now due. As bi-monthly copies will be issued until a new editor is appointed, it’s been decided to just ask for subscriptions for the three issues due between June and November, which will be £6.00.
If you want to continue receiving the Record, please put £6.00 in an envelope clearly marked Record along with your name and address. If you want to begin receiving the Record, please put £6.00 in an envelope clearly marked ‘Record - New Subscriber’. All envelopes should be placed in the collection plates at either the church or the Seminary.
Sunday School Snippet
As it was a holiday weekend on the mainland, it was lovely to welcome several visitors to Sunday School today who were “home” on holiday.
Today at Sunday School all the classes were learning about different kings and queens in the Bible. Here is what David, Jacob, James, Holly and Lydia from Pr. 6 were doing:
“We made arrows because we were learning about David and Jonathan and how Saul was trying to kill David. God used Jonathan to protect David. You can read this story in first Samuel 20:37.”
News by email. If you would like to receive regular congregational news by email, please contact [email protected].
The Coronation:
King Charles III’s recent coronation had a significance well beyond the grandeur of the event. Central to the coronation service and ceremony was the Christian faith, reinforcing, at least in principle, that it is foundational to the nation and therefore to public life. Of course, the concept of the Christian faith as essential to the bedrock of any nation is openly repudiated today in western culture, especially by those who regard the monarchy itself as a medieval relic of no relevance in a modern democracy. “Not my King” has been placarded frequently over the past few weeks, many insisting it’s time the monarchy was replaced by a republic, with an elected head of state rather than a hereditary monarch.
Significantly though, at the heart of the coronation was an act of Christian religious confession and dedication, in which King Charles pledged his service to God and to the nation. The diversity of the United Kingdom was shown by the conveyance of good wishes from leaders of the Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and Buddhist communities. The service itself, however, was entirely Christian in form, containing the core principle of the coronation in the king’s solemn vow to be “defender of the faith”, that is the Protestant Christian faith. Although many view this as meaningless and outdated in an increasingly secularised society, the values and principles emanating from the Christian faith remain crucial to the wellbeing of the nation – the rule of law, justice, liberty of conscience and speech, freedom of religion, compassionate support for the poor, and respect for every human being as created in the image of God. The coronation was a demonstration of how these long-established values are embodied in the nation’s king as head of state, separate from parliament, it being the embodiment of the will of the people, the elected government of the nation. A nation whose citizens lose sight of the unifying benefits of these values will inevitably fragment as alternative ideologies compete for supremacy.
God requires of us that we pray for our king. In early Church times, when government by autocratic emperors and kings (often persecutors of the Church!) was commonplace, the apostles called upon Christians to be subject to, and to pray for, the governing authorities as ordained of God - Romans 13 v 1-7, and 1 Peter 2 v 13-17. This is our duty and privilege also.
May God bless (and save) the King!
