Notices - Sunday 18th November
Sunday 18th November
All young people S1 upwards are warmly invited to Y.F., which meets tonight in the hall after the evening service. Come along and bring a friend.
Monday 19th November
God Is Good Africa AGM (Charity Number SC046758) Session Room, Kenneth Street, Stornoway at 7.30pm. All are welcome to attend.
Tuesday 20th November
Recording of Salm Vol 3 in the Stornoway Town Hall. A warm welcome will be extended to all Gaelic psalm singers for the recording of Salm Vol 3 in aid of Bethesda Hospice. Recording will commence at 7.30pm and it would be helpful if everyone could be seated by 7.00pm (the doors will be open from 6.30pm). The intention is to record 15 items of praise for a CD which will be released in the New Year. The verses of the Psalms being sung and the name of the tune will be displayed on a large screen behind the precentors.
Christian Discussion Group meets at 7.30pm in the Upstairs Hall, Kenneth St.
Wednesday 21st November
Christian Witness to Israel (CWI) - 175th Anniversary Meeting: On Wednesday evening in the Rev M A Macleod Memorial Hall, Rev Joseph Steinberg, Chief Executive Officer of CWI, will present his vision for the future of Jewish Mission on the 175th anniversary year of the organisation. He will also share some stories of Jewish people who have recently come to faith in Christ. The collection taken on the evening will be forwarded to CWI. Everyone is warmly encouraged to attend.
Thursday 22nd November
Annual Thanksgiving Service in the Seminary at 7.30pm. The collection taken at the service will be for the congregation’s Benevolent Fund.
Friday 23rd November
Stornoway Street Pastors Commissioning Service will take place at 7.30pm at St Columbas Church Hall. The commissioning of new street pastors, an update on the work, praise and refreshments. Entry by donation.
Saturday 24th November
English Prayer meeting in the Seminary at 7.30pm.
Saturday 24th November
WFM Soup and Pudding Lunch from 12-2.00pm in the Hall. Entry will be by donation. A form is available today for those who would like to provide any items for the meals- soup, pudding, rolls- or to help on the day with serving etc. If you can help, please enter your name in the relevant column on the sheet. With Lizzie being off work at present, the ladies would like help with setting up tables and chairs and clearing them away afterwards. The appeal is directed to men (all ages!) in particular! If you can help, please contact Donna on 702279 or [email protected]. This help will be much appreciated.
Contributing to the funds of the congregation
Over the next few weeks, officebearers will be distributing the 2019 weekly free-will offering envelopes throughout the congregation. If you would like to contribute regularly to the funds of the congregation and do not currently receive freewill offering envelopes, you can request to have a pack delivered. If contributing by envelopes is not suitable, you can also choose to contribute by regular Standing Order. Either of these methods can be easily arranged by contacting Murdo Macphail, the Congregational Treasurer, or any of the office bearers.
Have you completed a Gift Aid form? According to government sources, the staggering sum of £600m is lost annually to UK charities as thousands of contributors are not registering for Gift Aid. While we are extremely thankful for those who have registered for Gift Aid, we want to encourage tax payers who are not registered but who contribute regularly to the funds of the congregation to seriously consider completing a Gift Aid Declaration Form. This will allow the congregation to claim back from the government an additional 25p for every £1 you contribute. There is no additional cost to you and the reclaim is done on your behalf from income tax you have already paid. Details of personal finances are not asked for, and all that's required to increase the value of your donation by a further 25% is to complete a very simple declaration form - we do the rest!
If you would like more information about Gift Aid, please speak to Donald (Doonie) Macleod (Gift Aid Treasurer), Murdo Macphail (Congregational Treasurer), or any of the office-bearers.
Children and youth groups
Parent & Toddler meets on Tuesday (1.00–3.00pm) and Thursday (9.45-11.45am)
Campaigners: C Club (6-7pm) and Crosstrax (7-8.30pm) on Monday in the hall
No Kidz Zone this week
ADVANCE NOTICES
Friday 30th November
National Day of Prayer: The last General Assembly, as in previous years, appointed 30th November as a National Day of Prayer. As the Presbytery has decided not to hold a central meeting on that evening, the Session, therefore, has decided to hold the following meetings to which all are invited:
• 8.00am in the Session Room, Kenneth Street
• 12.00 - 1.30pm in the Session Room, Kenneth Street
• 7.30pm in the Seminary, Francis Street
This Day of Prayer was arranged under the conviction that prayer is required for so many reasons. Both within and without the church we find much that ought to make us turn to God and seek His mercy and reviving power. Please commit yourself to this Day of Prayer and may we as a congregation see the benefits in days to come. The collection taken at all meetings throughout the day will be forwarded to the Christian Institute.
Glasgow City Mission Appeal
Donations needed include new socks and new underwear for men and women, sleeping bags, new towels, tea/coffee/sugar and financial donations. Please bring items to the appeal centre at the Old Gazette shop, Francis St from 12-4pm on Friday 23rd November or from 10.30am-1pm on Saturday 24th November. Contact Charlie Nicolson 07717 816476 with any queries.
Advance Notice – Communion
The Lord’s Supper is due to be dispensed at the morning service on 2nd December. There will be no Gaelic service that morning. As usual there will be a preparatory service on Saturday 1st December at 7.00pm in the Seminary. The preparatory and the Sunday morning service will be taken by Rev James Maciver and Rev Kenneth I Macleod will conduct the Sunday evening service. There will be a congregational fellowship in the MA Hall after the evening service. The Kirk Session will meet at 6.30pm, before the Saturday service. Anyone who desires to take communion for the first time is invited to come to the Session after the service, taking a friend with them if they wish. Both ministers are also most happy to speak with anyone before then, if they wish to discuss any aspect of taking communion for the first time with either of them.
New Year’s Day
Services will be held on board MV Loch Seaforth (involving the minister) and at the Iolaire Memorial at 12 noon as a major part of marking the 100th anniversary of the loss of the Iolaire. Both these services are to be open to the public and will be advertised soon. The Session decided that it would not be desirable to hold a New Year’s Day service at the same time in the congregation and also that it would not be practicable to have a service that evening. Instead a service will be held in the congregation on Wednesday 2nd January 2019 at 12 noon, in the church, and in consequence there will be no prayer meeting that evening.
