Notices Sunday 24th December
Families please note that Tweenies and Creche WILL be available this Sunday (24th December) at the 11am morning service.
Families are encouraged to sit together in the church at the beginning of the 11am service (Tweenies will not meet in the hall before church and sit together as they normally would). Rev Kenneth I Macleod will lead the service and will give a children's talk as usual so parents are free to take children aged 3- P2 out to the hall for Holiday Tweenies during the second singing. But equally if your child is happy to sit with you in church then that's great!
Creche will be available upstairs in the hall as usual for babies and toddlers up to age 3.
Tea and coffee will be served in the hall after the service and everyone is very welcome.
No Sunday Schools today.
Christmas Eve Fellowship - a congregational fellowship will be held in the hall after the evening service tonight. This is for all ages and will continue the family theme which will mark both services today. It would therefore be wonderful to have families coming to the fellowship, which will finish no later than 9pm. We will have mince pies and a few other Christmas goodies and the minister will lead a Christmas Bible quiz for which each table will form a team. The quiz will not be hard so that the children can participate and the winning team will get extra Christmas goodies! All warmly welcome.
Monthly Record- The December edition is now available.
Solas Magazine: The latest issue of the Solas magazine is now available to buy and can be collected at the front entrance of the church. Solas is a news, current affairs and culture magazine written from a Christian world view and is produced quarterly by the Dundee based Solas Centre for Public Christianity. The magazines are available for a discounted price of £2.50 (usually £3.75) and anyone who wants one should put £2.50 in an envelope marked 'Solas' and leave it in the collection plate.
Children and youth groups
Campaigners and Parents & Toddlers have finished for the year but resume in January.
Death Notice- We were saddened to hear that Mr Daniel A. Macrae, formerly of Newmarket, had passed away in Dun Berisay Care Home on Wednesday 13th December. We extend our sincere sympathy to all his relatives.
Church Officer- Donnie would like to take this opportunity to thank all who helped with the grass cutting rota and in many other ways during the year. He also wishes everyone in the congregation a peaceful Christmas and every blessing in 2018.
Please note that Donnie will be on holiday from 21st December to 28th December. Any matters requiring church officer input should be referred to Mr Murdo Iain Macleod (Elder) 705028.
Midweek Meetings: All at 7.30pm in the Seminary
Wednesday – English – Rev KI Macleod
Thursday – Gaelic – Rev James Maciver Saturday – English
FCYC Camps Brochure: The summer camps brochures are available at the door, please take a copy for anyone between P5 and age 23 who may be interested. Registration for the camps is open and places will be allocated on Monday 15th January 2018. Book early to avoid disappointment!
Presbytery Camp: Booking forms are now available for the Presbytery Senior Youth Camp to be held in Scaladale in February 2018. This camp is open to young people in S3 to S6 and is set to run from Friday 9th to Monday 12th February. Book early to avoid disappointment. For more information please contact Catriona Macdonald [email protected]. Please remember the young people in your prayers.
Midweek Prayer Meetings in 2018- On the first Wednesday of each month in 2018 the midweek meeting will take a different format. The meeting will be held in the Hall as usual at 7.30pm. After an opening psalm of praise, prayer and a short Bible exposition (sermon), the remainder of the meeting will be given to group discussion, involving groups of 10-15 people around tables specially arranged. Each table will have a discussion leader. We will study the Letter of James throughout these meetings and for each occasion a handout will list the main points of the sermon as well as a number of questions forming the basis of the discussion. The handout will be available on the Lord’s Day prior to the meeting so that those attending can go over the material in advance. It will also be available online. The following details should help to explain further.
• This is a biblical thing to do. It is obvious from the New Testament that the Church in the time of the apostles gave time to discussion – e.g Acts 2:42 – as well as to listening to messages preached. Being together in discussion of the truth is most important. It helps us to understand it better and to retain what has been preached.
• We are exhorted by Scripture to “consider one another so as to stir up one another to love and to good works, not neglecting to meet together…but encouraging one another (Hebrews 10 v 24-25)” These discussion sessions will help us apply the Bible’s teaching practically in “good works”, but they will also be a means of strengthening “love” as they will enable us to get to know each other better.
• Nobody should feel that these discussion sessions require everyone to contribute to the discussion. Some will prefer just to listen and that is perfectly acceptable. Nor should anyone feel that they ought to do most of the speaking! The meetings are for anyone who wishes to attend even if they have not been going to the midweek meetings previously.
• Please pray that these sessions will be blessed by God so as to enhance our understanding of his Word and to encourage one another in the truth.
Benevolent Fund Donations: At the December meeting of the Deacons' Court, it was agreed to make two donations in the sum of £850.00 each to the Stornoway Corps of the Salvation Army and the Eilean Siar Food Bank. The donations will assist both organisations as they endeavour to ease the various struggles faced by an increasing number of individuals and families in the community. The selfless commitment of those who manage and voluntarily assist these organisations is commendable in the extreme and worthy of our prayerful and practical support.
ADVANCE NOTICE
Monday 1st January- New Year’s Day service in the church at 12 noon. A special retiring collection will be taken at this service in order to support the work of Campaigners.
