Notices - Sunday 31st December
There is a crèche that meets in the hall next door to the church during the morning service: age 0-2yrs upstairs and age 3-7yrs (Holiday Tweenies) downstairs. Parents, you are welcome to take your children to the crèche/Tweenies at any time and please remember to sign them in.
No Sunday School today.
NOTICES
Monday 1st January- There will be a New Year’s Day service in the church at 12 noon. The special collection taken at this service will be used to support the excellent work of Campaigners within the congregation.
Please note there is NO monthly bilingual service at 7:30pm on Monday 1st January.
Midweek Meetings: All at 7.30pm
Wednesday – English -Rev James Maciver (MA Macleod Memorial Hall).
Thursday – Gaelic (Seminary) – Rev KI Macleod
Saturday – English (Seminary)
Day One Meeting: The local branch of DayOne/LDOS will be holding an interdenominational prayer meeting on Sunday 7th January 2018 at 9pm at the APC Church, Keith St, Stornoway. All most welcome.
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.
The Record- The December edition is now available.
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.
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.
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: 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.
• The handouts are available as a resource to everyone, even if you can not attend the midweek meeting- so please feel free to collect a handout.
• 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.
ADVANCE NOTICES
Saturday 13th Jan: There will be a fundraising lunch from 12-2pm in the hall in aid of Edinburgh Theological Seminary. All welcome.
Sunday 14th Jan: There will be a Congregational Fellowship in the hall after the evening service. Rev William Heenan will be the speaker. All welcome.
