INVERNESS FREE NORTH CHURCH

Transcription

1 INVERNESS FREE NORTH CHURCH NEWSLETTER January 2017 Ramblings from the Rev Dear friends, Back to Life; Back to Reality. So goes the title of the 1994 hit song for the British R and B Band Soul II Soul. I think this serves as a very apt description of where we re at just now. Christmas has gone and 2017 has come. We can all breathe a collective sigh of relief. The town centre is back to normal with Christmas lights taken down; homes are back to normal with Christmas trees and decorations packed away until next Christmas. We can watch TV without being bombarded with ads enticing us to buy food we didn t really need, drink we shouldn t really take and perfume which would never really make us as attractive as the ad makes out it will! And, of course, the kids are back to school! Back to life! Back to reality! And yet January is known as the worst month of the year perhaps, amongst other reasons, because of this very fact - that life does return to normal and that s what many people cannot cope with. Reality! Normality! The Gospel message is that the Jesus in the Manger is not for Christmas excitement alone, but just as he moved on from there to ultimately die for our sins on the cross, so too we must move on, back to reality, but with Jesus as our Lord and Saviour in our lives, in our homes, in our relationships, in our reality, which helps us to face January and February and every other month in the year with hope and confidence and courage. 1

2 Back to life; back to reality! Don t leave Jesus behind at Christmas time. Ask him to be with you today and every day and so to make your life and reality one not of despair but of direction. Your friend and Pastor Colin Rev Colin MacLeod... Congratulations to Chris and Alison Macleod on the birth of their daughter Aoife Mairead Macleod on 4 th January at 6.33am weighing 8lbs 2ozs. Also to Darren Graham and Nicola Whitmore who got engaged at Christmas time. Darren is starting a new job in Cumbria in mid-january and he hopes to attend and help out at Nicola s home church there. We pray the Lord s blessing on them both. Colin Condolences The close of the year saw another two deaths in the congregation. Florence Maclean passed away on Friday 9 th December 2016 in the Highland Hospice aged 86 years. The funeral took place on 20 th December in the Free North with interment at Kilvean cemetery afterwards. Murdo Macleod passed away on 14 th December 2016 at his home in Provost Smith Crescent aged 104 years. The funeral took place on the 21 st December in John Fraser s Funeral Home with the interment at Kilvean Cemetery afterwards. We remember the respective families in prayer, giving thanks for the lives of Florence and Murdo and though we mourn their passing, we do not mourn as those without hope (1 Thessalonians 4. 13) 2

3 Please remember the following people in your prayers Illnesses or Hospital Miss Florence Williamson Housebound Mrs Anna Cameron Mrs Margaret Grant Mr Archie MacArthur Mrs Mary MacDonald Mrs Effie MacIver Mrs Christine MacRae Residential Homes Ms Joan Reid Aden House Mrs Mary McCulloch Aden House Miss Betty MacRae - Ballifeary Miss Nan MacDonald - Ballifeary Mrs Joan Macleman Fairfield Home Mrs Margaret MacAulay - Highview Mrs Joan Lamont - Highview Mrs Eila Macfarlane Isobel Fraser Home Mrs Ishbel Graham - Kingsmills Home Mr Angus Morrison Kingsmills Home Congregational News and Activities Christmas Time There was a great turnout at our annual Carol service on Christmas Eve with a number of folk who don t normally go to church coming along. One such family came along because someone in the congregation who has been a neighbour for years, popped an invite through their door and they thought they would come along and see what it would be like. It s a great encouragement to not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest (Galatians 6. 9). Equally encouraging was the turnout on Christmas day with numerous visitors worshipping with us and a lunch put on to which around 30 folk came. Thanks to Sarah and Rob Maciver for organizing that. We pray and trust that the message of the Gospel shared and preached at Christmas time will even now be impacting the lives of all who heard it. Colin 3

4 Congregational Fellowships The Fellowships have been a great success over the last while and so we plan to continue them along the same lines of relaxing around tables with food, singing a variety of praise items and having a speaker/some other focus as well. The following are the planned dates and details: January 22 nd : Matt O Neill- British Transport Police February 26 th : Praise Night March 26 th : Roddy Macleod (SASRA) April 30 th : Ian Watson (Hope Church, Kirkmuirhill) May 28 th : Emmanuel Hospital Association speakers June 25 th : Quiz night Dates for the Diary January Saturday 14 th Sunday 15th Monday 16th Wednesday 18th Thursday 19 th Sunday 22 nd Monday 23 rd Sunday 29th Monday 30th Likely Dads from in the hall every 2 nd and 4 th Saturday Colin taking all 3 services Mike Casey taking Cameron House service at 3pm Colin at In-service training in Edinburgh from Monday until Thursday 19 th Tumbletots in the hall from am weekly Home Groups at 7.30pm Kidzone from 6-7pm in the hall weekly Ronnie Philips taking the Free North services and Sandy Finlay taking the Madras Street service Congregational Fellowship with Matt O Neill 8pm Presbytery meeting at 7pm in Greyfriars Free Church Colin taking all 3 services First Aid and De-Fib training in the hall at 7pm 4

5 February Wednesday 1 st Sunday 5 th Sunday 12 th Tuesday 14 th Sunday 19 th Sunday 26 th Prayer round tables at mid-week meeting in hall Communion at 11am service taken by Colin Colin taking FN services and Sandy taking MS service Isobel Fraser service at 3pm Congregational meal and devotional in the hall from 12.30pm to 2pm and every second Tuesday of the month Colin taking all 3 services Alec Macphail taking Cameron House service at 3pm Colin taking FN am and MS services and Sandy taking FN evening service Praise evening at Congregational fellowship at 8pm MADRAS STREET NEWS Road to Recovery, Inverness It's amazing what can happen in a year. This time last year, I was living in Invergordon and working in Dochas Rehab in Edderton. 6 months later, I was working in Inverness with Road to Recovery, and then three months after that, Shivonne and myself moved to Inverness. Having now been working at Road to Recovery and with Ian Polworth for just over 6 months, it has been a tremendous blessing to me. It's been an exciting period of time, with many things to learn and remember (the biggest probably is trying to remember names!). Trying to help service users through their addictions and problems has been challenging, but incredibly rewarding, as you them changing over time. There have been some set-backs and difficult times, but that is the nature of the work. 5

6 There is a great atmosphere at Madras Street, during the week in the Haven, but also on Thursday and Sunday evenings too. There is the "not knowing" feeling of who is going to walk through the door, and being prepared for anything; no two days or even hours, are the same. Shivonne and myself have been incredibly blessed since we've moved through to Inverness and become part of the Free North family. We feel very welcome and are very settled here. Martin MacLean OTHER NEWS Update from Robin and Megan Gray Greetings to you all! Thanks be to God, we have settled in well to our new home in Cumbernauld and are really enjoying living here. We live literally just around the corner from the church, in the South Carbrain area of the town. We have made lots of friends in church and have got to know a lot of our neighbours, and a number of them have come to events in the church. Megan is enjoying her role as Women s and Community Worker, and her women s group is studying the Letter to the Philippians at the moment. She is also able to spend time with the ladies regularly during the week; our church is very focused on discipling one another and this is one of our ways of sharing our lives together. Megan was involved in setting up a number of events over the Christmas period which saw a lot of local people come into the church building for the first time. Megan has completed and passed her first module of her Biblical Counselling course (Dynamics of Biblical Change) and is moving on to her next module Helping Relationships. We a very grateful for the donations which have been made to the fund for Megan s job, and are delighted that the money for the first two years has now been secured. Robin is enjoying his studies at ETS very much. It is very encouraging to see so many candidates for the Free Church Ministry there - 15 full-time and a number of others part-time - as well as the growing number of students from other backgrounds (e.g. Baptists and Independents) who value the theological training offered at the Seminary. It is a privilege to be there and we thank all 6

7 those who have sent messages of support and encouragement. In addition to studies, Robin is preaching regularly in Cumbernauld, and has also set up a study group reading through Calvin s Institutes in We miss Inverness and everyone in the Free North and we are looking forward to seeing you all soon. News Update from Lorien Ankers following service with Operation Mobilisation The following is a summary from Lorien s latest prayer letter: Hello all and a very Happy New Year!! As you will be aware I left home in January of last year and here we are in January This year has gone incredibly fast. I am truly blown away when I think about how the Lord has moulded me and shaped me in this time, the lessons he has taught me and the things he has opened my eyes to. I am so blessed that I have been able to be a part of OM's 'Logos hope' journey and travel a large part of the World, taking with me knowledge, help and of course, the greatest, the hope we have in our Lord Jesus Christ. Sharing and introducing God to so many people from different walks, cultures, languages and traditions and to have been able to experience all of it first hand is something I will surely never forget. I thank God every time I remember your support for me. Whether it was/is financial, prayer or encouraging words or s. If it were not for you I would not have been able to go to minister how I did, or pray with who I did or even help those I was able to. Now that my year s commitment is up, I am now home and spending a few rest days with my family. I have already applied for work as I prepare for the future and have made a start on adjusting back into 'normal life'. I will of course carry the same need to share Christ with others as I had while I was overseas. I have taken back with me many methods of sharing and evangelising which I am excited to share with others as well as the deep desire planted in me to advance God's kingdom and be a part of the body that does not hinder but contributes to his great work on the Earth. 7

8 I have decided to continue to send out s now and again now I am home of some 'God stories' or ministry events that took place on my mission trip. I wish to encourage you all by what happened in my life and what I was able to achieve through your support and our good Father and Lord who carried me through. Please let me know if you do not wish to receive these s, I can take you off the ing list now as my missionary journey with Logos Hope is finished. However I do believe you will be encouraged and strengthened in the faith, that is my desire. Please do write me or get in touch if you would like to meet up and have a chat, or a have a phone call, so I can share more. I'd love to share what the Lord has done and continues to do! Much love and blessings in Christ, Yours, Lorien. lorien08@hotmail.co.uk Helpful Thoughts A.S.A.P There s work to do, deadlines to meet, You ve got no time to spare, But as you hurry and scurry - A,S,A,P - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER! In the midst of family chaos, When quality time is rare, Do your best, let God do the rest - A,S,A,P - ALWAYS SAY A PRAyER! It may seem like your worries Are more than you can bear. Slow down and take a breather - A.S,A,P - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER! God knows how stressful life is, He wants to ease your care, He ll respond to all your needs - A.S.A.P - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER! 8