INVERNESS FREE NORTH CHURCH

Transcription

1 INVERNESS FREE NORTH CHURCH NEWSLETTER December 2016 Ramblings from the Rev Dear friends, It s that time of the year again! Christmas time has become a bit like marmite to so many of us- you either love it or loathe it because it s become so commercialised. It has moved largely away from the winsomeness it was intended to exude and is now becoming increasingly wearisome; a burden more than a blessing. This is because, like so much in life, we spoil the good things that God gives us and turn them from good gifts into gods, all with the drop of an o. It s so far removed from the very first Christmas when the Son of God was born into a world of darkness and sin to bring light and salvation to all who will believe in him. Matthew s version of the Christmas story presents us with an interesting take on our attitude to the Christ of Christmas. Herod loathed Christ. We re told that he was disturbed (Matt 2. 3), a word used to describe the raging seas that Jesus walked on later in his life. Herod loathed the idea of another King coming to usurp his position of authority. So also, some people loath not just Christmas, but the Christ too because He is Lord. Do you? The religious leaders were lackadaisical towards him. Herod asked them where the Christ was to be born and they gladly pointed to Micah 5. 2 where it says, but you, Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel (Matt 2. 6). This gave direction that the Magi from the east needed..but the religious leaders remained unmoved and unconcerned. No enthusiasm at all! Some people are lackadaisical about Christ. Neither here nor there concerning him. Is that you? 1

2 The Magi, traditionally called the wise men, they went to see Jesus and showed their love for him. We read, when they saw the child with his mother Mary, they bowed down and worshipped him (Matt 2. 11). Even though just a baby, they recognised him as King and Lord and Saviour. Do you? Do you love Jesus, the real reason for the season? Do you love the Christ of Christmas? He loves you and offers himself as that invaluable and incomparably wonderful gift to you not just at Christmas, but even now. Make Christ the centre of your Christmas and come, let us adore him! Your friend and Pastor Rev MacLeod... Condolences We were saddened to hear of the death of Charles Macaskill who died in the early hours of Monday 5 th December. The funeral is due to take place on Wednesday 14 th in the Free North at 1.30pm with interment in Kilvean cemetery afterwards. Please do remember the family (Morag, Calum, Anne, John and Angus) in prayer. Please remember the following people in your prayers Illnesses or Hospital Miss Florence Williamson Mrs Florence MacLean 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 2

3 Deacons Court News INCOME & EXPENDITURE for OCTOBER 2016 GENERAL FUND FABRIC FUND INC 8, INC EXP 8, EXP BALANCE MADRAS STREET MISSION FUND ROAD TO RECOVERY FUND INC 1, INC EXP EXP 3, BALANCE BALANCE - 3, DEVELOPMENT FUND INC 2, EXP BALANCE 2, These are Fund Balances not Bank Balances GIFT AID Those who pay Tax on their salaries or pensions are able to claim Gift Aid up to the amount of Tax they pay. This benefits the funds of the Free North Church at no cost to the giver as the Church can reclaim the tax. Anyone who wishes to start claiming Gift Aid can get a form from either Angus or Susan Fraser or Rena MacLean (Gift Aid Treasurer). Congregational News and Activities Communion We were pleased to have 11 new members at our recent communion. Joining by profession of faith were Roddy and Julie Ferguson, Cathil and Sheena Innes, Annette Maclennan, Ruairidh Fraser, Catherine Fraser and Inessa Petkevica; joining by certificate from another congregation were Martin and Shivonne Maclean and Iona Macritchie. We are truly thankful to the Lord for adding to our membership and we pray that He will continue to bless the work and witness of the Free North. 3

4 Prayer Meetings As part of our strategy we agreed to devote the mid-week meeting on the first Wednesday of each month to prayer around tables. To date this has been well attended. It is a blessing to be in the hall and to be part of a collective time of prayer of men and women, lifting up hearts to our Father in heaven. Will you consider coming along if you haven t up till now? You don t have to pray openly, but will be blessed by joining with us. There are also open prayer meetings before the morning and evening Sunday services in the Free North and on Tuesday morning at 8am and every Wednesday at 12.30pm in Madras Street. Everyone is welcome to attend. 3:16 Teens The group meets every Friday night in the Manse from 6.30pm to 8pm. This term we've been learning, baking, quizzing, bowling, eating, praying and we're ending the term with a Christmas sleep-over, which means going to bed really, really early...not! The group is open to all S1-S6 young folk and all are most welcome :) and Jessie Sunday School By the time you read this, the young people will have had their party. We would like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of the event. Christmas Eve Service Invitations will shortly be available for distribution. We would like to give them out in the area around the church. If you would like to help, please sign the sheet at the lane door. You would be free to do this at a time of your choosing. You can also take some for friends and family. Do remember the service in prayer. Sandy Finlay Latin Link Meeting Martin Haworth from Latin Link took the mid-week meeting on 23 rd November. It was a very well attended meeting. Martin writes, Many thanks for giving me all that time to share on Wednesday night. You have a good turnout for a midweek meeting and I appreciated being with you and having the opportunity to properly present the work of Latin Link. I also want to thank those who gave gifts and bought some books. The gifts amounted to 50 and we are grateful 4

5 for any financial assistance. Please do pray on for the work of Latin Link. For more information about the work please go to Prison Sunday As part of Prisoner s Week we had Linda Dorward, Deputy Governor of HMP Inverness, with us at the morning service on Sunday 27 th November. Linda spoke for about 10 minutes on the ethos and experience of the Prison system and Inverness prison in particular. She emphasised the importance of support and care provided after having served a sentence. Often churches play a significant role in this respect and she encouraged the congregation to continue to be aware of this need. Ian Polwarth and Vina and Norman Campbell go into Inverness prison every month to conduct a Sunday service so please do also remember them in prayer. Church Cleaning The church cleaning took place on Thursday. Unfortunately, we had a similar experience as before, with biscuit crumbs in the upper pulpit and also evidence of someone standing on the high chair where there were more crumbs. There was also a trail of crumbs up the stairs leading up to the pulpit. Once again, please supervise the children for their safety. We hope to do another special cleaning in the new year DV when we plan to oil the wood in the pulpit area. Thanks for your co operation Donalda 5

6 Dates for the Diary December Sunday 11 th Tuesday 13 th Wednesday 14 th Sunday 18 th Tuesday 20 th Saturday 24 th Sunday 25 th taking all 3 services Isobel Fraser service at 3pm (Darren Graham) Congregational Christmas lunch in the hall at Home Groups at 7.30pm Innes Macsween (final year student) taking the Free North services and Donnie Macleod (Elder) taking the Madras Street service Cameron House service at 3pm Congregational fellowship and food in the hall at 8pm with Carol Service rehearsal Deacons Court at 7pm Carol Service at 6.30pm Christmas service at 11am followed by a meal in the hall for all who have signed up. No evening service in Madras Street or the Free North, but please do consider attending the service at 6pm in Greyfriars Free Church. January Sunday 1 st Wednesday 4 th Sunday 8 th 11am service taken by. Madras Street and evening service in Free North taken by Sandy Finlay Prayer round tables meeting at 7.30pm in the hall Donnie Macleod taking the Free North services and Sandy Finlay taking the Madras Street Isobel Fraser service at 3pm (Darren Graham) Tuesday 10 th Congregational lunch in the hall at Sunday 15 th taking all 3 services Cameron House service at 3pm Monday 16 th Wednesday 18 th at In-service training in Edinburgh from Monday until Thursday 19th Home Groups at 7.30pm 6

7 Sunday 22 nd Monday 23 rd Sunday 29 th Monday 30 th Ronnie Philips taking the Free North services and Darren Graham taking the Madras Street service Presbytery meeting at 7pm in Greyfriars Free Church taking all 3 services First Aid and De-Fib training in the hall at 7pm... MADRAS STREET NEWS Fun Day Since our fun day on the 5 th of November we have been greatly encouraged with a new development which has been our prayer for many years. In the past, we ve been conscious that children have been coming along to Sunday School but only one or two of their parents were known to us. Since the fun day, a handful of parents have started to regularly come along to the service. To encourage the family unit in Madras Street, we have invited the parents/ guardians who attend to join us at our annual visit to the Pantomime. Spared and well, 40 of us are due to meet at Madras Street for pizza and then make our way to Eden Court. We are also regularly seeing teenagers attending the service and Sunday School. Please do pray for the ongoing work in Madras Street, that the Lord would pour out his spirit in the area and that these encouraging signs would be a start of a revival. Gregor Sutherland 20 Schemes As a potential way forward with the work in Madras Street, the Session and the Committee had a Skype meeting with Mez McConnell of 20 Schemes at which the possibility of partnering with 20 Schemes was explored. 20 Schemes is an organisation whose goal is to facilitate the planting and/or revitalising of churches specifically in housing schemes with recognised issues of deprivation in Scotland. The organisation is supporting church plants in Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow and Edinburgh and has links with similar projects in the USA. Please do pray for wisdom and guidance as the Session seeks to agree on the way forward. 7

8 Other News News Update from Lorien Ankers serving with Operation Mobilisation The following is an extract from Lorien s latest prayer letter: 'If we are faithless, he remains faithful for he cannot deny himself.' - 2 Timothy 2v13 SO! Ship life... I feel myself changing almost everyday just now, learning new things and seeking to adapt them to my life. Maturing and seeking discernment. I pray the Lord would have His will done in and through my life. I am not sure where He will take me or what He will do with my life but I do know who He wants me to become and continue to be, and that is a Godly woman. This has been my focus for quite some time. One of the most exciting topics of news I could share with you now would have to be the L.I.T program on board. They have asked me to take part!! L.I.T stands for 'Logos Hope intensive training'. An 8 week program made for a select group of people (whoever the L.I.T leadership choose) and carried out with intensive bible studies, 5:30am starts followed by a army style exercise course, book studies and reviews, list of sermons to watch and review, targets to meet such as, 3 bible verses to memorise weekly, sharing your testimony 3 times during this period and sharing the gospel to at least 100 people during this time period. On top of that they have letters to write, notes to post on cabin doors, different people to sit with at meal times that we wouldn't normally sit with and more. Another requirement is attendance at every ship's community event such as morning devotions, prayer night, worship night and more. Arrival must be 5 minutes before the start of the program and you must sit in the front row. Failure to meet any deadline or arriving late will result in a consequence of their choosing. My request for prayer would really be that I can grow in this time and not be distracted. I want to get all that I can from it and not waste time. Please if you wouldn't mind also praying that I can really do a lot in the short time I have left on board. Perhaps my EOC(end of commitment) will be February. Once again, I love you all, I miss you and I truly think about all of you often. I pray for you and praise God for your love, your prayers and your support which enables me to be here. 8

9 Helpful Thoughts The Christmas Register To Bethlehem they came to be enrolled; And there, in Caesar s Census Book of old, His name was written with the sons of men As Caesar s subject: Jesus - followed then By Son of Mary, born in David s town, In David s line, the record was set down. In the World s Book Of Life a place they gave To Jesus who was born a world to save. They numbered Him with sinful men and poor, Though He was Son of God, Divine and Pure. A Heavenly Census Book, His Name Alone Bears, on the title page; for it s His own, That Book Of Life ; there written clear and plain Are names of those born in that King s domain; All who alive forevermore shall be Are there enrolled for all eternity. Since He was numbered once with sinful men, We may be numbered as God s own again. Though Caesar s Book has long since passed away, The Lamb s blest Book Of Life will stand for aye! 9