- Sunday 5 November
Services at 9.30 am and 10.30 am (also live-streamed). The bible passages are Joshua 3:-17 and John 20:1-12 and the theme, Will you follow? Donna Kellock will be preaching and I will be leading the services.
Messy Church meets between 4 and 6 pm. The theme is Jesus hears our prayer. Please pray that families, both new and old, will take this opportunity to come and encounter God, and explore what life with him at the centre looks like.
2) Mrs Cath Tait
Cath died on 25 October and her funeral will be in church on Tuesday 7 Nov at 10.30 am. Cath was a no-nonsense woman with a heart of gold. She was strong and determined, remaining active and busy right up to the end. She had many interests and through them had a large circle of friends.
3) Sunday 12 November
The Town Service will be in St Andrew Blackadder at 10.45 am. In order to facilitate this creche, Junior Church and YF are moving from their usual time to the 9.30 am service. At the 10.45 service there will be no specific provision for young people.
4) Building Usage
Jesus expects StAB to be a good steward of the building we have and to use it to further his mission to North Berwick. The great news is opportunities to do this are increasing all the time. In the last fortnight, for example, space has been found for a School Uniform Bank for Law Primary Parents. Kids grow out of their uniforms. Often it’s still in good condition. What happens to it then? At the same time, some families are struggling to buy the uniforms their children need. It’s a lose-lose.
Some parents created a Uniform Bank, which receives used uniforms and offers them to others but had no place to locate it. StAB was approached and space has been found. Wonderful!
The building is large and has lots of spaces which makes it possible for different groups to use it every day. Church people play a key role in helping this work smoothly. You can do this by
– being welcoming to everyone you meet in the building
– remembering that, no matter how important your ministry is to you, it is part of all that God is doing in and through the congregation and building
– if you turn up and want some space in the building, check the list outside the office to see what rooms are free for you to use
– pray that all users of the building will sense God’s presence and be prompted to find out about Jesus.
5) Julie and Mike
Julie and Mike play a key role in helping everyone use the building well. They are the first people to contact if issues arise. With more activity in the building their roles have become more complex. Some weeks they find themselves fielding simultaneous requests from multiple people about different things. That means they may not be able to deal with your request immediately. Please be patient.
The congregation is blessed that Julie and Mike are not simply employees. They are church members too. This means when they are at church on Sundays they are in their place of work, but are not at work! Please respect this. If you see them in the church on Sundays don’t tell them about a meeting you’re trying to arrange or something you’d meant to tell them during the week. They, like you, have come to worship. Unlike you, church is where they work. On a Sunday they’re not working. Please let them worship.
More than this, if you bump into them in the shops or on the street, don’t talk to them about their work. By all means chat about other things. But don’t ask if you can have a room on a certain day, or tell them that a light isn’t working. When they are not in the church building they are not at work. It is important that the congregation recognises and respects that boundary.
6) Food Safety
Many of the ministries within StAB serve food. It’s a wonderful way of expressing God’s welcome and love. The Kirk Session is responsible for ensuring appropriate standards of food hygiene are followed. It is very grateful to the Beacon for organising a day’s training in the hall on Friday 26 January. A professional trainer running a recognised course, so people can get the qualification they require. Can I urge everyone who is involved in any ministry that serves food to take this opportunity of gaining or refreshing your knowledge of food safety. Please give your name to Elaine Martin or Julie Scanlon.
7) Guild Tuesday 14 Nov
The next meeting will be on Tuesday 14th November at 2 pm. The speaker will be Claire Masson from Save the Children. Do feel welcome to attend and find out more about this charity’s work especially in light of the situation in the Middle East at present.
8) Cunningham House
Men’s socks, underpants and toiletries are being collected for the Church of Scotland’s hostel for the homeless at Cunningham House in the Cowgate. These are much appreciated by the residents. Boxes are placed in the front and rear entrances.
9) Prayer Gatherings
Every Monday in Room 1 between 10 and 11 am.
Every Wednesday on Zoom between for 30 minutes starting at 7 pm.
Please contact the office for the log in details.
Neil
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