- Sunday 30th August. Services at 9.30 am and 10.30 am (live-streamed). This week’s services will be led by the Rev Mary Haddow. The passage is Luke 24:13-35 and the theme is Encounters with Jesus: From disappointment to renewed hope.
- Election of the nominating committee who will lead the formal process of finding, interviewing, and selecting a new minister will take place in the Sanctuary following the 10.30am service on Sunday 15thNovember 2026. Only one service will be held, there will be no 9.30am service on this Sunday.
Anyone on the electoral register, either as a member or an adherent of St Andrew Blackadder Church is eligible for nomination. The nominee must have a proposer, and seconder and assurance must be given by the proposer that the person is prepared to act on the committee. All involved must be present in person at the meeting.
Further notification and information will be provided nearer the date.
3) Vacancy Procedure information. The Kirk Session have, by a majority vote, made the decision not to hold a vote on departing from the current position of the Church of Scotland in respect to same sex relationships and its application to the ministers and deacons of the church.
4) Ministries Fair. This year’s Ministries Fair will take place this Sunday, 30th August in the Sanctuary, after the 10.30am service. Tea and coffee will be served in the Sanctuary after the service. The Ministries Fair is a great opportunity to find out more about what has been happening in the various groups over the past year, discover what goes on in groups you may not know much about, and, importantly, consider where you might like to become more involved in the life of our church. Being part of a group, or regularly praying for one, is a great way to get to know more people, use your gifts and become more involved in our church family. If you feel God may be calling you to serve in one of our groups, Youth Groups and Messy Church are particularly looking for more volunteers. Do come along on Sunday visit the various ministry stalls and find out more about all that is happening in our church. We look forward to seeing you there!
5) Ian Gordon, A service of Thanksgiving will be held here at St Andrew Blackadder Church on Monday 31st August at 12.30pm to which you are all warmly invited. Please note that there is no dress code- please wear what you are comfortable in. There will be a reception in the chapel after the service. The family welcomes you to say a few words about Ian if you wish during this reception but please keep it to just a couple of minutes.
6) Global Week of Prayer 6-13th September 2026, This September, 24/7 Prayer are leading Christians across the world to engage in a week of non-stop prayer in the name of Jesus. We have registered a prayer room for the North Berwick churches, using Room 1 (the first room on the right as you enter from the St Andrew Street entrance) which will have prayer stations and activities, creating a quiet space to spend time praying to God.
We are all invited to sign up for an hour to pray (or more than one hour if you’d like!), forming a non-stop chain of prayer 24 hours a day, for 7 days.
For those unable to attend the prayer room in person, prayer slots can be virtual (ie. you commit to pray but can do this at home) – please just add a ‘V’ before or after your name when you sign up to help us manage access to the prayer room. During the hours of 12pm midnight to 6am, all prayer slots will be virtual. Whilst you can still book slots between the hours of 10-4pm Monday – Saturday, members of the public will also be able to access the room and be encouraged to pray during that time too. We will have additional prayer activities in the High Street entrance and signage to help people find Room 1.
To sign up, please head to https://signup.24-7prayer.com/signup/4d4b88 (The link is also on our church website). If you find it difficult to use the internet, please contact Julie in the office who will add your slot to the website. Remember to add a ‘V’ if you’re praying virtually, ie. from home.
Ali spoke about the Global Week of Prayer at the 10.30am service last week so have a watch if you’d like more information.
Please sign up to pray. This is a great opportunity to spend time with God by yourself, and to consider bringing others to pray and experience the prayer room too.
If you’d like more information, please go to Global Week of 24-7 Prayer – 24-7 Prayer International and/or get in touch with Ali Buchanan.
7) Blythswood Shoeboxes It is shoe box time! We will be taking part in the Blythswood Christmas Shoe Box appeal again this autumn. This starts with empty shoe boxes and getting them ready to fill with gifts. Please can you look out any spare empty shoe boxes and bring them to church by Sunday 6th September. These can be handed in to the church office, or placed in the entrance lobby (St Andrews street side) by the leaflet table. These will then be wrapped, ready to pick up and fill for sending. Please do ask around to grab any unwanted shoe boxes….it is a great conversation starter! There will be more information to follow in notices in the coming weeks.
8) Christian Book Group: Friday 25 September, The Gospel Engine by Samuel Thawley please contact Hilde Ten Hacken for more details.
9) The Guild will be live streaming the Annual Gathering on Saturday 12th September in the Chapel from 11am to 4pm.
Do come along to be part of this, the biggest event of the Guild year, bringing over 1000 Guild members and friends together for a day of worship, celebration and fellowship. We will be joined this year by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Rev Gordon Kennedy who share his thoughts on our new theme, ‘Beyond the Walls’. We will also have a special guest speaker, Rev Jane Howitt, Chaplain at Heriot University and wonderful entertainment. We can be part of this without travelling to Perth! So do join us.
Tea and coffee will be available from 10.30 – 11am and during the lunch break.
A Soup and pudding lunch for the congregation will be served by the Guild on Sunday 13th September at 12 noon in the church hall, and everyone is invited to come along. This is to raise funds for o this year’s project “Living Stones for Livingstonia”. The LIVING STONES project celebrates 150 years link with the Church of Scotland and the Synod of Livingstonia in Malawi and the Church of Scotland Guild is aiming to equip a maternity unit in Bandawe, one of the first places the 19th century missionaries helped to found. Every penny will help to provide vital support to pregnant women and newborn babies.
The National Guild have set an ambitious target of £15,000 which would be a wonderful living legacy!
10) Prayer Gatherings Every Sunday in Prayer Room between 10 and 10.20 am Every Monday in Room 1 between 10 and 11 am . Every Wednesday on Zoom for 30 minutes starting at 7 pm. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88152470672?pwd=WHpUOVdWN3NpSTBCUjF3aDRhcE1Ldz09 Meeting ID: 881 5247 0672, Please contact the office for log in details
Julie
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