Worship Sun 30 Oct: 'Going up'

WELCOME/ Hello and welcome to our time of worship. Last time, we heard the story of a pharisee and a tax collector, and contemplated both pride, and authenticity when approaching God – keeping it real. 

This week, instead of a parable, we have tax collector, take 2, as we meet a man named Zacchaeus, and hear of his encounter with Jesus – and, there may just be a little tree climbing involved!

I'll be filming the sermon within the Sunday morning service, and will upload it online later in the day. UPDATE:
The service is now available... WORSHIP LINK HERE

CHURCH NOTICES/ 
Bereavement support group: a reminder that this coming week, our bereavement support group meets at 1.30pm on Thursday in the Abington Community Hub. If you, or someone you know might find this helpful, come along. Tea and coffee will be available, as well as resource books to borrow, and just a space where you can talk, or just be. All are welcome to use this time as they need.

Christmas newsletter: It’s that time of year for preparing the parish Christmas newsletter. If you’ve any Advent or Christmas related items that you think would be suitable to share, do please let Dee, our editor know. The deadline for items will be 1pm Sunday the 14th of November – Remembrance Sunday.

Whether you're inspired to climb trees, or not, may you know God's presence with you through this coming week.

God bless,
Nikki

Worship Sun 16 Oct - 'Matters of the heart'

 WELCOME/ today in our time of worship, we’ll be meeting two different people from vastly different walks of life, and listening it to their conversations with God...

To go straight across to the service, please click on the LINK HERE.

Notices follow below.

CHURCH NOTICES/ A huge thank you to everyone for making our harvest service last Sunday so successful:
it was lovely to welcome the Moderator, Iain Greenshields and his wife, Linda;
it was great to see so many people gathered together in the building, and good to watch the viewing figures online ticking over;
and it was fab to see all the brilliant decorations - flocks of sheep created by our primary schools (they were awesome), and all the beautiful floral arrangements in the windows and vestibule (stunning, thanks flower folk).
Thanks as well, to the lunch team, the makers, and bakers, and those who set up, served, and cleared away.
Two more things - thanks to all for your donations of food for the food bank - there was so much, that I couldn't fit it into my car... so thanks to Ben, our local food bank rep. for kindly transporting it up the road! 
Our leave-offering for the work of 'The Ripple Effect' (aka Send a Cow) raised £86.
Overall, it was a fantastic team effort... and a lovely Harvest Festival.

Evening worship: is on tonight at 5pm, at Leadhills Village Hall – it’s our delayed Songs of Praise from the hills service. So, if you fancy a good sing and can make it, it would be lovely to see you.

Parish magazine: it's that time of year again, as we begin to prepare for our Advent and Christmas edition of the magazine. If you've any favourite seasonally appropriate poems, jokes, perhaps a recipe, or other items that you'd like to share, please get in touch with our editor, Dee. If you're not sure how, just leave a message in the 'contact' us link to the right hand side of this page, and I can pass it along. The deadline for all items to be in is by 1pm Sun 14 Nov. Thanks in advance! 

I hope that you enjoy this time of worship and that it helps encourage you in your walk with God.
Have a good week, and God bless,
Nikki

Harvest 2022 - assorted pictures

Here's a clip put together that features various photos of Harvest displays and some lunch pic's as well. 

CLICK ON THIS LINK to take you to our YouTube channel to view...

Enjoy!!

Worship Sun 16 Oct - Give thanks for the Harvest

WELCOME/ 
Hello, and welcome to our Harvest Service -
which was filmed 'in house' Sunday morning. It took a wee while to format for uploading on to our Youtube channel, but is now available.
If you'd like to go straight across our WORSHIP LINK IS HERE

Otherwise, just a couple of notices...
NOTICES/
First of all, huge thanks:
to the children and staff at our primary schools, whose talent, imagination, and creativity
are in evidence throughout the church building - with their totally sheep-tastic decorations.
What a superb effort.
Thanks, as well, to everyone who helped in some way with organising our Harvest service
and making it a very special event on the church calendar -
from flower and window decorators, to harvest lunch makers and bakers,
to all who donated items for the food bank... and all the clearer-upper-ers.
Great team work, everyone.

Special thanks to the Moderator, the Rt. Rev. Dr Iain Greenshields, for coming to visit with us,
and to preach - and welcome also, to Linda Greenshields.

Two non-harvest items:
evening worship - a reminder that this coming Sunday, we have evening worship across at Leadhills Village Hall, at 5pm – everyone’s welcome to come along for what is a delayed Songs of Praise service from the hills. And after the service, there’ll be an opportunity to catch up with one another over a cuppa. So if you can make it, do come along!
parish newsletter - it's that time of year again. We're seeking items for our upcoming Christmas newsletter. If you have any favourite Christmas memories, or a favourite carol or poem, or even a wee joke, please pass these along to Dee, our editor. If you've not got her details, just get in touch via the 'contact us' link on the right hand side of this page.

As you head into a new week, may you know God's blessing.
Nikki

HARVEST CELEBRATION SERVICE

 PLEASE DO JOIN US AS WE CELEBRATE, 
AND GIVE THANKS FOR, THE HARVEST.

We're delighted to welcome the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, 

the Rt. Rev. Dr Iain Greenshields, to our service as our special guest preacher.
And a special welcome to Linda, Siona, and Susi Greenshields, 

who will also be joining us.

Thank you to our schools, who have been using lots of imagination and creativity in the making of special decorations for the service. I can truly say that it will be... sheep-tastic! 🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑

And, of course, many thanks to everyone who has also offered to help with decorations, donations, and providing catering - it is truly appreciated. 

n.b. for those who follow our worship online, we are hoping to film the service 

and have it uploaded by early Sunday evening.

Worship Sun 9 Oct - ''Why worry when you can pray?'

WELCOME to this time of worship, where we'll hear Jesus trying to encourage his followers not to lose heart, but to persist in prayer. 

I'm currently experimenting with filming the sermon during worship, to upload with the full service thereafter. In an ideal world, the service should hopefully be available by around 7pm on Sunday, or Monday morning. 
Once the service is uploaded, I'll pop the worship link here... alternatively, you could try directly, across at our Youtube channel...  WORSHIP LINK HERE
Notices follow below.

CHURCH NOTICES/
Wed, 2pm: The Guild meets in the church hall this week. All are welcome to come along.

Thurs 1.30pm: Bereavement support group - our newest project begins this week, and meets at the Abington Community Hub. For all who would find a safe, supportive, listening and sharing space helpful. For those who've been living with grief for a long time, and for those newly bereaved. All welcome. 

HARVEST FESTIVAL NEWS -
Saturday, 2-4pm: the church will be open for decorating and dropping off items for the harvest display. (After the service on Sunday, all produce and food items and other items) will be uplifted and taken to the foodbank for distribution. 

Sunday 16th, 10.30am: ,Harvest festival service 
Our special guest preacher will be the Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, the Moderator of the Church of Scotland. And we’ll also be joined by some of the family.

The Ripple Effect - During the service, along with giving thanks for the harvest, we’ll be flagging up the work of the charity formerly known as ‘Send a Cow’, which has recently been rebranded, and now known as ‘The Ripple Effect’: a charity founded by UK farmers to help farmers in several countries in Africa. We’ll be having a special collection to help support the good work done by The Ripple Effect – there’ll be a plate by the door as you leave, should you wish to make a donation.
Or, you can donate online

Harvest lunch after the service... if you can, please do stay after the service and come through to the hall to share in a simple harvest lunch – soup, some home baking, along with a cuppa.
(Also, if you’re able to help with some of the catering, please get in touch with Heather and Cathy...)

Filming: Just to note that we’re hoping to film the service so that we can put it online on our youtube channel so for those of you who can’t make it, and those of you who are regular online visitors, you’ll be able to catch up that way – if the tech works! 

Worship Sun 2 Octo 2022: 'Borderlines'

WELCOME/ 
First, my apologies for the delay - started the week on Wednesday, and it was a full one. Thanks for your patience....
By way of a wee experiment, the welcome, sermon, and blessing were filmed during our time of worship this morning as opposed to filming in the manse on Saturday - let me know your thoughts as I'm wondering if I might do this more often. If so, it would mean worship online would be made available later than it tends to be currently - probably for Mon morning. (was the sound okay? And yes, will need to move the lectern microphone a little! Any feedback on tech matters appreciated)

This week, we continue travelling on the road with Jesus, where he encounters a group of men whose illness prevents them from being a part of their communities...

If you'd prefer to skip the church notices, copied below, you'll find the WORSHIP LINK HERE.  (this should be available from around 4.30pm-ish Sunday - it's currently uploading as I type this)

CHURCH NOTICES/
Kirk Session - via zoom, scheduled for 7pm on Thursday evening. 

Looking ahead - ANNUAL HARVEST FESTIVAL DETAILS -
Sat 15 Oct 2-4pm church open for decorating and dropping off produce/ food bank donations. 
Our primary schools are springing into action this coming week and putting their creative talents to good use by making some decorations for the church building. Looking forward to seeing what they do!
Sun 16 Oct. - Harvest Festival Service
Once again, we’ll be supporting the work of the charity ‘Send a Cow’ – who just this year have changed their name to ‘Ripple Effect’ – better to emphasise the diverse work they do in Burundi, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia... but nevertheless, a group set up by farmers, to support farmers. You can find out more about Ripple Effect by their website – Ripple Effect 
Also, we’ll be supporting Clydesdale Food Bank by donating all food items given for our harvest festival. Online you can support their work here... Clydesdale Food Bank 

Special guest preacher - This year, we are delighted to be welcoming a special guest preacher – details next week!!  
Harvest lunch after worship - If you're coming along, you're very welcome to join us for a simple harvest soup lunch after the service. There will be a vegetarian option available.