No.1 10th November
Hi, and welcome to the first Magazine of Newton Mearns New Church!
We are really looking forward to our first service of worship which will take place this Sunday, 12th November at Belmont House School.
There is lots of practical information about that below...and also a short reflection as we realise just exactly what we are involved in when we meet in this way - it's staggering!
So, some things are different this weekend however the magazine has the usual mixture of info, news and views. There are even adverts for Christmas events included - I know it's that time of year already...anyone spotted a Christmas Tree yet?
Enjoy the mag.
M
Sunday 12th November
Rev Scott Kirkland
Hebrews ch10
Lest We Forget
This is Remembrance weekend across the UK - a few years ago Tim Chester, Phil Moore & Colin Webster wrote O Lord we look upon the past (Remembrance Hymn).
This link is a good way to take a moment to listen and reflect.
Together we will all take part in Remembrance as a church on Sunday at 11am
From the Minister
It will be my honour to become the first minister of Newton Mearns New Church! And, I look forward to leading us in this first service of worship as a new church. Our first Sunday falls on Remembrance Sunday and so we shall include an Act of Remembrance.
This is such a time of change for us all. I invite you to pray with the elders for this new gathering of familiar faces. Pray please that our Lord would be glorified in Sunday worship as we go forward but also with our daily lives.
I invite you to see this time of change as an opportunity for personal reflection and I pray, re-dedication to the Lord. There is a great moment in the history of God's people when even after a terrible time under King Amon, there was amazing change. The Word of God took hold of his son Josiah and we read of this fantastic return to the Lord and His covenant love. (Have a read of 2 Kings 23.1-3.) Perhaps this might even be the moment for some of us to respond to the Lord's grace for the first time in a true repentance and faith?
I am excited to see how the Lord might build this new church and how you will all participate in His mission to Newton Mearns and even further afield!
With my warmest regards
In Our Lord
Scott
First Sunday - Practical Notes
Please arrive early especially on this first Sunday
There should be plenty of parking spaces inside the school car parks. There will be people on hand to direct you.
There is disabled access and you will be directed to that if requested
If for any reason, you can’t park in the car park, please do not park in Sandringham Avenue. We want to create as minimal a disruption to the neighbours as possible.
If not parking in the car parks, please drive the short distance around the corner to Broompark Drive or Lochbroom Drive. Please park considerately there also.
If possible bring your own Bible.
The Scriptures will however be shown on the screen.
Tea and Coffee:
There will be tea and coffee available after the service.
Lifts to Church:
Should anyone require a lift to Belmont House School, then please do let us know.
Please email office@nmnewchurch.org.
Infant: Children: Youth
On our first Sunday, and thereafter, we will have a creche facility, childrens' and youth ministry. We will begin a Sunday evening youth activity on the premises of Belmont School from this Sunday.
We aim to live stream our services on YouTube from our first Sunday. You can find the service
here.
You can also find the service by searching on YouTube for
Newton Mearns New Church.
Church Website
Thanks to those who have been busy (and will be busy) putting the webpage together. It's a work-in-progress. However, there is already information in place
Volunteering:
We want the whole body of Christ to become involved in our new congregational life.
Should you wish to volunteer in any way, from the beginning, please do let us know. We will need teams to set up and down each week.
Please do consider volunteering if only for this task. We shall work out rosters over the coming weeks.
Giving:
We now have our bank account, and details on how you may care to give will be distributed at worship on Sunday.
We will prefer not to have cash offerings in a plate at this time.
A reflection as we plan to meet together as 'Church'
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant... Hebrews ch12
When we gather with God’s people to hear God’s word, we should do it with seriousness. We are not coming together to be entertained. We are coming to tremble before the holy word of our holy God.
The great Reformer Martin Luther said:
“Would to God that we would gradually train our hearts to believe that the preacher’s words are God’s Word … It is not an angel or a hundred thousand angels but the Divine Majesty Himself that is preaching there. To be sure, I do not hear this with my ears or see it with my eyes; all I hear is the voice of the preacher … and I behold only a man before me. But I view the picture correctly if I add that the voice and words of [the] pastor are not his own words and doctrine but those of our Lord and God.”
Tim Chester
Wednesday Prayer Meeting
This week the Mid week prayer meeting is at Margo’s
Wednesday...7.15-8.15pm
Open to ALL the congregation of NMNC
Address will be sent out by email.
There is a Pray Now group for NM New Church members.
HAVE YOU JOINED YET?
This is set up with the focus very much on church family prayer requests, which are of some urgency.
Because it is often personal information that people are asking prayer for, the group can be accessed by request. Get in touch with Margaret Boyd if you want to be on this WhatsApp group or drop her a line at mandmboyd@hotmail.co.uk.
Again, due to the nature of the requests it was necessary to put this new group in place, but of course, doesn't preclude anyone from continuing in the Maxwell Mearns Castle Pray Now Group and Denise Lowson is the contact for being part of that.
There have been questions along the lines of 'Why can't we just have a joint group between churches, or indeed a prayer group for all the churches in the Mearns?' And of course if someone was to set that up and invited people to join, that would be fine - however, you can imagine that the nature of the requests would be quite different in their content when the net is cast further in that way, and this is why the New Church Pray Now group has continued in this format.
Blythswood Boxes
Details of Blythswood's Shoebox Appeal is here.
Total of boxes sorted and checked at MMCC so far 2717.
We still need
-
mens and older teen boys underwear,
-
small games such as dominoes, playing cards for teen boys.
-
shaving foam and razors
Looking forward to seeing as many volunteers as possible next week.
Thanks
Denise and Lesley
Keys Please!
If anyone has keys associated with Maxwell Mearns Castle buildings of any sort, please get them to Sue A-B as a matter of urgency.
Please ensure that these are clearly labelled. They could be placed in an envelope with the appropriate doors noted on the outside.
This is really important to ensure a clean handover.
Thank you.
Sue
Thank You x2
Firstly,
Scott's Mug!
Now there is a headline which is a magazine editor's dream...but this IS actually Scott's mug...and Anita's.
The photo on the mugs was taken by Lorna's husband, Mark...when out on a walk during lockdown!
They were a gift which was given on Wednesday after the Prayer Meeting - it was the last one Scott would lead at MMCC and a nice opportunity to mark it in this way.
Fellowship Lunch
It was great to see so many people waiting after the service at Maxwell last Sunday morning, and enjoying a fellowship lunch together.
Thank you to all who organised that, and to those who baked too...we hope to share one or two of the recipes in the next week or so.
And great generosity was also displayed by Murray McNicol who allowed his cake (see above) to be shared out amongst, as Murray put it, 'the common folk.' Thank you to Kate and Rachel C for that clear piece of favouritism!
Ladybird Book of NM New Church
Our friends at the Baptist Church are getting an early start to help us focus on the message of Christmas....
We are hosting Riding Lights Theatre group here at Mearns Baptist for a family nativity play and wanted to extend an invite to any of your congregants who would like to attend. It’s on the 1st of December and so hopefully won’t clash with any of your own Advent
