Notices - Sunday 18th June
Volunteers Needed to Greet Cruise Visitors.
The Session has given permission again for the Church to be open this summer to visitors on a number of selected days when Stornoway will have many extra visitors due to cruise liners visiting and the HebCelt Festival.
If you would like to volunteer to be on duty for a few hours on an open day, on a rota basis, to meet and greet visitors to the Church building, then please contact Marten Walker on 704586. This opportunity is open to anyone associated with the congregation. The only qualification you need is the ability to give visitors a warm welcome!
Read more about 'Notices - Sunday 18th June'...Notices - Sunday 28th May
Sunday 4th June – Big YF in North Harris Free Church.
Robbie Sweet from Next Ministries will speak. We hope to attend the evening service in North Harris at 6.00pm. Consent forms are required – if you have not been sent one, please request link from [email protected].
Notices - Sunday 21st May
Communion.
The Lord’s Supper will be held in the congregation on Sunday 4th June 2023, at the morning service in the church, God willing. There will be no Gaelic service that day.
A preparatory service will be held on Saturday 3rd June, at 7.00pm, in the church. A congregational fellowship will be held in the M.A. Hall after the Sunday evening service. All three services will be conducted by Rev James Maciver.
The Kirk Session has decided that we will resume the use of communion tokens, which will be given out to all intending communicants on the Saturday evening after the service. The use of the tokens makes it easier for those on door duty to identify communicants and also gives an indication of how many communicants to expect.
Anyone desiring to take communion for the first time is encouraged to make this known to either of the ministers, or their district elder, any time from today (21st May) onwards.
The Kirk Session will meet on Wednesday 31st May, after the Prayer Meeting, and on Saturday 3rd June, immediately after the service, and will be delighted to meet with those who wish to take communion for the first time. This is not an ordeal! Our concern is to help and encourage people in their understanding of what taking communion is about.
“As a presumptuous rudeness is a provocation to the master of the feast, so a distrustful shyness is displeasing to him; which looks as if we questioned either the sincerity of the invitation, or the sufficiency of the provision” (Matthew Henry).
Read more about 'Notices - Sunday 21st May'...Notices - Sunday 14th May
Sunday School Snippet
As it was a holiday weekend on the mainland, it was lovely to welcome several visitors to Sunday School today who were “home” on holiday.
Today at Sunday School all the classes were learning about different kings and queens in the Bible. Here is what David, Jacob, James, Holly and Lydia from Pr. 6 were doing:
“We made arrows because we were learning about David and Jonathan and how Saul was trying to kill David. God used Jonathan to protect David. You can read this story in first Samuel 20:37.”
Read more about 'Notices - Sunday 14th May'...Notices - Sunday 7th May
Next Generation Training.
Are you burdened about how to reach and teach the next generation for Christ? Are you a parent or youth leader currently ministering to 10-30 year-olds?
You are invited to the following training – ‘An introduction to the ‘NEXT’ framework for developing theologically grounded and contextually engaged models of ministry to the emerging generation.’
The training covers:
- Theology of Ministry to Emerging Generations
- Culture, Development and Discipleship of Emerging Generations
- Models and Methods of Ministry to Emerging Generations
You can attend one or all of the sessions at Carloway Free Church:-
Friday 2nd June (evening) and Saturday 3rd June (morning and afternoon).
For more information contact Gordon Macleod on 07786 387934.
Read more about 'Notices - Sunday 7th May'...Notices - Sunday 30th April
Moldova Support Group
We are running a residential camp again this summer for the teenagers in Moldova. Through the pandemic, economic hardship, and the war in Ukraine, the Lord continues to bless our Gospel Ministry in Nisporeni. So our friends in the local church will run the camp themselves this year with funding from Moldova Support Group.
We are hosting a soup and pudding lunch in the M.A. Hall on Saturday 13th May to raise funds. If anyone would like to donate, soup, puddings or help on the day please get in touch with Dawn Campbell on 07384 270455.
Read more about 'Notices - Sunday 30th April'...Notices - Sunday 23rd April
Am Metagama: Buaidh air Beatha ‘san Eilean
Duncan Norman Macleod will be giving a talk on the Metagama sailing, and the impact it had on the island. The talk will be in Gaelic on Monday 24th April at 5.30pm in the UHI Reception area of Lews Castle College. All are welcome.
Notices - Sunday 16th April
HOPE, PEACE and PURPOSE
The Prodigal God – Tuesdays 2 May to 23 May
Find out how the Prodigal found Hope, Peace and Purpose in Tim Keller’s study in his book, the Prodigal God. It can be hard for us to understand the relationship between God and man. A brief study of this book by Tim Keller helps paint this picture using Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son.
Please come and join us to consider the true meaning of “prodigal” and how it relates to our lives over 4 evenings in the M A Hall on Kenneth St. The programme will be run on Tuesday evenings from 2 May. Each session will start at 7:30pm and finish at 8:30pm.
The meetings will be held in an informal and relaxed environment and suitable for all who are looking for the hope, peace and purpose that is offered in the Christian life.
There is no need to book, just turn up. Bring some friends if you can.
If you wish to find out more please feel free to speak to Cala (07818076163) or Roddy (07900807375)
Read more about 'Notices - Sunday 16th April'...Notices - Sunday 9th April
Safe Families.
Some of you will have been at our Congregational Fellowship a few months ago to hear Catherine Macdonald speak about 'Safe Families' which has now launched in the Western Isles. Safe Families is a Christian family support charity which seeks to link local volunteers to families who are isolated and struggling. Safe Families was one of the projects supported by the WFM project last year. As Christians we are called to love the marginalised in our community and this is a very practical way of showing Christ’s love in action.
Safe Families provide excellent training and support. Volunteers can be linked to children or parents depending on suitability. Even a few hours a month can make a real difference in the life of a child or parent.
If you want to volunteer please go to the Safe Families website and click on the 'get involved' and 'volunteer' button and then 'volunteer sign up' and you will be invited to your first online training module and then one of the local staff will be in touch and will talk you through the training process.
https://safefamilies.uk/volunteer/
The Scotland Programme Manager for Safe Families, Andy Murray, is with us today and will be available to chat to anyone in the hall afterwards if you have any more questions or want more information. The local team can be contacted at The Shed on [email protected]
Read more about 'Notices - Sunday 9th April'...Notices - Sunday 2nd April
Teens’ Conference – Booking Now Open!
The teen’s conference is taking place from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th June at Lendrick Muir. Anyone S5 or S6 age, as of January 2023, whether already a Christian or just interested to find out more, is welcome. More information is available on the Free Church of Scotland website.
