Notices - Sunday 25th May 2025
Creche: 11.00am in the upper hall for children up to age 3.
Volunteers Today: Elaine, Chris, Annmarie and Helena.
Volunteers 1st June: Christine Ann, Maighread, Donna, and Carol Ann.
Tweenies in the main hall for children aged 3-5.
Volunteers today: Johan, Anne and Marissa.
Volunteers 1st June: Elizabeth, Kay, and Aileen.
Sunday School and Bible Class arrive in church at 11.00 with family, then leave through the side door nearest the hall after children’s address.
Everyone is welcome to the M A Hall after the morning service for a cup of tea or coffee. Marten and Kathleen will be serving today.
Monday 26th May from 1.00pm to 3.00pm - Toddler Group meets in the M A Hall.
Tuesday 27th May at 7.00pm – Holiday Club planning meeting in the Upper M A Hall. Anyone who is able to help for even part of the week is warmly encouraged to come along.
Tuesday 27th May at 7.15pm – Ladies craft group meets in the M A Hall.
Tuesday 27th May at 7.30pm – English Prayer Meeting at Laxdale Mission Hall.
Wednesday 28th May at 7.30pm – English Prayer Meeting in the Seminary led by Rev Calum M Smith.
Thursday 29th May at 7.30pm – Gaelic Prayer Meeting in the Seminary led by Rev James Maciver.
Thursday 29th May – Explorers meet in the M A Hall
6.00pm - 7.00pm: P1- P3
7.00pm - 8.15pm: P4 - P7
Saturday 31st May at 7.00pm – English Service (Church) conducted by Rev Calum M Smith and live on YouTube (Channel name - Stornoway Free Church).
Communion
God willing, the Lord’s Supper will be dispensed next Lord’s Day at the morning service.
The Kirk Session will meet at 6.30pm, and after the evening service on Saturday in the Kenneth Street Session room and will be delighted to meet with any who wish to take the Lord’s Supper for the first time or join the congregation by certificate.
Services next Lord’s Day – 1st June
11.00am – English Service (Church) conducted by Rev Calum M Smith.
6.30pm – English Service (Church) conducted by Rev Calum M Smith.
There will be no Gaelic service on 1st June due to communion service.
Slavic Gospel Association – Annual Collection
A collection for the work of the Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) will be taken at all services today. Your donation should be put in an envelope and clearly marked SGA.
Stornoway Street Pastors Commissioning Service – Friday 30th May at 7.00pm in the M A Hall
Stornoway Street Pastors would like to invite everyone to our service to commission four new pastors. There will be refreshments available following the service.
Thank you from Women for Mission
Stornoway WfM sincerely thank all who helped and contributed to the fundraising lunch last Saturday. The sum of £1140.00 was raised. This money will be shared between the Blythswood Trust in the UK, the Kerusso Trust in Malawi, The Reanos in Columbia, and the Tumaini Fund in Scotland.
Sunday School Memory Verse
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
Romans 8: 38 (ESV)
55+ Fellowship
The next meeting of the 55+ Fellowship will be held in the M A Hall on Friday 13th June at 12 noon until 2.00pm. This will be a soup and pudding lunch.
On that day the speaker will be Laura Anne Macleod from Leurbost who recently spent some time working on “Mercy Ships”, a Christian organisation that brings, in their own words, “hope and healing to the forgotten poor.” The organisation treats all patients free of charge regardless of religion, race or gender. The singing on the day will be led by our own Ewen Mackenzie.
If you can, bring a friend. Everyone will be made very welcome.
If you need transport to or from the M A Hall, contact Duncan Norman on one of the numbers below.
01851 860418 or 07787 973802
Annual General Meeting
The AGM for the congregation will be held on Wednesday 4th June 2025 at 7.30pm in the Seminary. The Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements for 2024 will be presented at this meeting. Copies of the report will be available for collection at the services on 25th May and 1st June.
Please Note: Zoom access will not be available for this meeting, and everyone is encouraged to attend in person.
STATEMENT RE FINANCE
We give thanks to God for the improvement in our financial position in 2024 and for the unstinting financial support given by the congregation.
The main factors regarding the financial improvement in 2024 were additional donations to the congregation in order to help defray high running costs - particularly heating and lighting - and to contribute towards works around the church foyer.
From 1st March 2025, the congregation will be in the second and much more favourable phase of its electricity contract but electricity costs still remain a concern. The burden of rising staff costs (due to increases in the minimum wage and employers' national insurance) as well as likely increases in maintenance costs on our existing properties will all impact on our reserves in 2025.
We recognise that we are at risk of operating with an underlying deficit if action is not taken. With that in mind, the Deacons’ Court have asked the Finance Committee to meet to discuss the current financial position and to bring recommendations to the Deacons’ Court to ensure that expenditure will not exceed income and that the reserves balance be maintained to an acceptable level. A review of property is also being undertaken by a separate sub-committee.
How To Pray For The Vacancy?
On Wednesday evening, Rev Gordon Matheson shared a few thoughts about how we can pray more effectively about the pastoral vacancy in the congregation, particularly as we long for the Lord to lead us to a united conclusion.
Unanimity of Spirit
Ephesians 4:3 – “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit.”
Need for the Word
Titus 2:1 – “…teach what accords with sound doctrine.”
Insight from the Lord
James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God.”
Trust in God’s Timing
Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “For everything there is a season.”
Yielded Hearts
Psalm 25:8-9 – “Show me your ways, O Lord.”
