Message fae the manse
   
 

Hello friend
,
As you read this letter, spring will almost be upon us. Officially spring begins on the 20th of March, so it isn’t too far away. I like the season of spring as it is all about new beginnings and transformations. It’s a season that symbolizes starting fresh and starting over.

After months of cold temperatures that often result in many of us feeling the winter blues, spring reawakens us and our surrounding environment, bringing everything back to life.

You may have seen the first seasonal snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils or going further afield the new lambs gambolling around the local farmers fields. It is a season of new life.

It isn’t just in nature that we can celebrate new beginnings and transformations. We can also experience this in our spiritual lives.
We are now well into Lent and with Easter being at its earliest time it can be in the year, Good Friday falls on the 29th and Easter Sunday on the 31st of March, so it isn’t far away.

So, I thought this would be a good time for you to reflect on your Lenten journey so far. How has your Lenten journey been this year?

Have you managed to stay away from whatever it was you committed to stay away from, chocolate, biscuits, social media?

But Lent isn’t just about just giving something up, it is also about beginning something new that coupled with the giving something up will allow you to develop and deepen your relationship with God, so I wonder if you have been able to do that?

Of course new beginnings and transformations aren’t just limited to spring, they can happen all throughout the year, and we should always be looking for new and different ways to grow our relationship with God.

As I mentioned, Easter Sunday falls on the 31st of March this year, so Holy Week begins on the 24th, and we will be marking Holy Week with various joint services with the other churches in our cluster, details of which can be found in the March issue of Crosstalk.

The church sanctuary will also be open during the day 12pm - 1pm and evenings,7pm - 8pm from Monday to Wednesday of Holy Week, allowing you the chance to come in and sit in God’s presence for a time of silent reflection and prayer,

Due to the timing of Easter this year, this will be the final issue of Crosstalk before Easter, so let me wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Easter, and remember that Christ is risen, he is risen indeed!

Your brother in Christ
Stuart



Café Warm
On every Friday during December and January (with the exception of 29th December) the church will be open to host a warm café space in The Old Hall between 10am-12pm.

This space is open to everyone, is free, and tea, coffee, biscuits, and fellowship will be available.

So, if you, or you know someone who would like to come along then please do, it will be lovely to see you.

Brunch and the Bible
Starting on Tuesday the 12th December, then every 2nd Tuesday in the month, the first in our new monthly gathering called ‘Brunch and the Bible’ will take place between 11.30-13.00 in the vestry. So, come along for a bite of brunch followed by a time of reflection and discussion on a bible passage. If you have any food intolerances, then can you please bring your own food.

PMAP Update
I was very encouraged recently by the number of people who attended our open meeting to give an update on the PMAP and there were some excellent questions asked about the future of the church here in Newton Mearns.

So, for those who were not able to come along let me give you an update on where we are so far.

Glasgow Presbytery approved and re submitted our draft plan last week, so we wait to hear if the Faith Nurture Forum will approve it so we can finally begin to implement the plan on a regional and local level.

On a local level we are still in talks with the neighbouring churches in our cluster as to how the allocation of 3 FTE posts will be distributed amongst the five churches and which building will be chosen as the one centre of worship between the three churches who will be uniting as part of the plan.

No decision has been made surrounding these very important issues yet, although we are hoping they will be made soon, and if our plan is accepted then the decision as to which building will remain as the centre of worship needs to be made by the end of this year.

I would therefore ask that unless you hear news from me or one of the other ministers in the cluster do not believe any stories you may hear about this or that building being sold or closed. These decisions have not yet been made.

And as I have mentioned several times before these conversations up to now have not been easy and I suspect they are going to get more difficult in the coming months so please keep the process and all involved in it in your prayers.

And whilst these will be difficult decisions and whatever is decided will not, please everyone, I ask that you do not lose heart, and more importantly continue to trust in God, for it is him we worship and that should not change.

He has a plan for the church here in Newton Mearns and across the whole nation and we must continue to listen to his voice and follow the plan he has for us.

So, if you have any questions about the process, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me and I will do my best to answer them.

 

Afternoon Communion
Before the pandemic we offered a shorter afternoon communion service in the Murray Mackay Room at 2pm on the same day we celebrate communion in the morning.

I am thinking of re starting this in March, so if this is something you would be interested in coming to or bringing someone along to please get in touch to let me know either via e-mail or telephone and if there is enough interest these services will re start.

     
 
     
 
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