13th January 2023, Weekly Update

1. Sunday 15 January

Services are at 9.30 am and 10.30 am, with the 10.30 am service live-streamed.  Junior Church and YF meet at 10.30 am.  Services will be led by Donna Kellock. The passage is Matthew 3:13-17 and the theme Identification Parade.

2)   Support for Parents of Pre-School Children

A new ministry which offers support to parents of pre-school children is going to be launched in St Andrew Blackadder Church. It will run for a couple of hours on Friday mornings, once a fortnight. Helen Nelson and Sally Anderson are heading it up. They will give more information about it during the services this Sunday so a team can begin to be drawn together. They are looking for people who can help with catering, with the support, with the crèche and who will pray. If you sense this might be something God is calling you to be part of please talk to them or Sunday, contact them using their details in the Church Directory or leave a message with Julie in the office.

This ministry has emerged from the post-it notes you helped create at the Growing Young ideas generation last April.

3)   Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

St Andrew Blackadder is glad to be part of North Berwick and District Association of Churches. One of the main expressions of this is the annual service held during the international Week of Prayer for Christian Unity that occurs every January.

This year the service is in St Andrew Blackadder, at 6 pm, next week, Sunday 22 January.

4)   Malawi Coffee Morning, Saturday 21 January.

The churches in North Berwick have been supporting an orphans project in Malawi for 20 years, primarily through the annual January Coffee Morning. It will be held in St Andrew Blackadder Hall on Saturday 21 January between 10 and 12 noon. There will be no entry charge. Coffee, tea and bakery will be served and cash donations invited. There will also be a bakery stall and gift stall. All contributions and offers of help on the day, gratefully received. Please contacts Ian & Liz Craigie or Barbara Clark (details in the Church Directory).

5)   The Guild

The first Guild Meeting of 2023 will take place in the Chapel at 2.30pm on Tuesday 17 January. There will be hymns, prayers and a Bible Study led by Ann Braid and Jenny Kellock. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be served afterwards. Everyone is very welcome to join us.

6)   AV System Upgrade

The Christmas Carol Service was streamed on YouTube. In previous years that wouldn’t have been possible because the equipment wasn’t good enough to film in subdued light. The improvement in quality of picture is noticeable at all times. And behind the scenes the changes in wiring and controls have been even more extensive.  It has brought the system up to date and made it much more useable. A huge thank you goes to you who gave the money for the project in the 2021 Gift Day, to Ricky Martin who worked with the contractors (design beforehand, commissioning afterwards, managing the operation on a regular basis) and to Mike Ingram (Church Officer) who oversaw the project.

7)   North Berwick Coastal Community Connections.

Community Connections is your local social isolation charity, working to connect people together in a range of ways. We offer Scone Cafe Drop-Ins (Wednesdays 2-3.30 Abbey Small Hall), Coffee Connections meet-ups (Tuesdays 2-3 Seabird Centre), befriending, buddy walking, group walks (Wednesdays 2.15-2.45 from Abbey side entrance), Compassionate Neighbours (befriending people with a life-limiting diagnosis) and a monthly newsletter. Community Connections, with local opportunities and inspiration. If you would like more information about any of these, or would like to offer your time to support any of these activities please contact Carol Stobie nbc-communityconnections@outlook.com

8)   Prayer Gathering

Each Wednesday on Zoom between for 30 minutes starting at 7 pm.

Please contact the office for log in details.

 

Neil

Rev Dr Neil Dougall