An update – early December

OK, this is no longer a weekly blogg.  Often life keeps you running, especially when you have young children.  I’ll try my best to get back into writing this blog to keep you up to date on what gariochchurch is up to.

Last weekend was our first church weekend away.  Amazingly we had nearly 80% of the whole church gathered together for the weekend in Aviemore.  A time to grow relationships and learn to work as a group.

I’m sure it seemed very quiet to most of us when we woke up on the Monday morning after. Quite different to the buzz of activity we’d all enjoyed on Saturday and Sunday morning! It was a great weekend. Everyone took their turn on meal preparation, washing up and setting up, or doing Sunday school.  The weekend had been a great opportunity to deepen relationships and I am convinced that is part of Kingdom living that, in the past, has been neglected. We need to be real with each other and what better place to do that than at the breakfast table having had very little sleep the night before!!

 

I hope, like me, you enjoyed the snow. It seemed that life goes down a gear when you can’t keep all those appointments, can’t go shopping etc. because you can’t get the car out of the drive. Everywhere seems more peaceful somehow. Sounds from traffic etc are cushioned. Life just seems quieter and more sedate. Even when the kids go out to play in the snow there is a lovely softened sound to the shrieks of laughter and squeals of delight as snowballs are thrown and snow men are made. Don’t you just love it?!!

 

As you look at the snow remember that Jesus covers all our sins and makes us as white as snow. (..I feel a song coming in somewhere there…!) We are the ones who tread on it and make it dirty, metaphorically speaking….. Have a great day whatever and wherever you find yourself.

Advanced notice of Carols in the Barn at 7pm on Thursday 18th December. yes, it really is in a barn.  For more information please email us at contact@gariochchurch.org.uk 

September blog #2

Every time we multiply it seems to get harder, but we have now multiplied the Southern group into two.  Now we are four; Northern, Inverurie & Oldmeldrum, Kintore and Blackburn.  Please pray for each group as start to reach out into their local communities.  

Alpha Course – organised by the New Community Church, the Roman Catholic Church and a group from Deeside Christian Fellowship. The 10 week course starts 25^th September. A ‘taster’ of the course, along with a meal, is on 11^th September at the Harlaw Centre. Contact us for more details. This is a great course to do if you are at the start of your Christian journey or just want to explore the basics of the Christian faith.

Council of Reference – Finally we have the names of folk we would like to be part of Council of Reference. We would expect that membership of this group will regularly change, so that we continue to receive helpful advice and fresh inside/outside perspectives on what we’re doing. From our founding documents: ‘The C of R will be a group of people drawn from within and outside gariochchurch, are respected for their godly wisdom, their experience, their independence, their sympathy with the broad strategy of gariochchurch, and their readiness to challenge ‘core leadership’ in godly and biblical ways. They will meet and pray with the ‘core leadership’ at least three times a year. The council are invited to comment on the general health of gariochchurch, as well as review recent and planned initiatives and raise issues of concern, challenge, offer encouragement and wider perspective.’ Our meetings will normally be approx 10 am – 4 pm on a convenient Saturday. We’ll circulate notes of these meetings to you all – and, as always, invite your feedback. 

This week we have prayer at Wed am then our midweek time together Wed pm. Thursday for prayer and chat focusing on our children. Sunday 21^st we shall be together at the Garioch Sports Centre and Sunday evening will be 4 gospel readings.

We support three families who work abroad serving in the kingdom of God in different ways. The Mark & Lisa (who have recently moved to France to work with World Venture), Steve and Jane Williams (in Cyprus working for BMS) and Jacek, a Polish pastor.   Would you be interested in taking care of one of these families? Eg corresponding with them on a regular basis, keeping them up to date with gariochchurch news, encouraging them by taking an interest in what they are doing and keeping the rest of us up to date with their news? Remembering birthdays and sending small gifts, are other ways to give encouragement and care. If you feel this is something you would like to do, I’d be delighted to hear from you.

We also are in the process of supporting a christian family from Latvia who have moved into the NE of Scotland, helping them to find their feet in this corner of the world.  Please pray for them and how we as a church can help them.