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Congregational intimations
Times of Services: Please note that at the moment we have only one service at 10.30 am except for the Communion Sundays, which are the first Sunday of March, June, September and December.
Good Friday Service: There will be a Joint service with Wrangholm Kirk, New Stevenston on Good Friday, ie the 6th of April at 7.30 pm in Holytown Church. We look forward to a good attendance at this special service.
Retiring Offering: On Sunday 8th April we shall be having a retiring offering in aid of charity called Place of Restoration. This charity has a small orphanage and Christian care centre for babies and children who have been affected by or are infected with HIV/AIDS. This centre is on the East Coast of South Africa near Durban. Mrs. MacDonald, wife of the minister of Hamilton South and Quarter Churches, became involved in this work while living in South Africa. All money collected goes to the charity.
First Aid: Do we have any First Aiders in the congregation? If we have we should like to hear from you. Even if you are not a qualified First Aider you may be interested in learning. We should like to hear from anyone wishing to lean) First Aid. Either speak to one of the elders on duty at the door or put your name on a piece of paper and pop it into the offertory bag. We look forward to hearing from you.
The joy of spring
I don't know how you feel about this particular time of the year but for me, it is certainly one of my favourites. Only this morning I went out for a walk and although there was not a cloud in the sky, the grass was still covered in frost and all the colours that nature has to offer were especially vivid in the bright sunlight The hedgerows that a few weeks ago had been empty and quiet were now a hive of activity with robins, sparrows, chaffinches and bullfinches going about the business of nesting with unbounded enthusiasm. Crows and magpies were flying back and forward in the top of the trees with pieces of grass and twigs held in their beaks also in the process of nesting. I noticed buds on larch trees opening which produce this year's needle-like leaves, some of which looked like small spiky flowers in a beautiful deep pink colour. For the first time this year, the woolen hat came off and I could feel the warmth of the sun on my head.
Just when I was heading for home, I came into a clearing and three roe deer were grazing at the far end. Very deliberately and without any panic, they gracefully leapt away to find another place where they would not be disturbed. Within a few seconds, they had covered about 100 yards without, it seemed, any significant effort on their part. I walk in this area almost every day and over the course of the year might see these deer only about 5 or 6 times and usually you only get a brief glimpse of them before they disappear. So today I felt privileged to be able to take in all the sights and sounds of this spring morning, and if you have the opportunity, get away from the beaten track and experience this special time of year for yourselves.
On thinking back on my enjoyable morning I realised there had been no cost, no queues, no traffic Jams, no parking hassles, no waiting for buses and in preparing. this article, the following piece of scripture came to mind.
Genesis 1:14
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