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Dear Friends
January has been a very busy month in the Life of our congregation - and that is something I think we should all take encouragement from. (even If some of us might be hoping that February Is perhaps not so busy!)
This last month has seen the start of a number of new initiatives as well as the first steps in our vacancy process. Let me bring you up to date if you are not already
Meeting for prayer - this began on the 16th January and will be hosted by Wrangholm Kirk on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month at 7.OO pm. I am delighted these meetings are now underway because it is an opportunity for those who value prayer and want to make time for it in the Life of the church to meet with others and bring to God the concerns that are ours for ourselves, for others/ for our community and our world and, of course, for our church at this crucial time in our history.
Sunday Celebration - this Is the name we have given to our monthly evening service hosted by Holytown Church on the Last Sunday of the month at 6.30 pm. More information is given about this service on another page of the magazine.
Memorial .service - the COSY care group and the Bereavement Care group organised the first memorial service which took place In Wrangholm Kirk on the afternoon of Sunday 20th January. We wrote letters of invite to those who had lost loved ones in the past 14 months, and whose addresses we had, but we also gave an open invitation to anyone who wanted to come. The service lasted around 30 minutes and was a time for prayer and reflection. We were delighted that 94 people attended the service and it is our sincere hope and prayer that people will have found It helpful and of value. Once we have had the opportunity to gauge reaction to it, we will decide whether or not to have a similar service next year - If we do it will likely be held in Holytown Church.
As well as these three fairly major events, there have been other discussions taking place:
The Kirk Sessions and Congregational Boards of both congregations have been considering whether or not to take on a Stewardship programme entitled 'Gifts for God' This Is a programme offered by the Church of Scotland department of Stewardship and Finance to help us consider what it means to be a member of the church.
In recent days we have also been turning our minds to what shape our children's work (Sunday school) might take, when the hall is up and running.
Our COSY work continues with a further meeting of the groups at the end of January when we hope to decide on the next steps we take. In fact all of the Initiatives mentioned above have come through our COSY groups and It Is great to see the ideas and conversations coming to fruition!
It has been a busy month - but I have no doubt it is all helping us move in the right direction. Of course, another activity comes into play very soon and that is the search for a new minister. That is a task that needs the prayers of us all, but it Is also a task that must not overshadow the ongoing work of our COSY Groups - they provide the foundation on which our Church can build for the future. Indeed our COSY Strategy could well be one of those activities that a prospective Minister might find attractive, interesting, encouraging and challenging, so let's make sure that we keep it all going - I know that we have a long way to go until the future is resolved, but as the advert says, the Future is bright.....!
Every blessing
lain
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