Week beginning 1st December

•   Pray for all those in our Parish who find Christmas a difficult time because of bereavement.  Ask God to bless the special service being held for them this, friday 5th December, in Carstairs Church, and for the Communion Services on Sunday 7th December, in both churches, and for the young adults who will lead the worship at the Mission Praise Service in the evening in Carstairs Junction Church. 

     Week beginning 8th December

•      Ask God to bless the service of Carols and Lessons in Carstairs Church next Sunday Evening, 14th December, and pray that many people will come along.

   Week beginning 15th December

• Pray this week for: the children of the Sunday School and the Joint Family Service next Sunday morning in Carstairs Church; the short service of worship at Monteith House that afternoon;

           Week beginning 22nd December

• As Christmas approaches, pray that we might all remember what we are celebrating and why?  Pray that there will be a real sense of worship at our Watchnight Service at Carstairs Junction and our Christmas Day Service  at Carstairs.   

   Week beginning 29th December

•  A New Year lies before us.  Pray that, in the months ahead, God will lead us by his Spirit that our congregation will grow spiritually, and be led into new ways of serving God, serving the people of this Parish, and serving one another.

  

  

 

Advent marks the beginning of a new church year.  We take time this Advent to reflect on the meaning of Christmas.  We put to one side the fairly lights and the shopping rush, and we turn our thoughts to Bethlehem .  We have a journey before us which we must embark upon prior to our arrival in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve.

30^th November:  St Andrews Day.  Joint Service.  As we embark upon the journey through Advent, we turn to Andrew and draw our series on Jars of a Clay to a close.  This is St Andrews day, and so let’s celebrate our Scottish Patron Saint.  Today’s service will celebrate that identity with Scottish hymns/music, and I’m going to ask everyone to wear a splash of tartan also.  Most especially let’s celebrate  the disciple who brought people to Jesus.

7^th December:  The 2^nd Sunday of Avent.  Christmas is the time when God reveals himself most spectacularly.  Times of trials can be tough on us, and leave us wondering if God is actually there.  Christmas reassures us that He most definitely IS there.

14^th December:  The 3^rd Sunday of Advent is traditionally the Sunday when we remember Mary.  Christmas is about the light breaking into the darkness.  Today we look at the significance of that Light, from its origins in the Old Testament, to its dawning in Mary.  Luke 1:26-38  Luke 1:47-55

 

21^st December:  The 4^th Sunday of Advent.  Joint Service with the young ones from Sunday School.

 

24^th December:  Watchnight Service at Junction  11.30pm 

 

25^th December:  Christmas Day service at Village  10.30am 

 

28^th December:  Joint Service.  Alan is off today, and we will have a guest speaker at our service in Carstairs Junction.