It’s 7th–11th July!
To book, email Mo at youthwork@wardie.org.uk.
Hope to see you there!
Join us every fortnight for coffee and a blether! Every other Wednesday from 21st May.
Wardie Parish Church
Tuesday evenings, 6.30–8pm
Join us as we learn new techniques, or bring your own project to work on!
Relaxed setting with a mindfulness reflection based on Christian themes but open to all people.
Suggested donation of £3 per session at the tea/coffee table.
For more information or to book, contact Mo – youthwork@wardie.org.uk
Dear Members and Friends
We all know the words of the Christmas song It’s the most wonderful time of the year – a sentiment which for some of us rings true yet for others can be challenging.
Whatever the coming days hold for you, one thing we can be certain of is the love of our Heavenly Father revealed to us in the gift of his Son Jesus who we celebrate over the Advent and Christmas period.
This week there are several opportunities to come together for worship and fellowship and I hope that you will be able to join us for some, if not all, of these services:
Sunday 22nd, 10.30am: Carols from Kids @ Wardie & a message about Joseph
Christmas Eve, 6.00pm: Family nativity
Christmas Eve, 11.30pm: Watchnight service
Christmas Day, 10.30am: All age celebration
Sunday 29th, 10.30am: Service of lessons and carols
During advent, the church sanctuary has been open on a Wednesday evening for a Quiet Space for Advent. This offered a place for quiet reflection and prayer. A huge thank you goes to Cathy Ballantine and Wardie’s Prayer Discovery Group for setting this up each week and providing some wonderful reflective activities and music.
Last week on Saturday 14th December we had our Gift Day and Coffee Morning. Many people came along and over £7,000 was raised for church funds. A wonderful effort from all involved with organising, baking, sorting out the technology and serving coffee.
Many people have been asking what is happening with regards to the Presbytery Plan which has been rumbling around us for three years now. The Kirk Session met last Monday and have agreed a recommendation which we have instructed our Session Clerk to send to the Presbytery’s deployment group. There are protocols around these things which have to be honoured but what I can tell you is that I will be here at least until 2028 (shhh… that’s when I reach retirement age) and perhaps even a little longer.
At the very start of the New Year, once we have informed the deployment committee we will be letting the whole congregation know. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Chris Boston, Tim Edwards, Cathy Ballantine and Glenn Liddall who represented us in the local area discussions and in particular to Chris who has chaired this group and guided the Session with great skill.
There is, as you can see, lots of Good News at Wardie.
Every blessing as we celebrate the fact that
Unto us a child was born, to us a son was Given
Thanks be to God
Dolly
December 8th, 10.30am: Advent Communion
December 15th, 10.30am: Quiet space for Christmas and candles of remembrance
December 22nd, 10.30am: All-age worship including carol chaos with Kidz@Wardie
Christmas Eve, 6pm: Family nativity
Christmas Eve, 11.30pm: Watchnight Service
Christmas Day, 10.30am: All-age celebration
December 29th, 10.30am: Lessons and Carols
On Sunday after our morning service we are holding an event to raise funds for toilet twinning. Hope to see you there!
On Sunday 27th April we’re holding Messy Church!
Come along for stories, food, crafts and fun!
Messy Church is for the whole family: mums, dads, brothers, sisters, grannies, grandads, aunties, second cousins, great uncle Bulgaria, next-door neighbour who’s always popping round for coffee …
To help with the catering, if you know you’ll be coming please email your name and the number of adults and children you’re planning to bring along to:
Dolly Purnell: dpurnell@churchofscotland.org.uk, or
Mo Brand: youthwork@wardie.org.uk
Or just come along on the day!
If you can’t make it this time, why not save the date for a future Messy Church? We’re planning another on:
25th May
And we’ve just announced dates for our popular Holiday Club, too – so keep the week of 7th–11th July free in your diaries!
Rt Rev Dr Shaw J Paterson, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, has written a prayer about the recent terrible events in Lebanon. Please use it in your own prayer time.
Almighty God, we bring our voices together to pray for peace, unsure of what to say or do. We see conflict, war, bombings, people fleeing to find shelter. As we witness an escalation in conflict, we pray for your peace … a peace which offers justice for the oppressed and downtrodden, a real peace in which every individual may live free from the horrors currently being experienced.
Caring God, be with those suffering in Lebanon and across the Middle East. Bring healing to those physically and emotionally wounded … and healing between individuals, groups and nations.
Comforting God, be with those who mourn the loss of loved ones and be with them in their grief and trauma, offering your grace and inner peace.
Loving God, you loved us so much you came into our world in Jesus, the Prince of Peace. We have heard the Good News; enable us to share your love … for love will overcome. Strengthen our resolve to love our neighbour, and work together for peace so that love might be shared, healing becomes a reality, and that we never lose hope.
In the Name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen.