New Laigh Kirk Season of Invitation - A Place to Belong
Welcome to Worship Third Sunday of Advent 17th December 2017 Minister: Rev. David S Cameron Session Clerk: Derek I’Anson Organist: Martin C Sharp Student Assistant: David Hume
Let us Worship God
Welcome A very warm welcome to worship this morning from all at New Laigh Kirk to A New Season of Invitation. We are delighted you accepted our invitation to join us today and hope you enjoy worshipping with us. Please make yourself known to those sitting beside you. Tea and coffee will be served in the church immediately after the service.
New Laigh Kirk - a place to belong You will see that there are many people of all ages seeking to serve within New Laigh Kirk as well as the wider community. As part of the family of God and gifted with many and varying talents, we try to use these to deepen our faith, care for each other, and to spread into our town and parish the good news of God’s love for all. Whether you are a guest or regular attender we invite you to find your welcome place among us, a place to belong, to join in regular worship, to join in the life of our Kirk in whatever capacity and in your own appropriate way. May God richly Bless you in your worship today.
Order of Service Choir Introit: The race that long in darkness pined Welcome and Intimations Call to Worship Hymn 277
Hark the glad sound! the Saviour comes
Prayer Light the third Advent candle We lift the light of hope, O God, Your presence burning bright. In praise we sing the gift You bring: Our hope complete in Christ.
We lift the light of peace, O God, The Lord of truth and right. In Your domain let justice reign And bring us peace in Christ. We lift the light of joy, O God. Your praise is our delight! Your blessings flow that all may know Unbounded joy in Christ. All Age Address Hymn 310
See him lying on a bed of straw
Reading:
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 page 749 Jean Munro 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 page 1188
Choir Anthem: Celebrate the promise Reading:
St John 1:6-8, 19-28 page 1063
Hymn 283
The voice of God goes out to all the world
Prayer of Intercession Hymn 112
God, whose almighty word
Sermon Offering/Presentation of the offering Hymn 810 Sing to the Lord of heaven and earth Prayer of Dedication Hymn 456 Benediction
Christ is the world’s true light
Murray MacGregor
Intimations The welcome team today is Lilian Gillies, Barbara Allan, Andrew Bryson, Jim Lawson, Peter Adam, John McDowall, Iain Sherry, Betty Johnstone, Elaine Bryson, Moyra O'Rourke, Christine Bell, Donald MacLean, Ann MacLean, Ian McCall and Kevin Handling. Welcome Group meeting TODAY after the service to make final arrangements for Watchnight Service. Christmas Christingle is TONIGHT. Come for 6.30pm to make your Christingle Candle for the service beginning at 7.00pm. The service concludes with singing carols of your choice sitting around the Christmas tree. Carols by Candlelight will be on Thursday, 21st December at 7.00pm. Sing traditional carols and hear again the Good News of Christmas. Worship on Sunday, 24th December is the fourth Sunday in Advent and is Christmas Nativity Service beginning at 11.00am. Led by Kingz Kidz and Trekkers. Tea and coffee will be served in the church immediately after the service. Christmas Eve Christmas Carol Singing begins at 11.00pm leading into our Watchnight Service at 11.30pm. Enjoy tea or coffee or mulled wine, mince pies and Christmas cakes served immediately after the service as you wish family and friends of New Laigh Kirk Merry Christmas. Worship on Christmas Day will begin at 11.00am. Children please bring your toys to show us. Come and begin your Christmas Day celebration with worship. Kingz Kidz are encouraging all who would like to help out with the children to come and be a leader on Sunday mornings. Whether you would like to help out just once, twice or more often, then please speak to Amy or Email: amy_bh@hotmail.co.uk to get involved! A few copies of the Order of Service in large print are available. Please speak to a member of the duty team if you require one.
On the occasion of Billy Allan’s retirement as Church Officer after 44 years of dedicated service an opportunity to donate towards a retirement gift will be made over the next few weeks. Please place your donation in an envelope marked “Billy Allan” and place in the offering plate when the offering is uplifted. If donating by cheque please make it payable to New Laigh Kirk and write Billy’s name on the back. Thank you for your generosity. The total received to date for the 820/100 Heritors Challenge Fund has now passed £20,000 and my thanks to all who have contributed to date. ● For members who wish to pay by cheque, please make the cheque payable to New Laigh Kirk and write on either the envelope or the rear of the cheque "Heritors Challenge Fund." Cheques, in an envelope, may be given to me or put in the collecting plate and I will get them at the end of the Service. ● For members paying by cash, it would be helpful if you could put
your name on the envelope as I can then acknowledge your contribution and also claim back Gift Aid if you are a tax payer. I already hold Gift Aid Declarations for most members who pay Income Tax so no further paperwork is required. A £100 donation results in an additional £25 in tax reclaim. ● For members filling the collecting boxes, if you have completed the Challenge, boxes may be handed in. It would be helpful if your name and addresses is written on the box. The Congregational Board agreed that as the boxes were only issued for distribution in August that some members may require more time rather than the original end of December completion date and it was agreed that Elders would collect the boxes from members who are using this method as they are distributing the Communion cards for the April Communion. Thank you for your support for The Heritors Challenge Fund and for New Laigh Kirk. Ken Stewart. We require volunteers to deliver a copy of the Christmas flyer to every household in our parish and to approach retail businesses in the town
centre to ask if they would be willing to make them available to their customers. If you can assist with this, please contact Stephen Brown. Leaflets available TODAY. If you would like to be included in the rota for Bible Reading at Sunday worship for 2018, please give your name to Helen Colman. Highlights Klub Christmas Night Out to Cafe da Vinci on Monday, 18th December. Congregational Board Meeting on Tuesday, 19th December at 7.00pm in church. Church Open and Welcome on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 12noon to 2.00pm. We urgently require a pool of volunteers, especially men, to welcome the visitors on a rota basis. Please speak to Helen Colman. Remember that the more volunteers there are, the less often you will be on duty! Open Doors. New Laigh Kirk will be opening its doors to all every day this week from 12noon to 2.00pm. The Church will be open for those who want to come for a period of solitude or reflection; to see the newly restored stained glass windows from the inside; or to find out some of the history of the church and town. New Laigh Kirk Volunteers - Needing help with shopping, DIY, gardening or a lift to medical appointments? Looking for help with official forms or job applications? Is reading difficult with failing eyesight? Ring our volunteers' helpline, Tel: 07935 852000. If you can assist with driving, or if you know of anyone who may be interested in helping, please contact Alan Gregor, Tel: 537155, Email: gregor_alan@hotmail.com. If you know of anyone in hospital please let the minister know by telephone, email or the pew cards provided. Intimations to be included in Sunday’s Order of Service and the Standard should be with Helen Colman (helenmcolman@gmail.com) by Wednesday of this week. Visit our website http://www.nlk.church and see what's going on at New Laigh Kirk.
We'd love you to accept our invitation to worship at New Laigh Kirk this Christmas 17 Dec: Sunday Service 11.00am Christingle Service 6.30pm for 7.00pm 21 Dec: Carols by Candlelight 7.00pm Christmas Eve: Children's Nativity Service 11.00am Carol Singing 11.00pm Watchnight Service 11.30pm Christmas Day Family Service 11.00am
New Laigh Kirk A caring welcoming church at the heart of Kilmarnock reaching out to you