As the Church of Scotland in Bellshill we extend a warm welcome to any of our activities. People have been coming to this building to worship God for over a hundred years. While our town has journeyed through many changes over those years, the constancy of the witness of the “Church at 346 Main Street” has remained uninterrupted. The mission of any Church is to reflect through its presence, its music, its fellowship and its beauty the greatness of God, and we seek to do that here in all that we share.
We hope that everyone who enters these doors will find an encouraging, friendly group of people. While we are far from perfect, we are regularly discovering truths that are changing us individually and enriching our lives as a church community. As we worship together, learn from the Bible, and pray for one another, we are strengthened in our commitment to Jesus Christ as well as to each other. If this is your first time here, we welcome you, and invite you to share the joy that we have found.
Our third section of our Virtual Prayer Walk. Please if you are out a walk this week think of this area of our town and the people who live or work here.
This week we share another set of streets from around our town that we invite you to focus your prayers on this week.
Glenfinnon Grove
Kirklee Road
Jacobite Place
Kirklee Rd Park
Thank God for the ways he is working on this town
Invite the Holy Spirit to flow across the town
Pray that people in our town would know the love of God
Bellshill Central Parish Church at 346 Main Street continues to be physically closed to all in person face to face meetings, including Sunday morning worship
However, we are continuing to be the church locally in the community of Bellshill and Mossend by being active online, with Kevin’s continuing pastoral work and being a family of faith. Our groups and church members are in daily contact with each other.
How are we doing this?
Our website at www.bellshillcentral.church is continually updated and refreshed. Have a look. Services and other outreach online is available here.
WhatsApp groups for our church family and most vulnerable folks. Our church chat of 50+members keep upto date, sharing important news, moments of humour and prayers. There are also separate WhatsApp groups for our choir and guild.
Online worship is our main focus, with sunday worship online at 10.45am and midweek Young church on Wednesday at 12noon. These have growing “viewer” numbers each week reaching out beyond our building in ways we’d never have imagined. www.bellshillcentral.church/watch-live
Organist Entertains provided by our own organist and maestro, Alan Mathew. Now ready for the 46th instalment which is available tonight (Wednesday) at 8pm. Tonight’s episode has dual cameras so you can see the maestros hands and feet! To date we have surpassed 24,000 views! www.bellshillcentral.church/organist-entertains
This week we invited our friends whilst enjoying their Burns Suppers to take part in an online zoom session. We virtually piped in our haggis, Hugh Ainsley appropriately address the haggis, we toasted it of course, and we then had the Selkirk Grace. Some chat and catch up ensued before we enjoyed our prepared haggis meals.
Looking forward into the New Year, our existing activities will continue online and we hope that you can join us when you can. That’s the wonder of online church, you can worship where and when you are able.
Our choir is having fun with a virtual choir setting. We’ve already produced item #1. We are aiming to produce one item per month to see how it progresses. Its not as fun as real choir but its keeping us singing the only way we are allowed! This months songs are We are marching in the light of God and God be in my head. If you want to take part contact Alan at bellshillcentral@gmail.com
Updated this week…… The virtual prayer walk around the town of Bellshill continues. We will choose three streets and ask you to pray and remember all who live and work there. Look up #bellshillprayerwalk on Facebook and Twitter to follow our journey. The prayer walk will be available on the website also.
Our prayer ribbons are still fluttering in the wind outside the church on the church fence. These are a visible display of our prayers for ourselves, our town and communiy, the world. Please add a ribbon to show us you have prayed.
Bellshill Central Church of Scotland Registered Charity: SC012556 346 Main Street, Bellshill, ML4 1BA
Holy Spirit, vivifying fire and gentle breath, come and abide in us. Renew in us the passion for unity so that we may live in awareness of the bond that unites us in you. May all who have put on Christ at their Baptism unite and bear witness together to the hope that sustains them. Amen. We ask for prayers for Christian Unity.
This Sunday (24 January), as lockdown restrictions continue in Scotland, Christians across the country – and further afield – will once again join together in prayer at 7pm in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As with previous weeks during lockdown, 14 Christian churches and organisations across the country, including the Church of Scotland, have co-signed the letter calling for prayer.
Scottish Christians have been continuing to answer the call to pray at the same time each week, and Rt Rev Dr Martin Fair, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, has been taking part alongside them.
“There are some things which make sense for a certain period of time but which come to a natural conclusion – such as clapping for carers during the spring lockdown. Prayer isn’t one of them,” Dr Fair said.
“The Apostle Paul encourages us to ‘pray without ceasing’ and Jesus himself offers parables where persistence in prayer is lauded.
“It can be hard to keep going when there’s no end in sight; much easier when the finishing line comes into view. In the case of the pandemic, it still feels as if there’s no light at the end of the tunnel.
“All the more reason then for God’s people to continue faithfully in prayer. And even better when we can pray across the whole of the Church, unrestricted by denominational divides.
“If Sunday at 7pm is in your diary, keep it there. Thank you. If it hadn’t been, it would be great to have you involved. It matters that we pray.
“In the Gospel of John, Jesus prays for all those who have come to believe in him ‘that they may all be one…so that the world may believe’ that he has been sent by the Father. (John 17: 20-21)
“As we reflect upon this, we see Jesus Christ as the One who intercedes for us before the living God and who enables us to approach God through him. In the times in which we live this offers a profound reassurance: Jesus Christ is the One whose prayer sustains the life of the people of God.
“The times in which we live are ones in which discord and division are all too often to the fore. In times such as these, the people of God are called to bear witness to the reconciling work of Christ that breaks down the walls that divide us. As we reflect upon the words of John 17, we are called to live out our response to the prayer of Jesus that we ‘may all be one…that the world may believe’.”
We pray:
Lord our God, You are One And your Son prays that your people may be one. As your Son prays for us, May we share in the life of Christ And in the hope of the resurrection. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Lord our God, You are One And your Son prays that your people may be one. As your Son prays for us, May we know that we are members of the body of Christ And that we share in the one Spirit. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Lord our God, You are One And your Son prays that your people may be one. As your Son prays for us, May we know that he is our peace And that he has broken down the walls that divide us. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Lord our God, You are One And your Son prays that your people may be one. As your Son prays for us, May we know that we have been reconciled to God And that the task of reconciliation has been entrusted to us. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Lord our God, You are One And your Son prays that your people may be one. As your Son prays for us, May your people be one That the world may believe. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
BELLSHILL: CENTRAL PARISH CHURCH OF SCOTLAND 