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.
A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.
1 Hear my prayer,(A) Lord; let my cry for help(B) come to you. 2 Do not hide your face(C) from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear(D) to me; when I call, answer me quickly.
3 For my days vanish like smoke;(E) my bones(F) burn like glowing embers. 4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass;(G) I forget to eat my food.(H) 5 In my distress I groan aloud(I) and am reduced to skin and bones. 6 I am like a desert owl,(J) like an owl among the ruins. 7 I lie awake;(K) I have become like a bird alone(L) on a roof. 8 All day long my enemies(M) taunt me;(N) those who rail against me use my name as a curse.(O) 9 For I eat ashes(P) as my food and mingle my drink with tears(Q) 10 because of your great wrath,(R) for you have taken me up and thrown me aside. 11 My days are like the evening shadow;(S) I wither(T) away like grass.
12 But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever;(U) your renown endures(V) through all generations.(W) 13 You will arise(X) and have compassion(Y) on Zion, for it is time(Z) to show favor(AA) to her; the appointed time(AB) has come. 14 For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity. 15 The nations will fear(AC) the name of the Lord, all the kings(AD) of the earth will revere your glory. 16 For the Lord will rebuild Zion(AE) and appear in his glory.(AF) 17 He will respond to the prayer(AG) of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.
18 Let this be written(AH) for a future generation, that a people not yet created(AI) may praise the Lord: 19 “The Lord looked down(AJ) from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, 20 to hear the groans of the prisoners(AK) and release those condemned to death.” 21 So the name of the Lord will be declared(AL) in Zion and his praise(AM) in Jerusalem 22 when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship(AN) the Lord.
23 In the course of my life[b] he broke my strength; he cut short my days.(AO) 24 So I said: “Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on(AP) through all generations. 25 In the beginning(AQ) you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens(AR) are the work of your hands.(AS) 26 They will perish,(AT) but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. 27 But you remain the same,(AU) and your years will never end.(AV) 28 The children of your servants(AW) will live in your presence; their descendants(AX) will be established before you.”
Bellshill’s Central Church (your Church of Scotland Congregation at 346 Main Street) is very much alive and busy being involved in the community which is at our heart during these unprecedented times. Remember that our minister is available for any sort of pastoral items, if anyone is struggling, is unwell, there is a bereavement. Please get in touch with Kevin. His email is kdebeer@churchofscotland.org.uk and phone number is 01698 841176. Kevin is an approachable person, who is always ready to listen. He’ll pray for your situation and offer support.
Sunday worship and mid-week children’s church is continuing, albeit in an online format. This coming Sunday, we have worship taking place online for the community. Please visit our website at http://www.bellshillcentral.church/watch-live to take part. The broadcasts begin at 1045am and the service itself usually starts at around 11am. The service is simultaneously aired via YouTube and Facebook both have live chat
From 10.45am we share in some news and songs as we gather in our houses as the church. The services are available at any time thereafter on our YouTube channel. Join with us and be part of something special. It’s been proven that more people than ever are “attending” church during this time of crisis, and we are so grateful that you come here, as you are, whatever your background, to the church in the town centre, for all.
We also have a permanent local rate phone number where you can listen to Kevin’s weekly message and prayers. Just call 01698 533211 and you’ll be part of our “Dial in Congregation” this is ideal for those folks with no access to the internet, so please share this as widely as possible – and also our online watch live and catch up services.
Next Sunday, 7th September, we have our next Zoom catchup after church from 12noon for all our church members. The meeting ID info will be available during the coming week. Please do get in touch to say hi!
SUNDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER WILL BE ONLINE VIRTUAL COMMUNION. MORE DETAILS NEXT WEEK, BUT WE WILL SHARE IN AN ACT OF INTIMACY WITH EACH OTHER AND JESUS THROUGH BREAD AND WINE.
To support our online services we are producing a weekly E-News with information that will help you in our online worship and also some pieces of news and information in and around the Church. This is available each week from our website, Facebook and Twitter accounts. Sign up to any of these sites for free!
We’ve set up a Bellshill Central WhatsApp group so that we can keep up the friendship and fellowship which very much is Bellshill Central Parish Church. We have nearing 50 people part of this who enjoy a good morning message to start the day, funny stories and video clips, sometimes a quiz of places in and around Bellshill and just generally a welcoming and safe forum for us to keep in touch. If your part of our Church Family, formally or informally, and would like to join this group please get in touch via the website or email bellshillcentral@gmail.com.
WEEKLY ONLINE YOUNG CHURCH TIME – via the church website we are sharing something suitable for young folks and adults on Wednesdays at mid-day. These usually consists of a video message and a bible reading. Look out for these posts on the website, Facebook and twitter. You can catch up with them at any time, and might be an ideal thing to watch on the sofa all together.
THE ORGANIST ENTERTAINS – Wednesday 26th August at 8pm, our organist entertains you once more. Due to the need to help people keep as physically connected to their church building we have a continuing music ministry which is flourishing. The videos are available on our church’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. Please note that the videos will now be made available on a weekly basis, on Wednesday evenings. We still need your requests and tell us why these hymns and dongs mean so much to you all. Although the videos premiere on Wednesdays at 8pm, they are available to catch up with at any time just when it suits you. The dedicated website page is wwwwww.bellshillcentral.church/organist-entertains If you watch via Youtube you can take part in our Live Chat. We have reached over 3000 views and the audience continues to grow. Tonight includes • At the name of Jesus • Monastery garden • The Lords my shepherd • Hymn of Freedom (Oscar Peterson) • And more!
Walking group
We hope to be able to restart our walking group soon. It will be different if course as we observe physical distance and wear masks, but it will be good to meet and have some exercise, perhaps to help shift some of the lockdown pounds! We wont be able to have tea in the hall to begin with but this is a step towards a little normality.
TIME OF PRAYER We have a prayer routine at Bellshill Central Parish Church and invite everyone to take part. Sundays at 7pm we join churches across the UK in a time of prayer and reflection. Join with the Rev Dr Martin Fair, the Moderator of the Church of Scotland. The prayer is available via the Prayer option on our website. Each other night Monday to Saturday at 8pm we ask all of our members, friends and wider community to pause and pray and light a candle for the crisis we find ourselves in. Pause and pray for ourselves, our families, our minister, the leaders and the keyworkers who are keeping the vulnerable safe and protected. We share an evening prayer at 8pm each night. Read it, say it, pray it.
Via our church website and Facebook/twitter pages we are sharing daily Psalms for the Day. If you subscribe to the website you will receive these automatically by email. You can of course browse the website or our Facebook/twitter pages and find them just as easy. We also share inspirational images from around the world to remind everyone that there is hope, love and security in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and God the Father. Our website is http://www.bellshillcentral.church and the social media channels are http://www.facebook.com/bellshillcentralchurch & http://www.twitter.com/bellshillchurch
BELLSHILL’S HEARTS OF HOPE We encouraged people to help brighten up our Main Street starting at the Church at 346 Main Street – Bellshill’s Central Church, to craft a sign of colourful hope and tie it to our railings. This has been very well supported and also popping up at the Co-op Funeral Care site on Hamilton Road. We hope you agree that these show signs of hope and light in this difficult and challenging time. If you are our for your daily exercise, just pass by Bellshill Central Church and tie your colourful symbol to our gates and railings. We want to see wonderful images of community involvement touching the hearts of everyone.
BELLSHILL PRAYER RIBBONS As we move forward prayer is more important than ever. We want our community to pull together and pray for sense and patience as we progress through our phases to bring us back to normal life. Each time you pray, tie a piece of ribbon to our gates. Each ribbon represents a prayer offered. The more ribbons means the more prayers offered. A visible sign of our combined prayer.
SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL PARISH CHURCH.
For Church Members – Please keep up to date with your financial giving to your Church. Please continue with your standing orders and direct debits. If you give by way of envelopes/donations save these and bring to Church when we re-open. If you would like to change to direct bank giving please let us know and we can give you the necessary information. There will be a significant impact on our Church finances over these weeks so your continued generosity will be particularly important and very much appreciated.
For our community – we are financially supported by our members. This is part of our vows when we join the church. We cannot directly ask the community for financial aid, this is simply not how we work. We as members support the church, so that the Church can support you – the local community! However, if you would like to support us by giving a one off donation or even something more regularly you can simply get in touch and we will let you know how to do this. Or visit the church website and use the online donation option. What would be more than wonderful is that you come along to church the first Sunday we can gather together in the beautiful building at 346 Main Street and support us by your presence as we rejoice in coming together. So, we hope you can come along when that day happens. If you want to donate just now or when you come along either would be graciously accepted.
STATEMENT RE THE TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF THE CENTRAL CHURCH DUE TO COVID 19
In line with all Church of Scotland congregations our church leadership reviewed our temporary closure of the buildings, and now would like to update all members, friends and regular worshippers at Bellshill Central Parish Church. We unanimously agreed that this was not the time to open our buildings, and with your safety and wellbeing paramount have decided to wait until we are able to safely welcome you into church for a proper service of worship. There is a short video presentation available via our website and you can also read a letter which contains the same information. Please let others know of this, but we will deliver paper copies of the letters to those who need it. https://bellshillcentral.church/2020/06/28/28-june-2020-statement-regarding-covid-19-temporary-church-closures/
Our motto is simple – Central to Bellshill, Central to You and Central to Christ. Be part of the church family
1 I will sing of your love(A) and justice; to you, Lord, I will sing praise. 2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life(B)— when will you come to me?
I will conduct the affairs(C) of my house with a blameless heart. 3 I will not look with approval on anything that is vile.(D)
I hate what faithless people do;(E) I will have no part in it. 4 The perverse of heart(F) shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with what is evil.
5 Whoever slanders their neighbor(G) in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes(H) and a proud heart, I will not tolerate.
6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless(I) will minister to me.
7 No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.
8 Every morning(J) I will put to silence all the wicked(K) in the land; I will cut off every evildoer(L) from the city of the Lord.(M)
Christians across Scotland will once again join together in prayer at 7pm in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As with previous weeks during lockdown and the phased easing of restrictions, 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.
“I’m delighted to have read that in the last couple of months online searches for ‘prayer’ have increased dramatically,” Dr Fair said.
“But reading about what prayer is and how to do it is only the start of it. After that it’s time to actually pray.
“And what better than to join with brothers and sisters from across the nation at 7pm on Sunday to pray our way through this ongoing crisis. I commend it to you and look forward to being with you, in Spirit, on Sunday evening.”
“How well do we respond to a challenge? The answer we give will, no doubt, depend on many different factors. Whatever our answer, we know that our response is strengthened when it is made in the company of others.
“Our response to the challenge of living out our calling as a member of the body of Christ is one that depends, in principle, on our response being a shared one.
“Living out our calling, in response to the mercy of God, lies at the heart of what it is to worship. Within the body of Christ, we have shared gifts and a shared identity. (Romans 12: 1-8) At the same time, living out that calling in these strange and challenging times is by no means easy. We do so in the assurance that we are not alone and acknowledging our continuing dependence on the mercy of God.”
We pray:
Living God, whose name is mercy, We acknowledge that we live in dependence on your mercy. Hold us, and all whom you call, In your gentle keeping. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Living God, through whom we receive mercy, We respond to your gracious gift And offer our lives into your service and the service of others. Accept us as we are and embrace us in your love. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Living God, as the one who inspires mercy, Make us ever merciful to others. As we respond to the challenge of these times, May we live out our calling ever conscious of the body of Christ. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Living God, who wills to be merciful to all, Renew our calling to worship you. In the place where we are, whether in shared company or in our own company, Receive our worship through Jesus Christ our Lord. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Living God, whose name is mercy, May your name be known throughout the world. As those who have received mercy, May your name be known in the place where we are. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
BELLSHILL: CENTRAL PARISH CHURCH OF SCOTLAND 