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.
For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
18 May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
As the country looks towards the Government’s plans to relax restrictions and allow a phased return to some normality in the Coronavirus pandemic prayer more than ever is needed!
Here at Bellshill’s Central Church we’ve encouraged daily prayers each night at 8pm, for our town, community and the wider country for those affected by COVID19.
Our Hearts of Hope are still firmly fixed to our railings and have also inspired others to spread hope with the symbols of love and hearts in the town.
HOPE IS STILL NEEDED! IF YOU’D LIKE TO MAKE A HEART AND ADD IT TO THE RAILKNGS, PLEASE DO SO. THERES PLENTY OF ROOM.
We want to encourage everyone to pray more now as we look towards the phases to return our communities back to normality.
We pray for common sense.
We pray for people to listen to our leaders advice.
We pray for a reduced number of COVID 19 cases throughout all the phases
We continue to pray for those families who have and still are affected by COVID19
We pray for our Dr’s, nurses and all key workers
Please stop for a moment and pray. It can be short or long. God listens to every prayer!
We’d encourage you to place a prayer ribbon (just a length of coloured ribbon) on our gates and railings each time you pray. This will show, by the number of ribbons, how many prayers have actually been offered. This will be a tremendous show of hope, love and strength and show people we are praying for them as we move into the phases proposed by our Government.
please take part and spread the word to all of bellshill. Prayer is important, but even more so as we look to the future.
Please remember we have a prayer requests option on our website. Simply submit the details and our minister will pray for the person or situation. This is completely confidential
Since the start of lockdown, Christians from across the country 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, is looking forward to taking part alongside them this weekend.
“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.”
“We are familiar with the words of Scripture that remind us that ‘now we see in a mirror dimly’ and we might think that these words are especially applicable to our present times.
“As our society continues in the journey out of lockdown, there are many things that we know only in part. We trust that greater clarity will be given in times to come.
“That said, there are some things that are clear and which our faith affirms to be so.
“In the Gospel of Matthew (28: 16-20), the disciples gather in the presence of the Risen Lord who assures them that in all they now face: ‘I am with you always, to the very end of the age’.
“The Gospel affirms that the life of God has been shared with us in the revelation of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and that our lives are to be lived out in the enduring presence of God. Knowing this to be so, we pray:”
We pray:
God whose name is Love, You make yourself known to us As the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sustain us in the knowledge of your love through the times in which we live. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
God whose love endures, May we hear the words of your Son That echo down the ages: I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
God whose love is generous, You gift to us your Holy Spirit, The very giver of Life. Renew our lives and the life of the community in which we share. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
God whose love is steadfast, You know us as we are for you have made us. In your compassion, be with all who struggle and grieve at this time. Remember them and hold them safe in your keeping. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
God whose love is from everlasting to everlasting, Give strength to the weary and power to the weak, That we might renew our strength And soar on wings like eagles. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
God whose love inspires, May we love you with all that we are And love our neighbour in response to your love. Through our service of others, may your love be revealed. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Signed by:
Rt. Rev. Dr Martin Fair, Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland
Most Rev. Leo Cushley, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Roman Catholic Church
Most Rev. Mark Strange, Primus, on behalf of the College of Bishops, Scottish Episcopal Church
Rev. John Fulton, Moderator, United Free Church of Scotland
Rev. Dr David Pickering, Moderator, United Reformed Church (Scotland)
Rev. Martin Hodson, General Director, Baptist Union of Scotland
Rev. Mark Slaney, District Chair, Methodist Church (Scotland)
Rev. May-Kane Logan, Chair, Congregational Federation in Scotland
Lt. Col. Carol Bailey, Secretary for Scotland, Salvation Army
Adwoa Bittle, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
Rev. Jim Ritchie, District Superintendent, British Isles North District, Church of the Nazarene
Pastor Chris Gbenle, Provincial Pastor, Province of Scotland, Redeemed Christian Church of God
Bishop Francis Alao, Church of God (Scotland)/Minority Ethnic Churches Together in Scotland (MECTIS)
Rev Fred Drummond, Director, Evangelical Alliance (Scotland)
BELLSHILL: CENTRAL PARISH CHURCH OF SCOTLAND 