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.
1 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; guard my life from dread of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked, from the throng of the workers of iniquity; 3 they sharpen their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words, 4 that they may shoot in secret at the blameless; suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.
5 They harden themselves in an evil matter; they talk privately of laying snares; they say, “Who will see them?” 6 They devise injustice, saying “We have perfected a secret plot.” Both the inward thought of man and the heart are deep.
7 But God will suddenly shoot them with an arrow; they will be wounded. 8 They will bring ruin on themselves by their own tongues; all who see them will flee away. 9 All people will fear, and declare the work of God; they will wisely consider His deeds.
10 The righteous will be glad in the Lord, and seek refuge in Him, and all the upright in heart will glory.
Here’s a wee update re Central Parish Church and the Church building. We could now open the building for private prayer but for the moment we have decided not to and here’s why we made this decision….
If you came for private prayer we would have to;
Ask you to wash your hands or sanitise them at the door
Ask you to wear a mask
Ask you if you had COVID 19 symptoms, underlying health problems (and turn you away if the answer to any of these was “Yes”)
Encourage you to sit at a particular seat (we know how much Church people love this!)
Ask you not to sing
Ensure you left by another door
Then clean and sanitise every surface people touched ….
Alternatively you could ….
Sit and pray in your favourite armchair in your house with a nice mug of tea or coffee ☕️
Go for a walk, short drive, cycle, run and pray (Yip, praying with your eyes open is allowed)
Pop round to a Church friend and have a nice chat and wee prayer together in their garden
Talking to God is a conversation that requires no special place, objects, people or words. He loves you and He is listening when you pray, wherever you pray. So, just go for it 👍 🙏
The Church building is temporarily closed but God’s ears and heart are open wide.
We share on our Facebook and twitter channels a prayer or meditative image each morning and night, to help your prayers. We post via this website a Psalm from God’s Word – usually each afternon. These regular updates bring the Church into your Home. The Church has always been it’s people, not merely the buildings. We pray that we will be able to open our doors fully once it is safe to do so, and that we will welcome you in with open arms. Until then the Church is active and present in Bellshill and beyond. We are your Church of Scotland presence in Bellshill please get in touch should you need to. We welcome any contact from the people that we are called to serve.
As we start to see our close friends and family with the easing of lockdown, we would like to make a slideshow featuring pictures of your lockdown adventures!
This can be anything from baking (your bake off prep?), doing your garden, or seeing your family for the first time in months.
We’ll use some of the hymns and music recorded for The Organist Entertains
Send your pictures to the Facebook page, twitter direct message, email bellshillcentral@gmail.com, or straight to Alan, and we will share the final product with you in the next few week!
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.”
“We live in challenging times. In truth, the challenge of these times is one that continues.
“However, the nature of that challenge has changed. In this present moment, we reflect on where we are now and this allows us to begin to try to understand the past months. Equally, we have the opportunity to anticipate what is to come.
“In the Letter to the Romans (6: 1-11), the Apostle Paul reflects on the foundation of the Christian life which is our sharing in the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
“As a consequence, the life we live now is one shaped by the present reality of sharing in the life of Christ.
“As we journey together in the gradual exit from lockdown, we do so in the sure knowledge that we share in the life of the Risen Christ. We pray:”
We pray:
Faithful God, we thank you That you are present with us now As we share in the life of the Risen Christ. Continue to be present with us we ask. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
God who inspires faith, we thank you That you have been with us In times of anxiety and uncertainty. Keep watch over our memories of the past. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Faithful God, we thank you That you will be with us In the days that are to come. Journey with us in the days that lie before us. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
God who inspires faith, we thank you For the life of your Son Who for our sakes embraced human form. May his life shape our lives in these present times. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Faithful God, we thank you For the reassurance that you are merciful and gracious And that your love abounds. In your compassion, remember us and those whom we love. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
God who inspires faith, we thank you For the knowledge that you will be with us In all that we now face. Go before us and provide for us we ask. Lord, in your mercy, Hear our prayer.
