Funeral Service For The Late Ann Closs

We ask you to remember in prayer Jim, Brian and the wider family as they mourn the passing of Anne. A beloved wife, mother and grandmother

The funeral service will be held on Monday the 4’th May at 15h30 at Holytown Crematorium.

Please note at this current time only immediate & invited family can attend the service. There will be a live stream provided from Holytown Crematorium for those wishing to pay their respects.

The details for this are available; please just ask and they will be immediately forwarded on. The quickest way is by email to bellshillcentral@gmail.com

“True friends are like bright sunflowers that never fade away, even over distance and time.”

Prayer of the Day

inspired by Psalm 104:1-9, Mark 10:35-45, Hebrews 5:1-10

Wind-riding God,the blue skies, the sunshine,the cool breezes cradling falling leaves: all creation reminds us of the delicate Artist who has shaped us and all that is around us. We lift our songs of gratitude and awe to you.

Servant-calling Jesus: you humble our arrogance with your acts of mercy; you tip over our pretensions with your modest nature; you laugh at our hunger for power with your words of grace.

Heart-keeping Spirit: you bear our prayers to the throne of grace when they are only whispers in our souls; you unfold the road map to show us the way to the Kingdom; you transform our stuttering words into praise and wonder to our God.

The images are from our own church garden. Brimming with life and colour.

May Life & Work free and available online

Dear Church member

We trust you are safe and well wherever this reaches you. During this challenging period, Life and Work is committed to helping keep our Christian community connected and so we have made the May 2020 issue available on our website.

This can be accessed by visiting https://www.lifeandwork.org/resources/free-download-may-2020

We are sending this to everyone so that you may consider sharing with members of your wider faith family that do not receive the magazine.

Suggestions would be arranging to share by email, printing copies or hosting on your Church’s website or social media channels if available. Of course, we understand for several reasons this may not be possible.

The action to share is unique and in response to the exceptional time period in which we are operating. We have deliberately not provided the full digital experience as enjoyed by our loyal online subscribers and equally to protect our subscribers of the print edition.

It has been a challenge for my editorial colleagues to shift direction of their content at the last minute in response to the speed of which the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted daily life. This also includes a change to what would have been coverage of the timetable and fringe diary of the General Assembly, it of course reads rather differently this year. What they have created will become an important historical record for the magazine of the Church of Scotland.

Highlights from this issue includes:

▪ FEEDING THE HUNGRY: Reflection on foodbanks and impact of Covid-19

▪ ‘GOD HAS NOT FINISHED WITH SCOTLAND’: The Moderator-Designate, the Rev Dr Martin Fair

▪ ASSEMBLY CANCELLATION: Church’s business meeting cancelled for first time in over 300 years

▪ WAR’S END: The role of churches in peacebuilding across Europe on the 75th anniversary of VE Day

We trust you and your congregation will enjoy reading this issue. We are even more grateful at this time for your generous support and continued loyalty of Life and Work.

Best wishes

Life and Work Team

This week’s worship activities

This Sunday we are going to hear the 23rd Psalm being read and sung during our online Worship service. We want everyone to think about the 23rd Psalm this week and here is a modern contemporary version of the familiar words.

Some ideas for activities might be a nice colourful drawing, a crafty sheep made from cardboard, straws and cottonwool, or a word search or a word cloud. Some examples are below and you might want to use them too! Send us pictures or videos of your crafts and activities, we will share them online after our morning online service. Send them to Alan via WhatsApp or to the church email address bellshillcentral@gmail.com

Our weekly ENEWS has a lovely reflection, meditation and prayer this week all based on the 23rd Psalm why not read this whil you are doing this week’s activity, either read by yourself or read together. Reading your Bible together is such an important way of learning about God and the Bible as a family.