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No.120  9th September

Hi,
The magazine arrives at a very sad time for everyone this weekend as we acknowledge the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. We pray for the Royal family just now and of course for our new King, Charles III.

The Queen's Christian faith, so often clearly seen in her Christmas address was a great encouragement and joy to see. The sentiment in this verse from 1 Peter seemed apt: “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;  not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”


In the mag, as usual, there are a number of events to notice  - some new and some coming up soon, - very soon if it's this evening's Ian White concert. Get along if you can - details below.

We look forward to hearing from Rev David Swan who leads worship this weekend.

Enjoy the mag!

MB

Queen Elizabeth II
queen

The Statement by the Archbishop of Canterbury on the Death of Her Majesty The Queen was very moving.

It is with profound sadness that I join the nation, the Commonwealth and the world in mourning the death of Her Late Majesty The Queen. My prayers are with The King and the Royal Family. May God draw near them and comfort them in the days, weeks and months ahead.
As we grieve together, we know that, in losing our beloved Queen, we have lost the person whose steadfast loyalty, service and humility has helped us make sense of who we are through decades of extraordinary change in our world, nation and society.
As deep as our grief runs, even deeper is our gratitude for Her Late Majesty’s extraordinary dedication to the United Kingdom, her Realms and the Commonwealth. Through times of war and hardship, through seasons of upheaval and change, and through moments of joy and celebration, we have been sustained by Her Late Majesty’s faith in what and who we are called to be.
In the darkest days of the Coronavirus pandemic, The Late Queen spoke powerfully of the light that no darkness can overcome. As she had done before, she reminded us of a deep truth about ourselves – we are a people of hope who care for one another. Even as The Late Queen mourned the loss of her beloved husband, Prince Philip, we saw once again evidence of her courage, resilience and instinct for putting the needs of others first – all signs of a deeply rooted Christian faith.
As we sustain one another in the face of this challenge, our shared grieving will also be a work of shared reimagining. I pray that we commence this journey with a sense of Her Late Majesty’s faith and confidence in the future.

As a faithful Christian disciple, and also Supreme Governor of the Church of England, she lived out her faith every day of her life. Her trust in God and profound love for God was foundational in how she led her life – hour by hour, day by day.
In The Late Queen’s life, we saw what it means to receive the gift of life we have been given by God and – through patient, humble, selfless service – share it as a gift to others.
Her Late Majesty found great joy and fulfilment in the service of her people and her God, “whose service is perfect freedom” (BCP). For giving her whole life to us, and allowing her life of service to be an instrument of God’s peace among us, we owe her a debt of gratitude beyond measure.

The Late Queen leaves behind a truly extraordinary legacy: one that is found in almost every corner of our national life, as well as the lives of so many nations around the world, and especially in the Commonwealth.
It was my great privilege to meet Her Late Majesty on many occasions. Her clarity of thinking, capacity for careful listening, inquiring mind, humour, remarkable memory and extraordinary kindness invariably left me conscious of the blessing that she has been to us all.
In my prayers at this time I also give thanks for the marriage of The Late Queen and His Late Royal Highness Prince Philip. Theirs was an inspirational example of Christian marriage – rooted in friendship, nourished by shared faith, and turned outwards in service to others.

May Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II rest in peace and rise in glory.
 
The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby
Archbishop of Canterbury

Maxwell Youth
WhatsApp Image 2022-09-08 at 8

Last Sunday we really enjoyed our youth worker Jacob leading the service and (along with Rachel McN) he took the opportunity to share with us something of the work amongst students of UCCF.
It was great to see some of the youth on the platform (and some busy in the Balcony). It's difficult to determine if the photo is showing Jacob praying for them or telling them off for the mess of their rooms - a combination of both perhaps. 
Let's keep them in prayer as a number of them head away from Glasgow to continue their studies.


Christians in Sport

perth cis

Ian Hailstones shares some of thoughts on the serving with CiS this summer...

"I very nearly didn't make it to Sports Plus with Christians in Sport at Perth this year! I caught Covid the week before it was supposed to happen and was unsure how long I was expected to isolate for. However, by the grace of God, Covid only prevented me attending the training prep on Saturday/Sunday - which was a blessing which allowed me to focus on dissertation things!
I managed to get along to Mon-Fri of the camp and it was an incredible time. We were blessed with clear days every day of the week, and the leadership team and young people were great.
I was with a group of senior boys (aged 14-17), and we had a fantastic time looking through Matthew's gospel. They were a very thoughtful group of young lads, and by the end of the week our study time was replaced by more of a discussion time, as they sought answers on topics such as: how to answer questions from friends on the biblical view of sexuality and relationships, and how to know they had actually become a Christian rather than it just being words they said at a camp one week of the year.

Praise God for the work He did through the range of camps throughout the UK over the summer!"


Ladybird Book of Maxwell 


Ladybird book of Queen


WhatsApp Image 2022-09-06 at 7

There will be more news about this Curry and Quiz night coming soon - but Grace, Tara and Chiara hope you can keep the date free and join them for what will be a really enjoyable and fun event.
Speak with Kirsty Bell if you need more info just now.


Coffee Club Aug 22

The Castle Coffee Club starts up again this week on Tuesday 13th September.

We look forward to welcoming back all our guests and would be delighted to welcome new folk as well!
We couldn't run the Coffee Club without a faithful team of volunteers and as we start up again, we are looking for more bakers and other volunteers to help set up, serve and chat with our guests. If you can help at all even occasionally, please let me know.
Elizabeth Smith 
07761114987


Pulse logo

The weekly prayer meeting is now on a Thursday!
7.15pm - 8.30pm
All welcome.


Castle Toddlers Return!

Castle Toddlers 1200 x 1200 FB

We are looking forward to our new toddlers sessions beginning and pleased to be able to return to our old drop-in style format rather than having to book in advance. Both Monday and Tuesday sessions are open to any parent/grandparent/carer with a child not yet at school. Please share with friends and neighbours! Contact Pauline at mmcastlefmaily@gmail.com for more information.

Castle Toddlers Baking Rota

Pre-covid the home baking at toddlers was very much enjoyed by those who came along. We would love to be able to provide this again and so we'd like to create a baking rota with lots of people on it so that people only have to bake occasionally. Baking would be able to be dropped off in the church kitchen on Sunday mornings. If you can help with this extremely important ministry please get in touch with Pauline. Thank you!


Have you signed up yet?

Hope-explored-yellow banner

What's the best future you could imagine? 

There are few emotions more powerful than hope. But these days, hope often feels hard to come by. Where can we find a hope that won’t disappoint us?
Come along on 3 Sunday afternoons to discuss
where we can find hope today.
What does Christianity have to say about...
    HOPE?            PEACE?         PURPOSE?

Watch the Trailer here and send on to a friend...who can you bring along to these three Sunday afternoon events? 

18th Sept    |   25th Sept    |   2nd Oct
3.30pm till 5pm
TO REGISTER: email maxwellexplore@gmail.com


Ian White Cathcart Poster

 


faith at musicals

An inspiring night at the musicals featuring singers from London's West End.

At NMBC. FRIDAY 30th SEPTEMBER, 7.30pm

Amazing performers will bring you songs from Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, and The Greatest Showman.
The singers will give an insight into life in the West End, their careers and their Faith.

£6 per ticket, group tickets for 4 people for the price of 3 available too. 
GET TICKETS NOW - CLICK HERE


pray now

Are you on the Pray Now WhatsApp Group? 

If you want to be added to the group to receive prayer news then simply ask Margaret and she will add your number to the list.

If you have a matter that you would like to be prayed about in this way, you can contact Margaret Boyd or Scott and they will organise for news to be sent out.