maxwell mag header advent 2
No.132            2nd December
 

Hi,
Hope this finds you well.

As we begin the festive season you will no doubt start getting cards through the door or electronically, with messages of JOY. There are always things we should be joyful about but this season seems to ramp it up.  Leaving aside cupboards full of lovely food treats, Germany going home early from the World Cup and the news re the church halls heating (see Scott's note below) there is something far better -  a real, lasting, life changing Joy we can find in Jesus -what a gift that is! However, we need to make sure this Joy (unlike many others) isn't one which is centred on our own comforts and personal wish list - I read this from Dane Ortland recently: 
"Jesus is surprising. His coming fulfilled ancient prophecies, but not expectations. He shattered expectations. Each of the four Gospel accounts in the Bible uniquely gives us a Jesus who turns upside down our intuitive anticipations of who he is and how following him works. Like a bad back that needs to return repeatedly to the chiropractor for straightening out, our understanding of Jesus needs to be straightened out over and over again as our poor spiritual posture throws our perception of him out of line — domesticating him and conforming him to our image, rather than transforming us into his image."
Let's pray we never skim over some of the well known carols as we take part in services over the next 2 weeks, and ask that we are captivated and 'straightened out' by the Gospel message found in the Christmas story - and let's take time to invite others to join us in discovering afresh the call King Jesus has on our lives.

Lots to read about this week...lots of people being thanked- brilliant stuff going on and so many gifts being used.

Enjoy the Mag
MB


Who will you invite?


christmas phones

These images for the Christmas services, Messy Church and Choir are available as images for you to use on your phones - great way of inviting someone and giving them all the details via text or WhatsApp. Just go to the church web page on your phone and download the one you want to use.


From the Manse

Dear Congregation,scott and anita

A huge thanks to all who participated in the Blythswood box ministry this year. It was good to get back fully into this ministry after COVID so badly hampered it. Well done! (Fuller details are below.) I want to express thanks to Denise (and Alan) Lowson for fantastic commitment. Denise organised and instructed all who helped and was a constant presence filling and checking boxes herself!

As winter descends …

This picture you see  (on left)  is of a warm radiator in the mid-landing of the halls! As some of you experienced, it has been a bit of an endurance test over these last few months in the mid-landing of the halls because we have had no heat.
Grab a coffee and let me tell you a story which you could say was “bleeding frustrating”...

heaters

Five of us have been involved in trying to work out the heating system and why no heat was rising to the first floor. Hours have been spent “bleeding” radiators of air with little success. Usually, the air is pushed out by water coming into the radiators. Where is the water!?
Four of us climbed into the roof space to work out how the water is fed into the system – to no avail. A plumber agreed to come on Tuesday but called-off on Tuesday at the last moment!  
Sandy McDougall and Calum McPhail had set the day aside to be on the premises watching what the plumbers were doing. With no plumber they decided to go back into the roof-space themselves to explore further. It was decided that a “redundant”, dry, open tank which was stacked with off-cuts of insulation material must be the “header-tank” for the central heating system. (How they concluded this I have no idea!)
After removing all the debris from it and tentatively opening valves, water began to flood the tank and immediately they could hear the water feeding down into the radiator system below! Amazing! The result was immediate and air was now able to be bled from the system!
A huge thanks to these guys for their perseverance.
It seems that about 3-4 years ago when we had a different tank replaced in the attic-space, a plumber (?) must have shut off the water to this header-tank and then someone utilized it for rubbish! Lock-down meant that the problem did not fully emerge until now.  
We have now bled all the radiators and heat is restored. However, with so much air circulating and something like 30 radiators in the system, we shall probably have to bleed the radiators of air a number of times before we get it all removed. Please be patient if you find a radiator not working fully. I am pretty sure that despite this possibility there will be enough heat in the system to keep us adequately warm.

On a related matter;

A number of years ago, in the main ground floor hall, we very sensibly enclosed the radiators with specially designed panels to protect infants from touching the hot radiator-surface. These enclosures were super-effective. However, the unintended consequence was that not much heat escapes from the very hot radiators below! (See right hand picture)
Calum has done a great job trying to achieve both safety and increased warmth. He has cut out panels in the safety-coverings and fitted grills so that additional heat might escape. We hope this will allow the main hall to be a little warmer, especially for the coffee club as winter sets in.  

On a completely different matter…

I am so looking forward to all our Christmas services. We have set up 228 chairs downstairs in the sanctuary (plus several for the band). Let’s pray this is not enough chairs!
As you will know, we have begun our Advent walk toward Christmas Day. Every Sunday will be special. However, on the 4th Sunday of Advent (18th December) we shall be led in a nativity service by the young people in the morning; we will lead the older folks of Mearns House in worship in the afternoon; and, in the evening, we shall all enjoy “A Very Musical Christmas” singing carols and being led in Christmas praise by our new choir which has been rehearsing diligently over these last weeks.

It was great to see friends and family brought to the Fun Day and the Ceilidh last week. Let’s keep sending out these invitations for our Advent Sundays. If you want a printed back-up to your spoken invitations, there will be flyers at the church door which provide details.

On Christmas Eve we shall have an All-Age activity in the afternoon (A Christmas Messy Church) and a Watchnight service (7pm). Because both Christmas Day and New Years’ Day land on Sundays this year, both will begin at 10.30am as usual but be shortened services.

Christmas holds out a wonderful opportunity for us to remember how amazing the grace of God is to us as we reflect on the Son of God coming amongst us to save us.
Let’s pray that as family and friends come with us, God the Spirit brings the gift of life through faith in Jesus! Let’s pray for those who believe to be refreshed in our faith and service of our glorious King!

Warmest Regards,
Scott


2nd Sunday in Advent
"Where is the King?"

Bible Passage: Matthew 2:1-12


Christmas is Coming Home

footballcoming home

Glen Scrivener (author of The Air We Breathe) has concocted a Christmas video with a take on the World Cup and the song many love to hate, 'Football's Coming Home'.  Instead of 'It's coming home' it's been turned into 'It's come from Rome, the census comes from Rome etc'.   Yeah, I know, right. But you'll smile when you watch it here.

Christmas Cards

christmas card
It's that time of year again! 
With the current cost of postage many folk will be delighted to put a Christmas Card or two into the pigeon holes on the mid floor.  Please make use of this service and check regularly to see if you have received anything! 
There is always someone who gets a pleasant surprise!

A Busy Saturday!

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Last Saturday the church halls were  buzzing with activity. A Fun Day for the Playgroup and a Ceilidh at night.

It was great to have a Ceilidh in the hall for the first time since pre Covid times...the band were superb (Sandra - Fiddle, Andrew L- Bass, Sandy Mc-Keyboard, Stuart-Drums, Charles-Guitar and Robert doing clever things with the sound. We also had Christy doing a couple of covers with Sandra and Charles. And thanks too for all who came along and made it such a fun evening. Hopefully we won't wait too long before the next one. 

Fun Day Thanks 

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A massive thank you to everyone who supported our playgroup Christmas Family Funday last Saturday- whether by donations, prayerfully or support on the day.
It was such a busy event and lovely to see so many previous families and new ones come along.
From our Playgroup team

50 Years of Service

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On 7th December 1960 Annabelle Barker (now Maclean) made her Brownie Promise in Aberdeen and recently she has been awarded a long service award recognising her volunteering committment as a leader with Girlguiding for 50 years!

Annabelle has been a Guide leader in Aberdeen, Brownie and Rainbow leader and District Commissioner in Motherwell, as well as holding various other roles in South Lanarkshire County, and for the last 8 years has joined our Maxwell Guiding family leading in Brownies and Guides and helping at every event and residential we've had from Rainbows through to Rangers. 
She has been an inspiration to the many girls and young women who've had her as her leader and she inspires the rest of us leaders to keep going! 

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We celebrated with a surprise dinner at La Vita followed by a Thanks and Recognition event for East Ren leaders and then we further embarrassed her with a huge card, flowers and a present on Wednesday evening at our family ceilidh. 
Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do Annabelle/Mum/Gran!
All the leaders and girls at 1st Maxwell Mearns Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers 

Pauline Forster


Ladybird Book of Maxwell 

Ladybird book of icy halls


BLYTHSWOOD BOXES 

It's the end of the box checking for 2022.

Our total to date is just over 5000 - amazing work from an amazing group of people.
 
Thanks to everyone who packed and checked boxes for new faces and new friendships. Thanks to those who provided boxes and/ or the contents. Thanks to those who prayed for us all. Thanks to those who baked biscuits for us. Thanks to those who gave so generously of their time.
It was a different year but so many folk "stepped up" and without all of you enough boxes couldn't have been checked for the lorry load that will shortly be on it's way to Moldova.
See you all next year.
Denise and the team


Playgroup Funday

THE MAGIC OF SHOWBIZ

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Thank you to those who supported MOSB on Saturday with their wee concert in the Sanctuary. 

fundday actors

This group of young people with special needs uses our halls every Saturday with enthusiasm and were really excited to show you what they do with such enjoyment.  Christine Maddock has joined the troop and supports them every week.  They would be delighted with a few more occasional volunteers to befriend them!


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tweet of the week 8

 


New Single
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Christy (friend of the magazine) has a new single out - 'Hillstream'
She sings with Fergus Munroe in her latest song - a really beautiful Celtic sound.
You can access it various ways by going to her webpage here.

While we are on the subject of music...

Johnny Cash

Johnny-Cash-1

Following the comments re Johnny Cash from last Sunday morning's service the magazine has felt the need to defend the great man with a couple of links to two incredible songs - the first was written by Cash and the second is a cover of a Depeche Mode song. Both highlight his unique talent. Headphones on, turn it up, eyes closed is the suggested way to listen to these.
The Man Comes Around - click here
Personal Jesus -click here

Very musical Christmas image

Messy Christmas 2022

Carols for Peace 2022             

Hosted by the Lord Provost’s Office

Sunday 11th December 2022 at 3.00pm
Glasgow City Chambers, George Sq
 
Come and join The Lord Provost, with Glasgow Churches Together
supported by the St Mungo Singers, the Salvation Army Band,
South Side Fiddlers, St Denis’ Primary School, Trinity High School,
Piper, Harpist and Music Ensemble
 
We will pray for peace in our world but particularly Bethlehem, our Twin City
Enjoy refreshments afterwards in the Satinwood Suite overlooking George Square
in all its Christmas Splendour where the Crib still has a place of prominence.
Everyone is welcome to this very important event in the calendar of
Glasgow Churches Together and Glasgow City Council.
A collection will be taken up for the Lord Provost’s Fund for Children


From Glasgow Churches Together 


Tuesday Coffee Club

Christmas Special

christmas-coffee

Many thanks to the organising team, bakers, drivers, servers and speakers who
provide a lovely social Tuesday afternoon with chat, entertainment and delicious
home made baking. The short “Maxwell Message” is always encouraging.
This is so uplifting and something to look forward to during otherwise depressing times.
Why not come and join us and support the coffee club ?
13th December being the last of the current season’s meetings should be particularly enjoyable with a Christmas Special.
Look forward to seeing you.
Muriel Nugent

 Safeguarding at Maxwell Mearns 

Safeguarding – Ensuring a Safe Church for All 

If you suspect or witness harm or abuse, or it is reported to you, you must immediately report it to one of the Safeguarding Coordinators:
Sue Anderson – 07970 261429 
Stewart Martin – 07766437216 
Elaine Taggart - 07746876280 


Pulse logo
The weekly prayer meeting is now on a Thursday!
7.15pm - 8.30pm
All welcome.
(Changing to Wednesdays in the New Year!!)
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.