Minister’s Letter
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in
the wasteland to give drink to my people, my chosen, the people formed for
myself, that they may proclaim my praise.” So our God speaks to us through his Servant
Isaiah (43. 19-21). During October and November,
the Impact World Tour Scotland 2011 national outreach took in Castle Douglas
and Kirkcudbright as well as Clackmannanshire, Dalkeith,
The energy and enthusiasm of our brothers and sisters in Christ of
Youth With A Mission, included a ten year old in the Island Breeze Team and men
in their late forties in Team Extreme. They made powerful impact on those who engaged
with them, both as teams and as individuals. Kirkcudbright witnessed the
“new thing” our God is doing. Like apostles of the early Church, brothers and
sisters in Christ of our time caused a stir, preaching Christ through
challenging message and personal testimony during the course of evening events presentations
of BMX bike riding and skate boarding, feats of physical strength, and
The missionaries have moved on and it is now through us as a
people of God that Christ will make ongoing appeal. For this “new thing”, God is
resourcing us. We have home-grown people
of faith, and those He sends our way, with the necessary skills base, enthusiasm
and willing. He calls all of us
individually to conscientious and faithful response, to resource God’s new
thing” as we are individually able.
During Advent and Christmas the focus of our work and witness is
on the “new thing” God did in the sending of Jesus our way. It is huge truth for us to share with our contemporaries
that God Himself landed in the enemy-occupied territory of our world to secure
our liberation from sin and estrangement from Him. To affirm that by His home-coming to the
Father by way of his atoning death, resurrection and ascension, Jesus Christ
opened up for all making decision for Him freedom from the enemy and a sure
share of liberating life in His Spirit. Jesus
has made promise, “whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said,
streams of living water will flow from within him” (John 7. 38), drink to
His people in their thirst for righteousness.
May we also share in His living water’s quenching, following
our Christmas celebrations, effective and powerful testimony here to Christ
throughout the new Christian Year of God’s giving to us with purpose! Advent
Sunday (27 November) saw in our midst the local launch of the Church of
Scotland’s National Stewardship new Programme “Challenge to the
Church”, approved by the General Assembly earlier this Year. The Programme seeks to ensure that our own
testimony and witness as a congregation of God’s people is resourced. Over the next three years, we will provide
focus in our biblical teaching on our giving of time, talents and money as our
response to God’s giving immense to us through Jesus Christ. During
the year 2011/2012, the focus will be on the need to give of our time to God,
both in listening and through individual response.
You will find accompanying this edition of our Parish Newsletter a
“Challenge to the Church” circular.
This comes to you following the monetary appeal made to you in our
Newsletter columns two months ago, in October, when each of us was asked to
review the level of our individual giving to Christ in weekly offerings. In relation to Kingdom giving, it is humbling
that the recent local appeal to fund Impact World Tour 2011 raised the budgeted
£10,000 a month before the start of the outreach. The God who guided, provided, through you and
me! May He continue to inspire your giving
and mine for the “new thing” He is doing among us in these times in us as a
congregation of His people and may we discover that in our giving of time,
talent and money to God, we truly receive!
May you know happiness and joy in your giving to Christ this
Christmas and throughout the New Christian Year!
Douglas
Kirkcudbright
Parish Church of Scotland is a Registered Charity: No. SC00583
Registered Address: 40/42 St Mary Street, Kirkcudbright, DG6 4DN