Kirkcudbright Parish Church


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, Dunfermline, Fenwick, Oban, Penicuik, Stewarton and Strathearn.  Through the outreach, Christ made appeal, and not without effect.

 

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 Pacific Islands’ song and dance.  All of it was commanding of attention, drawing strong reactions – for the most part favourable.  The Teams’ visits during the day to local schools and residential homes drew wide appreciation.

 

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