40 Days Blog - Day 40

Acts 28:1-31 In Malta and Rome

Endings and Beginnings

Are you one for reading the last few pages of a book long before you reach them just to see if it ends well? Some people think that’s a terrible thing to do. But I’ve a sneaky suspicion that if we’re honest about facing a worry - for example a diagnosis, exam results or news of your family, you’d probably wish you knew the end already. Today we get half an ending - really because the story of the followers of Jesus is still being written. It is our story.

The account on Malta is typical of Luke’s storytelling. Miracles, healings and escape from a snake are recorded in a matter of fact way. We see a people not expecting anything receive a dramatic blessing from God. This is a God who likes to shower goodness and mercy on people. Without this shipwreck none of this would have happened. So we again see that God calling us to be faithful ‘in the moment’, wherever we are.

As the party finally near Rome the excitement builds. Roman Christians come out to meet the famous Paul about 50 miles from Rome, to walk in with him Paul is welcomed.

He arranges a meeting with the Jewish leaders who clearly have a disconnect with the leaders in Jerusalem for they have not heard anything bad about Paul from there. As we have seen throughout Acts, some believe Paul’s arguments that Jesus is the Messiah and some do not. But Paul’s quote from Isaiah (vs 26-27) is incredibly sad. What sadness there is when someone turns their back on God. But equally what rejoicing when one sinner repents.

Luke 15 (5-8)
(Jesus said) “And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent”.

Endings

We are reaching the end of Acts journey and ultimately Luke wraps his story up quite quickly but triumphantly. Paul is in Rome at last and he has a 2 year ministry there, under house arrest, but relatively free. He proclaims and debates with hundreds, having a big impact. And from here he penned his letters to the Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and to his friend Philemon. Maybe you’d like to read them now in the context of what you’ve seen and experienced on this 40 day journey.

But we are left on a cliffhanger. What happened next? Did he win his case? Was he set free?

We don’t know for sure what happened. But scholars of Paul think it likely that he was freed after his case was heard and also that 2 or so years later he was executed as part of the very fierce and violent persecution that broke out when Nero (of fiddling fame) turned against the Christians. The backlash and genocide was horrific. Yet the martyrs stood firm in their faith in the one who had suffered all for them.

Beginnings

But the story we need to know is complete. Luke can roll up his scroll. This journey through Acts has shown us dependency on God’s Spirit, a pattern of prayer and hospitality among Christians we would do well to mirror, and a people always learning new things about God on their faith journey. Maybe you could take a moment today to list your top 3 ‘Acts moments or lessons’. (More if you like).

Prayer
Lord thank you for what you have shown me in these last 40 days. Thank you for your faithfulness and how we have seen the promised Holy Spirit come as comforter, advocate and in power. We pray again for our community, knowing that you are a God of mercy who rejoices when people come to you and we pray for your Spirit to work in the hearts of our community. Amen.

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

The church meets every Sunday at 9.30am at Drumclog and 11am at Avendale.

Sunday worship continues to be live-streamed from Avendale each Sunday at 11am on the Avendale & Drumclog YouTube Channel.

At Drumclog we meet at:
Drumclog Memorial Kirk
Drumclog
South Lanarkshire
ML10 6QG

At Avendale we meet at:
Avendale Old Parish Church
59A Kirk Street
Strathaven
South Lanarkshire
ML10 6LB

For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it at both Avendale & Drumclog. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up and show you where the disabled toilet is located if required.

Our Service - Drumclog Memorial Kirk

Drumclog

At Drumclog, the service begins at 9.30am with a warm welcome from our Minister, or the person leading the service. During the service we usually sing 2 or 3 songs/hymns. The Minister or a member of the Worship Team will usually read aloud from the Bible and lead the congregation in prayer. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it’s all part of our connecting with God. The Minister, or person leading the service, will then give a sermon that is Bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church.

The service lasts approximately 45 minutes. Sometimes there is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service. After the service we serve refreshments (tea, coffee and biscuits) in our church hall. This is a great way to meet people and enjoy fellowship together. We would love to chat to you there!

Our Service - Avendale Old Parish Church

Avendale Wide

At Avendale, the service begins at 11am with a warm welcome from our Minister, or the person leading the service. Before the service begins, we will show a loop of news and notices on the screens in the church. This is a good way to find out what's going on in the life of the church. During the service we usually sing 3 or 4 songs/hymns, often led by our church praise band 'The Elastic Band'. The Minister or a member of the Worship Team will usually read aloud from the Bible and lead the congregation in prayer. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it's all part of our connecting with God. The Minister, or person leading the service, will then give a sermon that is Bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. Throughout the service, we may also show videos on the screens in the church to help us reflect on what is being shared during worship or in the sermon. We then share news and notices, usually about what's going on in the life of the church.

The service last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. After the service we serve refreshments (tea, coffee and biscuits) in our church hall. This is a great way to meet people and enjoy fellowship together. We would love to chat to you there!

images: Services

What about my kids?

At Avendale, we have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

Creche (0 months to 4 years). Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/carer at all times.
His Kids (5-10 years)
Yoof (11-18 years)

Children stay with their parent or carer at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and short Children's Talk. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the Children's Talk, someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy the first time you come along to church.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, Bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

For more information about what happens in the children's and youth work please visit the Children's Ministry page and/or the Youth Ministry page.

N.B. - there is no children's programme or youth programme during the service at Drumclog.

Getting Connected

Home Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our Home Groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out our Home Groups page and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a Home Group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group. If you would like us to put you in touch with a Home Group leader, please let us know via our Contact Us page.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team here.

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

Other Groups in the Avendale & Drumclog Community

The following groups are also part of the life of our church:

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

Leadership


Rev Calum Stark - Minister		David Moreland - Session Clerk

To find out more about our staff and leaders, please visit our Staff & Leadership page.
We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Best Wishes

Calum Stark - Minister