40 Days Blog - Day 2

Mark 1:14-20 - First Disciples

Unexpected Happenings

There are some places in life where you expect things to operate in a predictable manner. Places we might describe as ‘business as usual’ places. Places like supermarkets, schools, banks and big offices. In our text today we hear of two such places; prison and the Sea of Galilee. One would expect to hear news about evil criminals being put in prison and fishermen working hard by the sea. However, this is not what we read about today.

John the Baptist lived a life of complete dependence upon God, a man described by Jesus as the “greatest.” We are told of his amazing ministry in verse 5 – ‘…the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him.’ Thousands upon thousands confessed sin and went down into the waters to be baptised by John. His ministry was truly blessed by God, but today we read, ‘after John was put in prison.’ You do not expect to hear news about a widely respected servant of God being thrown into prison, especially in the aftermath of him leading a nation-wide baptismal movement! However, this is the reality of the Christian life. After blessing, there is often persecution, following progress there is often pushback. Why is this the case? Answer, because we are engaged in a spiritual battle. This is a reminder that the Christian life is not a walk in the park and as such we need fellowship, prayer and the Word. If you are going through hardship which is difficult to understand know that many in the Bible - including John - endured unjust persecution. Like them, you too can know the powerful presence of God holding and sustaining you.

The second unexpected happening takes place by the sea of Galilee amongst lowly fishermen. On this particular day, there was a highly unusual sight - fishermen laying down nets and leaving their work behind in order to follow Jesus! These hard-working, no-nonsense type of people must have seen and heard something so powerful from Jesus that it caused them to act in this unusual way. What on earth could entice fishermen to stop working so abruptly? At the start of our text today we are told that Jesus came with a powerful message, “Repent and believe the good news.”

In a world that seems hopeless we love to experience and share good news stories of a child born, exams passed, or a job promotion gained. Good news fills us with joy, warms our hearts and makes us smile. Today we are reminded of the best news which is found in Jesus, news of sins forgiven and eternal life. It was this good news that sustained John in the hardship of prison and caused fishermen to lay down their nets and follow. What is your response to the good news today? Is there something or someone God is asking you to lay down?

A Prayer

Lord Jesus, I thank You that You came into our world with good news which can shape my life today. I pray for all who are experiencing persecution and I ask that You would give me strength to stand for my faith today and to follow You above anything else.

Amen.

Listen to today's reading and blog post below...

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