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We were delighted earlier this week to see this post on the Mastrick Community Centre Facebook page! As a church, our calling goes out to helping our local community, particularly those in need. We reached out to the local food-bank midway through the first lockdown in the summer of 2020, to see if they would benefit from some support. A door was opened to us and we have been donating a box of food each week since, to the food-bank. We try to supply whatever specific shortages they have, and also add in a little extra that will be useful for those in need. The need is great, it is sad to say. The increased unemployment rates locally and nationally are a great concern for prayer. However on our own doorstep in Mastrick, we are thankful to God to be able to continue to do our bit, and seek to encourage those who need it. We remain prayerful for all those around our community, and in due course, with our God's guidance, hope to minister to their souls too.  With restriction again tightening in our country, we have taken a decision as a Session to again close the church, as advised by the Scottish Government.
We are of course, reluctant to do so, yet are aware of our witness as a church and our duty to our local community and the God-given authority of the Government. It remains a difficult time for our country. Zoom services have resumed - please see an update on the Home page. This continues to work as well as can be, but we prayerfully long to back together in church once the situation allows. Please remember all those affected in your prayers, as well as those in our health services and vaccination teams. After almost 6 months of church online, our first service in our church in Mastrick was held on the 30th August. It was a new church experience for us all, with spaced out chairs, face masks, and no singing, for now. However, amongst the highlights was being reunited with our church family, whose company and warmth we have all missed.
Last Sunday (6th September), we were able to gather for the morning and evening sevices - the closest to normal things have been. We were glad to be joined by a few visitors too. Over the lockdown period, both nationally and regionally, we've been immensely thankful for the provision of Zoom, and the way in which we suffered very little in the way of technical glitches. We are also thankful for the bond that has been established between our congregation and the congregation in Beauly. Rev Woods (Beauly) and our own minister shared preaching duties for most of the lockdown. Together, we've studied the Letters to the 7 churches in Revelation, The Parable of the Sower, Psalm 2, and are still studying the raising of Lazarus. Our faith in God's preservation of His church remains strong, and even increased. NOTE - Services will continue to be live-streamed from the church, via Zoom. If you wish to get the details, email us on info@grcaberdeen.org.uk So near and yet so far! After putting plans in place to re-open our church this Sunday, the local lockdown announced by the Scottish Government today (5th) has led us to re-think, and pause our scheduled return.
Over the last few weeks we have been preparing to go back by trialing the live-streaming of services from the church, allowing our most vulnerable to continue listening via Zoom. We've also adapted our building to suit, spacing chairs out and introducing a hand-sanitising station at the door. However, we believe in a God who is in control, and who knows all things. We'll continue on Zoom until we can go back, and will make announcements at the Wednesday prayer meetings to keep everyone up to date. We pray you all continue to stay safe and well, and to keep praying that we will be able, in God's time, to return to our churches. With the country still in lockdown, services at GRC continue online and have been a success thus far. We're glad to have linked up with the Beauly congregation in Rosshire, who are led by the Rev. Harry Woods. Rev Woods and our own minister are preaching on alternate weeks, which has been enjoyed by all. We have also had some join from other churches, which has been an encouragement. On a denominational level, the Monday prayer meeting has been a source of blessing and encouragment to all. This week (04/05), we had a wonderful attendance of 187, as you can see from the Zoom screen-shot below. With contributions from the Netherlands, Germany, Canada and the USA, it has been an international affair and all have enjoyed the prayers of our brethren from various parishes worldwide. Our continued crave is that God would hear our prayers and bless His church and our respective nations. To get details of our services, or the Monday prayer meeting, please see the main denominations website here.  |