Teleios Christian School Donations

Thank you to all who donated to the Teleios Christian School Appeal. £1,300 was raised from the celeidh and other sources and this will now be passed on to Jenny Wilson in South Africa.

Teleios school was set up one year ago by Jenny Wilson, in the grounds of Bethany Emmanuel Baptist Church in King William’s Town for children who need to be built up socially, emotionally and academically. It started with one pupil and now has 73 – all with barriers to learning of one sort or another, with children ranging from five years to seventeen years old. You can read more about Teleios in the Wilsons latest newsletter.

David talks with Argyris Petrou

Dr Argyris Petrou of the Greek Bible College was with us on Sunday 10th June and David talks with him here to find out more about the work he and his wife do in Athens;

Argyris and Dina are supported by the congregation here at Smithton-Culloden Church. You can find out more here on the website.

Election of additional elders and deacons

Dear members,

At a recent meeting of the Kirk Session it was decided to proceed with the election of new office bearers in the congregation. The congregation has grown significantly in recent years and we feel the need to increase the number of office bearers.

We would like to add to both the Deacons’ Court and to the Kirk Session, at this stage we have no exact numbers for that addition in mind.

Deacons are charged with managing the material aspects of the congregation, i.e. finance and buildings, as well as dealing with social and welfare ministries (Acts 6: 1-7). Elders deal with pastoral elements of the church, as well as dealing with developing strategy and mission within the church and community.

The full letter and accompanying nomination form can be downloaded here;

Office Bearers Nomination Letter

Office Bearers Nomination Form

Ceilidh in aid of Teleios Christian School

A ceilidh is being held to raise funds for the Teleios Christian School in King William’s Town, South Africa;
Date: Saturday 23rd June
Time: 7:30pm
Place: Smithton-Culloden church hall

Music provided by Hannah and David Mackay and friends.
Soft drinks and eats provided.
Donations at the door for Teleios.

Teleios school was set up one year ago by Jenny Wilson, in the grounds of Bethany Emmanuel Baptist Church in King William’s Town for children who need to be built up socially, emotionally and academically. It started with one pupil and now has 73 – all with barriers to learning of one sort or another, with children ranging from five years to seventeen years old. You can read more about Teleios in the Wilsons latest newsletter.

Communion services

The congregation will meet for a communion service on Sunday morning, 3rd June.

John Ferguson of Kingsview Christian Centre (APC) will be with us on Friday evening at 7:30pm and Alasdair Macleod of Lochbroom (Ullapool) Free Church on Saturday (7:30pm) and Sunday (11am and 6pm).

John Blanchard: Where is God when things go wrong?

John Blanchard will speak at Smithton-Culloden at 7:30pm on Wednesday 13th June on “Where is God when things go wrong?”.

Dr. Blanchard is an internationally known Christian preacher, teacher, apologist and author. He has written 30 books, including Does God believe in Atheists? and two of Britain’s most widely used evangelistic presentations, Right With God and the booklet Ultimate Questions.

His talk, based on his 40-page illustrated booklet of the same name, gets to grips with one of the most frequently-asked questions in the world today: ‘How can there be an all-loving, all-powerful God when there is so much evil and suffering in the world? The appalling death-toll following the earthquakes and tsunamis in south-east Asia left millions of people confused and uncertain, while for others it destroyed the last vestige of faith. Dr Blanchard seeks to tackle the issue head-on, showing the terrible void that results from leaving God out of the picture, and giving a clear presentation of the biblical response to the question.

“I asked the Lord that I might grow”

David quoted this hymn of John Newton on Sunday evening (13th May) in the sermon on Jonah “A disappointed Christian”;

I asked the Lord that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek, more earnestly, His face.

’Twas He who taught me thus to pray,
And He, I trust, has answered prayer!
But it has been in such a way,
As almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favored hour,
At once He’d answer my request;
And by His love’s constraining pow’r,
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, He made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry pow’rs of hell
Assault my soul in every part.

Yea more, with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

Lord, why is this, I trembling cried,
Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?
“’Tis in this way, the Lord replied,
I answer prayer for grace and faith.

These inward trials I employ,
From self, and pride, to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”

John Newton

You can listen to Indelible Grace sing this on YouTube;

Video: Women Across The Highlands &#45 Mission Possible!

Women Across The Highlands – Mission Possible!
A study in Philippians, with Ann Allen

This one-day interdenominational women’s conference was held at Smithton-Culloden Church on Saturday 12th May. You can now watch video of Ann Allen’s talks on the Women Across the Highlands website.

You can also watch a video clip with Morven Hulks (WATH committee member) and Rona Matheson (who presented the “Tales of the Unexpected” seminar) on Inverness TV.