St Andrews Baptist Church Weekly Bulletin
Sunday 14 September 2025
A warm welcome to all who are worshipping with us this Sunday—whether you are with us in person or online.
For Sunday service information, see below. You can access our services through our website (www.standrewsbaptist.org.uk)
This Sunday:
10am: Abi Ngunga will be preaching on “Revelation from God through vision 1”, based on Zechariah 1:7-17.
Church Picnic: 12-2pm at the West Sands. We will meet on the beach in front of the Dook Scotland café.
6:30pm: Fiona Barnard will be preaching on “Asking: where are you?”, based on Genesis 3. This service will include Communion.
Rooted (P7–S2) and Impact (S3–S6) Youth Groups: 6:30-8pm and every Sunday. For details or to sign up, parents email rooted@standrewsbaptist.org.uk or impact@cornerstonestandrews.org.
CHURCH ACTIVITIES THIS WEEK:
Wednesday:
tots+: 9:30-11am in the Room Downstairs (for babies and pre-school children with their grown-up). For further information please speak to Jane Harrison or contact totsplus@standrewsbaptist.org.uk
Quarterly Church Meeting: 7:30pm in the Room Downstairs.
Friday:
Stitch and Blether: 10am in the Fellowship Room. Join us for crafts, a cuppa and a blether. All welcome!
Admin in-office hours: 1-4pm.
Family Home Group: 4:30pm in the Room Downstairs. For more info email families@standrewsbaptist.org.uk
Saturday:
Prayer meeting: 9am on Zoom.
Joint Deacons and Elders meeting: all day!
Next Sunday:
10am: Abi Ngunga will be preaching on “Revelation from God through vision 2”, based on Zechariah 1:18-21.
6:30pm: Louise Younger will be preaching on “Asking: what do you want?”, based on John 1.
NOTICES:
Transport Ministry: If you are struggling to get to church, or to healthcare appointments, email transport@standrewsbaptist.org.uk or leave a message on 07388 616629. The coordinator will get in touch with you, and we will do our best to help you where we can.
Find out more about being a deacon: The Church Annual Meeting includes election, or re-election, of deacons who serve in many practical ways, often behind the scenes. If you want to know more about what is involved and consider whether this an area of service for you, please speak to David Harrison or any other deacon to find out more.
The next Quarterly Church Meeting is at 7:30pm on Wednesday 17 September 2025, in the room downstairs. Papers are available (and have been sent out by email) for the meeting.
Interested in Student Hospitality? If you are keen to meet new students and get to know better some of our wonderful returning students, please consider hosting 2 or more for lunch on Sunday 28 September. Please contact Tricia in person or email tricia@standrewsbaptist.org.uk
The Families First Board of Trustees and team would like to invite you to their 24th Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 30 September 2025 at 7pm in St Marks. Their AGM is a great opportunity to help them celebrate their achievements over the past 12 months and to find out what Families First has been getting up to. Papers for the AGM will be available to view on their website in due course: www.familiesfirststandrews.org.uk but please RSVP to officemanager@familiesfirststandrews.org.uk by Wednesday 24th September.
PRAYER ITEMS FOR THIS WEEK:
Prayer points for 30-day prayer challenge for Israel-Gaza
Let’s pray with the BMS world mission for 30 days for the safety and peace of people caught up in Israel-Gaza war. Take just five minutes of quiet each day. Why not open and close each day with the words below?
Opening prayer:
Lord… we hear the news about the land called ‘Holy’ each and every day and we feel so helpless. We don’t know where to go to find even a hope that things can get better. So give us strength as we take these few moments, as we pray in the certainty that you love us intimately, that you see our hearts and also our tears, that you know our thoughts, that you hear our spoken words and those that we feel only able to utter silently.
Today we pray very specifically for…
Closing prayer:
Lord, strengthen us, hear us, help us keep faithful: as we cry out for an end to the war, and a recognition that we have to work with and not against one another. Particularly may this be true in communities in Israel and in Palestine and within governments. Lord, bring peace urgently, we pray.
SUNDAY: We pray for people without food in Gaza. For people who can’t afford food. People who can’t find food. Men, women, children. Young and old. Those with and without disabilities. People who can get to the aid depots and those who can’t. We pray for more aid. We pray for a recognition that more has to be done. We pray that more will be done.
MONDAY: We pray for those working in medical facilities in Gaza. We praise you for their skills and their determination, for having such a focus to help others despite all the deprivations. We pray for more medicine. We pray for those who visit with Medical Aid for Palestinians and we pray for local doctors. We pray for their safety in particular, and we pray for their physical strength. Lord, hold them up, we pray.
TUESDAY: We pray for the Israeli hostages and their families, including those whose loved one had already died when their body was returned. We pray for the hostages who have yet to be freed, for strength and resilience in desperate conditions. We pray for the safe release of all hostages and for them to be reunited with loved ones.
WEDNESDAY: We pray for those in the Jabalia, Nuseirat and all other refugee camps in Gaza. For their safety. For their extended families. For a sense of the best place to be to protect their families. For the young and the old. For bravery.
THURSDAY: We pray for Christian witness in Jerusalem. We pray in particular for Rani Saba, the General Director of the Association of Baptist Churches in Israel and friend of BMS World Mission. Rani has spoken with BMS supporters about his multi-faceted identity as an Arab, Israeli, Palestinian, Nazarene — and above all, Christian. We pray this unique perspective would equip him to be a passionate advocate for peace.
FRIDAY: We pray for Christians in Parliament in the UK. We pray they might see clearly through the fog of the language of war. We pray that for them this issue won’t be complicated, but you’ll give them wisdom to speak for what is right. We pray for them to be supported by their home churches against those who would push them off course.
SATURDAY: We pray for Bethlehem Bible College, partnered with BMS World Mission. For their director Jack Sara and his team. For the students and staff who find it hard to get to the college because of new roadblocks and checkpoints, and for their families to be safe while they are in college. For your strength for their vision, Lord. For your Word to be spoken with clarity and authority and with love.
The morning service starts at 10am, in-person and online, and includes crèche and Beacons Kids’ provision. The evening service starts at 6:30pm.
Items for the bulletin: Items for the bulletin should be emailed to bulletin@standrewsbaptist.org.uk (or leave a message on the church answer machine, 01334 472285) (by Wednesday 6pm)
www.standrewsbaptist.org.uk
ST ANDREWS BAPTIST CHURCH SCIO
is a registered charity in Scotland (SC053674).