SCOTLAND

In October, the small assembly in Law, Lanarkshire arranged a week of well-attended Children’s Meetings conducted by Neil Smith of Eastpark, Glasgow. After that, Gareth Edwards had a short series of Gospel Meetings, during which one lady professed faith in Christ.

In November the assembly at Kilwinning, Ayrshire decided to use the local Taylors Hotel as a relaxed and informal venue for Gospel outreach. Stephen Grant gave four talks aimed at answering some of the questions people have about the Gospel, such as ‘Christianity – Is it credible in 2016?’ and ‘Death – End or Beginning?’ They took the form of Powerpoint illustrated lectures in a function room within the hotel, which is situated in the town centre. This was a new venture for the assembly as they seek to bring the Gospel to the local community. Prayer for blessing is requested for both of these locations.

School visits - Pray that the Lord will bless His Word taken to many hundreds of schoolchildren on an ongoing basis in several places such as the following:

In early November the Bible Experience was set up in Wallace Hall Academy in Thornhill near Dumfries. All the RE classes from 1st to 5th year, plus three classes from the local Primary School, went through the Exhibition - another great opportunity to present the Scriptures.

Also Stephen Grant, along with John Lannigan from the Overtown assembly, visited the schools in Overtown, Wishaw and Stonehouse in Lanarkshire for a week - a regular fixture each year. They had 18 sessions altogether in school assemblies and RME classes for Primary 6 and 7 throughout the week.

Later in the month, Alistair Young visited 17 schools over eight days in the Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly areas in Fife, as he has done for many years in November. Some whole-school assemblies were taken, and some individual classes, in which behaviour and attention were good. He was received very well in the schools, and some have asked for return visits next year. A home-schooling family also had a visit. As an extension, four nights of Children’s Meetings were arranged in the Hall. Only a few came, but the children were keen and enthusiastic.

In the north, the Wick Assembly had Graeme Paterson for a week of school visits and Children's Meetings. On average, around 40 children attended most nights, with 47 on the busiest evening. The meetings went well, and quite a few parents came on the final evening. Graeme also had good opportunities again in various local primary schools. The assembly in Wick is small, but the opportunities in the Gospel are vast. There are openings in the local secondary school, and further Gospel efforts are planned for the New Year, God willing.

2017 Opportunities - As another year of God’s great day of grace dawns for us all, may we seek the Lord’s help to continue our efforts to reach others for Him in whatever way we can, both personally and collectively. Present situations, nationally and internationally, are full of uncertainty, and the future outlook is not good for the spread of the Gospel, at least in many parts of the world. Humanism, secularism, and rampant atheism are increasingly antagonistic to the believer and Christian witness. In such dark days we are called to shine as lights, to preach the Word, to sow the Seed, and pray to the Lord of the harvest. May He find us faithful – waiting and watching, working and witnessing until He comes again.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Co Antrim

Carnlough: The assembly had a short series of Gospel Meetings with W Fenton and I McClean. A few locals attended, and some interest was shown.

Co Armagh

Tassagh: Gospel Meetings, with M Turkington and D Strahan, continued into their seventh week at the end of November. The meetings have been well supported.

Co Down

Ballymagarrick: The assembly was greatly encouraged by four nights of very practical and challenging ministry with J Hay, from 31st October to 3rd November. His subject was ‘Is Jeremiah Relevant?’, and large numbers gathered nightly.

Co Tyrone

Dunmullan: During the second week of November, S Gilfillan conducted Bible Readings on 1st Thessalonians. This rural assembly was greatly encouraged by the numbers that attended, and also by the good support from surrounding assemblies.

Omagh: The Annual Conference was held on 5th November. The Hall was well filled, and profitable ministry was given by D Gilliland, T Wright, B Glendinning, E Fairfield, A Davidson and D McKillen.

Strabane: Gospel Meetings commenced on 20th November. Speaker: D McGarvey.

Fintona: Very helpful Ministry Meetings with A Wilson were held from 14th - 19th November. His interesting subject was the Korahitic Psalms, and the teaching was much appreciated. Excellent numbers attended, and believers from nearby assemblies gave their support.

Co Cavan

Stonewall: B Glendinning and H Milliken had five nights of Gospel Meetings. The local area was very well visited.

Co Monaghan

Monaghan: Special Gospel Meetings are into their third week at the end of November, with G Woods and D Armstrong. Prayer is very much needed for this difficult border town.

ENGLAND

Langley, Buckinghamshire: We are grateful for those who came along to support, give out invitations, and pray regarding the November outreach effort at Langley. Nearly 10,000 leaflets were given out, three adverts were placed in a local newspaper, and many contacts spoken to about the meetings. In the Lord’s goodness, the practical arrangements, and style of meetings, worked well.

At each of the four meetings there were those present who were unsaved. Please pray for two people who were present each Friday; they regularly hear the Gospel but are not saved as far as we know.

A lady, with whom there has been some previous contact, came on one occasion. She professes to be a believer, and asked for some Bible study material. She doesn’t often make it out of her flat because of medical issues, but she came along to the Gospel Meeting and Tea at Datchet last weekend.

A group of friends from a local evangelical church attended, and at least one of them came on each evening. They were encouraged by what we were doing and wanted to encourage us. We were able to profitably discuss spiritual things.

A man who came along on the first night brought a Bible with him, but it was difficult to ascertain where he stood spiritually.

We had originally tried to hire the Community Centre on the other side of the road. However, there was an issue with its availability so we went ahead with hiring the school hall, trusting that the Lord is sovereign in these things. In light of that, please pray for one of the school cleaners. Although she didn’t end up coming to any of the meetings, we had good spiritual conversations with her on each evening. She accepted a Bible, and Judi was able to pray with her on the last evening about a specific issue.

While we would have liked to have seen much more evidence of blessing, there was a sense of the Lord’s overruling and leading in what took place. We look to Him to bring glory to His name through the working out of His purposes. We would value prayer.

Steve and Judi Buckeridge