Scotland
Bible Exhibitions and School Visits
The good seed of the Gospel is being sown in many young hearts in several parts of the country. Please pray that the Lord will continue to help and give the increase in all such activities. For example, at the end of February, Gordon McCracken was with the Whitburn and Perth assemblies for Children’s Meetings, as well as carrying out school visits in Perth. At the same time, Graeme Paterson had the Bible Exhibition (www.bibleexhibition.co.uk) at his home assembly in the Gospel Hall at Plains. Over 100 children came from local schools each day to see it, and the Exhibition was followed by two weeks of Gospel Meetings.
Summer Youth Camps
Although a few months into the future, preparations are well in hand for these Camps, which annually reach hundreds of children and teenagers with the Word of God. The amount of dedicated work already taking place in the background is very great, and deserves our prayers for divine wisdom and guidance.
At the Shetland Camp site at Sumburgh, a large structural project has been completed to increase its capacity, with the provision of a new meeting room and a much larger games room. Applications are now open for campers in July 2017, and for believers to come and help as leaders, helpers or kitchen workers: more information at www.shetlandcamp.org
Similar work at Faskally House, Pitlochry has continued during the winter months, including the installation of a lift. Work was carried out between the weekends when Faskally was being used for minicamps and similar activities. Ayrshire, Tayside and Aberdeenshire Camps use Faskally as a base in July and August and, in some of these, new personnel have moved up to take on new responsibilities. They specially need prayer support, so that the work continues to be spiritually effective and productive.
Commendation Meeting
The Culloden assembly intends to commend Andrew Williamson to full-time work for the Lord, and a Commendation Meeting is planned for Friday 28th April at 7.30pm in the Smithton Church, Inverness IV2 7YU.
Northern Ireland
CO ANTRIM
Derriaghy: D Gilliland was with the assembly for ministry at the end of February. The subject was ‘Practical Lessons from Sister Siblings of Scripture’. The ministry was greatly appreciated, and large numbers attended.
Portrush: Children’s Meetings with R Plant concluded on 15th February. The meetings were very well attended, with 50 children most nights. On the final night there were 61 children present, along with a good number of parents. We pray for the Lord to bless His word.
CO ARMAGH
Armagh: Gospel Hall. Gospel Meetings continue into their sixth week, with good support from local assemblies and blessing in salvation. The speakers are S Gilfillan and D Strahan.
CO DOWN
Annalong: M Radcliffe was with the assembly for one week of very helpful and devotional ministry on ‘The Garments of the Saviour’. There was good support from other assemblies.
Ballyhay: Gospel Meetings conducted by A Davidson and M Hunter continue, with evident help to preach. Attendance has been encouraging, with some local interest being shown.
Bangor: Gospel Meetings held with T Armstrong and W Martin in the local Clandeboye Primary School have concluded, with further blessing in salvation. Many from the district attended over the five weeks, and the Lord gave much help in the preaching of the Gospel.
Dromore: A Nesbitt and T Wright continue in the Gospel. Good numbers have attended, including an encouraging number from the locality. Prayer is requested for blessing in salvation.
Hillsborough: Growell Gospel Hall. A series of Gospel Meetings commenced on 12th March with E Fairfield and M Radcliffe. Prayer is appreciated.
Newry: Gospel Meetings conducted by J Fleck and J Rogers continue, with very good numbers and blessing in salvation. The assembly, helped by T Acheson (Ballyshiel) and S Ardis (Glenanne), worked very hard, covering the city and surrounding areas, and distributing 19,000 invitations. Prayer is requested for those attending the meetings, and for the literature left in homes that may never come into contact with the Gospel again.
Newtownbreda: The assembly, and visitors, thoroughly enjoyed ministry by D Williamson on the first three chapters of Genesis. He dealt with ‘The Creator God’, ‘The Word of God’, ‘What is Man?’, ‘Marriage as God Intended’ and ‘The Strategy of Satan’, covering very relevant issues for the present day in a sensitive and practical manner. The plain teaching of Scripture on these issues was clearly presented, and all were edified.
Portavogie: Gospel Meetings are continuing with D Gilliland and J Rogers. These are a united effort with New Road and Ebenezer assemblies, in a portable hall, and we earnestly request the prayers of the Lord’s people for His blessing at this time.
CO LONDONDERRY
Bellaghy: Gospel Hall. The assembly enjoyed a report by Marcus Cain (Mexico) on the Lord’s work in that land.
Gorteade: The assembly held a week of Children’s Meetings in January. Numbers were encouraging, and good interest was shown by those who attended nightly as they listened to the Word of God being explained. Gospel Meetings were convened in the Hall for the subsequent two weeks, when local brethren shared with Robert Plant. Unbelievers were present each evening, including some who had never been in the Hall previously. Liberty was given most nights to those preaching. Please pray that blessing will yet result to the Lord’s glory.
Limavady: Gospel Hall. The assembly was greatly encouraged by the attendance of local people during three weeks of Gospel Meetings in the Town Hall with J Hay and D Gilliland.
CO TYRONE
Fintona: Gospel Hall. N Fleck and S Nelson are continuing in a series of Gospel Meetings. Good numbers are attending, with support from neighbouring assemblies.
Lungs: Gospel Hall. D Gilliland was with the assembly in January for a week of well-attended Ministry Meetings. His subject was ‘A Bible Wardrobe - Studies in the Garments of Scripture’. Good numbers attended nightly.
Newtownstewart: Gospel Hall. The assembly held their Annual Conference at the end of December. The Bible Readings were conducted by D Gilliland, and a capacity crowd heard profitable teaching and ministry from W McBride, D Gilliland, M Penfold and B Smith.
Omagh: Gospel Hall. E Fairfield was with the assembly for a week of ministry on ‘Lessons from the Life of Samson’. The meetings were considered to be practical and profitable.
England
In February, Gordon McCracken spent a week with the Bible Experience Exhibition in Barrow-in-Furness, where over 400 school children attended during the day, and many adults visited at night. It was encouraging to hear that a couple who came to see the exhibition there two years ago are now in fellowship with the saints meeting in Risedale Gospel Hall.
Gordon had a second week in Coleford, near Bristol, for their Holiday Bible Club. The saints worked hard together, and were encouraged to see the largest number of children ever attend the meetings. Around 90 children came over the week, and there was standing room only at the prizegiving session. Pray that the enthusiasm to hear the Word will translate into decisions for Christ.
In Bracknell, Stephen Baker had a week of Children’s Meetings in February, with good numbers of children and parents attending. Similar half-term weeks of Children’s Meetings were held in Mitcham Junction (Wallington outreach, with Hindus coming all week), Cheshunt, Sydenham and Uxbridge, with varying numbers of children hearing the Word of God.
The Missionary Conference at Spencer Bridge Road, Northampton in February produced a good interest. Speakers were M Shanks, C Davidson, E Browning and N Patel. At Osborne Road, Northampton, a husband and wife who live near the Hall have recently been saved through hearing the Gospel in regular Gospel Meetings.
At Bicester, a mini-conference weekend in February, with Ian Jackson speaking on the subject of ‘The Christian Home’, drew a large crowd of young people, with a good interest in the challenging ministry. Also, B Watterson (Brazil) and M Cain (Mexico) visited in February, and gave interesting reports of the Lord’s work in these countries.
