| Psalm 127:1 (ESV) A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labour in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. |
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| February has been an exciting time here at Grace Church Orkney. It has been encouraging to see the Lord building His church. We are blessed to have around 40 adults attending and 8/9 kids. This time last year, we were averaging around 15 adults with 2 children. In our Sunday services, we have continued to preach through the Gospel of Mark. The past couple of weeks have seen challenging sermons on doing anything possible to cut sin out of our lives and the hardness of the human heart. This has sparked lively discussion during our after-service lunch. People have felt able to hang around and ask questions while eating. We have been blessed to see a guy who came up to stay at Mez and Miriam’s from Niddrie be born again. After hearing the Gospel, he repented and believed. He is fully involved in church life and serving in any way he can. We rejoice in his salvation. |
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| The Drop-In has been a real hive of activity. Lots of people are coming in, and the conversation naturally flows to the Gospel. Most of those are from troubled backgrounds and are looking for friendship and hope. It’s been great to see 6 of those come to church on Sunday. The pastoral support, care, and discipleship of these people means we are now meeting with them regularly, with the hope of seeing them be born again. Soup Group has picked up with more folks coming – some of whom also go to the Drop-In. It’s a great opportunity for us to show them the community we have in the family of God and for them to get to know us better. We also held our monthly kids club, which was exciting to see a young girl from the community come to. Her parents had come to the Drop-In and brought her to the kids’ club. We are hoping that next time she brings friends along too. |
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| As Mez is in America for 5 weeks, Matt and Andrew are sharing the preaching, bible study, and prayer meetings. Mez has a busy schedule while he is away, preaching, teaching, filming lectures for Ragged, and visiting those who partner with us. Miriam is off to join him, where they will have some time to rest and catch up with their 2 daughters and newborn grandson. Mez will catch up with the rest of the staff team when we all head to Glasgow for the March Weekender. This is the first of 3 conferences held by 20Schemes each year. We gather with other Christians to praise God and learn more about Him, and preach in our Schemes. We get to meet people considering partnering with us, those who already partner, candidates who want to work here, and those who already do. |
Ragged school is going well. The group has finished a module on Addictions and has begun the next module, which is Church History. They are enjoying the chance to study and learn, and the course is fuelling good times of discussion amongst them. |
PRAYER POINTSPray for our Sunday services that the word will continue to be faithfully preached and that the congregation will be eager to hear and quick to take action to serve Jesus and follow His commands. Pray for the guys coming to the Drop-In and Soup Group and the Kids Club, that we have more opportunities to share the Gospel and that we are blessed to see them saved. Please also pray for wisdom in how to support them pastorally. Pray for Mez as he is away and for Miriam as she joins him, that the Lord looks after them both, gives them a joyful time with their family, that Mez has good energy and serves the Lord well in His busy schedule, and that they come home safely. Pray as we plan for future ministries that all the church members stay united. That there will be no division among us and that we keep our eyes fixed firmly on Christ. Pray for the guy who has come to faith in Christ that he keeps his eyes on Jesus, stands firm in the face of temptation, shows those he left back in Edinburgh the transforming power of Christ that they might believe, and that the church here disciples and leads him well. Pray for the students at The Ragged School of Theology that they learn well and apply what they learn to the glory of God. |
If you’d like to take a next step in supporting the ministry: PRAY | Join us in praying that the Lord blesses the work here and enables us to spread the Gospel in Stromness, Orkney, and that souls are saved for His glory. GIVE | Financially support this work so the least, last, and lost will hear the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. To give to the ministry as a financial offering from the U.K.,please follow this link and select “Orkney” – 20schemes.info/orkneyukgive Or follow this link if you are in the USA and select “Orkney” –https://20schemes.info/orkneyusgive COME | Visit us in the UK to see firsthand the work God is doing on the ground, serving Christ in Scotland’s schemes and rural places |