To view all previous weekly prayers click here.
Prayer Thoughts for Wednesday 7th July 2021.
Gracious God,
We give You thanks for times of relaxation and rest in days of glorious sunshine.
We thank You also for family and friends, as we now manage to meet together over the summer months.
Compassionate God, we remember and think of those who are alone for whatever reason, who may be ill or worried and for whom the sun does not seem to shine.
Bless them and keep each one in Your constant loving care, showing us where we could be needed to make life better for all less fortunate.
Amen.
Sanctuary Sunday 20 June 2021 – Churches encouraged to take part in Sanctuary Sunday | The Church of Scotland
The Church of Scotland is encouraging congregations to mark Sanctuary Sunday on 20 June as an expression of God’s compassionate concern for those seeking refuge around the world.
The Church of Scotland has produced an ecumenical Maundy Thursday Service of worship and communion for us to share with our congregation. The Video premiers at 7:00 pm on Thursday, 1st April.
Church of Scotland Holy Week Resources
CoS has created a digital resource that runs from Palm Sunday to Easter Day – a journey through Holy Week. It will air across the Church of Scotland’s various channels at 8am each morning or can be viewed later.
Each episode features a short reflection presented by the Moderator of the General Assembly, together with the appropriate daily reading from John’s Gospel, a prayer and a piece of contemplative music. Colleagues from across the Church have contributed these various elements.
As stated, the episodes can be viewed directly from the Church’s platforms or you can visit https://stream1.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/holy-week-2021 to embed them into your own channels, or even download to put on your own website and get specific YouTube links for each day’s video to share with your congregation. You’ll see that there is a transcript booklet too which can be printed off and given to those who might appreciate the content but would be unable to access the material online.
Kingcase Parish Church will reopen for Worship this Sunday, 28 March 2021.
Following Scottish Government confirmation that Places of Worship can reopen from Friday 26 March 2021, and the updated guidelines received from Church of Scotland, 14 March 2021, we were able to set to work collating and forwarding the necessary documentation required to support our intention to reopen. Happily, Ayr Presbytery replied confirming their support for us to reopen for public worship on Sunday 28 March 2021.
- Our seating capacity is still reduced as part of the Covid-19 social distancing requirement.
- Please telephone the Church office, 01292 470755 on a Thursday/Friday morning, between 9.30 and 12.30, and Book Your Seat. If we cannot accommodate you on that Sunday, you will be offered the following Sunday’s services.
- There will be 2 short morning services, 9.45am and 10.45am.
- All our previous processes which had been approved for our Church reopening in September, will again be in place. This includes a welcome team to meet and greet you, advise you of the one-way system that is in operation; offer you a facemask and of use hand sanitising products on entry and leaving the building.
- We will require to record your contact details; name; telephone number or email address. This will be retained for a maximum period of 28 days. After that period, it will be destroyed.
Kingcase Sunday Service – 21 March 2021
Due to an unforeseen issue, Kingcase Sunday Service for 21 March will not be available to view. Instead, we have provided the link to the CoS Moderator’s Sunday Service below
Easter Offerings for Children
Drama Kirk have now put online the first of their Easter offerings for children and young people:
For other resources see their Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/DramaKirk
Moderator’s service – Sunday 21 Febeuary 2021.
Lent resources from the Iona Community:-
From Dust to Easter Dawn – A reading, reflection and prayer for Ash Wednesday – 17th February.
Fasts and Feasts – Very short readings for each day of Lent/Holy Week.
Lenten Reflections – Weekly Lent reflections upon some of the lesser known characters in the story of Jesus
Moderator’s Sunday Service – 14 February 2021
Moderator’s Sunday Service – 7 February 2021
Moderator’s Sunday Service – 31 Jan 2021
Church of Scotland Moderator’s services
Please see the Kirk Services Online page on the Church of Scotland website for details of a list of churches that regularly livestream services or offer them as downloadable recordings.
https://churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/services-online
Links to recent Moderator’s Services:-
Church of Scotland Moderator’s service – Sunday 10 Jan 2021.
Please see links below for the online service. https://youtu.be/74Ymalwx1E0 (with captions) and https://youtu.be/WDIbiIJ3qqY (without captions).
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Prestwick Community Carol Service
The Prestwick Community Carol Service will go ‘live’ on Thursday 17 December, on You-Tube and Facebook.
A Kingcase representative did a reading – Isaiah 9:1-6.
They have created a new Facebook page and YouTube channel and the links are below.YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaeyZxs2hniHjcscH0CKh5A
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/prestwickcommunitycarols/
We have been asked to encourage as many people to like and share the page as possible that would be amazing.
South Ayrshire Virtual Remembrance
Please find below a link to a South Ayrshire Virtual Remembrance Service that has recently went live on the South Ayrshire Council You Tube page.
Rev David Gemmell was involved in the production and wanted to share this Service for other congregations to make use of or have the opportunity to share on their own Website.
South Ayrshire Virtual Remembrance 2020
Kingcase Church reopening for Sunday Services.
See https://www.kingcase.co.uk/2020/09/19/kingcase-church-re-opening-for-worship-27-september-2020/ for full details.
See our blog post for information on the forthcoming Thy Kingdom Come prayer initiative: https://www.kingcase.co.uk/2020/05/06/thy-kingdom-come-21-31-may-2020/
Christ in Action Food Bank SCO45322 – Update during Covid-19
Our first challenge as lockdown descended on us was the age range of our volunteers. It was so very hard for our committed individuals to follow government instructions and trust that a way would be found to keep the work going. The second was to make the food storage areas safe places for volunteers to work. Replacement volunteers got in touch when they were unable to work, from St James Church and Monkton and Prestwick and we set to make food store safe and continue to support those in need. South Ayrshire Council have been in touch with us right from the start of lockdown enquiring if we needed volunteers and offering food.
We have established a second store at St James Church to continue our support but minimise contact, at Newton Primary School (which has remained open). The School staff can gain easy access to hall for ambient food items. We have, thanks to Grant’s of Prestwick delivery, been supplying fresh milk, eggs and fresh fruit and veg and the Tattie Shed near Troon has supplied sacks of tatties. During week commencing 20th April the school provided 355 lunches, 131 food parcels including 18 for Heathfield school and 5 for members of the community. We are so happy to be part of the team of agencies assisting in this area of need in our community. We have continued to support the homeless hostels in Ayr and Troon supplying almost the same items as usual. Demand has dropped as I write this, to average 8 per week.
Please pray for wisdom for the Trustees as we go forward into this new world balancing the safety of our volunteers and the desire to help those in need.
Donations are still urgently needed, and can be either dropped off at a specific address or picked up from your home, which ever is the easiest for you. Just contact us using the following email: foodbank@kingcase.co.uk – a mutually convenient time will be then be arranged.
S.M.
Church of Scotland Online Services
For anyone wanting to access online services the CoS website has a list of useful links at the following page:
https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/services-online
Dear Life and Work Promoter, we trust you are safe and well wherever this reaches you. During this challenging period, Life and Work is committed to helping keep our Christian community connected and so we have made the May 2020 issue available on our website. This can be accessed by clicking visiting https://www.lifeandwork.org/resources/free-download-may-2020
BBC Religious Sevices
Across the BBC, our network services will include live worship and virtual church services as well as special new content on the BBC’s flagship religious strands on TV and radio, as well as providing content to mark the major festivals of worship. There’s much more detail to be found on the BBC website, at
https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2020/easter
and at https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2020/religion-coronavirus
Good Friday Service of the Nails
Readings and Reflections for Holy Week 2020
Please see a link to the Palm Sunday Sermon from the Moderator of the Church of Scotland:-
Some more resources relevant to Holy Week and Easter: