Click here for the latest news post: Alpha and Spirit Cafe
The St Mungo's AGM will be held at our 10.30am services in both locations on Sunday 21 January. More details on the website.
· Balerno Vision Sunday will follow the AGM on Sunday 21 January
· Livingston Vision Sunday will be on Sunday 28 January
Transform worship evening on Sunday 21 January will be at Balerno Parish Church (not the High School) at 6.30pm. All welcome for an evening of worship.
Cups and Refreshments! As we begin the new year, why not bring your new Christmas mug; flask; cup to church on a Sunday morning to reduce the quantity of paper cups we use each week. Thank you.
St Mungo's Christmas Gift Collection: Thank you for your continued generosity towards SU Scotland's Development Appeal for the Alltnacriche residential centre, raising funds to increase space for small group work at the centre. We are delighted to share that we have now gone beyond our target and raised £24,450.00 [including gift aid]. There is still time to contribute to the wonderful work of SU Scotland: https://justgiving.com/page/stmungos-scriptureunion-christmas2023
Alpha: New Year, New Start – Try Alpha. Alpha is going to be starting at 8pm on Tuesday 30 January and run on Tuesday evenings in Livingston, and will start at 8pm on Thursday 1 February and run on Thursday evenings in Balerno. People are welcome at either course regardless of which church location they attend. For more details and to sign up you and your guests check the website: www.stmungos.org/alpha or email alpha@stmungos.org
Bakers needed! Alpha will be starting soon in Balerno and Livingston and we would like to provide delicious desserts for those attending. If you would like to be on the rota for baking something tasty (for either location) then please email Tara - tara.devlin@stmungos.org
Balerno New Home Packs: Before Christmas we delivered a new home pack and a Luke’s gospel to every house on the 2 new Cala estates in Balerno as a way of letting them know that St Mungo’s exists and some of the ways in which we are Being Love in Balerno and what services and events we run. The pack consists of 5 postcards, bundled in gold string and make a lovely gift as well as giving out the information. If you have anyone who has moved into your street recently or have someone move in the future, then please do grab a pack and deliver it to them. It might be nice to accompany it with a note from you to introduce yourself! You can collect these packs from the notice board in Balerno High School.
Staff News: We are delighted to announce the appointment of Toni Wigglesworth to the role of Wellness Centre Clinical Manager. Toni will join the Wellness Centre team on 1 February and we are looking forward to welcoming her onto the staff team.
Wellness Centre Worship and Prayer night. The Wellness Centre will be open on Tuesday 23 January from 7pm-9pm for all members of the congregation to pop in at any time. There will be live worship and prayer stations in each of the counselling rooms. We would love you to join us to pray for this often hidden, but life-transforming ministry of our church.
A Service to Remember. A time to reflect and remember those known personally who have died. Wednesday 24 January at 7.30pm at St Mungo's Church building, Balerno. Open to anyone in St Mungo's.
Communion and Soaking. Thursday 25 January, 9.30 to 10.30am A short liturgical communion service followed by a time of worship and soaking in the Church Building Ladycroft, Balerno.
Funeral arrangements for Ann Stephen of the 8.45 congregation. A thanksgiving service for her life will be held on Thursday 25 January at 1.30pm in the Church building, Balerno. This is open to all and is after a private family cremation service.
Spirit Café: Our first Spirit Café of the year will be running in Balerno on Saturday 27 January. Starting a New Year is often a time when people ask questions and reflect on their life and it is an easy time to invite others along to Spirit Café to come and encounter God’s love for them. We will be advertising this across Edinburgh and West Lothian and have found that people are willing to travel for it, so be praying and asking who you could invite to come along.
Heriot-Watt University Chaplaincy Annual Public Lecture at 7pm on Monday, 5 February. John Wyatt, an Emeritus Professor of Neonatal Paediatrics, Ethics and Perinatology at UCL, will give this year's lecture. He has a longstanding interest in ethical and philosophical dilemmas raised by advances in biomedical medical and digital technologies and is a well-known speaker, writer and blogger. His theme, Transhumanism, explores the startling possibilities of enhancement technology and asks what these advances mean for human flourishing. The lecture is free and open to the public to attend, please register here on Eventbrite: http://bit.ly/3RbYPwZ
Amy Orr-Ewing will be with us on 2 and 3 March 2024. There will be a day conference on Saturday 2 March at Heriot Watt conference centre, and a joint congregations service on Sunday 3 March also at Heriot Watt. More details to follow but save the date.
Baptism service. We are planning a service in Balerno on the afternoon of Sunday 10 March. If you have not already been baptised and would be interested in being included please email enquiries@stmungos.org
0-18 notices.
· Sun 21 Jan – Balerno Youth in service for Vision Sunday. Livi Youth will be in service next week (28 Jan).
· Sun 21 Jan – Deeper is after Transform at the Erasmusons. Meet at Transform.
· Thurs 25 Jan– Youth Worship weekend away rehearsal for Saturday evening band. 7.30pm at the Ministry Centre
· Fri 26 – Open Mic Night at Friday Night Youth. 7.30pm at the Ministry Centre
· Sunday 21 January – Balerno Youth will be in the service for Vision Sunday
· S4-6 weekend away bookings close on Sunday 21 Jan. If any young people (or their friends) still want to sign up then please do so before this date using this link – https://form.jotform.com/233193361146049
Prayers
Pray for our Pioneers group who meet in Balerno on Sunday 21 January at 10.30am.