Alpha Expresso

The coffee pots are bought. The milk frother is bought.  Hot chocolate is on the list, as are muffins, malteser traybake and chocolate cake.
10 weeks to talk about life.  Wednesday nights, starting 25th January, 7.45-9.30ish pm. Life is worth exploring.  There are some big questions worth a debate and thinking about.  
Answers to all questions not guaranteed but a warm welcome and friendly banter is.
Come and join us!


 Link Church 39 Priory Lane Dunfermline www.linkchurch.org.uk

Into 2012

One of the difficulties of a blog is that if you do not update it then you give the impression that nothing is going on and that is totally not the case.

We had two great services at Christmas.  We incorporated Messy Church into our family Christmas Service. It was chaotic and wonderful as we worshipped, learned and ate together.  So many journeys that first Christmas and so many lives changed. We thought about the promises that are still there today for us in our journeys.  We were blessed on Christmas Eve with a keyboard player, a real answer to prayer as all our instrument players were away. Our Candlelit Carol service was a time to stop, a time to laugh (we did laugh but that is another story!) and a time to sense God drawing close to us.

New Year's Day saw the church open for a time of worship and also in the afternoon for a hot meal, some company and a chance to beat someone at table tennis.  There was a lot of steak pie served and conversations had.

This week we have paused for a lot of prayer.  We did not want to rush into another year and headlong into a pile of good ideas without real consulting our Heavenly Father for his input.  We have done this for a good few years now and it is a great way to re-energise. This year we have really been challenged to first and foremost get to know our God better.  He is the vine, we are the branches............. .

What are some of the things that are ahead?
The Messy Church team is gearing up for another year.  Alpha Expresso starts on 25th January.  Men's Breakfast next Saturday. Trip to Zimbabwe around Easter coming together and one to Tanzania for a bigger team being considered. Forty or so children have just started school in Zimbabwe as result of the sponsorship programme.
This morning Iain, Doug and Mike left for a week with the Athens Link. Two Sundays and a Men's Retreat are the big things on the agenda as is much prayer and time to hang out together, share stories and encourage.

There is more we would like to see and do this year, so much more! And we will work hard to keep the blog current and share the stories.

Storehouse and Starter Packs - a year of giving

STOREHOUSE

Storehouse seeks to help those who, for many reasons, may have a shortage of food or basic household items. Thanks to the faithful giving of Link members during this year we have again been able to supply food parcels and Asda vouchers whenever we have received a request to help someone facing crisis. A typical food parcel contains basics such as teabags, coffee, sugar, salt, tinned goods, pasta and rice and pasta/rice sauces, breakfast cereal, biscuits, toiletries and household cleaning items. For the first time this year we have also supplied packs of nappies and basic baby requirements to help single mothers facing very difficult circumstances.

During 2011 Storehouse has supplied:

• Food parcels - 2 to contacts of Link Church members; 8 to outside agencies (Women's Aid, Your Oasis)
• Asda vouchers - £180 in total to Link Members, contacts of Link members and outide agencies
• Baby packs - 1 (with £20 Asda voucher) to contact of Link member; 2 to Women's Aid

We also collected again for Christmas Hampers and this year gave three to Women's Aid and one to Link Church friends. Each hamper contained a selection of basic food items and Christmas treats. With each hamper we gave a £10 Asda voucher.

Even after all this giving we still have 2 food parcels stored and money in the account, ready to meet emergency needs. We are aware that the Christmas period can bring its own difficulty and crisis to many people, and our contacts at Women's Aid know they can call us at any time should a woman in their care need this kind of help.

We can only meet needs through Storehouse as we become aware of them. Do you know someone in need? Please speak to Jackie or Ruth.

STARTER PACKS

Through our contacts with Women's Aid we also provide Starter Packs to women who are moving into their own accommodation. In these circumstances, women can receive grants to help with the purchase of furniture etc, but these cannot be used for the basic household essentials which we would all struggle to do without. Each Starter Pack contains essential items such as crockery, cutlery, saucepans, a toaster, iron and kettle. During 2011, there has been a constant demand for Starter Packs and we have given out at least one per month. There have been times when the lack of these items has been the only holdup to a woman finally moving into her accommodation and it has been necessary to put a pack together very quickly indeed! If you would like to know more about the Starter Packs, please speak to Jackie or Mo.

These vital ministries could not do so much without the regular giving of the people of Link Church. Those of us responsible for handing over the food parcels and packs hear so often that they are going to meet desperate needs and of how people have been touched by the kindness and love shown to them through our giving. If you have given in any way to Storehouse or Starter Packs during this year, be encouraged to know that your giving is making a huge difference to many lives.

"A generous man will prosper. He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Proverbs 11: 25 (NIV)

Christmas Services

Christmas is fast approaching and it is too easy to get caught up in the hectic round of preparations for the festive season! Let us all take time in the next couple of weeks to remember how Jesus our Saviour came into the world as a tiny baby, born in Bethlehem. There are a couple of services coming up where there will be the opportunity for us to celebrate the birth of Jesus together. Invitations are available in Priory Lane so please do invite your family and friends to come along.

Sunday 18th December, 10.30 am -

This will be a real family event where everyone can relax and enjoy being in church while we explore the joy that comes in the message of Christmas.

After the service we will have lunch together and invite our visitors to stay. Soup will be provided but please bring bread, fruit and cakes to share.

Saturday 24th December, 7.00 pm -
After all the busyness, this will be a time to reflect on the Christmas story with carols and readings.

AGM

The letters AGM are not known to raise any level of excitement and enthusiasm.  They are an essential part of the life of any charitable organisation, accounts, trustees reports and such need to be covered.  We met as a church last night.  Someone today was heard to comment that it had been the most enjoyable AGM she had attended in a long time!  Why?  It was not because there were any clever presentations or any grand giveaways! There was some real celebrations though.......


Around 40 children will be receiving school uniform this week, already to start school maybe even for the first time in January. After much work, our project to support orphans in Zimbabwe is now fully operational.. We thank God for this opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of some special kids.


Our accounts are in the black.  In a year where many organisations are having to report a loss we are in surplus, not huge surplus, but surplus.  We thank God for his provision this year in our individual lives and in the life of our church.  Building works completed and paid for!  Starter packs and food parcels donated to people all through this year.


For Street Pastors, and Healing Rooms, Talk Matters and Choices.......
For Messy Church and the planning of Alpha Expresso


For our youth home group and kids programmes.


For our building that we are able to share with community groups. Thank you God, and show us how to increase this.  
For people who work hard in our building on upkeep and special projects. We thank God for willing hearts to serve.


For sharing lives with friends in Athens USA, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Brazil.
For community groups and prayer groups, for our weekend away and people just there to listen and encourage.  Thank you, God.


So lots to be thankful for, to celebrate and to believe for more in 2012.  
Any amens to that?

Lots going on!

This has been a very busy month.  IMPACT world tours, a weekend away and another Messy church would be a few of the highlights.  We have also has some work completed on our roof and gutters at Priory Lane, kind of important with the weather in the last week.
Forty of us spent a great weekend at the Windmill Centre in Arbroath.  We managed a good balance of activities and time to hang out.  We freaked a few out with Chinese lanterns, and Windmill may well write a new clause in their regulations, but they were beautiful to watch.  A few crazy games led to whole lot of laughter and a few wonderful pictures.  Crafts, walks, games, cake and fruit and fruit and cake!  
We did a lot of thinking and praying through Isaiah 55, a fantastic chapter of encouragement.  "You shall go out with joy and be led forth in peace." Our circumstances may tell us one thing but our heavenly father tells us clearly we have joy and peace in him.

Courage and Mercy's blog!

Have you met Mercy's friend Courage? He is a stuffed chicken who belongs to the children of Athens Link Fellowship. He came over with the group who visited us in June and we saw some great demonstrations of his fantastic flying ability! This picture of the two pals together was taken during an outing to Anstruther.

                                                       

Courage and Mercy now have their own blog which they hope will help them and the children of both Link Fellowships to keep in touch. They both really enjoyed the time they spent together recently when Iain and Norma took Mercy on their trip to Athens, and Courage has written all about it on their blog and also posted some great photos. Why not have a look? Here is the link: www.courageandmercy.blogspot.com Courage and Mercy would be especially pleased if they knew the children had seen it!