Christian Aid : Updates

 January #1 :  Christian Aid has joined 12 other leading humanitarian organisations to urge the UK government to act now to prevent further catastrophe in Sudan. One thousand days of conflict has left a population stricken by life-threatening hunger, disease and violence. Almost 34 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian help, making Sudan the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. The following link provides more detail:

Please tell Alan Stevens whether you find press releases helpful.

Alan Stevens

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Church News : Boclair  and Beyond!

Boclair Community Church

• BCC Community Cafe @ Westerton : Our new café started with a real buzz last Wednesday, with our hall filled with chatter and lively conversations.  The toys delighted the visiting children and there was great demand for the coffee from our new coffee machine.  We will be opening the doors again next and every Wednesday from 9am to 11.30am, so please come and join us for a coffee (other drinks available) and a chat!  New volunteers would be very welcome, so if you can spare some time on a Wednesday morning (once in a while, every fortnight or every week, all combinations of availability would be great) please just come along to the café and speak to any of the "staff"!
  
  

• Tea and Coffee will taste better in our new mugs! Those of you who came along to our new Wednesday café, or have joined us for pre-service tea and coffee, as well as the Guild who had a sneak preview last Monday, will have had the chance to try out our new Boclair Community Church mugs.  Now you can have one to take home – and perhaps one to give to a friend.  They are priced at £5.00 per mug, and if you would like to purchase one please see Marlene Anderson

• Sunday Coffee Rota at Westerton :  The rotas for the first half of 2026 have now been completed and emailed to all involved.  If we do not have your email address can you please check the rota on the noticeboard in the walkthrough to see the dates for you and if not suitable please arrange a swap and change it on the rota or email the church office. Thank you.
  Anne Mitchell
  
  
• The Guild : They will be meeting again on Monday, 26th January when a sing along with Kirsteen and Ian  McLeod in honour of Rabbie Burn's birthday will be on the menu.   Everyone warmly invited to what should be a cheery afternoon.
  
  
• Thank you from Salvation Army : The Salvation Army has thanked Boclair Community Church for the generous gift in support of this year's Christmas Appeal. The donation will be working hard to provide protection from hunger, malnutrition, disease and pain. The letter of thanks is on the notice board in the walkthrough in Westerton. Alan.

• Worship at Westerton – Call to Worship - an update :  Please think seriously whether you might be able to take part in worship here in Westerton on an occasional basis.  Two things which initially come to mind are joining the rota of readers and alternatively offering a simple welcome at the start of each service.  The more who join in, the less each needs to do!  There will be a sign-up sheet in the vestibule over the next few weeks – please add your name and contact details – phone number or email address – you will be contacted to arrange a short meeting, probably before or after church one Sunday, to talk over what is involved.  Marlene Anderson

• Prayer Requests : If you would like a prayer for yourself or others, please continue to write it out and put it in the box in the vestibule as before.  Also, as before, it is not necessary to give your own or anyone else’s name although you may do so if you would like to.  Although the Westerton group is not meeting at the moment, members are attending the Prayer Group which meets at Killermont weekly and will also undertake to pray daily for what is needed. Please speak to Marlene for more information.

• Cafe at Killermont and Prayer Space :  Cafe operates from 9.30am till 11.30am Mondays  and Fridays; Prayer Space on a Friday from 9.30am till 10am; the Saturday cafe opens on the first Saturday of the month. Please consider coming along!   

• Killermont De-Cafe : a group for anyone living with, or concerned about, anyone living with dementia or memory loss. 2-4pm every 4th Tuesday of the month.
  
  
• Tea 'n' Chat : takes place every second Wednesday. Check BCC Church Calendar for dates
  
  

• Church News extra : until our new united "Boclair" website is up and running, you can find news about our sister "campus" at Killermont here  https://boclair.church/
  Information about our Westerton "campus" as well as other news will still appear as usual on these pages

Around Bearsden

• Thinking Allowed : in New Kilpatrick Church Hall on Thursday 5 February – 7.30pm for 8pm start. The Rev Dr Lina Toth will talk on “Singleness and Marriage after Christendom?” This talk looks at some of the changes in the practice of marriage and singleness, from the early days of the Christian movement to our modern preoccupation with romance and coupledom as essential ingredients of a happy, fulfilled life.

• Association of Bearsden CHurches Unity Lunch : on 7 February at New KilpatrickChurch Hall. 12 noon for 12.45pm.  The Topic is ‘Christians against Poverty’
  Tickets cost £10 (to include a light lunch).  All welcome.

Elsewhere

• Religious Decline in the Scottish Census 2022: Four Causes and Five Blessings
  Read the article by Rev Dr Liam Jerrold Fraser here   www.missioninscotland.wordpress.com

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Drumchapel Foodbank

Foodbanks continue to struggle, any donations at all are greatly appreciated. – tinned vegetables, porridge, boxes of cereal. Teabags, coffee, sugar, instant noodles, long-life milk, tinned fruit and rice pudding/custard, tinned meatballs/hotdogs, pasta sauce, soup, tinned beans, tinned spaghetti, macaroni cheese, toilet rolls, shampoo/shower gel, and wet dog food. Please note no fresh or perishable food.  Leave in the box in the vestibule. On-line monetary donations are preferred  - see details on how to give on the weekly intimation sheet.  Many thanks for your help!

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