ORGAN PRELUDE
WORDS OF WELCOME AND NOTICES
CALL TO WORSHIP
God calls us to love one another and serve with gladness.
ALL: We thank God for the hands, feet, and hearts to give to our neighbours.
When we feed the hungry, comfort the lonely, and care for one another, we show God’s love in action.
ALL: Let us worship the God who works through us and calls us to serve together.
God does not call us to stay within these walls, but to carry his love out into the world.
ALL: Send us out, Lord, having worshipped together, so that our worship may become our witness.
HYMN CH4 543 Longing for light, we wait in darkness
PRAYERS OF APPROACH & THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen
MISSION WITHIN OUR WALLS
Take a few moments to turn to your neighbour and talk together:
- What does mission inside the church look like for you?
- What is our mission within our buildings?
- What is our role within that mission?
HYMN CH4 547 What a friend we have in Jesus
FIRST READING Luke 10:25-37
Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’
But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbour?’ Jesus replied, ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while travelling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.”Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’
MISSION WITHIN OUR WALLS A short message by Revd. Iain
HYMN CH4 685 For everyone born a place at the table
(Miss out verse 4)
MISSION OUTSIDE OUR WALLS
Take a few moments to turn to your neighbour and talk together:
- What does mission outside the church look like for you?
- What is our mission outside of our buildings?
- What is our role in that mission?
SECOND READING A modern retelling of the Good Samaritan
A man was walking home along the high street after work on a winter’s evening when two masked figures jumped him, beat him, took his phone and his wallet, and left him bleeding on the pavement outside the shuttered chip shop.
A minister happened to be walking that way, hurrying to get to a Kirk Session meeting. He saw the man lying there and crossed to the other side of the street, telling himself someone else would call for help, and that he couldn’t be late again.
Likewise, an elder, well known in the town for her charitable work, came along, saw him, and walked past on the far side of the pavement. She had a meeting of her own to get to, and told herself it wasn’t safe to stop.
But a homeless man who spoke little English, having arrived from distant war-torn shores, walked up. He spent most nights sleeping under the bridge and hadn’t shaved in weeks. Most people crossed the road to avoid him.
He saw the man lying there and was moved with compassion. He took off his own coat, his only warmth at night, and wrapped it round the injured man’s shoulders. He used what little credit he had left on his phone to call an ambulance, and stayed with him, talking quietly, until it arrived.
As the paramedics got him ready to go, he pressed a crumpled note into the injured man’s hand and said simply, “For you.” Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbour to the man who was beaten and robbed?
MISSION OUTSIDE OUR WALLS A short message by Stewart
our Digital Worker
PRAYERS FOR THE CHURCH WITHIN OUR WALLS AND FOR THE WORLD OUTSIDE OUR WALLS
HYMN CH4 804 You shall go out with joy
Repeat 3 times, getting progressively faster
BLESSING We remain standing, if we are able, for the blessing.
ORGAN POSTLUDE
Revd. Iain Majcher
Mobile: 07749 899427
Pastoral Ministry
Mhairi Phillipson
Mobile: 07348 757185
Workdays: Wed & Sun
mphillipson@churchofscotland.org.uk
Digital Ministry Worker
Stewart Mason
Mobile: 07840 237596
smason@churchofscotland.org.uk
Church office
Phone: 01698 854 903
Session Clerks
David Foye
Sally Wilson sessionclerk@bbcofs.org.uk
Kirk Session
When emailing, please
include the Session Clerk’s
🤝 Get Involved: Volunteer Opportunities
There are many ways to be part of our community life at BBCofS. Here are some of our current volunteer opportunities… although there are more!
⛪ Sunday Worship & Services
Worship and Services
Contact: The Ministry Team
The Worship team shapes the rhythm of our congregational life, from Sunday mornings to Blue Christmas and Nine Lessons, to the midweek service we are planning for our more senior friends at the West Halls, and more.
Who we are looking for: We are looking for people who care about worship and want to help with the practical side of making it happen. We do not just need worship leaders, but also those who want to help read the Bible, lead prayers, brainstorm ways to involve all ages, and explore new formats. If you want to shape how we worship together, this is for you.
Tea and Coffee on a Sunday
Contact: Anne
If you would like to get a team together to help with Sunday tea and coffee, Anne is your person! There’s always a great ‘buzz’ in the Church Centre during this important part of Sunday Worship and a further couple of teams would be really helpful.
Commitment: Your team would be on duty approximately once every 12 weeks. Not sure you can find a whole team but still want to help? Let Anne know!
Welcoming at the Door
Contact: The Kirk Session
The first impression someone has of our congregation often happens before they even sit down. Our welcome team greets people at the door on a Sunday morning: a smile, a warm hello, a hand with the door if needed. It is one of the simplest things we do, and one of the most important.
Commitment: The role is rota-based, so you would not be on duty every week. If you enjoy meeting people and want to play a part in making everyone feel genuinely welcome, we will get you on the rota.
Singing Group
Contact: Matt (Organist)
We are looking for new voices to join our singing group, leading and supporting the congregation in worship.
Commitment: No experience or musical training is required, just a willingness to come along. All you need to do is arrive a little earlier on a Sunday morning for 0945 to run through the music before the service begins. If you enjoy singing, or think you might, we would love to have you with us. The occasional extra rehearsal may be mutually arranged for big services. Backing tracks are available to help you learn music, so you don’t have to read music – just carry a tune! We’re particularly looking for ladies this term as we explore a new direction for anthems and solo items.
AV Team
Contact: Dougie
As we expand our social media presence, our Sunday livestream has become the heart of how we connect with our community and the wider world. To keep this vital momentum going, we need you!
What to expect: You don’t need to be a tech guru. If you can scroll through social media or click a mouse, you have all the necessary skills. We will provide full, stress-free training and a simple checklist.
🫂 Pastoral Care & Community Outreach
West Blend
Contact: The Kirk Session
West Blend is our community café, running on Tuesday mornings at the West Halls in Bellshill. It is a welcoming space for anyone to come in, sit down, and enjoy a cup of something warm and a chat. Simple in concept, but genuinely important for the community around us. Like all good cafés, it runs on people, and we are always glad to welcome new volunteers.
Who we are looking for: Whether you enjoy making drinks, chatting to strangers, or simply creating a space where people feel at home, there is a place for you here.
Pastoral Care Group
Contact: Mhairi
Mhairi is building up the Pastoral Care team to visit and keep in touch with those in our congregation who are housebound, in hospital, in need of extra pastoral support, or in care. The work is straightforward in one sense: picking up a phone, turning up, listening, praying, bringing a card or a newsletter. But for those on the receiving end, it can make all the difference.
Requirements: Every visitor on this team will need a PVG check, but Mhairi, Martha and others are on hand to help, and it takes only a few minutes. If you have a pastoral heart and a little time to give, we would be very glad to speak with you.
Community Outreach
Contact: The Kirk Session
We are looking for two people to co-lead our Community Outreach team, and this is one of the most exciting opportunities in the congregation right now! The team will shape how we engage with families, young people, and the wider community across both Bellshill and Bothwell (including Messy Church on Saturdays and our relationship with Bothwell Primary). The work is about creating genuinely welcoming spaces, building real relationships, and being the church outside the walls.
Who we are looking for: We are looking for two co-leads and the whole team. You do not need to have all the answers, only the willingness to try things, learn as you go, and love the community around us.
Memory Café
Contact: Isobel
Our Memory Café meets every Tuesday over lunchtime in the Church Centre in Bothwell, offering friendship, conversation, and support to those living with memory loss and their carers.
Commitment: We are looking for volunteers to help welcome and support our guests, ideally committing to at least one Tuesday in every two, though any help you can offer is gratefully received. If you have some time and a listening ear to give, please reach out.
Allovus Contact: Heather
Allovus is there for our more senior friends in the community. On the first and third Thursday of each month, our more senior members and friends gather at the Church Centre in Bothwell from 11am for activities, company, conversation, and a light lunch. It is a genuinely special morning.
What we need: We are especially looking for volunteers right now to help with the practical side: moving tables and chairs to set up the hall before the morning begins, and tidying up once everyone has headed home. It is not glamorous work, but it is vital, and it means the world to those who come along.
🏛️ Behind-the-Scenes Heroes
Property
Contact: Val
Val leads our Property team, which looks after all of our buildings. It is practical, important work: making sure our buildings are well-maintained, safe, and ready for everything that happens in them. The team is building a proactive rolling plan so that nothing catches us off guard.
Who we are looking for: If you enjoy practical problem-solving, know something about buildings or maintenance, or simply want to help care for the places where so much of our community life happens, we would love to hear from you.
Commitment: Ideally a two-year commitment. The team meets monthly at first, with meetings reducing later in the year.
Finance
Contact: John
John leads our Finance team, which keeps the books, pays the bills, and makes sure the Kirk Session always has a clear picture of where we stand, as well as much more! Within Finance, there is also a Fundraising and Stewardship subgroup, looking at things like stewardship campaigns, grants, and specific fundraising events.
Who we are looking for: If you have a background in finance or simply a head for figures, a desire to help raise money, or look at stewardship, this team needs you!
Compliance
Contact: Martha
Martha leads our Compliance team, which covers safeguarding, data protection and GDPR, and the policies that keep our community safe and trustworthy. It is not the most visible of roles, but it is one of the most important: without robust compliance, nothing else we do rests on a secure footing. We are particularly keen to build a proper team around safeguarding, so that responsibility is shared rather than carried by one or two people.
Who we are looking for: If you have experience in HR, safeguarding, data protection, or governance matters, please do consider getting involved.
West Halls Lets Team Contact: Martha
The West Halls let team are looking for volunteers who could open and close the halls for weekend birthday parties (ensuring the halls are left the way they are found), assist with one-off lets during the week (normally martial arts or dance groups wanting a bigger space for competitions), and set up for weekly lets during the daytime.
What to expect: There would be a point of contact for any issues, and a walk-through of what’s required would be given. As the saying goes—many hands make light work!
Communications
Contact: Matthew (Chair) & Stewart (Digital)
Together they are making sure that what we do as a congregation is visible, understandable, and welcoming to different audiences: regulars, families with children, occasional visitors, and those in pastoral situations. We’re setting up a small Comms Team to help everyone stay connected. No website building or writing long articles, just helping to collate and point people to the right information.
What you would do: Gather notices and event details from leaders; help signpost where people can find full details on noticeboards, in emails, newsletters, and social media; and keep messaging clear and consistent.
Commitment: We need 4–6 volunteers who can give 1–2 hours a month.
👧🧒🏾 Children, Youth & Families
Sunday School
Contact: The Kirk Session
Our Sunday School is looking for a new lead and volunteers to come alongside the children who join us on Sunday mornings. Numbers are small now, which makes the welcome more personal, and we want every child to feel seen, valued, and at home. As our outreach grows, we want to be ready to welcome new faces.
Requirements: You do not need a formal background in children’s work, just patience, warmth, and care for young people. You will need a PVG check, but Martha and others can help, and it only takes a few minutes.
Messy Church
Contact: Helen
Messy Church runs at the West Halls in Bellshill a few times a year on Saturday afternoons, bringing together families from across the community for crafts, activities, and a shared meal. It is one of the most energetic and joyful things we do, and it could not happen without a team of willing volunteers.
Who we are looking for: Whether you are good with your hands, happy to help in the kitchen, great with children, or simply willing to turn up and muck in, there is a role for you. No experience is necessary, just enthusiasm and a warm heart.
Boys’ Brigade
Contact: Elizabeth F
The Boys’ Brigade meets every Friday evening in the Church Centre in Bothwell, offering boys the chance to grow in friendship, character, and faith through games, activities, and Christian teaching.
Who we are looking for: We are always glad to welcome new members, and would also value volunteers willing to give some time to help lead and support the sessions.
1st Bellshill Girls’ Brigade
Contact: Janey
We welcome all school-aged girls every Wednesday evening from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. We’re always delighted to welcome new members and are also looking for volunteers to support our company.
Commitment: Volunteering doesn’t have to be every week. We’d love to hear from anyone who can spare a little time or share a particular skill (hair styling, DIY, crafting, sports, etc.) with our girls over a 3 to 4 week mini-project.
NOTICES
Welcome to worship in Bellshill and Bothwell Parish Church. Whether you join in person or online, come every week, are here for the first time or the first time in a long time, a very warm welcome.
This service is live-streamed. Should you not wish to appear in the recording, please speak to our welcome team.
You’ll find tea, coffee, juice, ready for you after the service in the Church Centre. We’d love for you to stick around for a cup of something warm and a good chat.
Need help? Look for anyone wearing a lanyard; they’ll be happy to point you in the right direction.
Your feedback matters.
In recent months our congregation has seen much change: a growing ministry team, new seating arrangements on a Sunday morning, and the reopening of our West Halls. With so much happening at once, we want to hear how these changes are being felt, not only the seating, but the wider life of the church. Change, even good change, can feel unsettling, and we want to hear that too. We ask that all feedback be offered constructively, with a view to building up, and with the whole body of the church in mind, not only our own personal preferences.
We encourage you, where possible, to complete the feedback form online, using the QR code or link as this makes it much easier for us to review. For those who really cannot do so online, a limited number of printed copies are available at the back but will require us to manually put the answers in online. https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/T10e74pRHV
GIVING
Your generosity keeps our doors open and enables us to share the Gospel within our parish and further afield. If you would like to support the work and Mission of Bellshill and Bothwell Parish Church, a basket is available at the door. You are also welcome to use the contactless machine or scan the QR code to give digitally. Thank you for your kindness.
