Newhills Church

The latest Alpha Weekend had a different look to it. Due to prior commitments, and with the weekend already booked, it was to be a time of reflection, discussion and prayer to God’s will for Alpha at Newhills.

For Rae, Jacquie and myself it was to be a weekend of cooking, cleaning, washing dishes and hiding the biscuits from Neil. Our weekend actually started on Thursday when Rae gave me and Jacquie a shopping list for a fun filled afternoon at the dreaded Costco. Jacquie showed no mercy as she ran me ragged looking for the things we desperately needed and things we desperately didn’t. We soon filled two trolleys, which are the size of a medium skip, with enough provisions for the weekend (and beyond).

We arrived at our weekend mansion and unloaded our cargo, filling every available space in the kitchen. After a quick tidy up and a sneaky cup of tea, we left the kitchen (downstairs) and joined the others in the drawing room (upstairs) for worship and prayers. Following more tea, we all headed to bed.

At 7am the next day, my alarm clock was greeted with a groan and a flick that sent it flying across the room. Yes, it was time to get breakfast ready. Annoyingly, Rae and Jacquie both appeared at the worksite looking fresh and cheery. I don’t do mornings! Once the mob were fed and watered, the dishes were hosed down and we joinedhttp://newhillschurch.org.uk/wp-admin/post.php?post=3040&action=edit&message=6 in morning worship a challenging talk from Alan Jack from Alpha Scotland.

We made sandwiches for lunch, washed the dishes, then many of the group hit the town (Alford). Some of the more adventurous folk went to Mossat for tea and cake. Neil was determined that we were going to Moffat but we advised him, several times, that that was just too far to go for tea, no matter how refreshing it may be. As everyone returned from an afternoon of freedom, the kitchen was a whirlwind of activity as dinner was prepared.

During the evening we learned about the various Alpha courses that are available and where they would fit within our community and congregation. Following a time of prayer, we gathered in the kitchen for hot chocolate.

The evening turned to night and the night into morning as wonderful fellowship and fun was enjoyed by all.

Five hours later, my alarm clock chanced its luck again and was sent reeling once more. The aroma of a cooked breakfast woke up the weary mass and they began to arrive in dribs and drabs (mostly dribs thankfully). Breakfast was followed by our Pentecost service where we shared in the Lord’s Supper. It was a joyous, yet moving, celebration with again prayer very much the focus.

While bags were being packed, the kitchen dwellers prepared lunch before cleaning the kitchen and packing away the dishes ready for the next group of visitors. We then all signed the visitor book, thanked Deb our wonderful host, and went our separate ways.

This was a fantastic weekend. There were tears of joy, tears of laughter and just plain old tears. It was a great time of fellowship and discussion about what God is doing in and through, each of our lives. After seeing, and hearing at first hand, what God is doing through Alpha, you can see why it is such a vital part of the ministry at Newhills. How many of us can say, in all honesty, that we can turn down the opportunity to learn more about Jesus? After all Jesus is at the centre of all we say, think and do. The next Alpha course will be starting in the autumn and I urge you to give it prayerful consideration.

God Bless,

Dougie Longmuir