A New Beginning 2025

The Promise, expectation and joy of the Birth of the Christ Child has come.  So often this true meaning of Christmas is overlooked by the commercial excitement of the season. Now the festivities are past, the decorations are all back in their boxes and a new chapter begins.

January named after the Roman god Janus is depicted with two faces, one looking back and one looking forward. As 2025 begins let us look forward in faith.

What will this year hold for us individually and as a Guild family?

We wish for health and happiness for our families and friends.

We pray for peace and an end to conflict in all the war-torn areas of the world. For a fairer sharing of earth’s resources. Food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless and hope for those who despair.

Longing for light we wait in darkness. Mornings are still dark, and we yearn for the days to lengthen, soon however snowdrops will peep through the cold earth showing signs of new life to come.

As a Guild our strategy ‘Let us build a house’ sees new life this month as we start off our four new projects;

Bibles for Bairns: Playful Beginnings: Build my Church: Operation Hope.  Having the privilege of journeying with them over the next three years, we trust these projects will bring hope, joy and love to all who are involved.

In this time of changes within the Church we often feel unsure of the way ahead and are longing for light. Let us remember the words from Minnie Louise Haskins poem - The Gate of the Year-

'And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year ‘give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown’.  And he replied ‘Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than the known way’. 

Lord, with your hand to guide us we look forward to exiting times ahead for the Guild in 2025.

Margaret K. Dundas

A lovely idea!

Castlehill Church Guild in Ayr continued to provide Poinsettias for members of the congregation to give to a neighbour or friend this year. This is a great idea for Guilds everywhere to try this Christmas!

Christmas Tree Festival

Netherlee and Stamperland church had a Christmas tree festival. The Guild's entry is entitled "Let us Build a House." Taking part in events such as these is a great way to get the Guild out and about and visible in your community.

Pray this month

Mon 13 January:  for anyone who is grieving a loved one this new year. Tues 14 January: for our General Secretary, Karen, as she is interviewed by Heart Christian Radio on the work of the Guild and her own life.

Wed 15 January: for our new Communications Officer, Clair as she settles into her new role. 

Thurs 16 January:  pray for a new initiative our project partner Operation Hope has begun which involves focussed care of five impoverished villages. The families in these villages are visited on a weekly basis and offered both physical mercy ministry aid and spiritual/psychological support. Please pray that the Lord will make these visits a source of strength for the families, and an encouragement to the small churches in those villages.

Fri 17 January:  giving thanks for the soup kitchen and medical outreach project envisaged for the Bear Necessities, praying that God will enable the right premises to be found to make this possible.

Sat 18 January:  give thanks that in December 2024 the Scottish Bible Society started wrapping second birthday gifts for babies that were born in 2023. They will each receive two “Bible Buddies” books – one all about colours in the story of Noah’s Ark and the other about numbers in the Christmas Story. Pray for all the toddlers turning two this year as they receive these lovely books, that they, and their families, would know how much they are loved by God. 

Sun 19 January: praying particularly for the Erskine Waterfront Campus, a school for children and young adults aged 8-18 with additional support needs run by CrossReach.

Mon 20 January: asking that many people would hear about the Bibles for Bairns project in the next few months and hundreds of babies would be registered. They currently have 300 babies all set to receive their 1st birthday gifts in 2025, they would love to see another 100 babies registered.

Tues 21 January: thinking particularly of Guilds in Glasgow Northern area as they come together and consider how best their new Guilds Together can be structured and operate.

Wed 22 January:  praying particularly for our current National Vice Conveners, Renee Riddell, Kay Coull, Margaret Dundas and Morag Duncan and asking God to bless the relationships they are building within their areas. 

Thurs 23 January: thinking particularly of Ruman as he works to establish the new place of worship in Sliven with our partner Bear Necessities.

Fri 24 January: remembering situations where violence and extremism are destroying lives and where people cannot thrive. Asking that God will bring peace and reconciliation. 

Sat 25 January: thinking particularly of the work of the church with politicians and policy-makers. Praying that God will give them insight as to what to say to bring about a more just and fair society. 

Sun 26 January:  for the Crossreach residential care home at South Beach House in Ardrossan, situated on the seafront. Pray for staff, residents and their families. 

Mon 27 January: thinking particularly of the Guild at Cardross who celebrated their 90th anniversary.

Tues 28 January: for the Guilds and Guild leaders, giving thanks for all that they do to support the work of this amazing movement.

Wed 29 January: for the work of our CrossReach project partner the Sunflower Garden in Edinburgh, who deliver parent and infant relationship therapy. Parents can access counselling sessions, safe in the knowledge that their baby is being looked after by a trusted adult. 

Thurs 30 January: thinking particularly of the staff at Operation Hope, that they might be protected from danger and enabled to support Christians in Upper Egypt.

Fri 31 January:  for all involved in prison chaplaincy, asking that they are given guidance and courage as they work in our prisons and young offenders’ institutions.