The last weekend of August was an encouraging time for us as a congregation. With the help of an RP GO Team (short term mission team) we ran our first ever church family weekend!
The team arrived on the Friday afternoon and went to Belmont Care Home where the team entertained the residents and then we introduced and sang a few psalms.
On the Friday night, we watched a new documentary on Martin Luther that's been produced to celebrate 500 years since the Reformation began.
We invited some of the local churches to come on the Saturday and we started off the morning with coffee and scones. Ken Nelson, an elder in Trinity RP Church and part of the GO Team, shared his story of trusting God in the wake of a brain aneurysm. During his talk, the GO Team put on a programme of activities for the children, with a talk, craft etc.
In the afternoon, we were joined by some friends from Ayr Free Church Continuing for a Kids' Fun Afternoon with bouncy castle, candy floss makers, popcorn maker etc. We finished things off with a church BBQ, and then some of the GO team helped the young people in the congregation to make desserts for the church lunch the next day.
On the Lord's Day the team worshipped with the congregation and Stephen preached on the Bible's picture of the church as a family. After worship we had lunch together, and then the team visited Dalrymple Court (sheltered housing) to sing some psalms. In the evening, Stephen began a new series on Galatians and the team joined the congregation for our usual post-service supper.
On Monday, we visited Covenanter sites in Wigtown, where the team also had the opportunity to visit the local secondhand bookshops and coffee shops in Scotland's National Book Town.
We are grateful to God for a great weekend and a growing sense of fellowship among the congregation!
Daily updates on the team as it happened were posted on the GO Teams website:
- Stranraer GO Team: Day 1 (Friday)
- Stranraer GO Team: Saturday and Sunday
