A weekend of thanksgiving events have been held at Covenant Church in Newmilns to mark its tenth anniversary.
Friends, family and the wider community were invited to celebrate ten years of God’s faithfulness. A praise night was held as well as two Sunday services and an afternoon of activities for everyone.
Rev Benj Wilks, minister of Covenant Church, said: “It’s always good to have reason to celebrate, and it was a real joy to take time to look back on what God has done in the last ten years, as well as to look forward and pray about what lies ahead.”
A Praise Night was held on Friday evening featuring Christian singer/songwriter Ruth Campbell and the Hope Choir, which is made up of ladies from Covenant Church and a number of other churches across Ayrshire.
Ruth, who is a member of Covenant Church, sang a number of songs from her recently released album, The Prodigals. Her sound is based on vocals, piano and guitar. (https://www.ruthcampbellmusic.com/music ) Thanks also go to the choir who performed a number of songs including He Will Hold Me Fast and I Will Wait For You.
The various songs chosen for the occasion provided opportunity for a talk on the theme of God’s goodness, and how as Christians we are able to say “God is so good” even in the times of great difficulty described in songs like Ruth’s Be Still and Know That He Is God.
Celebrations continued on Sunday. Rev Prof Bob Akroyd, Free Church of Scotland Moderator, spoke at the morning service about Jesus and His Gospel from Luke 5. Having preached at the very first service of Covenant Church in 2013, he remarked that much has changed in these past ten years — in his own life and in the congregation. But one thing, by far the most significant, has not. The gospel is unchanging. The grace of God by which the Christian life begins is the same grace by which we continue, and in which we conclude.
Following the morning service, everyone was invited to enjoy a barbecue, quiz and prayer. It was a great opportunity to enjoy food together and spend time with one another.
Along with various quiz rounds prepared by Rev Douglas Cranston, the ’10 years of Covenant Church’ round gave an opportunity for memories and laughter. Still, the highlight was surely ‘name that tune’. After all, no celebration is complete without a few bars of the Imperial march played on the Kazoo!
Benj spoke at the evening service from Deuteronomy 7 on the theme of Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow.
He said: “So often our experience is that we are let down by people around us, and that we too fail them in turn. There is a danger, in this as in many things, that our mental model of God is ‘like us, but a bit better’ — so we imagine he too will let us down.
But in Deuteronomy 7:9 he is declared to be ‘the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him.’ Given that there have been somewhat under 150 generations since the Exodus, we probably don’t need to worry whether God will continue to be as faithful for the next ten years as he has for the last ten!”
He has thanked everyone who has been involved in making the celebration weekend possible.
Covenant Church meets at the Morton Hall, Newmilns for weekly Sunday services. Prayer meetings and Connect Groups also take place on alternate weeks.
Benj said: “We’d love for you to join us, whether in person or online, whatever your faith or church background.”