Sat 22nd November Mens Big Breakfast at St Columba’s

`What is Happening Here in Aberdeen`

Although weather conditions were atrocious, St Columba’s enjoyed an excellent turnout for their quarterly 'get together for the boys.'

The guest speaker was Yong Shin Jung, a South Korean student, working on his PhD New Testament (study of John) at Aberdeen University.

The audience was captivated by his testimony – on life and faith, his calling to the Lord's work in China and the main theme of his talk, `What is Happening Here in Aberdeen' - his witness to God's work, especially with non Christian Chinese and other international students here in the city.

It was a wonderful time of fellowship and good eating (hic hic) but,  most of all, a time of rich blessing and encouragement, being part of something which is touching the heart of this marvellous city -`What is happening here in Aberdeen`?

God is working - check it out!

A number of the guys carried on the day by going to the rugby international at Pittodrie where Scotland was victorious, leaving some to quote – 'Life just does not get better than a day like this'.

Isla St. Clair Concert

An excellent crowd of over 170 including almost 30 from the sheltered housing complexes enjoyed a fantastic evening of music and chat from the lovely Isla, who, despite having lived down south for a good number of years, soon fell back into her N.E. tongue and enjoyed being with her ain folk.

There was a great mix of local ballads and stories of soldiers along with the funny story types such as the Railway Porter. Her voice is still superb and although she played guitar on most songs some she sang beautifully unaccompanied. As some of the audience remarked it was like being in a privileged place such as a top class theatre listening to her.

In between 2 sets Isla signed CDs & photos and chatted long with folks whilst everyone had refreshments and fine peeces. Everybody loved chatting with her and she was so homely and couthy and obviously enjoyed being with us.

There was a connection with our Malawi project as Isla’s son is in that region at present and her partner Patrick was also very interested in all the pictures etc on our walls as his father had worked and died in Malawi many years ago.

Isla has since written a lovely thank you card expressing how much she enjoyed the evening and wishing us all the best in our projects. She will be heading off to Flanders soon to lay the wreath to mark the 90th anniversary of the end of WW1.

This sort of event is twofold in that we aim to bring the older folks out of the homes and mix with all of us in a time of fellowship whilst at the same time trying to raise some funds for one of our projects and it is very pleasing to note that £500 was raised from this concert to boost our Lisa Smith Fund which is there to help some of our younger students who go out on mission projects with aid agencies etc.

A lot of hard work went into making this a success and a huge thank you must go out to the folks who helped with transport, refreshments, seating and ushering, sound etc.

Carol Service in St Columba's Roman Catholic Church starts Christmas Celebration

The annual Carol Service in St Columba's Roman Catholic Church was held in the afternoon on Sunday 14th December.  Shelagh Noden had rehearsed the choir to perfection and the beautifully decorated church provided just the right ambience to celebrate the birth of our saviour, Jesus Christ.  

Each year, members of both St Columba's congregations, Roman Catholic and Church of Scotland, get together for a Carol Service that seems to inaugurate the Christmas season.  Christmas music and carols, the Bible readings that tell of Christ's birth, the singing of well-known words that convey a sense of the wonder and mystery at the heart of Christmas; all of this was ours on Sunday.  After the Service, the congregation gathered for mince pies and mulled wine.

As we prepare to celebrate that special birth and to remind ourselves of the significance and import of it, we remember that he came in order to break down division between God and humanity, and between all people.

Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death, and our hostility toward each other was put to death (Ephesians 2 verse 16).