A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE!

We realised tonight that the new cafe won't be big enough to host Impact Cafe, if the numbers that came tonight keep coming and/or increase! We had over 100 there tonight. There was a great atmosphere with the band from the new SOULED OUT event playing, Peter Noble sharing a few songs linked to the themes of the prophet Joel, and Chris Dowling sharing his vision for an Intergenerational, multi denominational event at the Ironworks beginning on 1st November. We also had a new team doing all the catering and serving tonight. They did a sterling job hosting such a large number of people on their first night. Rob & Gwen Barlow did such a great job of establishing the cafe service. It was a bit daunting doing it without them tonight, but so encouraging so see the event continuing to develop.

DORES & BOLESKINE CHURCH

This morning, I was preaching at a joint service at Boleskine Parish Church. Stuart Jeffrey, Laura McCheyne's father, is the interim moderator of this congregation. Peter got some tuition on bell ringing prior to the service!

IMPACT CAFE

We have our first Impact Cafe service of the new session at 6.30pm tomorrow evening. We are going to take a look at the prophet Joel, with the help of Chris Dowling from the Kings Factory. The band from the Kings Factory are also coming along, and we have our very own Peter Noble sharing some of his songs too. Next Friday, Rok are handing the real cafe over to us for painting, so it shouldn't be too long before we can hold these kind of events in a real cafe setting.

TORRIDON HILLWALK

I'm just back from a very enjoyable hillwalk near Torridon. The weather forecast wasn't very favourable, but we had a clear day with no rain.

LOCH NESS BAPTISMS

It has been an exceedingly busy week, so time to put news on the blog has been sparse. Last weekend was a social whirlwind with a 40th birthday bbq at Nairn East Beach for 3 "young" folk from the congregation. If someone else has a photo or two from that special afternoon, they might want to post them for all to see. On Sunday afternoon, there was a picnic at Dores Beach followed by the baptisms of Michelle and Martin, who came to faith through a recent alpha course. The weather wasn't quite as kind as Saturday afternoon, but the water of Loch Ness was slightly warmer than I had expected!

GOOD NEWS

I have been very hesitant over the last 2 weeks about putting news regarding Iona's condition on the blog. On several occasions, I have posted encouraging news only to hear within minutes that her health has deteriorated. BUT!!! Jonathan has phoned tonight and he wanted everyone to know that the news is very good. Iona has had a very stable day and the hope is that tomorrow the medical team can start doing a variety of procedures which will take her closer to moving on from Intensive care.

BABY IONA UPDATE

Iona was taken back to theatre last night as her blood pressure had dropped very low. This was causing the medical team concern. The surgical team were called, but by the time she was examined in theatre her heart was functioning properly again. The hospital have no straight forward explanation for this. We are all pleased to hear that Iona has come through another crisis. We can only hope and pray that today will be a good day for Iona and her parents.

Over the last few days, we have seen the emergence of a prayer text chain as news of Iona's situation from day to day has been shared for prayer. Thank you to all who are praying and supporting Jonathan and Susie at this difficult time.

BABY IONA UPDATE

Shona and I travelled down to Yorkhill Hospital yesterday (Monday) to visit Jonathan and Susie. They were looking remarkably well considering the ordeal they have been through since Iona's birth. They received very good news from the doctors just before we arrived about Iona's condition. Unfortunately Iona's condition has again taken a turn for the worse this evening (Tuesday) and she has just been taken down for further surgery which is expected to last several hours. Please pray for Iona and for Jonathan and Susie.

Minor prophets

What a brilliant introduction by Hector on Sunday evening. My appetite is certainly whetted for what is to come in this series. The whole teach/preach was inspirational, but what impacted me most was that the Major Themes of the Minor Prophets is The Day of the Lord. This Day incorporates both Judgement and Salvation. How apt is that for us all--Christians, non-Christians and the Church? Folks, don't miss out on what God through His Word is going to teach us over the next few months on Sunday evenings. Bless you, Hector, for sharing your insight with us.
Doda

BABY IONA UPDATE

Iona's operation finally took place yesterday at Yorkhill Hospital. The operation took over 7 hours. Iona is now in Intensive Care and the medical team continue to monitor her condition. These are anxious hours for Jonathan and Susie. They have been told that the next 48 hours are critical.We continue to pray with them for a positive outcome to the surgery. Please pray for them too.

church hillwalk

Given the range of ages, we have opted for a walk which will take us to one of the most dramatic places in Scotland – the magnificent Coire Mhic Fhearchair, one of the finest corries in Scotland. A popular and straightforward hillwalk reveals the classic view of the towering Triple Buttress reflected in the waters of a beautiful lochan. The walk is about 14km and in the guidebook takes 3.5 to 5 hours. We will depart from the rear church carpark at 8.30am next Saturday morning.(30th August) If you need or can offer a lift to others, can you let the church office (233310)know by Wednesday. Please take suitable clothing for such an outdoor enviroment, together with a food and drinks.

Sermon recording

The recording of Hector's opening sermon on the minor prophets is now available on the church website. Click here

Minor Prophets

Great start to the series on the minor prophets with Hector Morrison giving an outstanding introduction. You can read about it here , here and here. Hopefully we can post the download too in the near future.

Cafe project

The project has gone a bit quiet over the summer on the blog, but on the ground it has been action packed as far as Rok Construction and the Project Team are concerned. The building is due to be delivered on 5th September and we are aiming towards having the bulk of the landscaping and painting done by 20th September. Our project chairman, Iain Ross will be reporting to the congregation on Sunday, and his report will be posted on the blog afterwards.

BABY IONA UPDATE

Jonathan and Susie have been in touch to let us know that the operation has been postponed again. This is obviously a tortuous wait for them. We continue to pray for them and we''ll give you a further update once the surgery takes place.

OPERATION MOBILISATION

We received this request from Sharon Rose of Operation Mobilisation. Is this something you could help with or perhaps you know somebody who would love to be involved.

I received this email from the Logos Hope and wanted to pass it in to you for your prayers. If this is something that you could consider or you know of someone who could get involved please get in touch.

We have a few critical skill needs onboard the Logos Hope at the moment, to help us keep momentum towards finishing the project and to get us into ministry as soon as possible. These are for:Plumbers,Carpenters and Welders

Could you please ask people to pray for God to provide and to consider asking any friends with these skill sets to come out and help us on the Logos Hope for 2 to a few weeks? If anyone is interested, please direct them to follow the links on our website: www.logoshope.org .

BABY IONA UPDATE

I know that so many have been praying for Iona today. It was expected that she would go through surgery today. Unfortunately the surgeon was unwell , and the operation has therefore been postponed until tomorrow (Tuesday). We'll keep you posted on any news tomorrow.

THE LOST OLYMPIAN

The Olympics in Beijing are now in full swing. I read a fascinating article today which reminded me that Eric Liddell, one of Scotland's great athletes ever and Olympic gold medallist in 1924 is buried about 2 hours outside Beijing. He was born in China and returned there as a missionary. He died there in 1945 in a Japanese POW Camp.

BABY IONA

It has been an especially anxious 48 hours for Jonathan and Susie Fraser. Iona became very ill on Wednesday night and was flown to Yorkhill Hospital on Thursday afternoon. Iona's condition has stabilised and it is likely that she will undergo surgery at the beginning of next week. It has been amazing to see and experience the reality of love, concern and prayer for Iona and her parents at this difficult time. Please continue to pray for them. (Philippians 4v19)

Holiday Club

What a great week!!!! What a great team!!!! What a great bunch of kids!!!!

I think the children left the church today happy that they had been here for Holiday Club, at least that is what I hope. If happy faces are an indicator on how well things are going then it must have been brilliant. We crammed quite a lot into the programme which kept everybody on their toes, especially when I changed the order of things round all the time (sorry about that Team). The singing was great, our new song written by Peter Noble went down extremely well. The DVD was good, the games were brilliant, the challenges were funny and the Drama was first class. Only the Sunday service to go now and that will be Champions Challenge all finished.

I want to thank all the team for all they did this week, they were such a good team of folks. I would like to ask you now to pray for the kids who were at Holiday Club as they head back to school. Pray that what they have learnt about Jesus this week won't stay in the church but that it would make a difference in their young lives. I will get the opportunity to work with most of these children again in the next year, whether it be at Hilton or Cauldeen Primary School or SU Group or through Hyphop, MYC, Jump or Sunday Club and so I would value prayer that I will be able to build on what we have done this week at Holiday Club.

All the groups I mentioned above are not just run by me, it takes a team 0f people, exactly like Holiday Club, in order to make the groups happen. Therefore this is my shout out to anyone who is interested in helping reach the children and young people of our area with the Good News of Jesus. Come and be part of a team involved in children's/youth work at Hilton Church. We need you. Please speak to me soon.

Chris Watt
Youth Worker

DAYS LIKE THIS

Days Like This is an Exciting Nationwide Project run by Scottish Book Trust and BBC Radio Scotland. The project aims to gather thousands of extraordinary tales, from born-and-bred Scots to newly-arrived immigrants, from Moffat to Orkney. To take part in Days Like This, all people need to do is write about a day in their life that was a bit extraordinary: It could be the day they didn’t get married, or the day they got lost in a supermarket. It could be a childhood memory or something that happened yesterday. It could have happened in Scotland or anywhere else in the world. Anyone can send a story - content is what matters! Stories should be no longer than 1,000 words and can be about anything as long as it’s true! All stories will appear on the BBC website for everyone to read. The celebrity panel will choose their favourites to be recorded and discussed in a series of radio programmes and published in a book in 2009. The deadline is 1st November 2008. For more information go to www.bbc.co.uk/radioscotland/dayslikethis/.

MERCY SHIPS

Today April Sutherland embarks on a long journey to Benin in Africa where she will be working with Mercy Ships. Our prayers will be with her on this trip. She writes:

As I head off with another Mercy Team this week, I'm asking that you take time to pray for the country I'm heading to. Benin is the birthplace of the Voodoo religion and spiritual darkness. It has a Christian population of only 5%! I'll be working with the others in the team to help finish a newly built orphanage and spend time with families and children who have nothing to live for - but do.

The aim of Mercy Teams is to bring hope through an outward expression of the Gospel whilst providing practical help to communities such as healthcare, crop harvesting, teaching etc. Please pray for the families and children we meet and that the team are safe as they travel from all over the world. All thoughts and prayers from home are much appreciated!

The glorious 12th!

We have just received the wonderful news that Erica Cload was born at 2.55pm this afternoon. Both mother,Carolyn and new baby are doing well in Raigmore, and Laurence, the proud dad was sounding suitably elated on the 'phone. We share in their joy tonight.

Holiday Club

Holiday Club is going really well. We have over 60 kids coming along, which is brilliant...and I think they are all having fun. The team is great too, all working really hard.

The picture at the top shows Amy running down the center of the church, in slow motion, holding the Olympic torch. The next picture shows everyone watching the DVD. The DVD, which is very well made, gives the teaching of the Bible passage before the kids move into groups to look at the story in more detail.

Please continue to pray for the Holiday Club and for the children coming along each day. Pray too for the team as we get to the middle of the week, pray for energy...I know I'm starting to feel tired...too old for this now I think :)

Thanks folks.

Chris

Stoning the prophets

Next Sunday evening at 6.30pm, we kick off a new series on the minor prophets of the old testament. This is not a part of the bible that is frequently preached from. We plan to look at a different minor prophet each week. One idea which I picked up from Steve Taylor in New Zealand, who ran such a series, was to have a time at the beginning of the service where people have the opportunity to respond to what they have read.

Then the invite to pick up a stone from the pile in the middle and to share what struck us. People shared and then tossed their stone back onto the pile. There is something very primal about the sound of stone striking stone. There is something rich and powerful about being among a community taking the word of God seriously, as a community and not from a preaching expert.

I think I will try this out. We begin the series this Sunday with a general introduction led by Hector Morrison, Deputy Principal of HTC (and one of our elders.)

It's a girl!

At 11.45 am this morning, Iona Fraser arrived safely into the world at Raigmore Hospital. She weighed in at 10lb 2oz. Jonathan and Susie are both ecstatic. We are all delighted for them at Hilton Church, and we look forward to seeing Iona in the near future. A picture may follow in due course.

WEDDING

On Saturday, 9th August, Trish Campbell married Iain Taylor at Crown Church. The service was held in Crown Church because of all the disruption at Hilton caused by the cafe development. Trish was one of the first adults to be baptised following the alpha courses which began around 1996 in Hilton Church. She then spent 2 years working with the World Exchange Programme in Jamaica at an orphanage for girls. This was a very exciting time for Hilton Church, as she was the first person to serve overseas in this way from our congregation. After her time in Jamaica, she went to teacher training college and for the last few years has been working as a Primary School teacher near Edinburgh. Tomorrow, Trish and Iain fly out to begin married life together in Quatar. We wish them every blessing in their new life together.

DAILY NOTES

I discovered some months ago, that SU post Daily Notes on their website. They also have an archive of their notes going back over many years, so if there is a book of the bible which you are especially wanting to study, there is a good chance that will find a helpful set of daily notes. If you have lapsed in your daily reading of the bible or are finding it a struggle, this may be a helpful way of moving forward.

Renovation of the heart

If you are currently looking for a good meaty christian book to read, can I recommend Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard. I bought my copy at Wesley Owen in Inverness.The review which you can read here gives you a flavour of the book's content and intent. I am reading a chapter a week, and then meeting with a friend to discuss it. There are a helpful list of questions to consider at the end of each chapter. It's the kind of book which would be great to look at together in a small group, but it would require some effort and thought from each member of the group prior to any meeting.

WEDDINGS

Fiona Dennis and Iain MacGregor were married at Dornoch Cathedral on Friday, 18th July. The happy couple are pictured at the door of the Cathedral after the wedding service. I had never been inside the church before the wedding. What a wonderful place to get married. Fiona and Iain are settling in Inverness and we wish them every blessing in their new life together.

THE JESUS WAY

Over the past week, I have been reading THE JESUS WAY by Eugene Peterson. This is a wonderful book which gives fresh insights into the Bible on a daily basis. If you haven't read any of his books before, I heartily recommend his writing, especially CHRIST PLAYS IN TEN THOUSAND PLACES.

Today, in my reading,Peterson has been focussing on the prophetic work of Elijah, and he writes,

"He will not see the results of his prophetic work. None of us in this kingdom work ever do. We "plant sequoias."

For me this observation is an important reminder. The summer will soon be over, and ahead lie many challenges. Some of them already appear quite intimidating.I need to remind myself that much of my/our work is about planting seeds which will bear fruit long after I/we are gone.

Duncan

Holiday Club 2008

Preparations for this year's Holiday Club are coming along nicely. The material this year is great, looking at Jesus as the Trainer, Physio, Teammate, Substitute, Winner and Champion. Did you guess that it is a sporty theme this year?

We have a great team of folks helping at Holiday Club, helping with groups, with creche, in the kitchen, helping with registration............it's going to be a great week.

Holiday Club registration will happen on SATURDAY 9TH AUGUST 2008, in the large hall of the church from 10am till 12pm.

I would be grateful if you could spread the word about Holiday Club...leaflets have went out, posters are up, the Holiday Club banner is in the front garden of the church, BUT it is always good to personally invite someone along. SO, I am asking all you adults out there who read this blog to go and tell your children, your grand children, your niece's and nephew's, your neighbours children's, your friend's children, any child you know about Holiday Club and invite them to be part of it. Go on, tell someone.......

For all the team - Holiday Club training is on Thursday 7th August in the church from 7.30pm till 9pm. Hope you can make it.

Set-making days are Saturday 2nd and Saturday 9th August from 10am - anyone can come along and help with this. Thanks.

Please pray for Holiday Club, pray that children would hear about it and come along, and that they would feel welcome and have lots of fun. Pray too that God would speak to the children through what they see and hear during the week and that lives would be changed.

Thank folks.

Chris