Let's do it all again!

Summer Concert 19th June 2011

Following on from the success of our 2010 Christmas concert the Ayr Community Gospel Choir are calling all singers from 14yrs upwards (no limit!) to do it all again - this time for a Summer Concert on Sunday the 19th June 2011.
It would be great to see everybody again and you are more than welcome to bring someone new along!

The rehearsals will be in Wallacetown Church Hall (John Street Ayr) - the venue and time of the concert is still to be confirmed.

• 10th March Rehearsal 7.30pm till 9.00pm
• 24th March Rehearsal 7.30pm till 9.00pm 
• 14th April Rehearsal 7.30pm till 9.00pm
  (this rehearsal is during the second week of the Easter holiday but we can have a rehearsal for whoever is available)
• 28th April Rehearsal 7.30pm till 9.00pm
• 05th May Rehearsal 7.30pm till 9.00pm   
• 19th May Rehearsal 7.30pm till 9.00pm
• 02nd June Rehearsal 7.30pm till 9.00pm
• 16th June Rehearsal 7.30pm till 9.00pm
• 19th June Concert (afternoon rehearsal, times and venue still to be confirmed)

All new participants will need to register (click here!) and for those of 14-18 years of age we will also require parents’ consent.
This invitation is to members of the local community and beyond to come together and form a ‘Community Gospel Choir’ which is open to everyone aged 14 and above – you, your friends, local people …. In fact, anyone whether they have a faith or not.

New International Leader Elected

Today The Salvation Army announced its new world leader and the 19th General will be Canadian-born Commissioner Linda Bond!

She was elected by The Salvation Army’s High Council, a group of senior leaders from around the world who met this week near London. Commissioner Bond will succeed the current world leader General Shaw Clifton, who retires early April.

Commissioner Bond will be the 3rd woman and the 4th Canadian to hold the post of General of The Salvation Army in our 146 year history. She offers more than 42 years experience of ministry and leadership and currently heads up the church and charity’s work in Eastern Australia. This region includes the recently devastated state of Queensland where The Salvation Army continues to be heavily involved in assisting victims of widespread flooding.

Once in post as General of The Salvation Army, the Commissioner will become the head of more than one million Salvationists in 123 countries.  Read more HERE at IHQ’s official press release.


Congratulations, Commissioner Bond! We wish you the best as you prepare to lead The Salvation Army.

Glory be!

Thanks be to whom? …

Where should we start when thanking people for the Community Carol Concert at Castlehill Parish Church, Ayr, on the 12th of December 2010?

Perhaps with Liz Crumlish, Minister of Castlehill, for allowing us to use the venue for a second Christmas, and, as she commented herself, recognise that we have now created a Christmas tradition?

Or the Ayr Community Gospel Choir and its leader Bobby Irvine who, over a three month period, have rehearsed on a Thursday night in order to prepare for the carol concert? They presented a wide variety of songs from ”Joy to the world” to “Christmas song” and “Christmas Wonderland” to ”Praise his Holy Name”.

Or perhaps with Marjory Watson, the guest soloist for the evening. Her outstanding talent provided us with a number of fantastic solos, among them, "It's the most wonderful time of the year", "Emmanuel", "They followed His star", and "Mary did you know"?

On the other hand, we could begin by thanking the Riverside Church Praise Band for leading the Community Carol Singing; or Alistair Simmons, pastor of Riverside Evangelical Church, who reminded us that Christ was set into the world on a Divine rescue mission – to save sinners; illustrating this message with the rescue from above of the Chilean Miners.

Let us not forget the Drama group, who brought two amusing, but thought provoking presentations; first, auditions for the heavenly Choir, and secondly, a play that reminded us that we can get so caught up in the Christmas tinsel and trimmings that its often difficult to find Jesus in the midst of our celebrations.

Or do we just say that as a community we came together and had a wonderful time singing and being reminded of Christmas, and as a community donated over £900 to Hansel Village.

However you like to put it, thanks be to God for a blessed evening singing His praises and celebrating the story of the Babe of Bethlehem – born to be our Saviour and Lord.

God has richly blessed us again this Christmas season.

Robin Black

Lessons and Carols

Midwinter Christmas Lessons & Carols
Tuesday 21st December 2010
7.00pm
Wallacetown Church
Located in John Street
Ayr

Ayr Salvation Army invites you to a traditional Christmas service of 9 Lessons and Carols.
Following the service refreshments will be served in the church hall – all welcome.

Marjory Watson to Headline Community Carol Concert

International Singing Star Marjory Watson to Headline Community Carol Concert

Marjory Watson

The Salvation Army in Ayr is delighted to welcome back Marjory Watson as our guest vocal soloist for our 2010 Ayr Community Carol Concert on 12th December at 7.30pm to be held in Castlehill Parish Church. See the details here.

Marjory returned to Scotland last year after working in Los Angeles. Before that she worked as a freelance singer in London. She has appeared as a soloist in many of the country’s best concert venues including The Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, The Cadogan Hall, London, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester and The Royal Albert Hall, London. Internationally, she has performed in the Muziekcentrum Vredenburg, Utrecht and the Cerritos Performing Arts Centre, LA. On television, she appeared as a soloist on BBC1’s Heaven and Earth Show. She is a regular soloist with The All Souls Orchestra (Langham Place, London) and was guest soloist for their Scottish tour.

Marjory is an experienced recording artist and has recorded for many different groups and albums (including Simon Beck’s solo album to be released soon). She released her first solo CD, The Spark of Creation in 2004. She can also be heard as a singing dolphin on the soundtrack of the motion picture The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005).  

In 2006, Marjory made a successful debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe performing her own one-woman show, The Circle of Life.

Theatre credits include: Johanna in Sweeney Todd (Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy; Kings Theatre, Edinburgh); Sleeping Beauty in Into the Woods (Byre Theatre, St. Andrews) Mrs Cohen/Ensemble in Rent (Dundee Rep, Dundee) Songs for a New World (Starlight Showroom. Dundee). She sang on the recent UK tours of The Rocky Horror Show and 42nd Street. 

Marjory recently started teaching at the RSAMD in Glasgow as a lecturer in singing on their Musical Theatre courses.

Marjory and her husband Stuart both attend the Salvation Army in Kirkcaldy where Marjory leads the choir.

2010 Carol Concert Announced

Ayr Salvation Army

Community Carol Concert


12th December 2010 7.30pm

Castlehill Parish Church
3 Old Hillfoot Rd, Ayr KA7 3LW
01292 267332 ‎
click for directions




Featuring


Ayr Community Gospel Choir


Marjorie Watson - Vocalist


Timbrel Dance Group

Pastor Alastair Simmons

Community Singing


Free will offering on behalf of Hansel Village




For Information about Hansel click link: www.hansel.org.uk

Full time?

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, To prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. Ephesians 4: 11 & 12

Our Officer (Pastor) asked us last Sunday if we were full-time ministers - and there wasn’t a great show of hands!

Full-time to many people equates to paid employment. However as transformed followers of Christ, we have been called to do full-time service for the expansion of the kingdom.

As the quotation from Ephesians says, we have been given appointments by the Lord through the Holy Spirit, each one sealed by the contract of us accepting Jesus, and Jesus paying the price for our sins.

It is our job to carry out that appointment full-time, not just on Sundays or at church activities, but 24/7 - 365 days a year (366 each leap year), by sharing with the people with whom we come into contact.

So next time you are asked are you a full-time minister, the answer should be YES!!

Robin Black