Gospel Choir Rehearsals Underway

The first rehearsals for the Ayr Community Gospel Choir have taken place, but it's still not too late to get in on the action!
For the second year in a row they are planning a fun Christmas celebration. All are invited to participate. If you haven't joined up yet, all the details are here!

Don't miss out on this great opportunity to meet new friends and have a great time singing!

Closed box or a gateway?

Many people who profess to be Christian - attending church services every week and participating in church-related groups during the week - believe they are doing their part in extending God’s kingdom. They hope that by their worship style and the programmes they offer, new people will be attracted to their location. And once they get them to enter the church building, only then they can work with the Holy Spirit in converting them, and sharing the good news about Jesus.
 
While it is never a bad thing to have new people entering our church buildings, it would seem we have badly misinterpreted what "church" really is! The "Church" in the Bible refers to the people who have come to know Jesus as their personal friend, and are striving - with his leading and intervention of the Holy Spirit - to lead lives like Christ! The Bible refers to "the church" as the "body of Christ".  And one of the purposes of that body is to reach out and win new members to that body - to replicate!
 
Over the centuries many christians never learned or have (conveniently?) forgotten that Jesus called us to be disciples! And not just at the weekend or when we meet in our groups! Jesus commanded us to be disciples every day and every hour of the week, and in every situation!

The only way we can expand the body of the Church is to be alongside the people we with whom we work, have coffee, share school runs, and stand in the shopping queue! It is in these situations we are required to share the good news as The Holy Spirit leads!

This is what Jesus meant when he sent the disciples out to go into the highways and byways to share the good news, because the “Field is white unto harvest”.  As God’s people and church we have to be "whole life" - 24/7 - Christians.

This can be a scary thought because we will need to depend wholly on the Holy Spirit and his leading. We will have to live what we believe and pass that on in conversation and testimony.
 
This is how the Church becomes a gateway. It is through this door of committed discipleship that those whom God has challenged using our influence, come and are nurtured in the church. They can then be trained in our various groups to equip them to be disciples too, as Jesus intended. And then they will become gateways themselves engaging in whole life discipleship ministry.

Are your Church doors locked - keeping you in?  Or are they wide open to allow disciples to be made, used, and replicated?
 
Remember Jesus didn’t just choose disciples in Bible times. He chose you to be disciples in the present time, before you were born.

If you would like to know more please contact us.

Robin Black
 

Do you have the right copyright?

I was sitting in our service at Ayr Citadel Salvation Army, the other week when our Officer (Pastor) asked us to turn up a song in Mission Praise, nothing unusual in that, however it was the song next to it that caught my attention. It wasn’t for the beauty of the words, or the lovely tune, as it had neither of these. In fact the song didn’t exist, well it did exist, because it had a song number allocated, I think it was 325, however it was not available to be sung. The reason was given in a single line of text, “this Song has been withdrawn due to copyright issues”.

This one sentence made me think and ask a few questions:

• What was the copyright issue?
• Why hadn’t it been resolved?
• What have I missed because the song wasn’t there?
• Did anyone else notice it was missing?

It then struck me that the same thing could happen in my spiritual life, it says in the Bible “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
If we don’t accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we don’t have our Copyright in order, therefore when we get to heaven, will there be an entry next to our name “Withdrawn because of Copyright issues”

What could the possible answers be to those questions in relationship to my personal Copyright?

• The copyright issue was I failed to be covered by the blood of the lamb, in other words I had not accepted Christ as Saviour
• I always reckoned the expiry date was tomorrow, unfortunately tomorrow never came
• I missed the peace and Joy and contentment of being in the safety of Jesus the risen saviour
• Did anyone else notice it was missing? Unfortunately, that I don’t know, however, I am sure 2 would, Myself and God

I know I have to constantly to go back to the source of renewal for my copyright and that is Jesus, sometimes it is easy sometimes it is hard, however the consequences are not just a missing song but a missing soul and a life of living in eternity with God.

Is your copyright up to date?


Robin Black

Christmas Gospel Carol Service Announced

Calling all singers who would like to sing in The Salvation Army’s AYR COMMUNITY GOSPEL CHOIR

Following on from the success of our 2010 summer concert the Ayr Community Gospel Choir are calling all singers from 14yrs upwards (no limit!) to do it all again - this time for a Christmas Carol Concert on Sunday the 12th December 2010.

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 of the concert is still to be confirmed.

• 14 October Rehearsal 7.30pm till 9.00pm
• 04 November    Rehearsal 7.30pm till 9.00pm
• 18 November    Rehearsal 7.30pm till 9.00pm
• 02 December    Rehearsal 7.30pm till 9.00pm
• 09 December    Rehearsal 7.30pm till 9.00pm
• 12 December    Rehearsal 3:30pm and Concert 7:30pm

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.

SUMMER GOSPEL PRAISE!

A near capacity audience filled the Ayr Town Hall on Sunday evening, the 13th June, for the first Summer Praise Concert of the Ayr Community Gospel Choir.

It was an inspiring evening for all who attended, with folks young and old alike leaving with raised spirits and a song in their hearts.


The Gospel Choir reformed after a tremendous debut Christmas Carol Concert and under the leadership of Bobby Irvine contributed five songs to the evening. The first song, "Wake up O sleeper", really got the audience's toes tapping and hands clapping and it was noted that a group of ladies from a Cumnock Church were even dancing in the aisles!


The timeless "I know a fount" and the reflective arrangement of "Holy Ground" was contrasted with the vibrancy of the singing of "Praise His Holy Name".

Members of the choir and audience alike enjoyed it to the full.

Special guests for the evening were Keith Johnston, who wowed the audience with his two cornet solos. Keith is the bandmaster of the Salvation Army's Edinburgh Gorgie Band and his contributions of The Carnival of Venice and Burn's My love is like a Red Red Rose were very well received. William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army once asked the question "Why should the devil have all the best tunes?" and Keith reminded the audience prior to his playing of the favourite Burn's song that the words of "There is a green hill far away" fit well with this tune, he particularly highlighted the verse including "He [Jesus] only could unlock the gate of Heaven and let them in", which linked very well with the preceding drama, "Knocking on Heaven's Door".

Vocal soloist, Marjory Watson contributed songs from the stage and motion picture following the themes of love and hope. Accompanied by her husband Stuart on the piano, she really engaged the gathered audience with her singing of many favourites. Her varied repertoire showed her flair and talent and Marjory linked a favourite of many "I'm finding" to the search for true love that we all go through, recognising the love of God as the ultimate expression of love. Her contributions culminated in a powerful rendition of The Prayer, where she was joined by Bobby Irvine.

The evening concluded with the Gospel Choir singing Total Praise, which summed up the whole atmosphere of this Summer Praise concert.

Graeme Parkhill

Gospel Festival

SUMMER PRAISE! GOSPEL FESTIVAL

AYR TOWN HALL

SUNDAY 13th JUNE 2010 - 7PM


FEATURING

AYR COMMUNITY GOSPEL CHOIR
MARJORY WATSON (VOCAL)
KEITH JOHNSTON (CORNET)
BOBBY IRVINE (VOCAL)
DRAMA GROUP (WENDY PARKHILL)

ADMISSION FREE

FREEWILL OFFERING

PROCEEDS TO: AYR SALVATION ARMY BUILDING FUND
www.salvationarmyayrcitadel.info

Life's Plan

Life's Plan

As I sit at my Desk in the Lloyds Banking Group in Halifax England, I know it is not the best work situation I have ever had. If I am being honest it is not the worst, however, I must be getting old (or older) as I miss being home every night with my family. This has led me to a feeling of uneasiness as well as a feeling that I would like to be working closer to home. When you are feeling disgruntled, you often forget that you are in the middle of a life plan. My life plan had been created and posted long before I even set foot on this earth.

I have been far too busy worrying how I will change my situation, how I will get a new job, how I will only think of me. I need to remember I am in the middle of a plan and God is the ultimate programme manager. God knows what my next activity is and I am sure I will find out in his good time. I need to look back and see his hand on everything I do; he is not going to leave me to my own devices now.

I can however make a difference to the plans conclusion, I can forget who is greater than me, who sees the full plan, who sees the contacts I make and as I forget - plan delays issues and risks arise. However if I put my hand in the Lord's and do as Bobby Irvine (Ayr Bandmaster) described in his thought on the 14th of February from Psalm 99 "I, will say of the lord" then I will be able to cope, I will be put in a place that is right, but more important I will be on plan with God as the programme manager.

I saw a sign on the London Underground last year that said a baby's DNA was 50% of the mother and 50% of the father, but that they were a 100% loved - for me I am 100% the child of a King!

Robin Black