Latest News & Prayer Points – Apr 20

“Today I choose to stand in this place you have called me to,
And I declare that You are a Mighty God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth.
Your Kingdom shall endure and will never be shaken.
Open the windows of Heaven and pour out Your promised blessings in this generation.
Revive us, restore us and heal our land.
Thank you for going before us to open the way and remove all obstacles.
Increase our Faith, stir up Hope and keep us grounded and walking in Love.
Thank you that You are creating a dwelling place for God and man here; in Sannox, on Arran, for the nations.
Amen”

• Give thanks for our Friends who support us in so many ways. We bless you and pray for you in the name of Jesus.
• Pray for united and extraordinary prayer across the church of Christ.
• Stand against the clouds of fear threatening our land and declare that God is our Father Almighty, the God of Light and Hope. Pray for light and hope to flood across the world and our communities.
• Consider lighting a Candle of Hope.
• Give thanks for the release of resources from the Third Sector Resilience Fund and pray for our application to the Job Retention Scheme to cover the salary of our Housekeeper.
• Continue to pray for the remaining resources to buy the oak flooring and the AV system to complete the church.
• Pray for wisdom as we discuss and plan for the future in the uncertainty.

1. Prayers for our Friends – We appreciate all of our Friends of Sannox who support us in so many ways. We are praying for each of you by name through this difficult time. Please contact us if you would like us to pray for specific things at admin@sannox.org. These will be kept confidential.
2. Prayers of unity and Candles of Hope – We continue to pray for the Lord to turn the COVID-19 situation around and bring hope and light to the world. Here are three prayer themes:

• Let’s pray in unity that God will turn the situation from clouds of fear to light and hope. Agree that what we hear on the news about the future is not inevitable – we serve a loving God whose hand is outstretched to help and save.
• Pray for opportunities to reach out to our communities, friends and families to bring that message of light and hope in Jesus. Some of us are continuing the practice of putting a Candle of Hope in our window each night from 7 pm until Pentecost. This is a visible sign of hope and light.
• Pray for truth to be revealed and lies to be exposed. There are so many theories, opinions and reports that confuse, divide and cause fear and anxiety.

We held our first Zoom virtual prayer gathering on the 6 April which was great and worked well. Around 33 people linked in from Orkney to London and many places in between, including Arran. It was so good to see friends from so many areas and to share and pray together. So, we are doing it again on Monday 4 May 2020 at 8 pm. As we did last month, we will circulate the Zoom link with instructions. Please join us. You will need to download the Zoom app to participate.

The contractor is progressing well with the interior fit out of the church and is doing what he can, given the circumstances. The photographs show that the insulation and plasterboard are installed and ready for painting and the final electrical fix. This will have to wait until after the current restrictions. Note all the waste which cannot be disposed of at this time!

As mentioned last month, there are two items that still need to be funded. I am delighted to report that we have received a donation of £500 to go towards these items and we give thanks for this. Please continue to pray for the remaining costs:

1. Finished oak flooring – £2500 including VAT.
2. Audio-visual System for the church. Cost – £1000 including VAT.

We are very aware of the history and heritage on which we stand at Sannox; the prayers of the saints over 200 years and the things the Lord has done in this place. Quite often we hear stories that remind us of that history and heritage; often unexpected. Such was the email George and Fiona received from a long-standing friend. We have included it here for your enjoyment and encouragement:

“…. digging through some old family stuff from my father’s house I found a notebook. In the front there is an inscription from my grandfather, William, giving the book to his mother in 1895.
William was born in 1875 in Glasgow and his family used to regularly holiday in Arran. William became a Church of Scotland minister and went out to be a missionary in Manchuria in 1898 at the age of 23.
In the notebook, the first entry is a poem, written by William in 1895, at the age of 19 or 20, marking the end of their summer holiday. I read it and was immediately struck by the mention of Sannox.  I am sure you will be equally taken by the poem and my grandfather’s voice from 125 years ago that connects to what you are doing now.”

We sadly whispered to each other as we wandered slow by Arran’s shore, to watch the mist steal o’er the heather.
The sabbath bells had ceased to ring, silent the mist crept up the hill.
‘Twas stillness all; no living thing to mar the music of the mountain rill.
At length on the bridge where Sannox falls, with sullen roar, to the depths below,
we stayed our steps and my friend recalls, how oft, long since, he had watched its flow.

Tomorrow new scenes shall fill our souls, the cities whirl, the student’s pen;
but it unchanged, shall ceaseless roll from its angry gorge in the lonely glen.
Ceaseless thus, God’s cause goes on, though He by men is oft forgot.
Nor shall it stop, till the world is won and all men to His feet are brought.

William MacNaughtan, 1895

1. Third Sector Resilience Fund – As we reported last month, we applied for funding for our operational costs from this fund. We are delighted to announce that we received the full amount we asked for – £12,000.00. Give thanks for this provision. The money has arrived in our account and is specifically for operational costs.
2. Job Retention Scheme – We have applied for funding from this scheme to cover the salary of our Housekeeper who is unable to work due to the centre being closed and has been “Furloughed” under this scheme. This will cover 80% of her salary from the 1 April to the end of June; we will continue to cover the other 20%.
3. Monthly Donations – Thank you to all of you who are continuing to support us on a monthly basis during this difficult time.

• Midweek Retreat led by Roy Searle – This is under review and may have to be postponed.
• Bible Study Weekend – Friday 28 to Sunday 30 August 2020 – This is under review and may have to be postponed.

We bless you, in the name of Jesus, to receive all that the Father has for you and thank you for your continuing support of His work at SCC. Be blessed and protected in all you do for the Kingdom, in the mighty and beautiful name of Jesus.