Remember...
...to visit the Village Round-up page for details of other worthwhile events being held in Longniddry and the surrounding areas.

Well Done, Jamie!
Robin Hill writes
Although he has only been with us a few short weeks, already the Rev Jamie Griggs has made a very positive impression on our congregations. Our new assistant minister comes to us with a wide range of life skills, having lived in Scotland, England, Australia and Germany, and having taught Religious Education for many years (so I had better watch what I say!).This month sees Jamie’s first Sunday of “full services”, on 7th February, when he will be conducting worship and preaching under the benevolent gaze of his supervisor in both churches.One of the great things about having a probationer in our midst for a full fifteen months is that Jamie will be offering us his ideas, while giving us the benefits of all his experience. Equally, it is the job of the congregations and parishes of Gladsmuir and Longniddry to introduce Jamie to what life in a linked charge is all about. Teamwork: the name of the game, whether for a probationary period, or for church life as a whole.

Souper Sunday Goes National
A huge word of thanks to Gordon Smillie, Blythe Peart and their dedicated teams of keen volunteers for another brilliant Souper Sunday experience. Steve, Eilidh, Pat, Jill and Mhairi did a great job conducting worship so sensitively on the day, with the soups being appreciated by the seventy or so slurpers who stayed behind for nourishment. £450 has been raised to benefit the Church of Scotland HIV/AIDS Project. This will be added to totals raised by other congregations throughout Scotland and beyond, guaranteeing a very impressive outcome for the project. To see how other churches got on with Souper Sunday, visit www.soupersunday.info, where you will also find some well-known faces from close to home!

Jars of Grace 2010
At the end of 2009, our Kirk Session agreed to look into forging a twinning relationship with a congregation just outside Ekwendeni in the north of Malawi. As a step towards making this goal more tangible, we will be dedicating our annual Jar of Grace appeal to a Malawian cause (more news on this will follow very shortly). The idea behind the Jars of Grace is to have families collect coins in a jam jar at every meal time from Ash Wednesday (17th February) right up to Easter Day (4th April). If we all keep those pennies dropping, we should raise a very good sum for Africa. Special labels will be available in the first half of February, so look out a nice big jam jar, and get those coppers ready for action!

Macmerry Messy Church
When you think of the word “church” you might not immediately associate it with the word “messy” – certainly not in our sparkling, clean building! But our friends in Gladsmuir are about to embark on an exciting new journey of faith with a monthly “Macmerry Messy Church”, being staged on the second Sunday of each month at 9.45am at the village’s Miners’ Club. Featuring breakfast, stories, crafts and songs, Messy Church is a tried and tested way of introducing young families to what the church is all about. This important outreach initiative is being co-ordinated by Nicola Bruce, our Families and Young People’s Development Worker, whose enthusiasm and professionalism have been so impressive since she joined our Tranent Cluster of Churches last spring. To see what Messy Church is all about, go to www.messychurch.org.uk or head up the road to Macmerry Miners’ Club on Sunday 14th February to join in the fun. Don’t dress posh!!

Calling all Bookworms
Our adult education group starts its next two-month run of meetings on Monday 1st February at 7.30pm in the church, looking together at a book by one of the world’s most famous Christian thinkers. God has a dream is a fine little volume written by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Over eight chapters, he shows from his own painful experience “how individual and global suffering can be transformed into joy and redemption”. Copies of the book are available now from Jim Jamieson, at the discounted price of £5. All are welcome to join the group at any time.

Christian Aid Quiz
Roz Stewart writes
A “Pub” Quiz in aid of Christian Aid Funds is being held on Friday 5th March, at 7.30pm, in Longniddry Community Centre. Teams of up to six adults are invited to join us for a night of fun! Challenge your knowledge against “the brains” of the village! Tickets price £5 per person are on sale from Ann Reeks (852606), Jim Jamieson (852068) or Ros Stewart (852003) during the month of February. Price includes a light finger supper. A bar will be open during the evening. Please come and make our first quiz night a great success!

New Members Enquiry Day
Have you ever thought about joining the Church? Maybe you have considered becoming a member but did not know how to go about it. Well, help is at hand. Next month, on Saturday 13th March, we will be holding a new members enquiry day, kicking off at 10am and running through to approximately 2.30pm. This special day will give participants a chance to hear about what the Christian journey of faith is all about. The event will be light-hearted and fun, with no need for “in depth” speeches or deep theological discussion. Rather, it will be an opportunity to learn together about what membership of the Church of Jesus Christ in the 21st century is all about. In the middle of the day, a light lunch will be served (free of charge).

To register your interest or to find out more, contact Robin Hill (01875 853195) or Gordon Smillie (01875 853326). All we ask is that you let us know in advance that you will be coming, so we can lay on enough supplies.