Activities This Month

1st                         Communion as part of the Morning-Service.

12th                      Women’s Evening, 8pm @ The Manse.

14th                      Men’s Breakfast, 8:30am @ AP. | Saturday Morning Outreach, meet at 11am, outside The Christian Bookshop.

19th                      Church-Forum. Meeting in-person, downstairs in the church-building & via Google Meet [meet.google.com/zoo-geko-utn].

20th                       Bible Club, 6-7pm @ The Manse.

23rd – 26th            Week of Prayer for the Year Ahead:

Monday 23rd Evening Hour of Prayer (7:30pm)
Tuesday 24th Evening Hour of Prayer (7:30pm)
Wednesday 25th Mid-Morning Prayer-Meeting (10:30am)
Thursday 26th Evening Hour of Prayer (7:30pm)

29th                        Derrick leading and preaching @ AP Evening-Service (Rhodri preaching @ Eglwys Efengylaidd Aberystwyth)

30th                        Officers’ Meeting

[Note: The book-table continues to go out every Saturday (weather-permitting), members, speak to Eric if you are interested in joining the work.]

Other Notes

  • The Church-Forum is an opportunity for the Church Officers to share with the rest of the church what they have been discussing and planning. The purpose of the meeting is to better inform interested members of what’s going on behind the scenes so that they can pray and give better input into these ongoing conversations.
  • The Week of Prayer from the 23rd to the 26th of January is an opportunity to focus on the year ahead, and—most importantly—to pray about it. We will have three evening meetings (Monday, Tuesday & Thursday, 7:30pm), and one daytime meeting (Wednesday, 10:30am), members encouraged to make a special effort to come to as many of those meetings as possible.
  • Whole-Church Prayer-Meeting dates: 3rd, 17th & 31stSmall-Group Prayer-Meeting: 10th (24th: Week of Prayer Special)
  • Speak to Rhodri, Ian, or Eric if you are interested in joining one of the three small-groups.
  • The weekly Women’s Fellowship continues to meet on Wednesday mornings, in AP basement at 10:30am. (Note: There will be no Women’s Fellowship on Wednesday the 25th, because of the week of Prayer).
  • The monthly Bible-Reading-Groups Bible-book is Nehemiah this month. All church-members are encouraged to read it and consider Christ as you do, those attending the groups (Women’s Evening / Men’s Breakfast / Bible Club) keep a note of observations and questions to share with your group. Good questions to ask (these are questions the Bible asks about itself):
    1. What did you learn about the Lord Jesus?
    2. What did you learn about yourself?
    3. How were you corrected and rebuked?
    4. How do you feel you need to change?
    5. What did you learn from scripture that will help you endure (keep going) and be encouraged?
    6. What did you learn that will teach you to do works of service to build up the brothers and sisters in AP?
    7. What have you learned that helps you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind?
    8. What has helped you love your neighbour as yourself?
  • Advance Notice: Monday 6th of February — Members’ Meeting

Book News & Recommendations

Note: the bookshop will be closed until the 1st of February.

Any book-orders or enquiries related to the bookshop should be emailed to info@apbookshop.co.uk

Visit the Bookshop Facebook Page for all the latest information, including opening hours (note: a Facebook account is not required to access that page.)

NEW YEAR: DEVOTIONAL-HELPS

SEASONS OF THE HEART: A Year of Devotions from One Generation of Women to Another – Donna Kelderman [ed.] (Reformation Heritage Books, 2013)

Perhaps some of the most challenging yet tender words ever penned come to us from the writings of godly women of the past. Selected by Donna Kelderman as daily readings, here is a collection of such writings. And who can tell what blessings may be in store for us with a year spent in the company of women like Ruth Bryan, Mary Winslow, Susannah Spurgeon, Frances Ridley Havergal, and many others?” — Faith Cook.

This devotional-collection is aimed at women, but the majority of the extracts I read were applicable to both men and women, and extremely helpful. When we look at the Bible, we meet some remarkable “church-mothers” like Deborah, Huldah and Mary, who have much to teach us, in their unique role as women of the word. The women quoted in this collection continue that tradition, and they are a blessing to read. This would be good for women to read in a private-worship setting, but would also be helpful for couples to read together.

365 DAYS WITH CALVIN: A Unique Collection of 365 Readings from the Writings of John Calvin – Joel R. Beeke [ed.] (Day One, 2008)