Yesterday we were received into membership at the Tabernacle church here in Stanley. It is a free evangelical church with a small congregation and active membership of only about a dozen people. As we have no pastor or elder at present, members of the congregation lead services and preach. Simon took the service yesterday morning which was pentecost Sunday. We have services at 10am and 7 pm on Sundays and meet for bible study and prayer on Tuesday evenings in the home of one of the members.
On the second Sunday evening of the month our service is broadcast on the local radio. The 1st and 3rd Sundays it is from the Anglican cathedral, the 4th Sunday from the catholic church and when there is a 5th Sunday we have a united service at the Lighthouse seaman's centre. I led our last one which was based on the parable of the prodigal son which we had been studying in our mid-week meetings. As this was only the 3rd service I had led I found it very scary and challenging - not helped by the fact that we had problems getting the sound equipment working which were only sorted out at literally the last minute. Miraculously what I had prepared exactly filled the alloted hour. I have felt really challenged as I have never been involved in this kind of ministry before. I felt before we came here that God had something new for us but certainly hadn't imagined myself preaching!
On Thursday we have an elder, called Paul Evans, from a church in UK arriving who is going to be helping us for 2 months so we are looking forward to his teaching and encouragement. He will be staying with us during his visit.
The Tabernacle was built in 1891 and, like quite a few buildings here, was sent out from the UK in kit form. As bricks were expensive to ship and the local quartzite stone very hard to quarry it is built of corrugated iron (known locally as wriggly tin). Renovation and refurbishment of the building is planned including new windows. Part of the building is used during the week by a nursery.
On the second Sunday evening of the month our service is broadcast on the local radio. The 1st and 3rd Sundays it is from the Anglican cathedral, the 4th Sunday from the catholic church and when there is a 5th Sunday we have a united service at the Lighthouse seaman's centre. I led our last one which was based on the parable of the prodigal son which we had been studying in our mid-week meetings. As this was only the 3rd service I had led I found it very scary and challenging - not helped by the fact that we had problems getting the sound equipment working which were only sorted out at literally the last minute. Miraculously what I had prepared exactly filled the alloted hour. I have felt really challenged as I have never been involved in this kind of ministry before. I felt before we came here that God had something new for us but certainly hadn't imagined myself preaching!
On Thursday we have an elder, called Paul Evans, from a church in UK arriving who is going to be helping us for 2 months so we are looking forward to his teaching and encouragement. He will be staying with us during his visit.
The Tabernacle was built in 1891 and, like quite a few buildings here, was sent out from the UK in kit form. As bricks were expensive to ship and the local quartzite stone very hard to quarry it is built of corrugated iron (known locally as wriggly tin). Renovation and refurbishment of the building is planned including new windows. Part of the building is used during the week by a nursery.
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