Join us during Advent as we realise, “Christmas Is Different - Jesus Is Better”. Each day we delve into the book of Hebrews, fix our eyes on Jesus and realise that He is better than everything else. Better than the worst things of this year, but also better than the best things we have ever experienced. Each day there is a short video based on a passage from Hebrews. By Christmas Day we will have read through the whole book of Hebrews, but more importantly we will have looked to Jesus each day and discovered that “Jesus is Better!”
If you missed Beside The Burn over the weekend
Let’s Pray For Global mission workers
Pray for all PCI global mission workers this Christmas, whether they are overseas or in Ireland. Pray that each will be blessed and encouraged as they celebrate the birth of the One they are seeking to serve. Middle East This area of the world has suffered much in recent years, especially the people of Syria. Pray for peace, justice and stability throughout the region and for the growth of the local Church. |
Here is a short devotional meditation from the Bible Society and Movement Day UK
Canon J. John has been recording a word of the day since the first lockdown began in March. I may be a bit late at discovering this but they are still worth sharing, and all presented in less than a minute.
Here is the tweet from Peter Lynas that I read in Burnside yesterday -
Some tough decisions across the UK.
Praying for politicians and remembering
it’s no-one’s job to save Christmas - Christmas saves us!
It will be very different,
but the wonder of the incarnation remains
and we might be able to reflect on it a little more clearly this year.
- Peter Lynas
Sing We The Song of Emmanuel led by Matt Boswell & Matt Papa
Recorded LIVE at The Grand Ole Opry House as part of the Getty Music Worship Conference: Sing! 2019.
The chosen is an American dramatisation about Jesus. It uses a fair bit of artistic license to document the lives of those who were impacted by Jesus. There is a whole series of episodes and this is the Christmas Special looking at the shepherds. The story takes the first 18 minutes and then there is 6 minutes of background to the series. Well worth a watch.
Raise your voices to your favourite carols and join in a special extraordinary nativity from the Methodist Church in the UK! Be part of a huge worship experience preparing for Christmas and worship together with acclaimed musicians such as the globally recognised boys choir Libera, award winning musicians Lucy Grimble and Bianca Rose, the Belfast Community Gospel Choir, Emu Music, singer/songwriter Tom McConnell, the Jazz Community Church, OneSound and The National Methodist Choir of Great Britain of over 1,600 singers across the world, alongside an original nativity narrated by BAFTA winning presenter of CBeebies and Songs of Praise, Gemma Hunt, and featuring the children from a Methodist School.
God Tabernacled Among Us
When a person makes his home among people, he moves in with them. He identifies with them. The incarnation is the moving in of the eternal Word so that he utterly identifies with us in every way. Read more here - www.crossway.org/articles/god-tabernacled-among-us |
Frequent Churchgoers Have Better Mental Health
The only demographic subgroup who didn’t report a decline [in mental health] were those who attend religious services weekly. That group showed an increase of 4 percent compared to 2019. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/frequent-churchgoers-better-mental-health/ |
If it cost you everything, would you go there?
Christmas is when the Son of God volunteered for the ultimate mission.
Perhaps one of the strangest animations you will watch this Christmas, but when you hear the explanation of the Gospel you will want to go back and watch it again.
The latest update from the New Horizon Team
Announcing NH2021: 9 - 13 August
As we look forward to a New Year, we are delighted that arrangements for New Horizon 2021 are taking shape. We are planning to have a LIVE event next August, although we do expect to be limited by Covid restrictions.
NH2021 will run for five days from Monday 9 August to Friday 13 August featuring Bible Teaching followed by a seminar in the mornings together with an evening celebration each day.
The event will be staged at the Coleraine Campus of Ulster University in The Diamond (our original home) with as many in attendance as the rules allow. We're delighted that these events will also be LIVE streamed and we intend to explore "add ons" both on site and digitally.
There will be no on-site children’s work due to current restrictions but we are planning some one offs. As restrictions relax, we will reassess other activities.
Together we look forward to exploring our theme:
The times for yesterday’s Jigsaw
Jean 11:42
Derek 13:05
The Boats at Portstewart Harbour have featured a few times on the Burnside Blog here they are covered in the snow of 2010.
Play the "Harbour In Snow" puzzle!
https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=10026753cd03