Gospel Work and other Assembly Activities – November-December, 1976

A correspondent asks why believers will not help in open-air work including that of the mobile units. In a past day most assemblies maintained an open-air witness but today such are in the minority. Are we ashamed to be associated with the Gospel or have we lost any real concern for those who know not the Saviour?

The weather during the recent summer has been ideal for working in the open-air, but many have let the opportunity pass. Let us make sure that we do not let the opportunities of the future escape us in a similar way.

Mid-Scotland

J. Campbell and J. Hay have been labouring in the Gospel at Kinross. Two have made decisions to accept the Saviour as Lord and one or two outsiders continue to attend the meetings.

South Scotland

R. McPheat held an encouraging series of Gospel meetings with a portable hall on one of the estates at Bellshill, Lanarkshire. Many heard the Word and at least two souls told of trusting Christ.

As a result of the personal work in the upperward of Lanarkshire, J. Aitken has seen fruit in the baptism of two ladies at Leadhills. In the same county P. Brandon has held well attended Gospel meetings where some blessing has been seen.

Further blessing has resulted from the summer mission in Thornhill, Dumfriesshire.

The Wigtown area was the object of special attention with the Gospel at the end of July. In addition to the county work at Port William, a company of young believers held a preaching holiday at Stranraer. At Portpatrick a S.C.E.M. team saw some encouragement. In Newton Stewart a young lady trusted the Saviour and has since been baptized.

The camp in connection with Hebron Hall, Port Glasgow, was held during the last week of July in Perth. There were ninety campers and D. Craig of Belfast was again responsible for the preaching. Some nineteen of the young folk made profession of faith in the Lord Jesus, while the believers found good spiritual help.

The previous week the camp from Paisley and District took place at Callander where again blessing was received.

South Wales

The exceptionally good weather made camping most enjoyable and many young folk were blessed through the messages heard during the camps held in the Gower Peninsula.

C. Hocking and J. Hunter ministered the Word to a packed hall at the Maesybont Annual Conference.

The City of Cardiff is celebrating its 1900th anniversary and the assemblies in the city are taking advantage of the occasion to distribute a most attractive booklet conveying an excellent Gospel message.

South-West England

Believers at West Hill, Plymouth, were encouraged by a good attendance at their Annual Conference. The ministry given by F. Holmes and G. B. Fyfe was both spiritual and practical.

The Tent was pitched in Bodmin so that children did not have to cross the busy main road and as a result they came in good numbers. Several parents were contacted and there were opportunities to talk to local teenagers when they came to the caravan after the evening meetings.

The Tent work in St. Austell was very hard although the assembly gave every possible support. While the children’s meetings were good, on some evenings there were only two or three adults present. Nevertheless there was evidence of blessing in the hearts of some. Others, although under evident conviction, turned away from the Saviour.

The Plymouth Postal Sunday School invited the scholars and their parents to visit the tent one afternoon. This proved to be a most profitable time as they met the teachers.

The Tent was at Penzance during holiday time, so a Bible School was held in the mornings each day for the children. Numbers were good and there was a keen interest. Meetings for the children were also held each evening.

The believers in Cornwall, exercised about the follow up work, are considering the acquisition of a mobile hall which would enable meetings not to be restricted by the weather.