John Mason MSP and Murdo Fraser MSP both put very clear cases for and against the proposal. The attentive audience were well informed and asked some serious questions which the politicians did their very best to respond to.

Being Chair for the evening I was not able to express my own point of view but I am grateful to both MSPs for clarifying a few points for me.

I am grateful to Murdo Fraser for stating that economically Scotland becoming independent from the United Kingdom would not necessarily impoverish us which is always been one of the big scary thoughts people had posed to dissuade the move to independence.

On the other hand did John Mason convince me by saying that we would all be £500 per year better off if we did become independent? I am still musing on that one.

Secondly Murdo Fraser asked the question:

“Why would we want to break from the United Kingdom after 300 years, what is the driving force behind this?”

That I thought was a very good question to answer and I am still weighing that one up in my mind.

On the other hand John Mason clarified for me that having our nationhood recognised by being an independent country would not necessarily diminish our relationship with the rest of the United Kingdom but could enhance it and I thought that was a positive spin on something that can be seen as very negative.

We had good discussion on Thursday, I hope you will help us continue the discussion. Let me start by suggesting a couple of topics:

1. The relationship with the EU after independence
2. The possibility of a widening ‘brain drain’ combined with an increased influx of economic migrants. This might mean fewer people generating the wealth to provide for social welfare.

Picture credit: The Laird of Oldham on Flickr.

Metro Big Band is a wonderful group of all-star jazz musicians and vocalists from across the USA.

Venue: Adelaide Place Baptist Church

Time: 7.30 pm

Admission FREE.

This email is a scam. The email address and phone number used do not belong to APBC and there is no Youth Conference being organised by APBC. Please do not engage with the scammers, as that is what they want.

The full text of one of the emails is below:

Adelaide Place Baptist Church
209 Bath Street,
Glasgow, G2 4HZ
Website:www.apbc.net
Email: adelaideplacebaptistchurch@gmail.com
TELEPHONE: +44 702 402 4745

REQUEST FOR SPEAKING ENGAGEMENT

Beloved [person's name] ,

I am Rev Jack Quinn from Adelaide Place Baptist Church in Glasgow,
UK. We want you to be our guest speaker at this year Adelaide Place
Baptist Church Youth Conference 2012 which will take place In
here in the UK .We are writing to invite and confirm your booking to
be our Speaker at this
year Adelaide Place Baptist Church Youth Conference 2012.Other
Ministers Of God are coming from Different part of the World.
The Venue as follows:
DATE:22nd -24th May 2012
VENUE:Adelaide Place Baptist Church
209 Bath Street,
Glasgow, G2 4HZ
Website:http://www.apbc.net
Email: adelaideplacebaptistchurch@gmail.com
Tel:44 702 402 4745
Contact Person: Rev Jack Quinn

Expected audience: 1500 people Duration of speech per speaker: 1 Hour
Name of Church/Organization
Host : Rev Jack Quinn
Tel Phone: +44 702 402 4745
Topic: THE EFFECT OF COMPROMISING GOD STANDARD.
Theme: “SHOW THE LIGHT AND THE PEOPLE WILL FIND THE WAY”.
REFERENCE:EVENT BROCHURE
SIGNING OF AUTOGRAPH: ALLOWED
SELLING OF CD’S AND BOOKS: ALLOWED.

The purpose of these conference is to re-brand the heart,mind,body and
soul of Christians who have gone astray and are diverting their whole
attention into mundane affairs and ensuring that it is possible for
Christians, whether new or of long standing, to deepen their spiritual
lives and gain eternal life. Also bringing a heart of deep compassion
and a strong commitment to the fullness of life that is found only in
the redemptive love of Christ.

We came across your profile on www.wofgod.org
and we say it’s up to standard and we will be very glad to have such an
outstanding personality in our mist for these overwhelming gathering.
With your multi-talented speech more lives will come close to GOD.
Arrangements to welcome you here will be discussed as soon as you
honor our invitation. If you have any more publicity material, please
do not hesitate to contact me. A formal Contract Agreement Letter
would be sent to you as soon as you honor our invitation. We are
taking care of your traveling and Hotel Accommodation expenses
including your Speaker fees.

In His Services,
Rev Jack Quinn.
Adelaide Place Baptist Church

Please join us for our Easter events in collaboration with our neighbours and friends at Renfield St Stephens:

Maundy Thursday 5th April, 6.30 pm, Oasis Cafe, Renfield St Stephens

• Join RSS and APBC folk for a meal in the Oasis Cafe, followed by Communion (please let Frances Manley know by Sunday 1st April if you plan to attend).

Good Friday 6th April
10.15 am, George Square

• Walk of Witness from George Square to St Vincent Plaza, Anderston.

Easter Sunday 8th April
7.00 am, patio area outside Renfield St Stephens

• Sunrise Easter Morning service. Followed by breakfast in the Oasis Cafe.

11.00 am, Adelaide Place Baptist Church

• Easter Morning Worship. Led by Jack Quinn.

You are welcome at any of these events, we look forward to sharing our Easter Celebrations with you.

The Scottish Government plans to run a referendum in autumn 2014 on whether Scotland should break away from the United Kingdom and become an independent country. We will bring together John Mason, an SNP MSP and Murdo Fraser, a Conservative MSP to debate alternative views on this important topic.

Please feel free to invite friends, family, neighbours, work colleagues and others to this interesting debate.

When: Thursday 26th April
Time: Coffee and cake from 7.15pm and discussion starting at 7.30pm
Where: Adelaide Place Baptist Church

Picture credit: The Laird of Oldham on Flickr.

Adelaide Place Baptist Church are looking for an Associate Pastor/Chaplain to join our City Centre team, taking the church closer to the local business community.

Update: Applications closed on 9th March and we are now evaluating the applications received. Thank you to all who applied and to those who helped spread the word about the post.

Background to the Post

Adelaide Place Baptist Church have been developing links with the Glasgow business community for nearly 20 years, particularly through Business in Glasgow (BiG) and our own city centre business, Adelaides. We now have a great opportunity, through partnership with Work Place Chaplaincy Scotland, to develop this ministry further by recruiting a person to be our new associate pastor and chaplain.

This will enable us to:

• Develop Chaplaincy work within the Adelaides business, in partnership with Work Place Chaplaincy Scotland.
• Release our senior pastor Jack Quinn half-time to work with Work Place Chaplaincy Scotland in its training, research and development.

Associate Pastor / Chaplain Role

The Associate Pastor / Chaplain role will:

• Develop a Chaplaincy ministry beginning with the church’s business ministry, making contacts with staff and clients of the nursery and guest house, and users of the auditorium.
• Develop the capability of the APBC congregation in their personal ministry.
• Pastor the church and Adelaides business.
• Preach, teach and lead worship.
• Share in the administration of the church (church and deacons’ meetings).

Application Pack

The application pack is available for download here:

• APBC Church Profile: Word  PDF
• Job Description: Word  PDF
• Person Specification: Word  PDF
• Application Form: Word  PDF

• Full application pack as a Zip file (both Word and PDF): APBC Pastor-Chaplain application pack

If you would like a paper copy or in an alternative format, please let us know by emailing jobapps @ apbc . net (remove the spaces).

UPDATED:new closing date: 9 March 2012. Applications are now closed.

Further information

If you would like to find out more about the new post or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by emailing jobapps @ apbc . net (remove the spaces).

All enquiries will be treated as confidential.

Carols by Candlelight at APBC (photo credit Jonathan Ferry)

Join us to celebrate Christmas 2011…

Sunday 11th December 2011

• Morning Service: 11 am
• Nursery Nativity Service at 3 pm

Sunday 18th December 2011

• Morning Service: 11 am
• Carols by Candlelight: 6.30 pm

Saturday 24th December 2011

• Candlelit Watchnight Service at Renfield St Stephens on Bath Street. Come at 11.00 pm for mince pies. Service starts at 11.30 pm.

Sunday 25th December 2011 (Christmas Day!)

• Christmas Morning Service: 10.30 am (jointly with our friends from Renfield St Stephens just down Bath Street)

Sunday 1st January 2012

• New Year Noon Brunch: 12 noon. Food and worship on the first day of 2012.

You are very welcome at any of these special Christmas events.

(picture credit: Jonathan Ferry)

Do you pray to transform your city?

I like the idea of transforming the city. I like the idea of the city reaching it’s full potential and reflecting the best of what the citizens are.

So last Thursday in the Southside housegroup we discussed how we would want to transform Glasgow. We all enjoy living here, but as with anywhere, there are things that we’d like to see improve. Here are a few of the dreams people have.

• A safer city centre in the evenings and weekends, particularly at night. (We are grateful for the work done by Glasgow Street Pastors.).
• For friends to find contentment in their lives, particularly those with unfulfilled dreams of their own.
• A more healthy city (alchohol, obesity, smoking).
• A less angry city.
• A deeper welcome extended to those who are new to the city, particularly those who don’t have close relationships through work, family or church.
• Less dependence on acquiring shiny new stuff, and more dependence on developing relationships.

As we’re planning for the next stage in the life of our church (more of this later), we want to use our dreams to drive our vision of a transformed city.

Glasgow’s motto is of course “Let Glasgow Flourish“, which is a shorter version of the text on the bell of the Tron Church cast in 1631

“Lord let Glasgow flourish through the preaching of thy word and praising thy name.”

Our dreams are simply a continuation of that desire to see our city flourish.

What are your dreams for Glasgow?

The concert will be in aid of two key charities we support: Glasgow City Mission and Totai Foundation in Bolivia.

If you wish to book tickets, please contact us.

Who Are Father’s Song

“How wonderful… when brothers get along” PSALM 133:1

The Christian faith brings people together, one with another, despite vast differences in life experience and background. Our society is more characterized by break-up, isolation and division, but the wonderful Christian message of reconciliation to God and then to one another through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the essential hallmark of what makes us FATHER’S SONG.

We are a vocal band of over 30 men drawn from a number of different churches in and around Glasgow, and FATHER’S SONG provides a place for the public expression of our thankfulness and praise to God for His love, mercy and grace. We really do want to sing, to shout and to lift up our hands in praise to God!

Being men of faith means that we are convinced that, in today’s tough world, sharing and expressing the truths of our faith is a powerful declaration of what God can do in a person’s life. We celebrate the impact and change that the Christian gospel brings to the lives and priorities of ordinary men from the West of Scotland.

Today, we want to direct attention away from ourselves to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Everything we need is found in Him. He is the One!

Photo credit jenosaur on Flickr

The Kelvindale House group had its first meeting of the new session last night.  The way had been prepared by a prior meeting at the home of Matt and Elaine the previous week where we had discussed the way we would go this session.

We began by asking for God’s blessing on our meeting and then listened to a Piano Reflection, music on the CD made by Alan Foggin.  This proved a very helpful introduction.

Next we decided to pray for the members of the church.  We did this by each of us taking a page from the church directory, and after reading out each name in turn we silently prayed for each person.

Following this, several of us took the opportunity to bring a reading, a poem or story which we thought would be helpful to all.  This was good for us.

Looking forward to our next few weeks we had the opportunity to set out our plans for the four-part study in Jonah.  For this we are indebted to the imaginative thinking and generosity of the Southside group who pioneered the study and donated the materials to our house group.

We looked further to the needs of the wider world and we had a prayer time which was based on the excellent book, “Operation World”.  We did this by using W O R L D, using its  five letters as the opening initials of the countries we would pray for.  Thus we prayed for Wallis and Fortuna(where?), Oman, Romania, Libya and Djibouti.  We think we will use this idea again in our coming meetings.

Our final item was a song taken from Morag’s iPod.  Michael Smith sang “Lord, I will lift my eyes to the hills” which seemed a good way to end before the benediction.

Next week we will meet at Ann’s home so come and join us. Talk to me or anyone from the group if you need directions.