Latest update on the church building and upcoming Elders Election

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Hello Tilly Baptist people,

Here is a quick update about the church building and some of the ways it affects us. This Sunday we will meet at 11am at the CENTENARY HALL, Hamilton Street, Tillicoultry.

Church Building
The main hall of the church building is still out of commission and it will most certainly be a matter of weeks, rather than days to resolve the issues.

We had two companies look at the ceiling and expect rough estimates by the beginning of next week. Both recommended not to enter the hall if at all avoidable.

There is no telling yet if the issues can be repaired or if the ceiling might need replacing completely. It is also too early to weigh up any pros and cons or speculate about the best way forward. The facilities team has been very proactive and the insurance company is involved.

Tonight a few brave souls will go in and move some of the equipment into storage and eventually all contents (chairs,…) will be moved into the back hall. Even though the rooms in the back of the church are not affected and could be used in principal, the lack of safe access to even open the back doors is making it less of an option. So for the time being they will be used for storage. Some of the things used for Sunday School and Creche will be moved to the Annexe for easier access.

Sunday Service – 16 October
This Sunday we will meet at 11am at the CENTENARY HALL, Hamilton Street, Tillicoultry and it is an altogether service. This arrangement is only for this Sunday. There are quite a number of options as we consider how to proceed for the next few months – we still have our focus on growth (in numbers, in depth, as well as our effectiveness in the community). There is a general feeling among the leadership that this situation presents us with opportunities as well as challenges. Please pray with us to make the most of what we have.

There will be no communion served this Sunday.

Midweek Events
There are a few regular gatherings that happen in church during the week and we are working with those groups to find a suitable alternative. We already had an offer from the Congregational Church across the road to host Cafe 2:16 and hope to keep as many of those activities going.

Our aim is to use the Annexe more and also keep the bookings in there going as normal.

Elders election – we have another potential candidate
A few days ago we asked you to please add Amanda Nicholls to the list of eligible members. Today we can add another – Gina Alexander. We are sorry we missed them both in our original list and appreciate their gracious
communication and help in updating our records.

As far as we know, no nomination forms have been submitted yet, but if you already filled yours in and these updates change your mind, please let Frank (secretary@tillicoultrybaptist.org) know and he will send you a new form. You can also use the online form to nominate; all members should have received that link. There will be a ballot box for your forms available at the service and you can also deposit them in the mailbox at the church.

The deadline for nominations is by the end of day next Sunday, 23 October