September 2007

• Our trip overseas produced much blessing and new steps of faith.
• Summer clubs see new commitments to Christ.
• The Plockton High year for the CST has been planned out, including S6 Ethics Day and a CFW.
• Funding for Peru will start in September.
• SoundWaves restarts on September 11th, followed by FN@D&Rs and youth clubs in October.
• A new Prayer Awareness & Fund Raising Sub Committee has been formed to aid the work.

give thanks for

• new Christian life
• new steps of understanding or faith
• young people enthused to make a difference
• a superb and safe summer program
• answers to prayers

pray for

• teenagers on the brink of Christian commitment
• discipling of young Christians
• the Spirit to carry the work on into the school term
• discerning planning for the year
• continued support for the work of COOL

A summer of significance! In our church service prior to one of the holiday clubs, Rev. John Urquhart prayed that the week would be ‘one of significance.’ It seems to me that this summer has indeed been one of increased and tangible response to God and we are seeing answers to many of our prayers of the past.

This summer COOL has worked four holiday clubs, an overseas trip to Latvia and Estonia, seen roughly 250 school-age people, at least 60 volunteers from the locality and more from Edinburgh, Inverness, Stonehaven and the United States. The schedule was exhausting and non-stop but the rewards have been exciting and encouraging for the year ahead.

At the end of the summer term three American students arrived for a five week stint working in the churches and alongside Dave. Their main involvement was with the Lochalsh and the Glenelg & Kintail holiday clubs. This year we adapted some old SU material to come up with ‘Highland Gold,’ looking at the life of Paul. Jordan, from Alabama, kindly volunteered to be Paul as we prepared some video interviews with the apostle. The teaching was presented in many different ways from video, story telling, crafts, worksheets, group discussion, quizzes and drama.

We thank God for the life of a young friend from Kyle who gave her life to Jesus and for the steps taken by a number of our teenagers from the afternoon programs. A number have come to a point of belief with reports of new church attendance and daily Bible reading. The teams were also greatly encouraged and one adult prayed on the last day of one club, “Lord, we thank you for knocking on the door of our lives, and that this has been significant week for us.” One of the teens farewell words to me were: “I’ve been a [churchgoer] all my life and I never knew about the plan. Thank you for telling me about God’s plan.” Another wanted prayer to be able to pray out loud, and last Sunday she led the public prayer in church.

In the midst of the busy holiday club weeks, five students from Plockton joined a Baltic cruise aboard a 46ft sailing yacht, the Morning Star of Campbelltown. We spent a week sailing the Gulf of Riga, stopping each night in different harbours in Latvia and Estonia. We saw a diversity of weather conditions and everyone had the chance to sail, cook and take a full part in the running of the yacht. Each evening we had an hour’s Bible study which were really useful times to help understand the Christian faith. One wrote afterwards:

‘I just want to say Thank You for taking me on the Baltic Cruise, it was a tremendous experience, both physically and spiritually. The evening Bible study times really helped me to realise what being a true Christian is all about, and helped bring me closer to the Lord. Most of all, I’ve learned to ACT on being a Christian, instead of being “in the crowd watching on”. So Thank You for helping me walk with the Lord.’

We extend our deep gratitude to Bob Craig, skipper and owner, who allowed us the use of the yacht and also to his son, Jeremy, for volunteering to be first mate for the week.

Schools have now been back for two weeks and the usual activities are in place, from school assemblies to the Ethics Day and the March weekend away. We would hope to be able host another Christian Focus Week in the school and plan once again to take a group of S6 students to Peru next summer. We pray that the enthusiasm of the summer will continue into the term. SoundWaves in Broadford is about to restart along with Friday Nights and Saturday youth clubs. We especially remember the Glenelg group who are running Bible studies up until October, with numbers increasing.

Prayer Awareness & Fund Raising Sub Committee

Two of the essentials for any Christian focused work are prayer and finance! The Management Committee of COOL have recently decided that a sub committee with the specific focus on raising prayer awareness and raising further funds for the work should be formed, to highlight these aspects of our work. This sub committee will consist of Management Committee members Charles Clark and Moira Lane, together with Fiona Talbot, who has kindly agreed to be co-opted. They will be seeking the best ways forward in trying to achieve these goals, both in the local area, and from sources outwith the area. Local church leaders might expect a call from one of the sub committee members to discuss ways of bringing the various needs of COOL to their congregation’s attention more effectively, and to share with their congregations some of the ways that prayers have been answered, and to thank them for their praying and giving to date. We do trust that you will be able to assist us in this task, by extending a welcome to the sub committee members.

Finally, we are pleased to announce the new arrival of Keziah Ruth Mockett, born on 30th August.