40 Days Blog - Day 16

Philippians 1:1-11 - When Plans Are Chained

Corrie ten Boom planned a quiet, ordinary life. She worked in her family’s watch shop in the Netherlands and expected to live and die there. However, World War II changed everything. After being caught hiding Jews, Corrie was arrested and sent to a concentration camp with her sister Betsie. There she lost her freedom and her sister, but she didn’t lose her faith!

In her suffering Corrie turned to prayer, read her Bible and gathered other prisoners together for worship. What looked like a life interrupted became a life poured out. After the war, God used Corrie’s testimony to bring countless people to faith and the book ‘The Hiding Place’ has been read all over the world.

As Paul writes this letter, he too finds himself chained. He is under guard, uncertain of his future, and unable to carry out his missionary plans. Yet this letter is not marked by bitterness, fear, or frustration; instead it overflows with gratitude and joy as Paul knows God is at work in the darkness.

Paul writes to a church he planted around eleven years earlier. Philippi was not an easy place to follow Jesus. It was a major Roman city on the Ignatian Way, shaped by fierce loyalty to the empire and emperor worship. Pagan temples dominated the city, and there was not even a synagogue. Nevertheless, the gospel took root and flourished. The church was strong but not perfect and subtle cracks were appearing. Disunity threatened to distract and divide them, so the Apostle was compelled to write.

Despite his chains and the church’s growing tensions, Paul’s focus was not on himself. The letter begins with a greeting and then we see a very clear focus on prayer!

Paul prays with thankfulness, praising God for the Philippians believers. He prays with joy, rooted not in comfort or freedom but in confidence that God is at work. He prays for others, not himself—there is no request for release or relief, only concern for their spiritual health. He prays with confidence, trusting that the God who began a good work will bring it to completion. Finally, he prays for spiritual growth and God’s glory, not ease or success.

The big lesson today is that our circumstances do not have to become the control centre of our lives. Paul does not blame God, rage against Rome, or sink into self-pity. He chooses prayer and as a result, this letter carries a surprising, defiant theme—joy. A joy anchored in an unchanging God who is always present in the mountain highs and valley lows of life.

So when your plans are disrupted, when doors close and the chains of life tighten, the real question is not, Why is this happening? But, Who will I trust? Paul shows us that the best response is prayer and that joy is still possible, even when plans are chained.

A Prayer

Lord, help me trust Your purposes when my plans are foiled. Teach me to take hold of prayer, that in my suffering I might be used as a blessing to others.

Amen.

Listen to today's reading and blog post below...

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Hello

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When

The church meets every Sunday at 9.30am at Drumclog and 11am at Avendale.

Sunday worship continues to be live-streamed from Avendale each Sunday at 11am on the Avendale & Drumclog YouTube Channel.

At Drumclog we meet at:
Drumclog Memorial Kirk
Drumclog
South Lanarkshire
ML10 6QG

At Avendale we meet at:
Avendale Old Parish Church
59A Kirk Street
Strathaven
South Lanarkshire
ML10 6LB

For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it at both Avendale & Drumclog. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up and show you where the disabled toilet is located if required.

Our Service - Drumclog Memorial Kirk

Drumclog

At Drumclog, the service begins at 9.30am with a warm welcome from our Minister, or the person leading the service. During the service we usually sing 2 or 3 songs/hymns. The Minister or a member of the Worship Team will usually read aloud from the Bible and lead the congregation in prayer. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it’s all part of our connecting with God. The Minister, or person leading the service, will then give a sermon that is Bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church.

The service lasts approximately 45 minutes. Sometimes there is an opportunity to receive prayer at the end of the service. After the service we serve refreshments (tea, coffee and biscuits) in our church hall. This is a great way to meet people and enjoy fellowship together. We would love to chat to you there!

Our Service - Avendale Old Parish Church

Avendale Wide

At Avendale, the service begins at 11am with a warm welcome from our Minister, or the person leading the service. Before the service begins, we will show a loop of news and notices on the screens in the church. This is a good way to find out what's going on in the life of the church. During the service we usually sing 3 or 4 songs/hymns, often led by our church praise band 'The Elastic Band'. The Minister or a member of the Worship Team will usually read aloud from the Bible and lead the congregation in prayer. This might seem strange the first time you hear it but it's all part of our connecting with God. The Minister, or person leading the service, will then give a sermon that is Bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. Throughout the service, we may also show videos on the screens in the church to help us reflect on what is being shared during worship or in the sermon. We then share news and notices, usually about what's going on in the life of the church.

The service last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. After the service we serve refreshments (tea, coffee and biscuits) in our church hall. This is a great way to meet people and enjoy fellowship together. We would love to chat to you there!

images: Services

What about my kids?

At Avendale, we have a great programme lined up for kids of all ages:

Family Corner - located within the Sanctuary, this is a great place for toddlers and younger children to play, supervised by their parents/carers, who are still able to be part of the congregation
Family Room - a quiet room within the building, for families to watch a live stream of the service, with toys and activities to do with their children
His Kids (5-10 years)
Yoof (11-18 years)

Children stay with their parent or carer at the start of the service for the welcome, songs and short Children's Talk. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the Children's Talk, someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy the first time you come along to church.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, Bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes.

For more information about what happens in the children's and youth work please visit the Children's Ministry page and/or the Youth Ministry page.

N.B. - there is no children's programme or youth programme during the service at Drumclog.

Getting Connected

Home Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our Home Groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons and some evenings. Check out our Home Groups page and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a Home Group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group. If you would like us to put you in touch with a Home Group leader, please let us know via our Contact Us page.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team here.

Other Ministries

We also run the following ministries:

Other Groups in the Avendale & Drumclog Community

The following groups are also part of the life of our church:

Get in touch with us to plan your visit

If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

Leadership


Rev Calum Stark - Minister		David Moreland - Session Clerk

To find out more about our staff and leaders, please visit our Staff & Leadership page.
We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Best Wishes

Calum Stark - Minister