WELCOME

Moderator
Rev. Toby McIntosh
0428 862 962
Minister
Rev. John Brennan
(03) 5334 2199

MORE ABOUT US

ABOUT US

We are a parish made up of 2 congregations - Scots in Ballarat North and Smeaton Presbyterian.

Our Mission:
  • To share our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, with others, so that we all grow in the wisdom, knowledge and love of Christ.
  • To live godly lives, bound together into a family by His love.
  • To teach Biblical truth.
Our Vision:
  • To be a place where people seeking a more purposeful and fulfilling way of life may find peace, joy and rest.
  • To be a place of welcome and nurture for people of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities who wish to follow Christ, the Son of God.

FROM THE MINISTER

When Rebels are Forgiven

|   Posted:
16th Nov. '25

The Israelites would achieve victory in the Promise Land only by:

  • Confessing their weakness
  • Acknowledging God's greatness
  • Expressing their dependence on God.

The people agreed that the conquest was not a human achievement, but they insisted that it would be a divine reward for them. No, it was a totally undeserved gift. God wanted to give the land of Canaan to the Hebrew people because He had promised it to the patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Moses describes the people as God sees them. They are not a righteous nation but a rebellious one. The election of the Israelites to be His 'chosen people' was an example of God's grace, not a reward for their religious pratices or moral achievements. Similarly for us - salvation is a totally undeserved gift, not a spiritual reward .

Moses spent 40 days and nights in prayer, beseeching the Lord to relent from wiping out His rebellious people. Moses fasted during this time as a sign of penitence. Fasting underlined Moses'\ prayer; it was a testimony to his genuine grief over the sins of the people.

Moses also knew that God's glory was at stake here. If the Israelites were destroyed, the Egyptians and the surrounding nations would think that the God of the Hebrews was weak and powerless. So, Moses interceded for his rebellious people. We see our fellow Australians also, for the most part, in rebellion against God. We, too, should intercede for them, with specific and compassionate prayer.

NEWS

After considerable investigation and planning, maintenance work to repair the spire of Scots Presbyterian Church in Lydiard St North has recently been carried out. Over time (Scots Church is now 134 years old) the gutter at the base of the spire and the top of the brick tower, which collects rainwater from the spire, has deteriorated. This has led to water damaging the timbers at the base of the spire and the spire developing a lean to the north.

The repairs have involved:

  • fitting a reinforcing ring near the base of the spire.
  • jacking the spire back to vertical and replacing any deteriorated timbers.
  • installing a new copper gutter.
  • checking the whole spire and carrying out repairs where necessary.

A remaining task is to reinstate the cross on the top of the spire.

These works should ensure that the Scots Church spire will continue to be a prominent feature on the Ballarat skyline for many years.

Scots Church has been fortunate to have obtained the professional services of Gestalt Engineers of Ballarat and Spire Australia of Melbourne to plan and carry out these works.

Funding is being provided by Scots Church and the Presbytery of Western Victoria.

A plan for ongoing maintenance and refurbishment is being developed.

IN OUR PRAYERS

Morning Prayer

|   Posted:
16th Nov '25

Pick me up Lord, and hold me in Your loving arms.

Protect me from the pressures of the day, and remove the heaviness from my heart.