MONTHLY MAGAZINE January 2015 No. 5 170 Queen’s Drive, Glasgow G42 8QZ Tel : 0141 423 3654 Church Office:- Mon—Fri 10am—12 noon Website: www.qpp.org.uk E-mail:churchofficeqpp@aol.com 2. THE NEW YEAR 2015 He comes, he goes, his times are set The New Year now has shown his face, For time is here and will not wait For dwellers all in time and space. We sojourn here on this fair earth, Just for a time so quickly gone, Our lives just like a vapour spent As we await another dawn. There is a day God has ordained When we will reach a distant shore, Eternity our new address Where time will cease and be no more. Megan Carter My dear friends, 3 Let me begin by wishing you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. If you are anything like me you will be bewildered by how fast the past year has gone. Some folks say that ‘auld age does’nae come alone’ and that time seems to speed up the older you get. Guess I’m hitting that stage myself. Argh!!!!! Disbelief!!!! Anyway, we carry on regardless! Friends, how has 2014 been for you? Maybe for some the past year has been a very good one with many happy memories. Yet, possibly for others, could it have been that last year has been a year of pain and struggle: you have lost a loved one or illness or unemployment has brought an unwelcome intrusion into your life. Perhaps many of us as we begin the New Year of 2015 we will take a moment to reflect on such events. The end of one year and the dawning of a new one can provide an excellent opportunity to wipe the slate clean and make a fresh start according to Henry W. Beecher (1813-1887) when he offered good advice by saying, “We have passed through one more year. One more long stage in the journey of life with its ascents and descents and dust and mud and rocks and thorns and burdens that wear the shoulders, is done. The old year is dead ! Roll it away ! Let it go! God in his providence has brought us out of it! It is gone, its good remains. The evil has perished and the good survives.” Over 2014 there is so much good to give thanks for. Personally, I have had the privilege to serve you as your Locum Minister and be part of the QPG church family. I would like to thank you all for all your kindness and friendship that you have shown to me. I have enjoyed so much getting to know you and also for the fun and laughs we have shared together. Friends, however last year has been, may we journey into this New Year with energy, faith and optimism and look to the God who sustained us in the past to lead and guide us into the future. May we grasp all the new opportunities ahead! On 21st January 2015 you will be welcoming your new minister Rev. Elijah Smith into your church who will lead you forward into a new and exciting phase of your journey of worship and faith, Maggie joins me in wishing Elijah and yourselves God’s richest blessing as you embark together into this new ministry and era in the life of Queen’s Park Govanhill Church. Our prayer for you is reflected in Paul’s personal ambition as he shared it with the young Philippian church, found in Ch3 v12 to 16. “ But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead I press forward towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Jesus Christ Jesus.” Your locum Minister and friend… Morris 4 At 170 Queen’s Drive, G42 Sunday 4th January 11.00 am Rev Morris Dutch No evening service Sunday 11th January 11.00 am Rev Morris Dutch 6.00 pm Club 170 Team Sunday 18th January 11.00 am Rev Morris Dutch 6.00 pm Club 170 Team Wednesday 21st January 7.00 pm Service of Induction of Rev Elijah Smith th Sunday 25 January 11.00 am Rev Elijah Smith 6.00 pm Rev Elijah Smith st 11.00 am Rev Elijah Smith Sunday 1 February 6.00 am Rev Elijah Smith SPECIAL PRAYER MEETING This is a call to prayer for all Elders and Members of the united Congregation. There will be a time of prayer on Tuesdays 13th and 20th January 2015 at 11.30 am. On Wednesday 21st January the Rev. Elijah Smith will be ordained and inducted as our minister of word and sacrament. Let us pray together seeking the Lord's wisdom, guidance, strength and fortitude in the task he has set before each one of his flock in this a new chapter of our church life. Not only should we seek prayer for Elijah but for all ordained elders and the greater congregation of this united church. "Unless the Lord builds the house, it's builders labour in vain." Ps. 127:1 Come let us pray together, seeking the Lord's grace and mercy on our minister, our congregation and our parish. Ruby Smith Prayer Team Leader 5. The Committee wish all our members A Happy New Year. We continue our programme into a new Session on alternate Wednesdays at 2pm. The programme for January 2015 Jan. 7th - Spanish Tapas Morris & Maggie Jan 21st - Guild Cancelled - Day of Induction and ordination of Rev Elijah Smith Do come and join us, a warm welcome is extended to both existing as well as new members. Ruby Smith (Secretary) The annual Burns Supper is on Monday 26th January 2015, 6.45 pm for 7.00 pm. An excellent meal of magnificent Scottish fare will be followed by superb entertainment from our very talented performers and artistes. Programmes, held at last year’s price, will be available from Sunday 11th January and numbers are limited so make sure you get in quickly. Lindsay Macqueen, Secretary Thursday Bible Study During the autumn, while the Alpha course was running, it was agreed to suspend the Thursday afternoon Bible study group. Subject to a meeting space being available, It is now proposed that it should resume, with the first meeting to be held in the church at 1.30 pm on Thursday 29th January. Each meeting will last approximately an hour. It is hoped that in addition to the ‘originals’ we may be able to welcome new enquirers. The meetings are completely informal. You will be under absolutely no pressure to contribute to discussions if you’d prefer just to listen. We have usually made use of booklets published by Scripture Union to help us in our understanding. Once it is known how many intend to come along the next one will be ordered. Please let me know by Sunday 18th January if you are interested. M D MacSween 6 Living in an Islamic Country I worked in Kuwait for a three-year period, employed by an engineering and transportation company, and returned to Scotland last June. Some of my impressions of Islam are described in the following article. “Allahu akbar”, God is great. The cry blasts out from the speakers of the minaret of the local mosque. I wake up, or at least turn in my bed; it is 3am and still hot – above 30°C outside, and also inside as I like to sleep with the window open. That way you can hear what’s going on, and right now it is the call to prayer. The muezzin who began the call is joined in a few seconds by another muezzin from another mosque, and then another and another until the air is filled with cries from all over the city. The evocative chanting, unsynchronized and at different pitches, fills the night air and floats over the city; no-one can say they have not been told to say their prayers. “It is better to pray than to sleep”, the muezzin goes on. I can agree with this mentally as I lie easily in bed. Many Muslims probably follow my sentiment and non-action, but many others do get up and out and pray. Nowadays the call to prayer comes blaring through loudspeakers while the muezzin broadcasts from the comfort of an air-conditioned hall. In the old days the muezzin would have climbed up the minaret five times a day, got hot in doing so, and shouted out his message. I think that would have been more subtle and picturesque, but the use of loudspeakers seems to have been universally and uncritically adopted. Prayer is one of the five pillars of Islam, and there are five obligatory prayer times in the day - every day of the year (except for illness etc.). I suppose the first prayer must be the toughest, for those who heed the message and make their way to the mosque in the dark. Prayer times are strict: the first is at first light, well before sunrise, and the last is at last light, well after sunset. The prayer times thus vary from day to day and are calculated for each city and published in the daily newspapers. Prayer is a very public activity and it is common to see individuals or groups laying out carpets in the street or park for the required prayers. Praying appears to consist of posture and words; if you have spoken and moved as instructed then you have prayed, otherwise you have not. Prayer is also highly visible at work. As in many workplaces, my office had a prayer room. Praying there is probably not as meritorious as praying in a mosque but it is obviously advantageous for the firm. “Where is Ahmed?” I might ask. “Praying at the mosque”, they would say. I formed a (no doubt reprehensible) suspicion that going to the mosque provided a convenient and sociable half-hour break for some employees. Diligence and adherence to the prayer rules and times vary from person to person. One colleague said more than once how he loved prayers; others appeared to comply more from a sense of duty, especially during the fasting month of Ramadhan, but in both cases they made a commendable effort which I can respect. It will be interesting to see how long this level of devotion can withstand the all-too-evident onslaught of western comforts and consumerism. Mark Edwards 7 INDUCTION AND ORDINATION : REV ELIJAH SMITH Wednesday 21st January marks a very important day for our newly united congregation of Queen’s Park Govanhill, when we welcome our new minister Rev Elijah Smith. That evening at 7.00 pm, the Service of Induction and Ordination, conducted by representatives of Glasgow Presbytery, will take place in our Sanctuary. At it both Mr Smith and ourselves as a congregation will make solemn promises to be mutually supportive in bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our church and parish, and it is expected that as many members as possible will make a special effort to attend. Following the Service, a Buffet will be served in the Welcome Hall from 8 pm -8.40 pm. Thereafter there will be a Congregational Social in the Sanctuary, initially chaired by Rev John Whiteford ,the Interim Moderator during the vacancy. Lexa our Session Clerk will extend a welcome to Mr Smith on behalf of us all, and a presentation will be made of ministerial robes. Mr Smith then will take the Chair as our new minister. During the evening presentations will also be made to our popular Locum Rev Morris Dutch, and of course to Mr Whiteford in recognition of his support during the vacancy. Entertainment will be provided by the Praise Orchestra and by our Choir. It has the makings of a very happy night, not to be missed. We are looking forward very much to meeting Elijah and to sharing in his ministry among us. The challenges which will be faced in the new greatly extended parish are daunting, but trusting in the grace of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, both Mr Smith and the congregation are looking to the future with confidence and optimism. Audit Of Organisations’ Accounts Would treasurers of the Church Organisations please ensure that their accounting books and records for 2014 are handed to the auditors as soon as possible for checking and no later than Sunday 18th January. Income and expenditure figures are needed for the church accounts which have a very tight timetable to observe. The auditors are Dewar Flower and George Gardiner . Lindsay Macqueen Finance Team 8. Club 170 What a very happy meal (not of the McDonalds variety!) was enjoyed by forty-five folks who came along to Club 170 on Sunday 14th December. Morag welcomed everyone, said grace and the meal was served at points throughout the service with readings and assistance from Tracey and John. Music was provided by the Praise Band while “Strictly” finalists Nancy and Winnie took to the floor. The team donned festive attire for the occasion and the evening was different both in the venue – the Welcome Hall - and the meal was of a “knife and fork” variety – obviously not for the trifle! Of course the highlight was a visit from Santa with everyone receiving a bag of goodies! As usual the club will close for the two weeks over Christmas and New Year and re-open on 11th January. The team thank everyone for their support throughout the year and wish everyone a very happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. Joyce McNae FOOD AND CLOTHING BANK On behalf of the Team and those who have benefitted from your generosity, I would like to say a big THANK YOU for all donations received over the past year, both monetary and food. Not all of the donations came from the congregation, but also from those who use our facilities, from other Churches and a Café in Shawlands. Most of us have no perception of how much these donations have meant to those in greatest need. With God’s help, 2015 will see a LESSER NEED FOR Foodbanks – let’s hope so ! Meanwhile your continued support is greatly appreciated. Wendy Bradley · Wouldn't it be great if we could put ourselves in the tumble dryer for ten minutes; come out wrinkle-free and three sizes smaller! · Last year I joined a support group for procrastinators. We haven't met yet! · The day the world runs out of wine is just too terrible to think about! · Old age is coming at a really bad time! 9 Totally Insignificant: Yet God still bothers! Last summer a junior member of my family asked me which of all the many things I had seen on my travels had impressed me most. A hard choice. of the sky of the Southern Hemisphere, with star groups like the Southern Cross which cannot be seen north of the Equator. I was so overwhelmed that I lay for a long time on my back gazing upwards – On later reflection I immediately and marvelling. There were the realised what it had been : not great Magellanic Clouds I had read about, works of man like the Pyramids, or immediately recognisable - not just the Alhambra or Agia Sophia in constellations, but the nearest Istanbul; not natural marvels like Niagara or Rotorua volcanic park in galaxies to our own , whose light New Zealand or even the High Andes takes 200,000 years to reach us. From horizon to horizon the universe in Ecuador, but something that one was spread out like a huge dome. should be able to see every night Awesome. right here in Glasgow, except that our cloudy weather and the glare of In Psalm 8, we read the following: street lighting gets in the way! “When I consider the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, human beings that you care for them.?” The author of these words, King David, spent much time in the desert, marvelling at the skies of the Northern Hemisphere. Like me, he I’m talking about the glory of the recognised his total insignificance in night sky. In the 1990s in the Great the immensity of space, a tiny speck Karoo in South Africa, I was able to of matter, here today, tomorrow gone walk out about a mile or two from without trace. And David marvelled the railway halt at Maatjiesfontein to that God had a purpose for him, that experience for myself the emptiness He could even be bothered with such and total darkness of the desert. a microscopic part of His creation. Above me was spread the immensity 10 We are reminded in his Psalm of the great contribution that Judaism has made to mankind’s understanding of what the world is about. They came to two conclusions. (a) There is one God, creator of everything in heaven and on earth; (b) That God has a special interest in humans and given us a privileged position. In David’s time people struggled to understand. There were many questions. One God? - or lots of gods , with each nation having its own.? Are these gods unpredictable and angry, demanding sacrifices to keep them sweet? The belief in monotheism, one God, was gradual, as was the idea that humans were marked out for His special favour, with particular attention given to one group of nomadic Hebrew tribes. Now, we know today that David was mistaken in believing that what he saw was the sum total of everything that exists. The Earth is not the centre of everything as he thought, but just another minute speck in the cosmos. Yet he hoped, and we are assured, that a Creator God knows and cares about each one of us !. Which brings us to the next question. Where does Jesus fit into all this? What would David, marvelling at the night sky have made of him? Surely he would have been bowled over to learn that the One God whom he believed to be the source of everything would one day enter the womb of a teenage Hebrew girl: Mary, mother of our Lord ? That was what C S Lewis described as ” The Great Miracle”. God who created everything out of nothing gave us Jesus, the “ Word” to live alongside us. He taught us to address the Creator as Father, his Father and ours. We are invited to take his hand as our friend. The way will be difficult. We cannot walk it alone. The One who calls us will help us to recognise all that is genuine and true and aid us to see where our real future lies in God’s plan. This is the work of the Holy Spirit within us. He has made us “a little lower than the angels and crowned us with glory and honour”. In other words God does bother, He loves us and wants us to be His people even when we choose in our pride to turn away from him. MDM Our planet Earth Twelfth Night : Epiphany On 6th January we celebrate Epiphany, when the wise men visited the baby Jesus. (the word means “the displaying” or the manifestation. But who exactly were these mysterious ‘wise men’? No one knows for sure. In his Gospel Matthew calls them ‘Magi’ which was the name given to a caste of priests in Persia. Not until the third century AD that they came to called ‘kings’. We are not told how many there were – it was later assumed that there were three, corresponding to the number of gifts given. The church came to see the gold as a symbol of wealth and wisdom, frankincense as a symbol of worship and sacrifice, and myrrh as a symbol of healing ( and also of the embalming of a corpse). Certainly the adult Jesus challenged and changed the way the world looked on these things. And gold was certainly an appropriate gift for a king, frankincense indicated that He would be worshipped as our divine High Priest, and myrrh was a symbol of his destiny to become a sacrifice and die to save his people. Where did the Wise Men come from, then ? From the East, we are told – quite vague really. We do know that they devoted themselves to astronomy and to astrology, which is the search for meaning in the stars. They also interpreted dreams. East of Palestine lay the great civilisation of Persia, modern Iran, so it is highly probable that they came from there. There is, however, another possibility. They may have come from what was called Arabia Felix – the country we know today as Yemen in the far south of the Arabian Peninsula. This was the traditional realm of the Queen of Sheba, she who visited King Solomon in Jerusalem. No doubt she would have become aware of the Biblical prophecies about the coming of a Messiah to rule over Israel. In Matthew ( chapter 2) it is clear that the wise men asked Herod, “ Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” So it is possible that in Southern Arabia the Queen of Sheba’s story of how a Messiah was destined to appear in Israel had been remembered over the generations. Many legends connect Solomon’s Israel with southern Arabia over the centuries. We can imagine that the ancient stories of a Messiah, linked to astrological studies, might have prompted these intelligent, alert and godfearing men to realise from their study of the heavens that something momentous was taking place in Israel. They realised that at last the prophecies were being fulfilled , the Messiah true King of the Jews was about to be born. If you study any map of Palestine at the time of Jesus’ birth, you will find that all the old caravan routes entered Palestine “ from the East” The wise men were the very first Gentiles to worship Jesus . We are in a spiritual sense their direct descendants. They were able to see clearly far into the future. The prophet Isaiah was able to foresee it also: “ Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.” A footnote: Although the Establishment in Jerusalem also knew about the prophecies , NOT ONE of the leaders bothered to go to Bethlehem. It was just six miles down the road ! MDM ( some material adapted from Parish Pump) 11 12 . S U DAILY BREAD NOTES Making sense of life Thur 1 Ecclesiastes 2:17-26 Fri 2 Ecclesiastes 3: 1-15 Sat 3 Ecclesiastes 3:16-4:2 Sun 4 Psalm 144 Mon 5 Ecclesiastes 4 : 13-5:7 Tue 6 Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:12 Wed 7 Ecclesiastes 9: 1-12 Thur 8 Ecclesiastes 9: 13-10:9 Fri 9 Ecclesiastes 11: 1-10 Sat 10 Ecclesiastes 12: 1-14 Sun 11 Psalm 145 Who is he ? Mon 12 Luke 3: 1-20 Tue 13 Luke 3; 21-37 Wed 14 Luke 4: 1-13 Thur 15 Luke 4: 14-21 Fri 16 Luke 4: 22-30 JANUARY Who is he ? Sat 17 Luke 4: 31-37 Sun 18 Psalm 146 Mon 19 Luke 4: 38-44 Tue 20 Luke 5: 1-11 Wed 21 Luke 5: 12-16 Thur 22 Luke 5: 17-26 Fri 23 Luke 5: 27-32 Sat 24 Luke 5: 33-39 Sun 25 Psalm 147 Politics power and God Mon 26 1 Kings !: 1-13 Tue 27 1 Kings 11; 26-43 Wed 28 1 Kings 12:1-20 Thur 29 1 Kings 12: 21-33 Fri 30 1 Kings 15: 9-24 Sat 31 1 Kings 16: 23-34 WAY IN ……to Ecclesiastes In the middle of the Bible we find some books ( Ecclesiastes, Job, Song of Songs) that could sail through to the finals of any contest for “ Rarely Read” , “Difficult to decipher “ or “ Hardly Heard” writings! In Ecclesiastes the ‘Teacher, son of David’( 1:1) probably Solomon – explores the age-old questions of life’s meaning. ‘Vanity,’ repeated some 30 times, suggests that life is meaningless, pointless, insubstantial, like a bubble destined only for nothingness. Yet the conclusion,’ All is vanity’ (1:2) comes with a crucial qualifier: this deduction flows from an ‘under the sun’ perspective. Brief, yet telling references to God expand these purely earth –bound conclusions. There is life above the sun . To make sense of life ( often unfair, uncertain, unpredictable) we must evaluate it and live in the light of another Son of David – Jesus. Ecclesiastes also teaches about managing life in a godly way when we can’t make sense of it…. Ecclesiastes …demonstrates that belief in God and honest doubt are not mutually exclusive. It underscores the importance of providing God’s people with a safe place to express uncertainties ( like Thomas who ‘doubted’ but remained within the community of believers.) Susan Lenzkes expresses it beautifully: ‘ For we beat on his chest from within the circle of his arms.’ 13 A wee bit of fun at New Year ! BIBLICAL COOKING If you can prepare this dish without looking up the Biblical references, you should really be on Mastermind ! It is suggested that you use the AV ( King James ) Version. If you have a computer you can cheat a wee bit by looking up the verses quickly via this website :www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ The answers will appear next month – but perhaps we’ll see the result of a cook’s skill before then ? Ingredients: 1 ½ lb of Judges 5:25 (end) 2 ½ lb of Jeremiah 6:20 3 1 tablespoon of 1 Samuel 14:25 4 3 of Jeremiah 17:11 5 ½ lb of Samuel 30:12 6 ½ lb of Nahum 3:12 (chopped) 7 2 oz Numbers 17:8 ( blanched and chopped) 8 1lb Kings 4:22 9 2 Chronicles 9:9 10 a pinch of Leviticus 2:13 11 1 teaspoon of Amos 4:5 12 3 tablespoons of Judges 4:19 13 Preparation : Mix 8,9 and 10 and set them aside. Beat 1,2 and 3 to a cream. Still beating, add 4, one at a time. Then add 5, 6 and 7 and beat again. Then add 12. Bake in a low oven for 1 ½ hours. 14. How Other Christians Live Sudanese authorities arrest 37 young people in church raid As young people were praying and fasting together on 2 December at a church in Khartoum Bahri, Sudan, police forces stormed the gathering with bulldozers and began demolishing the building. Thirty-seven of the group were arrested, charged with “breach of peace, public nuisance and obstruction of a public servant during the course of his duty”. Pastor Yahya Abdelrahim Falo told reporters that the police arrived at around 6 a.m. in nine vehicles. In what he called “a humiliation of all Sudanese Christians”, authorities proceeded to raid the Khartoum Bahri Evangelical Church and to demolish the exterior walls of the building. Two brutal attacks by Al-Shabaab on Christians in Kenya have followed quickly on the heels of one another, with up to 64 people shot or beheaded because they refused to recite the Islamic creed. Meanwhile Boko Haram’s attacks in Nigeria are so many it is getting hard to keep up with the news, let alone tally the number of dead. In both these contexts Christians are one of the prime targets, as zealous Islamists seek to extend their rule, believing that this is what their God demands. 36 non-Muslims, mainly Christians, shot and beheaded by Al-Shabaab at Kenyan quarry Al-Shabaab militants shot dead 36 non-Muslim stone quarry workers just shortly after midnight on 2 December. Peter Nderitu, who hid in a trench until the attackers left, reported that around 50 armed assailants arrived at the camp where the quarry workers were sleeping in tents. He heard the militants separate the Muslims from the non-Muslims as they were asked to recite the shahada (the Islamic creed, which many Muslims believe, once spoken, is sufficient to convert to Islam). The nonMuslims were ordered to lie on the ground and were shot in the back of the head. Four of the victims were found beheaded in their tents. Another three are thought to have escaped. Not all of the workers have been accounted for, sparking fears that some may have been abducted. The next meeting of the Support Group for Torture Victims is on Tuesday 13th January 2015, 7.30 pm in the Welcome Hall. Come along and help your Christian family by writing and praying. 15 CRECHE 11th Jan 18th Jan 25th Jan 1st Feb B. Roberts M. Borland F. McCall P. Piper M. Carvil F. Campbell A. Gardiner M. Coubrough As always if you cannot manage please change or contact me (586 4294). Wishing everyone a Healthy, Happy and Peaceful 2015. Betty Roberts CHRISTIAN AID As a church, we do extremely well in our efforts for Christian Aid each year. The total raised for 2014 is £2280.00 and this still changes month to month as I receive donations and gift aid etc etc. However, Christian Aid is not just for Christian Aid week each May, and with that thought, you will see that there is a Christian Aid envelope in the December magazine this year. I realise that this is an expensive time of year but if any or all of you could manage just a small amount, this would go a long way to help. Please remember to gift aid your donation. That raises even more money. Watch out for the forthcoming events next year. We will be starting early in our fund raising efforts. There will be the usual CA Café, delivering/collecting of envelopes and jam jars. We may have another “come dine with me” experience in the welcoming hall in March and I have set the yearly challenge as climbing Goatfell on Arran. This challenge will start from the second Saturday in April and will hopefully be completed then, but if the weather is bad, the dates will keep changing. Anyone wishing a lovely leisurely walk up the hill should consult their doctors. And lastly, 2015 will be my last year as CA Organiser and we will need to have a willing volunteer to take over. If that someone is you, please come and talk to me. Lynn Reid CA Organiser 16 Counting Team Rota The Team from Sunday 1st February2015 to Sunday 22nd February inclusive is : Lexa Boyle. May Queen, Peter Bell, A Watt If you cannot manage any Sunday please arrange for a substitute or contact Alan Watt. Crossmyloof Care Home It was understood that Crossmyloof Care Home would be closed at the end of 2014 and residents relocated to a custom- built building. Because of structural problems it now appears that the move will not take place in the immediate future. In order to keep the link between the Home and our church, it would be appreciated if some of our members could help at the monthly afternoon service (lasting half an hour). A rota can be arranged. Morag Reid Pathfinders Post Over the three weeks the Post Office has been open, an incredible number of cards have been posted and delivered to the congregation. We always mean to do a rough count but time overtakes us! As always the middle week – 14th December - was the busiest with staff working overtime! We have raised a magnificent £274.26 which includes a donation of £40 from a local business swear box! Alas, this figure will not be so good in future as the main culprit moved to pastures new a few weeks ago! They wish to remain anonymous and we have thanked them for their generosity. Moira, our Pathfinders Treasurer, will send this on to CHAS the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland at Robin House Balloch. This is the only charity in Scotland for children and young people with life-shortening conditions. They offer care and support for over 300 families at their two hospices (Robin House and Rachel House in Kinross). Thank you for your support. DUTY ROTA The following Members are asked to take up duty as indicated. CHURCH VESTILBULE/BOOKS DUTY – SUNDAYS MORNINGS EVENINGS 18th January Mrs. A. Neil Miss M. Percy Mrs. A. M. Gardiner Mr. E. Percival Mrs. M. Coubrough Mrs. W. Bradley Mrs. M. Brindle 25th January Miss L. Boyle Mrs. A. Coleman Miss E. Gardiner st 1 February Mrs. J. McCallum Mrs. J. McNae Miss E. J. Campbell Mr. P. Brown Mrs. E. McNicoll OFFERING DUTIES The following Members are asked to take duty on the following Sundays:Sunday 18th January to Sunday 1st February 2015 Back Pews Mr. G. Gardiner Left Side Pews/Chairs Mr. D. Flower Right Side Chairs/Choir Mrs. J. McCallum Evening Miss M. Reid Anyone unable to do the duty indicated should contact Marjory Percy (Tel. 632 0363) Please check Magazine or list on Welcome Hall notice board to see if you have been asked to do a duty. ATTENTION TEENAGERS !!! Tired of being harassed by stupid parents ? ACT NOW ! Move out…. Get a job… Pay your own bills…. DO IT NOW WHILE YOU STILL KNOW EVERYTHING 17 18 INTIMATIONS 1. The Kirk Session will meet on Tuesday 27th January 2015 2. Team Leaders will meet on Tuesday 17th February 2015. 3. Cases of illness or urgent pastoral need should be intimated without delay to the Session Clerk (427 3999). Any person who would like to become a communicant member of the church should speak to the session clerk or interim minister. 4. 5. The next date for handing in material for the Magazine is Sunday 25th January 2015. TREASURER’S REPORT TO 28th DECEMBER 2014 Open Plate Freewill Offerings Gift Aid Freewill Offerings Total Average per Sunday £ 2,993 £ 6,296 £ 48,521 £ 57,810 £ 1,112 Other Income Donation for Lodging House Collection for Suffering Church From Lunch Stop to Church Funds From Lunch Stop to Church House From Guild to Church Funds (corrections to last month’s Mag Collected for Poppy Scotland £109.70 TTM for SE Carers £500.00) £520.20 £267.10 £1,000.00 £1,000.00 £1,000.00 M. Borland, Treasurer GENERAL FABRIC FUND Balance at 1/1/14 £ 9,908 + Income £ 2,047 £11,955 - Expenditure £ 7,080 Balance at 28/12/14 £ 4,875 19 JANUARY 2015 .Only the Lonely….. Jackie Macadam explores the issues surrounding loneliness and considers whether faith can play a part. A Decade of Ministry and a Decade of Membership The Rev Dr Doug Gray looks ahead to the proposed Decade for Ministry. The Moderator offers a ten-year membership challenge to the Church of Scotland. Major Milestone for Churches Housing Group Thomas Baldwin looks at the history of Scottish Churches Housing Action, which celebrates its 20th birthday this month. Renewing Worship Neil Gardner and Douglas Galbraith celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Church Service Society. Hidden Assets The Rev Jim Jack reflects on the creative use of church glebes. An Authentic Voice The Rev Professor David Fergusson considers the challenges of a passage from Luke’s Gospel. The Mystery of God The Rev Allan McCafferty outlines the artistic and spiritual value of stained glass. A Missionary Childhood Jackie Macadam learns how Merryn Glover’s life as the child of missionaries in Nepal influenced her latest noel. PLUS : all the regular columnists, news, revie4ws, letters, registers and crosswords – all for just £2.20 Online visit us at www.lifeandwork.org or find us on Facebook or Twitter. 20 INTERIM MODERATOR LOCUM SESSION CLERK FABRIC TEAM HOSPITALITY TEAM PASTORAL TEAM MISSION TEAM PRAYER TEAM MINISTRY TEAM MUSIC & DRAMA TEAM FINANCE TEAM ADMIN / OFFICE TEAM EDUCATION TEAM OFFICEBEARERS Rev John Whiteford Rev Morris Dutch Miss Lexa Boyle 7 Maxwell Grove G41 5JP Mr. George Gardiner Miss Morag Reid Mr. Jo Gibb Miss Lynn Flower Mrs Ruby Smith 427 3999 810 5079 440 7406 638 5768 631 4964 423 7773 Mrs Lynn Gibb 638 5768 Mr Lindsay Macqueen 01655 332588 Mrs Barbara Irvine 423 1558 Mrs Brenda McGinnigle 424 0427 TIME TALENTS MONEY TEAM Mrs Joyce McNae 423 1897 YOUTH TEAM Miss Lynn Flower 631 4964 CONGREGATIONAL Mrs. Margaret Borland at Church Office or TREASURER mc_borland@hotmail.com MAGAZINE Mr. Malcolm MacSween 649 9405 EDITOR 4 Rosslyn Court, Lethington Ave., G41 MAGAZINE Mrs. Barbara Irvine 423 1558 DISTRIBUTION 01/55 Nursery Street, G41 Christmas Eve Candlelight Supper
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