Grapevine. Your Christian Aid Envelope Inside. This copy reserved for: Friends and visitors of St Andrew s Parish Church

Transcription

1 This copy reserved for: Friends and visitors of St Andrew s Parish Church Grapevine Your Christian Aid Envelope Inside St Andrew s Parish Church Magazine Summer 2011 Volume 11, Issue 2

2 CONTENTS In the Summer 2011 issue you will find: Page Minister s Letter 3 Church News: including Christian Aid Week 4-5 Church News: Emmaus Group 6-7 Church News: Holiday Club 8 Prayer Diary 9 Presbytery News: Presbytery Plan Review Children & Youth: Cosy Café Sundays & 3 rd Blantyre Rainbows 14 Children & Youth: 3 rd Blantyre Brownies 15 Magnification Action Group Letter from Fiona Ogg Christian Aid Events: Roll Away The Stone 22 Events: A Green Day Out 23 Puzzle Pages: A Wordsearch and Crossword for Pentecost Church Notices: Communions and Funerals 26 Useful Information 27 And Finally Large print editions of The Grapevine are available. Please contact the Church Office to arrange this for future issues. Page 2 Summer 2011

3 MINISTER S LETTER 332 Glasgow Road Blantyre Dear friends, At the May meeting of presbytery we had a talk from Carol Findlay, who some of you may remember visited St Andrew s some time ago to talk about how churches can partner with other congregations around the world. Last November Hamilton Presbytery partnered with Kwahu Presbytery in Ghana. The formal partnership took place via video link at a joint presbytery meeting taking place at the same time in both Ghana and Scotland. I had responsibility for making that work, which was rather nerve wracking! Carol spoke to us this month about a recent trip she had made with Rev Iain Cunningham to Ghana and was able to share with us her experiences and pictures from the trip. It was very encouraging and a good reminder that we in our own wee corner are part of a much bigger Body of Christ. The presbytery are currently planning their own trip with eight representatives visit including some younger church members: very exciting! It is good to remember how partnerships are being formed across the globe, and a reminder that partnerships between churches is something that is not just about the local, it is also global. For your elders, the theme of partnership is very much in our minds as we continue to discuss the proposals for the future of the Church of Scotland in Blantyre. You will find a full outline of these on pages The Kirk Session is very aware that these decisions will impact the church in Blantyre for the next generation as a minimum. That responsibility is a serious weight to carry as the discussions continue. There is an opportunity here for local congregations to build a new community of faith, a new body of Christ for our community by coming together to share our resources in the spirit of the early church (see Acts 2:44). Please continue to pray for the Spirit of God to guide all of us in seeing the way forward so that what results from these discussions is a church that is better able to serve our Lord Jesus Christ here in our community and indeed in the world. In the meantime, have a wonderful summer. If you are travelling, go safely, and try a visit to the local church wherever you find yourself. God bless you all this summer. The Grapevine Page 3

4 CHURCH NEWS Christian Aid Week at St Andrew s May 2011 You will find an envelope for your Christian Aid Week donation in this magazine. If you do not have one, please contact the church office. Please add your gift and fill out the Gift Aid declaration if you are a tax payer. Please bring your Christian Aid envelopes back to the church and add to the offering baskets during May, or pass to your elder for them to bring your donation to the church if you are unable to attend in the next few weeks. After the special Christian Aid service on 15 th May there is a Christian Aid Lunch in the Church Hall organised by the Sunday Funday Club. Cost is 3 with proceeds being added to our donations for Christian Aid. Please make a point of staying to enjoy the fellowship while supporting Christian Aid. You can read more about one of the projects supported by Christian Aid on pages HOLD of The Grapevine. And the Christian Aid website always has up-to-date information on the work with which Christian Aid is involved. Page 4 Summer 2011

5 CHURCH NEWS Calderglen High School Entertains The Membership Action Group hosted a wonderful evening on Wednesday 19 th April with food, tea and good company. The highlight of the evening was a concert by the Calderglen High School band led by our own organist, Susan Menzies. They put on a polished performance ranging from Eva Cassidy through Chopin to the Big Band sounds of Glenn Miller. Well done to everyone involved and thanks to all the members of the Membership Action Group for their work in organising the night! Cosy Café Sundays Barbecue At the final night of Cosy Café Sundays before the summer holidays the Café is open to everyone, whatever your age, and will include a barbecue, games and a chance to meet up on what we are sure will be a fantastic summer evening. Whether or not one of your family usually goes to the Cosy Café, you will be made very welcome and are encouraged to join together. Sunday 19 June :30 8:30 p.m. Hillhouse Parish Church Clerkwell Road, Hamilton The Grapevine Page 5

6 CHURCH NEWS Emmaus Group nowing the Father was our Ktheme this Spring, with 4 weeks of study and group discussions, looking at: God, the father of Creation, God, the Father of Jesus, God, the Father of the Kingdom, and God, the Holy Trinity. Up to ten people met each week at Liz and Brian Fleming s home, receiving a warm welcome each and every time. Leadership was shared and every participant spent time learning, thinking, praying and talking about the different charecteristics of God. We finished our session with a Christmas Dinner in March! Crackers n all! Many thanks go to Liz and Brian as well as all the leaders and Page 6 Summer 2011

7 CHURCH NEWS participants who made the study a very positive experience. Friendships were deepened and some new ones began. We plan another short session beginning in June, with dates and topic to be confirmed. Please come along. There are no limits to numbers. If you re not sure what to expect, speak to our minister, Peter, who will point you in the direction of someone who can chat to you. To finish, here are a few short prayers which members of the group wrote together during the sessions we didn t realise the extent of the talents God has given us! God is always with us On our path through life Directing us in all we do Gives us strength and purpose of life Offers love without any distinction of colour or creed Do not forsake us God is in control Often we do not recognise this Doing things our way when we should follow His way Gathering your children together to care for one another and the world Offering your Son Jesus to die for our sins Demonstrating you strength through the sea, wind and rain. You may have noticed that each prayer has 3 lines, each beginning with a letter that then spells out GOD. Why not give it a try and write your own prayer and use this as a prayer for yourself during the week? The Grapevine Page 7

8 CHURCH NEWS Holiday Club 11 th - 15 th April T he holiday club this Spring, The Academy of Amazing Things, proved to be a lot of fun with over 50 children present during the week more children than ever before. Professor A.M.A. Zing conducted crazy experiments, including favourites like Mentos and Diet Coke, Slime, Magnetic Mayhem, Erupting Bushes, and even the creation of red chocolate for the chocolate fountain... The film Prince of Egypt provided some inspiration as we thought about what we can learn from the story of Moses and how he lead the Hebrew people on an exodus from Egypt and the bondage of slavery. Each day we had games, crafts, music and more. Thanks are due to everyone who helped out during the week. A lot of energy and commitment was required, but it was well worth it. Alongside members from St Andrew s we also had leaders and members representing Livingstone Memorial, Blantyre Old, High Blantyre Baptist, Hillhouse and Trinity churches who helped on various days a true team effort by all concerned. Page 8 Summer 2011

9 PRAYER DIARY Although not as many of the organisations meet through the summer months, it is good to remember each other. At any time: Pray for the minister, his wife and family that their holiday will refresh and revitalise them. Pray for the sick, the elderly, the lonely, the bereaved. Pray for each other. Please remember that you can use the response slip on the back of the Order of Service at any time to let the Church Office and Pastoral Teams know of any prayer requests or to let us know of people you know who may be in need of spiritual or practical assistance. A Weekly Prayer new feature on the St Andrew s website A is a weekly prayer for the benefit of church members and anyone else who may visit the website from around the world. These prayers have been written by Marion Gebbie, one of the members at St Andrew s. A link icon on the home page of the church website which will quickly get you to the page you need. News of our Students in Ministry St Andrew s is very pleased to be able to support two candidates for the full-time ministry in the Church of Scotland in our prayers. Fiona Ogg is nearing the end of her probationary period in Glasgow (read more on pages 18 & 19), and Jonathan Fleming is coming to the end of his Divinity degree and will be starting his probationary period at Trinity Parish Church in Hamilton after the summer. The Grapevine Page 9

10 PRESBYTERY NEWS Presbytery Plan Review At the Stated Annual Meeting of the congregation on Sunday 27 th March 2011, Andy Williamson our Session Clerk updated church members on the current situation with the ongoing discussions to consider the future shape of the Church of Scotland in Blantyre and Hamilton as a part of the wider discussions taking place in the whole of presbytery (and in the national church). Two options were presented to the congregation, and these are presented here so that more consideration can be given to these in your thoughts and prayers for the future. Background Information The reason why the current situation in Blantyre, where there are currently three Church of Scotland congregations, is going to change in the future is the decision of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 2010 to reduce the number of paid posts in parishes to 1,000 in order to balance the Ministries Council budget which has been operating with a large and unsustainable deficit. Representatives from each congregation were invited to try to determine how their own particular area could contribute to the reduction in staffing Page 10 Summer 2011

11 PRESBYTERY NEWS Presbytery Plan Review required for the presbytery as a whole. This involved our representatives at St Andrew s attending a series of meetings with representatives from our neighbouring churches in Blantyre and Hamilton. Agreement was met over proposed plans for Hamilton Town Centre churches, but no agreement could be reached for the churches in Blantyre though it was recognised that the staffing to be provided for Blantyre would be the equivalent of two posts. This is actually what is in the current presbytery plan, albeit this has not been implemented. Proposed Options As a result of this failure, the Implementation Committee from presbytery (which has responsibility for drawing up a plan for the whole of presbytery and then implementing that plan) discussed the various different options and came back to meet with the representatives of local churches (the three Blantyre congregations plus Hillhouse and Trinity) to present two options that they were recommending to us. Blantyre is in a rather unique position in comparison to some other communities across presbytery in that the three current congregations are broadly equal, with similar levels of financial giving, parish sizes all below the presbytery average, and none paying the full costs of a parish minister. Because of this parity on these terms it is hard to make a case for bringing together two of the congregations and leaving one congregation unaffected by these changes. A linkage between congregations where a single minister serves two seperate congregations, a tool that is frequently used in a rural setting, was not deemed an appropriate option for an urban situation such as that in Blantyre when the church buildings are within walking distance of each other. The two options that the Implementation Committee presented both give team ministry provision where the new congregation would be served by more than one stipendiary (paid) post working together. Option 1: A United Blantyre Parish Church This option would unite all three Blantyre congregations to form a The Grapevine Page 11

12 PRESBYTERY NEWS Presbytery Plan Review single new congregation for all of Blantyre. It would be served by a single Kirk Session (and other relevant committees), and would use two places of worship. One of these would be the current Blantyre Old building, and the second building to be either St Andrew s Church Centre or Livingstone Memorial Parish Church. The retention of the Blantyre Old building was in part geographical (so that there would be a worship centre in both High and Low Blantyre), in part financial (there is a potential financial liability stemming from a grant allocated by Historic Scotland in 1994 that might take effect if the building ceased to be used as a place of worship), and in part recognising the facilities provided on that site. This united congregation would be served by two full-time equivalent posts. This could be two ordained ministers, or one ordained minister and one other post (e.g. youth worker, pastoral worker, families worker, etc). There would be the possibility of a non-stipendiary post, e.g. a reader, also being placed by presbytery into this large parish. The current partnerships with Hillhouse and Trinity Parish Churches in Hamilton (which would both be served by one post each, as present) would be encouraged to continue and could develop with a formal covenant to work more closely together (as already happens with respect to our youth work which is done jointly with representation from all five congregations) - this is called a parish grouping. Any decision over which building, St Andrew s or Livingstone Memorial, would be retained as a place of worship in low Blantyre would be for local parties to determine. A failure to come to a decision would necessitate either presbytery being asked to make the decision or the use of independent arbiters. Any decision to retain all buildings would have to be argued with a strong business case to support that retention as good stewardship of the resources of the new congregation. Option 2: A United Blantyre/SW Hamilton Parish Church This second option builds on the current partnerships already at work between the five congregations of Hamilton Hillhouse and Trinity and the three Blantyre churches. It would see a team ministry involving all five Page 12 Summer 2011

13 PRESBYTERY NEWS Presbytery Plan Review congregations uniting to form a single congregation served by four fulltime equivalent paid posts, and four worship centres. Three of these worship centres would be Hillhouse, Trinity and Blantyre Old, the fourth would be either St Andrew s Church Centre or Livingstone Memorial Parish Church. The Implementation Committee recognised that Option 2 might remain an option for the longer term future even if at this stage a less ambitious option was implemented. Any changes would need to be agreed by all congregations involved, and working towards that agreement will take considerable further discussion. What happens next? Please note that the above two options are only that at this stage. These do not form the final plan, but are recommended options provided by the Implementation Committee for us to discuss and to come back to the committee with a view on them. Our discussions in the Kirk Session are extensive as we discuss what we think about the options. Your feedback too is important in the process and any elder would appreciate hearing your thoughts. As The Grapevine goes to print plans have been made by the representatives of each church for a joint Kirk Session meeting with elders from all five congregations invited to attend and participate in a conversation about the two options presented. This meeting will take place in the afternoon of Sunday 15 th May. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, we have been advised that the Kirk Session of Blantyre Old Parish Church has decided it will not participate in this joint Kirk Session meeting. Nonetheless, the four other Kirk Sessions will be discussing the options and choices thoroughly together. After this meeting, each Kirk Session will be submitting their own feedback to the Implementation Committee of presbytery on the two options presented and any other thoughts. Please keep your elders and minister in your prayers at this challenging time, and pray for the Spirit of God to guide them in these discussions. The Grapevine Page 13

14 CHILDREN & YOUTH Cosy Café Sundays Cosy Café Sundays began as an experiment to see whether it would be possible to do a youth programme that would gather together young people from across the catchment area for Calderside Academy with our neighbouring congregations. Having run the Cosy Café for almost a year (and each Thursday a partner event at lunchtimes in Calderside Academy), it is clear that this is working more successfully than any of us had initially hoped. Over the course of the year amid the umpteen flasks of hot chocolate, the very competitive snooker games, and the extraordinary gravity-defying table-tennis matches, we have explored some big topics in discussions and through activities. The young people have spent time in quiet reflection in the Quiet Zones and through the labyrinths. Each fortnight we usually welcome between 15 and 25 young people. We plan to end the year with a number of special events and pray that what began as an experiment will continue in the years to come. Upcoming Dates: 22 nd May Film Night 5 th June Outing to Laser Quest in East Kilbride 19 th June BBQ Peter Johnston 3 rd Blantyre Rainbows We have had a good session at Rainbows with us managing to fit in a very varied programme. Hopefully the sun will shine over the next few weeks and we will be able to do some outdoor activities. We are finishing for summer on Wednesday 1 st June 2011 and starting back on Wednesday 7 th September Any girls who are wishing to join us must be 5 years old before starting. Wilma Dunn Page 14 Summer 2011

15 I CHILDREN & YOUTH 3 rd Blantyre Brownies cannot believe that we are now heading towards Summer and our annual Pack Holiday. Since our last update in February we have been working hard on our activity badges and have had some interesting visitors. For our World Cultures badge we learnt all about an Indian wedding and we even got to try on the beautiful dresses and jewellery. We also had an American evening and made our own popcorn. For Mother s Day we decorated ceramic plant pots and filled them with tiny flowering cacti plants. At Easter there were lots of chocolate goodies and we decorated egg cups. On Monday 23 rd May 2011 we are having our end of session celebration and we are going to a Make Your Own Pizza Party at Pizza Hut in Hamilton. Then on Friday 10 th June 2011 we are off on Pack Holiday. We are doing things differently this year and our theme is The Girls Weekend Away. Lots of girlie fun and laughter is planned and we will tell you all about in in the Autumn, including some photographs. We will be finishing for the summer holidays on Monday 6 th June 2011 and are due to return on Monday 5 th September However, this may change, as regretfully, I will be standing down as Guider in Charge and at present I do not know who will be taking over. I would like to thank my Assistant Guiders, Phyllis Crossan, Claire Evans and Carolyn Johnston, not forgetting Lorraine Brown who stood down last year, for their invaluable assistance. I would also like to thank everyone in the Church, personally and on behalf of the Pack, for their continued support. Finally, I would like to thank all of the girls who are or who have been in the Brownies during my time as Guider in Charge. It has been full of laughs and I have enjoyed it and will be sad to leave. Andrea MacDonald The Grapevine Page 15

16 Magnification Action Group The remit for the Magnification Action Group is worship: helping to develop opportunities for church members to worship God, to participate fully in that worship, and to develop the resources to allow us to do that. Contact: ACTION GROUPS Rev Peter Johnston The Magnification Action Group has been busy as ever this Easter. Those who joined us for the Maundy Thursday Communion Service were treated to an extremely informative and enjoyable service led by Rev Steve Younger from High Blantyre Baptist Church. Steve explained the traditions of the Jewish Passover feast, to give insight into what would have taken place during the Last Supper, and how this is reflected in our celebration of the Lord s Supper. Not only did Steve explain these traditions, but he also let us try the tastes associated with the Passover feast and to see the different plates, cups and other items used, including a ram s shank, that Page 16 Summer 2011

17 ACTION GROUPS is still used in today s Passover meal. Those of us present will always remember the graphic breaking of the bread using the Matzos cracker which lies behind our use of these same words at a communion service. And neither will we look at a Jacob s Cream Cracker in quite the same way again! Good Friday saw the return of our candlelit Easter Labyrinth service. The feedback from the few who joined us on this journey was very positive. There is no denying it is an emotional, but reaffirming experience, and the Magnification Group would like to appeal to more members of the congregation to come along to share this very special event. A lot of planning and preparation goes into each of these evenings, and the level of support this year was much less than in previous years, which was disappointing for the group. Easter Sunday was a buzz of activity, with a breakfast café service at 10 a.m. which included making our own Easter prayer flowers with which we decorated the cross made using the trunk of last year s Christmas Tree. The beautiful decoration of the pavements outside the church by the younger members of the congregation (great job guys) was a colourful addition for everyone coming to the Kirk on Easter morning and lasted for over a week following Easter Day! The Easter Praise Service at 11 a.m. was memorable for its enjoyable performance by the Puppet Ministry, with the very aptly named I ve Lost My Sheep - I m sure you ll all agree that St Andrew s really has got talent!! The Magnification Action Group would like to express thanks to all those who supported, helped, donated, served and cleaned over the Easter week. We would also appeal to the congregation for any feedback or suggestions for future worship events. The Grapevine Page 17

18 LETTER FROM FIONA Nearing the End of Probation! Ok, so that s another essay just about done; I need to give it the final once-over tomorrow morning before I send it to Ministries Council. This Probation period (could the training people not think of a better term than Probation!!) has been just as busy as university was. Since I started at Renfield St Stephen s last August I ve been fully involved in church life there, and had work to do for the Ministries Council. Part of the Ministries Council organises training of candidates for ministry and for probationary ministers; they set assessments for us alongside our placements and (previously for me) university work. So, whilst on probation, what have I had to do for Ministries Council? There are four training conferences which last between 3-5 days, four essays of various lengths (1 on the vows ministers make and 3 on church law), 2 reports, 1 case study and 2 assessment reviews or interviews. After I send in this latest essay I will have 1 essay, 1 conference, 1 report and 1 interview left all before the end of July. If all goes well at the final interview I will be granted an Exit Certificate and be able to look around at vacant charges (which could be one Page 18 Summer 2011

19 LETTER FROM FIONA parish or it could be linked rural parishes) and try to discern where I m being called to. This has been a long journey to qualification and, as it nears the end, it feels a bit un-real. Thoughts go through my head am I ready, has the training been enough, what about the rumours of tough congregations, what if they (still) don t like women ministers and (a very real challenge these days) what if vacant parishes are not allowed to call until after the Presbytery reviews are not finished will that mean unemployment after all this? But it s exciting too, and that excitement is bigger than the worries! It s not always easy to trust, and there are days when I do worry but, God has given me this vocation, and the gifts, talents, whatever you want to call the tools, to get me this far. And, I know deep down, that He has a plan. I may not know, yet, where that plan will lead but I trust Him and know that wherever it leads I ll find out when the time is right. I just know that there is somewhere out there that He has planned and is preparing. Can I ask you to pray that, when the time comes, my final interview goes well (the end of July) and that I am guided to the right place at the right time. Meanwhile I ll continue to pray that you all support Peter is all he does and that you, as individuals and as a congregation, continue to grow in love and faith in God. Fiona Ogg The Grapevine Page 19

20 CHRISTIAN AID Daring to dream the impossible Christian Aid partner Soppexcca (pronounced so-pecks-ka) is an organisation with a vision. It is passionately committed to helping poor Nicaraguan coffee farmers to beat poverty. Ten years ago, when Soppexcca was established, this seemed impossible. But now Soppexcca is a thriving collective of small cooperatives which helps farmers produce good-quality coffee, market it and put funds back into their own communities. It works with communities to understand their needs and empowers them to make their own visions a reality. Gustavo Adolfo Talavera, an illiterate coffee farmer, had few prospects until Soppexcca gave him a loan, allowing him to expand his farm and build a small and environmentally sound processing plant. He had a dream of his children being able to read and write, and be educated. His dream became a reality when Soppexcca helped members of the community get enough resources together, and a group of parents built a school themselves. Ten years ago, education would have seemed an impossible dream for Gustavo. But Soppexcca is enabling his community to dream dreams and then to do what seems to be impossible. The Christian life sets us within a story that speaks of transformation where it seems to be impossible; where life is brought to the world. And the gospel stories are clear that life is about more than just survival. The life that Jesus speaks of is abundant life, rich with possibility and hope and promise. For people in Gustavo s community, it s about education and prospects. Cooperative living is about this abundant life. It s about seeing something achievable beyond oneself and working together to make life better for everyone. Fátima Ismael, Soppexcca s director, says: We re not just about bread for today, but also for tomorrow. But we don t just want bread, we want bread and honey and milk. People like Fátima and Gustavo are seeing the bigger picture going beyond what seems initially achievable and working together to make it a reality. The good news is that we can be a part of this bigger picture Page 20 Summer 2011

21 CHRISTIAN AID too. When we give our time, money and energy this Christian Aid Week, we are looking beyond ourselves and enabling others to do what seems impossible. This bigger picture is the world as it could look if we allowed the kingdom of God to be a reality, if we really believed in abundant life for all. It s the world that Jesus showed us in his life and ministry: a world where we stop living for ourselves and start living for others, a world where we don t put limits on love and justice, a world where the concept of our neighbour is startlingly redefined. It s a bigger world and it s an unsettling world. But it s a world that allows for transformation in ways that we may never have imagined, to dream dreams and to do what people tell us is impossible. Of course it s about transformation for people like Gustavo. But it s also a world that offers huge transformation to ourselves and to our churches, as we place ourselves in the frame of a bigger picture where the power of love has no limits. Christian Aid Week is a time to celebrate transformation, and an opportunity to put ourselves in the frame of God s kingdom. Join us, and we ll give you the resources to make the impossible happen. To give to Christian Aid Week, either use the envelope accompanying this copy of The Grapevine, or visit The Grapevine Page 21

22 EVENTS Roll Away the Stone Sunday 22 nd May 2011 On General Assembly Sunday, 22 nd May 2011 from 1 p.m. till 6 p.m., the Church will take over a large area of Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh for a time of Celebration, Inspiration and Discovery. Significance comes from the Cross and resurrection life flows from the Tomb. So celebration, inspiration and discovery will begin with reflections around a huge cross in the garden area near the Ross Bandstand. Meantime at the Bandstand itself, in the picturesque avenue and fountain areas, and in St Cuthbert s Church at the west end of the Gardens there will be space for worship, praise and singing amongst a whole range of other things to see and do. What s It About? CELEBRATION A time to pause and see all that God is doing in our midst and to celebrate it! INSPIRATION Learning how to engage with God and His people in new and exciting ways. DISCOVERY Opening our eyes to different things being done by other churches and agencies This is a great opportunity for a trip to Edinburgh to enjoy being part of the national Church of Scotland. Videos and more information about the afternoon can be found at: Page 22 Summer 2011

23 Events An Invitation to a Green Day Out The South Lanarkshire Network of Eco-Congregation Scotland is hosting a Green Day Out at the David Livingstone Centre in our own Blantyre on Saturday 4 th June and you and your whole church family are invited! The event will run from 11 a.m. 4 p.m. Come for an hour or two or for the whole day. You can bring a picnic to enjoy in the beautiful grounds or have your lunch in the Centre café. There will be a lot going on all day: Children s activities Guided walks for all ages Displays and stalls helping you to care better for creation at home and in your daily lives: find out how you can: respond to climate change and saving your 5% (CO2) at church and at home get young people involved and what our children want us to do to protect their future help look after local wildlife How to become an eco-congregation The South Lanarkshire network of Eco-Congregation have organised the Eco Fair and you will find an exciting range of stalls to answer your questions and provide expert advice. Everyone is welcome and entry to the event and all the activities above is free! Many Christians are concerned about the environment but don't know what they can do. Eco-Congregation Scotland is an ecumenical charity which offers a programme to help congregations and parishes understand environmental issues and make appropriate practical and spiritual responses. There are now over 270 churches across the country helping the church put into practice what it preaches by tackling these key issues of our times. We look forward to seeing you on 4 th June. For further information contact margaret@ecocongregation.org.uk or Stuart at the David Livingstone Centre: The Grapevine Page 23

24 PUZZLE PAGES A Wordsearch for Pentecost G T Y R O L G L O R I F I E D O S E E M S I L E G N A V E G O O R C Y S P M O D S I W N I D C L O V E S A L V A T I O N N E J M L N C T R U T H G T V E T Y M K E A N T A C F O R I S N T U I L S N A A C U S I S S E I N N T T N E T T L P N I E P R I D N F T U P N N E I B L R O O N E I I O O O E L T L C A H N E G G U R S C S P Y E A Y T I S O R E N E G S R E L R E U S S I C O M F O R T E R I R A K N O W L E D G E V O D M O D G N I K Y C E H P O R P Authority Comforter Communion Counselor Dove Evangelism Faithfulness Fire Generosity Gentleness Gifts Glorified Glory Goodness Gospel Invisible Joy Kindness Kingdom Knowledge Love Miracles Outpouring Paraclete Pentecost Prayer Prophecy Repentance Salvation Sin Son Teaching Trinity Truth Wisdom Page 24 Summer 2011

25 PUZZLE PAGES The Day of Pentecost Crossword This year we celebrate Pentecost on Sunday 12 th June. To read the story of this amazing day, see Acts 2: Down 1. The place we speak of God living. 3. To say words, to use the voice. 4. A being that cannot be seen, like a ghost. 5. Something that is pure and good, such as God s Word. 7. To be totally surprised. 8. Blowing air, especially that which would move the leaves on a tree. Across 2. A building in which people live. 6. Means of communication used by the people of a particular nation. 9. Make something to be full. 10. A destructive burning. 11. Something that can be heard. 12. The day the Holy Spirit empowered the Apostles. The Grapevine Page 25

26 CHURCH NOTICES Sacrament of Holy Communion Do this in remembrance of me. June th 11 a.m. Communion Service 5 th 3 p.m. Afternoon Communion Service September th 11 a.m. All-Age Communion Service 4 th 3 p.m. Afternoon Communion Service Funerals I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever has faith in me shall live, even though he dies. March th Jean Orr, Southview, Blantyre 14 th Margaret O Neill, 20 Daly Gardens, Blantyre 31 st James McBride, 135 Auchinraith Road, Blantyre April th Annie Malcolm, 100 Morris Crescent, Blantyre May th Ella Park, 35 Devlin Grove, Blantyre 13 th William Duff, 28 Welsh Drive, Blantyre Page 26 Summer 2011

27 USEFUL INFORMATION Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland Church Street, Blantyre, G72 0NY Minister Rev. Peter Johnston 332 Glasgow Road Blantyre, G72 9LQ Tel: peter.johnston@standrewsblantyre.com Session Clerk Mr. Andrew Williamson 124 Craig Street Blantyre, G72 0NG Tel: andy.c.williamson@gmail.com Assistant to Session Clerk Mrs. Elsie Balneaves 321 Glasgow Road Blantyre, G72 9HN Tel: elsiebalneaves@hotmail.com Treasurer Miss May Shaw 88 Morris Crescent Blantyre, G72 0BZ Tel: may.shaw@btinternet.com Church Officer Mr. George Greenhorn 9 Jedburgh Street Blantyre, G72 0ST Tel: Blantyre St Andrew s Parish Church of Scotland is a registered Scottish Charity: SC CHURCH OFFICE Open Tues, Wed, & Fri 9:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. Church Administrator Mrs Gill Fraser Tel: office@standrewsblantyre.com OTHER CONTACTS Brownies (3 rd Blantyre) Andrea MacDonald, Organist Susan Menzies, Guides (6 th Blantyre) Maureen Cochrane, The Guild Margaret Scullion, Youth Fellowship Jim & Lorraine Brown, IQ Group & Juice Rev. Peter Johnston, Ladies Group Helen Finnie, Rainbows (3 rd Blantyre) Wilma Dunn, Sunday Funday Club Catherine Williamson, Traidcraft Stall Carolyn Johnston, Tuesday Tea Room Isabelle Menzies, The Grapevine Page 27

28 AND FINALLY... Did God make you? little girl was sitting on her grandfather s lap as he read her a A bedtime story. From time to time, she would take her eyes off the pages of the book and reach up to touch his wrinkled cheek. Alternately she stroked her own cheek, then her grandfather s, with a questioning expression on her face. Finally she spoke up, Papa, did God make you? Aye, hen, he answered, God made me a long time ago. Oh, she paused, Papa, did God make me too? Aye, indeed, he said, God made you just a little while ago. Feeling their respective cheeks again, the wee girl said, God s getting better at it, isn t he? Page 28 Summer 2011