CHURCH OF THE HOLY RUDE STIRLING

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1 CHURCH OF THE HOLY RUDE STIRLING (Church of Scotland) NEWSLETTER SUMMER 2013

2 FROM THE MANSE Dear Friends This year the General Assembly opens in Edinburgh on the weekend of Pentecost, which the church celebrates on the 19th May. Pentecost, when the first disciples received the gift of the Holy Spirit, is an important date in the church year, as important, almost, as Christmas and Easter. Pentecost (the Greek means 'the fiftieth day' after Passover in our case, Easter) - is sometimes called the birthday of the church, when the church received the gift of new life and new vision and new purpose. It seems fitting then, that the commissioners should meet in General Assembly at Pentecost this year, as we face some difficult questions about our future direction. Not only will we be discussing the question of ordaining ministers in same-sex relationships, which will need sensitivity, grace and respect on all sides, we will also be looking at key questions about the future shape of the church's ministry and mission, and what role the church will play in years to come, as numbers of ministers are forecast to fall sharply and our society at the same time loses interest in what the church has to say. In all these things we will need the guidance of the Holy Spirit, present among us, to inspire and to guide. Although it might be tempting to look back to a time when our place in society seemed more certain, and when we had more members, more money and more influence, we must remember that as people of faith we put our trust in God, who makes all things new. The future may look uncertain and full of risk, but the church, nor our church nor any church, can allow itself to become paralysed by fear of the unknown, neither should we be afraid to step out in faith and to discover new ways of living as a church and of serving our communities as we bear witness to the Good News In these weeks after Pentecost, let us remember that God's Spirit is always with us, and we need not be afraid of the changes that will come. Through the same Spirit the risen Christ lives among us, wherever two or three are gathered in his name. I ask you to pray for our congregation, and pray for our church, that all we do will, with God's help, bring about renewal and transformation in our own lives and in the life of the church. With best wishes Alan 1.

3 From the Session Clerk The visiting season is once again upon us and the Ministry of Welcome Team has already started welcoming visitors from all parts of the world. It is heartening to know how much they appreciate the welcome accorded to them by the Team, and this is reflected in the many comments written in the Visitors Book. Although they enjoy their visit and make comments about the wonderful atmosphere within the building, it is good that they are also informed that the Church has been a place of Christian Witness for six hundred years and that as a living church it continues to play an important role within the local community and Scotland. By the time this newsletter has gone to print the Minister and I will have attended the General Assembly in Edinburgh. A number of contentious issues will have been discussed and hopefully God will have guided the deliberations. No doubt you will have followed the business of the Assembly as reported in the newspapers and on television. The Social Committee has organised a Coffee Morning on Saturday morning, 8 th June to raise much needed funding for the Church and I implore all members to show support for this event. A great deal of effort goes into arranging these fundraising events and we need more than our small core of faithful supporters to turn up on the morning. Please do make an effort to attend and bring along family members and friends. There are always repairs and necessary improvements required to the Church and in the coming months the sound system will be improved to meet modern day requirements. To help meet our running costs we rely on outside organisations hiring the Church for concerts and events and we have received comments on the inadequacy of our sound system, so the upgrade will rectify this problem. The amplifier system will be improved and a number of additional speakers will be installed. Once again we are grateful to the Friends of the Holy Rude for agreeing to meet part of the cost of this upgrade. During the summer months our Director of Music will give a series of organ recitals and details of these and other events are given within the pages of this newsletter. I do hope you will support these events - donations received at the concerts will go to the Organ Fund which has been set up by the Friends to cover the cost of necessary repairs to the organ. At the Service on Sunday 2nd June, the Sacrament of Holy Communion will be celebrated and the Service will also include the Kirking of the Guildry and Skinners. On the 29 th July the annual James VI Coronation Lecture will take place and this will take a different form this year in that Professor Jamie Reid Baxter will talk about Musik in the Stuart Court with a small ensemble of singers performing music from this period. I believe there may even be some audience participation. I trust you have a good summer and I do hope that I will meet up with you at some of the above mentioned services and events. Iain M White Session Clerk 2.

4 DIARY OF SERVICES JUNE Sunday 2nd a.m. Revd. Alan F. Miller Sunday 9th a.m. Revd. Alan F. Miller Sunday 16th a.m. Revd. Alan F. Miller Sunday 23rd a.m. Revd. Alan F. Miller Sunday 30th a.m. Revd. Alan F. Miller Sacrament of Holy Communion Kirking of the Guildry of Stirling JULY Please note change of Service time Sunday 7th a.m. Revd. Alan F. Miller Sunday 14th a.m. Revd. Alan F. Miller Sunday 21st a.m. Revd. Alan F. Miller Sunday 28th a.m. Revd. Ian Paterson Short Communion Service followed by short Service for Healing and Wholeness AUGUST Sunday 4th a.m. Revd. Ian Paterson Sunday 11th a.m. Revd. Ian Paterson Sunday 18h a.m. Revd. Ian Paterson Sunday 25th a.m. Revd. Alan F. Miller Short Communion Service followed by short Service for Healing and Wholeness 3.

5 FROM THE DIRECTOR OF MUSIC As we now approach the summer period when, hopefully, the weather improves we begin to have more events taking place at the Holy Rude. Already we have had the Stirling City Choir who gave their annual spring concert where the programme was of Baroque music, including Vivaldi, Monteverdi, Handel, Durante and not forgetting Bach. The church was packed to capacity and the audience wasn t disappointed with the performance, and thoroughly enjoyed the evenings programme. Russkaya Cappella gave a good concert in March where the acoustics of the Holy Rude really suited the Russian style of music. The RSNO day was a great success with many singers taking part in the workshop and performance. The first organ recital also took place in March with Dr. Charles Barland from the University of Dubuque. He relished playing the organ at the Holy Rude and showed off many of its colours. More recently we have had a visiting choir from Sweden giving an afternoon concert and also the Stirling University Choir giving their annual May concert. Please keep an eye on future events listed in the Newsletter, Website and local press. We really have a good selection of events which we need support at to bring in much needed funds for the congregation. Ian Boulter PAUSE FOR THOUGHT Bach gave us God s word Mozart gave us God s laughter Beethoven gave us God s fire God gave us music that we might pray without words From a German Opera House To love another person is to see the face of God Victor Hugo 4.

6 DIARY OF FORTHCOMING EVENTS 2013 CALENDAR DATE EVENT TIME Sunday 2nd June Kirking of the Guildry of Stirling a.m. Saturday 8th June Coffee Morning In aid of Church funds a.m. Noon Sunday 7th July Organ Recital by Hans UWE Hielscher Director of Music Marktkirche, Wiesbaden 3.00 p.m Monday 29th July James VI Anniversary Lecture given by Dr. Jamie Reid Baxter 7.30pm Wednesday 7th August Organ Recital Ian Boulter Director of Music Church of the Holy Rude 3.00 p.m. Wednesday 14th August Organ Recital Ian Boulter Director of Music Church of the Holy Rude 3.00 p.m. Sunday Service Bell Ringing The Church of the Holy Rude Service ringing will take place on Sunday 16th June from a.m. to a.m. 5.

7 FLOWER ROTA JUNE Sunday 2nd Tricia Cooke Sunday 9th Church Flowers Sunday 16th Maureen Lindsay Sunday 23rd Myra Gibson Sunday 30th Church Flowers JULY Sunday 7th Kirk Session Sunday 14th Hilary Blewitt Sunday 21st Wedding Sunday 28th Wedding AUGUST Sunday 4th Connie Brodie Sunday 11th Wedding Sunday 18th Church Flowers Sunday 25th Ann Crawford 6.

8 Pastoral Baptisms Let the children come.. Sunday 3rd March Rosemary Catherine Hutton daughter of Mr & Mrs Hutton, 14 Dean Crescent, Riverside Stirling Sunday 5th May Sophia Julianne Maria daughter of Alastair and Chantalle MacKay Sunday 26th May Hayden Skye Ross Daughter of Susan and Robert Ross,16b Keir Avenue, Stirling Deaths I am the resurrection and the life.. Thursday 7th March Mr. Anthony Ferguson, The Cottage, Munnieston Farm,Thornhill Wednesday 3rd April Mrs. Molly Fyfe, Parklands Care Home, Alloa (formerly Victoria Place, Stirling) Monday 8th April Robert Blackadder, 30 Parkdyke, Stirling Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: Not as the world giveth giveth I unto you Let not your heart be troubled, Neither let it be afraid. 7.

9 Home Communion Many of our members for various reasons are not able to attend church regularly on a Sunday morning, and that this means they are unable to take part in the celebration of Holy Communion. Even if you cannot manage to church, you are very much part of our church family, and it is important that you should have the opportunity to share in this important sacrament. Please remember that if you are in this situation, it is possible to arrange for the Minister to come to you and celebrate Holy Communion with you at home. If you would like to request a Home Communion, please contact the Minister on: Tel. (01786) or at revafmiller@gmail.com. A major step forward - moving with the times At the beginning of Holy Week this year, Life and Work created a new chapter in their 134 year old history they can now be viewed online. Lynne McNeil, their Editor, explained that after years of praying, planning and a commitment to invest in the magazine at the General Assembly it was agreed that a website would be the first stage in the magazine s development for the digital age. She did emphasise that the site is not simply a copy of the magazine, nor a substitute for the magazine: there will be articles giving a flavour or a hint of the full content of the print edition. It was also felt that expansion was required to extend in an era where people expect to have the latest news and knowledge at their fingertips. The printed edition will still continue so those members who already subscribe should not feel that this change will affect their future editions. For members who do not already subscribe to Life and Work, at present they have a special online trial subscription of 11 for six months. Anyone interested should go to 8.

10 In all congregations money - usually the lack of it - is always a key issue but our small congregation struggles more than many to raise enough simply to maintain this beautiful and historic building and to heat it for services and events! For example in the early spring, the bill for one month's heating alone exceeded We are therefore organising two major fund-raising events, the first of which is on Saturday 8th June. See details below. For this fundraising event to be a success we need everyone who can to be involved by: supplying home baking and goods for the stalls, coming along to help prepare the building for the event, clearing up afterwards, helping set out and staff the tea room or one of the stalls, publicising the event to family,friends and neighbours by supporting it with your own presence on the day. And most of all, by praying that God will bless our efforts to maintain, a lively and effective witness to the Gospel here at the heart of Stirling. Yes! It IS a tall order for a small congregation, many of whom are now in their "Third Age" and with less energy and physical strength than once they enjoyed! However. it's important that the burden of trying to raise funds doesn't just fall on a few folk. So, PLEASE do what you can to help make this day a priority and achieve its purpose. All help will be gratefully accepted. The second major fund-raiser will be the full scale autumn fayre on Saturday 16th November. Save the date and plan what you can do to help, PLEASE! 9.

11 S.O.S. Save Old Stamps for World Mission What an amazing response we had to the stamp appeal over the Christmas/Winter period. Thank you to everybody in the Church of the Holy Rude and Viewfield Erskine Church who contributed the used stamps. Last year s Mission Project in support of the agricultural work with Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon raised almost This year s appeal which started in March is raising money from the sale of these used stamps to help the work of our partner church in the Czech Republic with their ecological project run by the congregation at Horni Krupa. The Living Water is a set of programmes for school children and the wider community, providing practical education about water life. They are aiming now to restore an old well and build a small lake. Please continue your generous support of the World Mission Stamp Appeal. The box is on the desk at the back of the church. Myra Gibson ECCB The Living Water Project The village of Horni Krupa in the Czech-Moravian Highlands is home to an exciting ecological project started by a congregation of the ECCB (Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren). Since 2001 the congregation, established in 1864, has been heavily involved in raising awareness of ecological issues. The church used to run a small rural school, but for the last decades the building has not been occupied and used only occasionally for services during the winter months. In 2008 the members of the church and other volunteers decided to begin restoring the old school building and campus to turn it into an environmental centre. This is an ongoing project but they are already providing services and education for the local community, the congregation and schools, and have received recognition internationally for their work. The Living Water is a set of three programmes currently offered to school children all based on practical education about water life. The project is part of a larger scheme focused on setting up an educational garden for children, a new summerhouse which will be the nature classroom, various education plots for growing herbs and vegetables, and an insect house, as well as numerous other activities. As part of this they would like to restore the old well and build a small lake with an access jetty this would improve their practical teaching on water cycles, water retention and about the impact water features have on biodiversity. In order to do this they need further financial input. The objectives of this project are:to improve the education programme already being offered to school children; To provide more practical teaching through hands on exploration of plant and water life; To show how water features impact the diversity of the landscape; To improve understanding and raise awareness of ecological issues and to engage with and form relationships in the wider local community. The ECCB is a protestant church in the Czech Republic and is part of the World Council of Churches. The Church of Scotland has an active partnership with ECCB. 10.

12 446th Anniversary of the Coronation of King James VI on the 29th July 1567 in the Church of the Holy Rude " MUSICK FYNE for JAMIE the SAXT: The Sound of Ceremony at The Stewart Court a Lecture - Recital The Narrator : Dr. Jamie Reid Baxter Musician, Poet, Historian, and Linguist who specialises in 16th Century Scotland The music : SANG SCULE under their Director, James Hutchinson This will include the First Ever Scottish performance of Abraham Praetorius s Harmonia Gratularia written for King James s wedding to Anne of Denmark in 1589 There will also be works by Blackhall Gibbons, Peebles and Servin THIS anniversary is on MONDAY 29 July 2013 at 7.30pm celebrated within the Church of the Holy Rude, Stirling. There are NO tickets - Donations at the door very welcome. CAR PARKING (Free of Charge) on CASTLE ESPLANADE (bottom end by steps), courtesy of Historic Scotland Closes at p.m. Please NOTE the above details and encourage your friends and contacts to support this very special event. 11.

13 Dear Friends and Supporters of Start-Up Stirling, As you may know, we are building on the strength and success of our home starter and well being pack provision and have recently developed a Crisis Food Bank which was launched in Autumn last year. We thought now would be a good time to raise awareness of how things are going! Since October 2012, the launch date of our pilot project, we have: Launched two community access points Trained 20 new volunteers Distributed 475 crisis food packs (approximately 7644 meals) Supported 118 households in Stirling Council area Provided for 174 family members (adults and children) We operate a robust referral only service and work with partner organisations in the community to ensure the provision goes to those most in need. We do not take self referrals or support anyone who is told to 'turn up' and we do not give out food coupons or vouchers. This ensures the goodwill and donations are not abused and go to those who have a real need. This service is operated as a last resort and we ask our referring partners to ensure that recipients have fully explored other means of support. It is important to share that our service is 'more than food'. We ensure we work with other support services to help those in need engage in finding long term solutions whilst we try to help them manage their immediate crisis. We are doing our best to stop the revolving door of crisis for these individuals and families. This is not simply a 'hand out' service... we are promoting resilience not reliance and our work is receiving praise and recognition from local partners and also national organisations as we are approaching this need in a holistic way rather than a 'quick fix'. We currently operate on a Monday and Wednesday at community access points in two locations in Stirlingshire and hope to develop two additional community access points in the coming months. At least 70% of the goods which are distributed are donated by the local community and this effort is essential to ensure we can sustain the service and increase our capacity to meet the need. Anything our supporters can do to set up donation stations, local community collections, encourage fundraising and volunteering will make a world of difference to our efforts. Also if you feel you would like to make a financial donation, we have set up an online giving page which can be accessed here: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charities/start-upstirling Our main referrers to the service are currently Stirling Council (various departments), Citizen's Advice Bureau, Women's Aid, HomeStart and many other organisations. These agencies receive full training in our systems and we build strong relationships with our partners to ensure the system works well. As we expand the capacity of the project we will engage other potential referrers in discussions to ensure they are aware of and able to access the service either through existing referral agencies or by making direct referrals. All of this is dependent on getting enough donations in the door to turn them around and get them out into the community. We hope this has given you a summary of our work so far. We would welcome any comments or feedback and are happy for you to circulate within your own networks to ensure as many people are aware of our services as possible. Thank you for your support and consideration. Best Wishes Christine Hancox, Project Co-ordinator 12.

14 SUGGESTION TO MEMBERS Proposed Gift of Garden Token for Fiona Culpin. When she left to go to New Zealand in March, Fiona Culpin asked that there shouldn t be any leaving present for her. However, we remember how much she enriched the worship in the Holy Rude with her beautiful flower arrangements and how she also ran the flower and bulb stall at our autumn fairs. As Fiona has recently bought a house in New Zealand, some members of the congregation thought we might mark the occasion by sending her an international garden token; fortunately there is a New Zealand firm that does this. If members and friends would like to contribute to such a present, they can speak to Janet Craig, phone her on or write to her at 3 Queen s Road, Stirling, FK8 2QY. Donations should arrive before the end of June. Update on Fiona s new life in New Zealand Fiona has, after a bit of searching, found a new home and is moving in soon. She is settling in and her family have been so supportive in helping her to adjust to this new chapter of her life. It is hoped that, once she is truly settled, we will carry an article in a future edition of the Newsletter about her new life in pastures new. Watch this space! Hilary Blewitt 13.

15 Friends of the Church of the Holy Rude Looking for interesting gifts, why not visit the Friends Shop in the Church and view the varied stock of goods on sale. There are many items of jewellery, books and cards and this year a jute shopping bag has been produced with an etching of the South Elevation side of the Church in silhouette being shown on both sides. These are priced at OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES (A little light relief) Teacher: Lewis: George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, But also admitted to it. Now, Lewis, do you know why his father Did not punsh him? Because George still had the axe in his hand... Teacher: Donald: Teacher: Donald: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water? H I J K L M N O. What are you talking about? Yesterday you said it's H to O. Teacher: Simon: Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating? No sir, I don't have to, my Mum is a good cook. Teacher: Clyde, your composition on 'My Dog' is exactly the same as your brother's. Did you copy his? No, sir. It's the same dog. Clyde : Teacher: Harry: Harry, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested? A teacher 14.

16 PRAYER PAGE When our Choir in Holy Rude took part in the recordings for Songs of Praise a year ago in May, we sang some beautiful well known hymns. One that I had not heard before, and found particularly moving and with a beautiful melody, was written by John L.Bell of The Iona Community and the words written below, I feel, are truly prayerful. Simple words in prayer are often the most powerful. TAKE THIS MOMENT Take this moment, sign, and space; Take my friends around Here among us make the place where your love is found. Take the time to call my name, Take the time to mend Who I am and what I ve been All I ve failed to tend Take the tiredness of my days Take my past regret Letting your forgiveness touch All I can t forget. Take the little child in me Scared of growing old Help me here to find my worth Made in Christ s own mould. Take my talents, take my skills Take what s yet to be; Let my life be yours, and yet, Let is still be me. John L. Bell Hilary Blewitt 15.

17 We lit a Candle for You. As members will be aware candles are available to be lit within the St. Andrew s Chapel. People take great comfort from lighting a candle possibly for someone who is ill or bereaved, or for someone going through troubled and worrying times, maybe for themselves. The undernoted prayer was shared by one of our members who received it in a note from a friend. Kindle in our hearts, Lord The flame of that love which Never ceases, that it may burn in us And give light to others May we shine for ever in your Temple, set on fire with that eternal light Which puts to flight the darkness of this world In the name of the Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord I read recently of the Editor of an English Newspaper once wrote an article on the Ten Commandments in which he pointed out how invaluable each of them is to human relationships. He went on to suggest Ten Commandments of his own: others. Speak to people. There is nothing as nice as a cheerful greeting. Call people by name not names. The sweetest music is to hear one s name called. Have humility. There is something to be learned from every living thing. Be friendly. If you have a friend be one. Be cordial. Speak and act as if everything you do is a pleasure. Be interested in others. You can like almost everybody if you try. Be generous with praise, and cautious with criticism. Give your word, and then keep it. Be considerate of the feelings of others. Be alert to give service. What counts most in life is what we do for 16.

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20 List of Contacts Minister: Rev. Alan F. Miller The Manse 7 Windsor Place Stirling FK8 2HY Tel revafmiller@gmail.com Session Clerk: Mr. Iain White 1 Kirk Wynd St. Ninians Stirling FK7 9AY Mr. Ian C. Boulter 8 Muirhouses Avenue Bo'ness West Lothian EH51 9DJ Tel/Fax: imwhite1@virginmedia.com Treasurer: Mrs. Kate McIntosh 4 Bellfield Road Stirling FK8 2AN Tel Finance Convener: Vacant Property Convener: Vacant Freewill Offering: Mrs. Ann Crawford 24 Dalmorglen Park Stirling FK7 9JL Tel Flower Convener: Mrs. Alison Dale 26 Victoria Place Stirling FK8 2QT Tel Newsletter: Mrs. Hilary Blewitt Ranworth 48 Laurelhill Place Stirling FK8 2JJ Tel hiblewitt26@btinternet.com Publicity Officer Mrs. Lorna Paterson Kirkmichael 22 Waterfront Way Stirling FK9 5GH Tel lpaterson38@btinternet.com Church Officer: Mr Robert Wyllie 10 Grampian Road Stirling FK7 9JP Tel/Fax: elmawyllie@btinternet.com Director of Music: 19. Tel ib011x8378@blueyonder.co.uk

21 List of Contacts contd. Y Young Church Mrs. Lucie Miller The Manse 7 Windsor Place Stirling FK8 2HY Tel revafmiller@gmail.com Wedding Administrator (Temporary) Mrs. Ann Richardson Church Secretary The Church of the Holy Rude St. John s Street Stirling FK8 1ED Tel Mrs. Ann Richardson Church Secretary The Church of the Holy Rude St. John s Street Stirling FK8 1ED Tel: holyrude@holyrude.org or Tel: ann.monteith@gmail.com Church Office holyrude@holyrude.org or Tel: ann.monteith@gmail.com MATERIAL FOR AUTUMN NEWSLETTER The next Newsletter will be our Autumn covering the months of September, October and November Please ensure all articles are available no later than Sunday 11th August. Please let me know of forthcoming events and other additional material that may be of interest. Special thanks, as ever, to all members who have provided articles for this edition. Your support,as ever, is very much appreciated. Hilary Blewitt - hiblewitt26@btinternet.com 20.

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