CALDER UNITED FREE CHURCH LOCHWINNOCH

Transcription

1 CALDER UNITED FREE CHURCH LOCHWINNOCH January 2014

2 OFFICE BEARERS Minister Rev A Ford BSc Calder Manse Tel: Session Clerk Mrs J Andrew 1 Viewfield Ave Tel: Treasurer Mrs M McKinlay 91 High St Creche Organiser Mrs S Gater 14 Viewfield Ave Clerk to the Board Mrs E Martin 57 Semple Ave Preses Mr M Brown Hillcrest Johnshill Organist Mrs M Holmes 8 Harvey Cottages Sunday School Mrs Lynne Harley 16 Parkhill Dr ABC Leader Mrs M Murray 2 Beechburn Cresc Kirk Session Rev A Ford Mrs J Andrew Mr M Brown Mr J Browning Mr J Caldwell Mrs M Frew Mrs E Graham Mrs J Graham Mr W Graham Mrs H Gulliver Mr A Harley Mrs L Harley Mr D Lawrie Mr G Mackenzie Mrs E McAllister Mrs E McKellar Mrs M McKinlay Mr A Murray Mr J Spiers Committee of Management Preses; Mr M Brown Treasurer Mrs M McKinlay Clerk: Mrs E Martin Mrs C Adam Miss A Arnold Mr W Arthur Mr G Frew Mr W Gamble Mr A Harley Miss M Holmes Mr G Mackenzie Mr H McKinlay Mrs E Waddell Mr J Waddell Women s Association Mrs E Martin Tel

3 Minister s Letter Dear Friends, Activities and Achievements The description of the early church in Acts chapter 2 has been seen as a useful guide to congregational life. The reading helps reflect on our activities in the past year. Acts 2: They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. Life today is a real challenge and so we continue to place considerable emphasis on deepening our knowledge of the Bible, to our prayer life as individuals and as a church, and to building our relationships as fellow Christians. An Alpha course was added to Food for Thought, Sunday Evening Fellowship, Men s Breakfast and the Women s Association as opportunities to learn more of God, faith and life. These events continue to produce an encouraging mix of thoughtful discussion and laughter. It is encouraging to share experiences, to hear what God has been doing in people s lives and to be reminded that God is at work in our village and beyond today. This has been underlined at the Men s Quiz by those who have shared their stories. The Prayer Union notes and Wednesday Hour continue as opportunities for quiet reflection and prayer. 1

4 Acts 2: All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Following Jesus means caring for one another and for those further afield. We know our responsibility to be there for folk going through harder times. I am sure we are all aware of our failings in this regard: times we have put off visiting others, or a phone call or sending a wee card. We will recall the failures to pray for folk as regularly as we should have. Yet a lot of faithful work has been carried out in this year by office-bearers and members. Needy people have been supported, helped and sustained. Many charities and causes have been helped by the various fundraising efforts and faithful giving. Acts 2: 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. Week by week we gather to worship God. As believers we cannot do otherwise. Sunday worship is at the centre of our being because God is in our hearts and lives. As we worship, learn, break bread and pray together we know the joy of being part of God s family not isolated individuals. We are thankful to those who share their gifts in leading our singing, reading and praying. There is added joy when our young folk lead worship and bring their thoughts and talents. 2

5 Acts 2:47 Praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. We give thanks for those who professed their faith in 2013 and became members of our fellowship. We give thanks for those who were called home. We rejoice in the progress of Gordon Mackenzie to the penultimate year of his training for the Ministry. We thank God for the work carried out by Laura in the youth work of our Denomination and in the work of the Living Room at Drumchapel. We thank God for every young person who attends Crèche. Sunday School, ABC s Girls Brigade and Boys Brigade. We rejoice in the faithfulness of the leaders who share with them the Good News of God in Jesus Christ. We pray that God will continue to guide, inspire and sustain the leaders week by week. We pray that the Lord will bring many to faith, old and young. Archie 3

6 Annual General Monday 17 h February at 7.30pm All are warmly invited to come along to share and discuss the strengths and opportunities within the life and work of Calder church. Your views are important. 4

7 Kirk Session The Kirk Session continues to meet bi-monthly to discuss all matters pertaining to the Spiritual welfare of the church and congregation. We are continuing to support all the groups and organisations within the church and the Boys Brigade, Girls Brigade, Sunday School and ABCs all receive an annual joint visit from an elder from Calder Church and Lochwinnoch Parish Church. We thank all the faithful leaders and helpers of these organisations for their dedication and commitment to the young people. If you could spare some time to help out you would be very warmly received. To celebrate our Anniversary in May we invited Rev Alexander Ritchie from Burntisland UF Church to lead our worship and in June we had our usual Celebrations Lunch when all who have had / or will have a significant birthday or anniversary (usually one ending in a 0 or 5!) during the year are remembered. We continue to give thanks for our links with the other churches in the village and this is evident in the attendance at the Walk of Faith on 31 st December when as usual there was a good attendance In November we hosted a lunch to celebrated Archie s 25 years of faithful ministry in Calder Church. Please remember him in your prayers. In September we were privileged to have the ordination and induction of three new elders Alec and Lynne Harley and Gordon Mackenzie and we ask God s blessing on them as they seek to fulfil the call to service.

8 In the Autumn we had Mr David Miller with us as an assistant. David is a Lecturer at the International Bible College and is looking to be a Ministry Assistant within the United Free Church and we pray that he will fulfil the call to service within our denomination. In May of 2014 we will be having a visit from the Moderator of the General Assemby, Rev Graeme Brown. This visit will co-incide with our Anniversary Service and Lunch. Janie Andrew More than Gold The aim of More Than God 2014 is the enable Christians and churches, working together, to serve their communities, the City of Glasgow and the larger Commonwealth Games family. It seeks to mobilise the Christian community to serve through generous hospitality, social care, outreach and active prayer, demonstrating the relevance of the church today and leaving a legacy of Christian love beyond the 2014 Games. Our Vision is that God s people will reach out to others ot share the good news of God s love and peace.

9 Statistical Summary Membership Kirk Session Baptism 4 2 Committee of Management Creche 10 7 Sunday School Youth (ABCs) Girl s Brigade Boy s Brigade Women s Association Choir / Music 7 7 Bible Study / Evening Fellowship 6 6 Food For Thought Men s Breakfast 8 6 7

10 EDUCATION GROUP Once again the main focus of the Education Group has been the Food For Thought meetings on the last Monday evening of every Month (Sept March). Attendances are down slightly with an average of around 21 most evenings. We are pleased to welcome members of the other churches in the village to these meetings. The Men s Breakfast and Evening Fellowship meetings continue with faithful membership. The Curry and Quiz nights have once again been popular with around 50 men enjoying pakora, curry (or fish and chips), a superb quiz and an interesting speaker. Thanks to Calum McLeod, Alan Murray and Alec Harley for organising these nights. The Alpha Course which ran in the earlier part of the year was a new and successful venture with 10 people attending. Our participation in the Lochwinnoch Arts Festival was another success, when we told the Story of David through songs, poems and drama thanks to Archie, Betty McKellar and the musicians for all their work in preparing of this event. Janie Andrew 8

11 MEN S BREAKFAST CURRY & QUIZ NIGHT Friday 17 th January 2014 Friday 21 st March 2014 (ro be confirmed) McKillop Hall 7:30pm Come and enjoy a night of fun and food A curry or fish supper for those who don t like curry A general knowledge quiz A speaker who will share something of their life and faith 9

12 Committee of Management The Committee of Management has met each month throughout the last year, except of July and August. There have been numerous additional meetings held after Church on Sunday Mornings to deal with urgent matters. At all times your Committee of Management have tried to ensure that their stewardship of the temporal and financial matters of the Church have been carried out in a responsible way for the benefit of the Congregation, the community in Lochwinnoch and the wider Church. Many running repairs are carried out on a week to week basis, which are too many to list here, and the Committee is indebted to Billy Arthur who has undertaken to personally carry out the bulk of these items. A new small domestic type gas boiler and additional radiators were fitted in March to service the Hall, Kitchen, Vestry and Toilet areas. This has made it easier and cheaper to heat these areas particularly at times when the main Church building is not in use. We are confident that this will lead to savings in running costs and a more inviting temperature for all the activities and events in the halls. The photocopier was replaced with a new machine during the session as a result of problems with the old machine. The keyboard played by William on a week to week basis was replaced with a new up to date machine which is enhancing the music element of our worship on Sunday mornings. 10

13 In October we sadly had to fell on of the 2 cherry trees as it had died. There is still some further work to be done in fully removing the remaining trunk and roots. The flooring in the kitchen had for some time been deteriorating and a new vinyl covering was fitted towards the end of the year which has certainly freshened up the appearance of the kitchen. The storms towards the end of the year resulted in some roof damage to both the Church and the Manse. Thankfully early repairs were carried out before any internal damage occurred. Some of the other items carried out were: Repairs and refurbishment to the Portacabin Roof inspection and Gutters cleaned Church gates and door painted On-going planned programme of manse redecoration and improvements Insurances all renewed. Mark Brown 11

14 Prayer Tree Please make use of the Prayer Tree in the Church which provides an opportunity for the Church as a Community to pray for those in need, On Wednesday evenings from pm the Church is open for a quiet time of reflection, prayer and meditation. From 7.15pm those present will be invited to share a time of prayer at the Tree and pray for those in need 12

15 Worship Group Once again our thanks go to all who have taken part in the services over 2013 be it playing instruments, doing readings or, as is the case with the ABCs, taking services. It makes for interesting worship. A number of people who in the past were available to do readings have now retired and our thanks go to them for their help over the years. We are also pleased to welcome some new faces but still more would be appreciated. The more readers available, the less you would be called on to assist. If you would like to give it a go, speak to Moira or Archie, they will be glad to hear from you. Should anyone wish to hear a favourite hymn more often or perhaps like a new one added to our worship, again, let us know and we will try to include them in the services. As I thought of the worship we bring to God, I remember Psalm 33 verses 2 and 3. Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the tenstringed lyre. Sing to him a new song. Play skilfully, and shout for joy. Well we may not have a harp or a ten-stringed lyre but the musicians do so well with organ, keyboard, guitar and drums, and we as a congregation may not shout for joy but we do enjoy singing our hymns. Looking forward to seeing you continue to join in the worship in Moira Frew 13

16 FOOD FOR THOUGHT Last Monday of Every Month (Sept Mar) 7.30pm Topics this session include: Prayer / the Lord s Prayer Sacraments Overview of the Bible Tithing Psalm 121 Daniel An opportunity to share a meal and discuss issues of faith Please come along All welcome 14

17 Sunday School The Sunday School continues to be a joint venture between the Parish Church and Calder Church. We have 16 children attending regularly, including 2 pre-school children, 9 primary aged children and 5 children in secondary education. These are supported by 8 teachers and one young helper who is completing her service section of the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme. We continue to meet in the Parish Halls as this allows us to sing and pray together, sometimes we split into separate age related groups but otherwise we work well as one happy mixed group. We have used Roots this year, a joint churches publication. We have enjoyed using this Bible based resource which helps us to deliver fun and exciting Bible focussed sessions using crafts, quizzes, stories, games and songs. Thank you to everyone who supports us every year with the Harvest Soup Lunch which enables us to continue our sponsorship of Babou Faye and his community in Senegal through the charity Action Aid. This year the total was an amazing Finally, a big thank you to all the children of the Sunday School for their hard work. It was a delight to be involved with Nativity Time / Nativity Rhyme and all the children did exceptionally well in their special nativity service. We all enjoyed a special Christmas treat at the cinema following the nativity service and after a short break over the holidays we are looking forward to the 2014 Sunday School session. Lynne Harley 15

18 Provisional Calendar February June 2013 Sunday 2 rd February Tuesday 4 th Monday 17 th Saturday 22nd Monday 24 th Tuesday 4 th March Friday 7 th March Monday 10 th Monday 17 th Monday 24 h Communion Women s Association Rev A M Ford AGM Men s Breakfast Food for Thought : Sacraments Rev Mhairi Breignan Women s Association Rev Deirdre Lyon World Day of Prayer Committee of Management Kirk Session Food for Thought Rev Colin Brown Psalm 121 Tuesday 1 st April Monday 7 th Monday 14 th Wed 16 th Thursday 17 th Friday 18 th Women s Association - AGM Committee of Management Holy Week Prayers Communion Good Friday Joint Worship

19 Sunday 20th Sunday 27 th Friday 9 th May Monday 12 th Friday 16 th Sunday 18 th May Monday 19 th May Monday 9 th June Sunday 29 th June Lochside service + breakfast Joint service with Youth Organisations Girls Brigade Display Committee of Management Boys Brigade Display Visit from the Moderator + Anniversary Service Kirk Session Committee of Management Celebrations Service Times and further information will be confirmed in weekly Intimations / order of service

20 ABC s Mission Sunday We began 2013 by organising the service for "Mission Sunday" in February. As well as taking part in the service, we invited the congregation for lunch of soup and home baking afterwards to raise money for "Mary's Meals". We raised a total of and are very grateful to everyone who supported us. "David"-The Musical In March we took part in "David"-The Musical as part of the Lochwinnoch Arts Festival. We provided the drama and Alasdair Jarvis played the part of David while other members of the ABCs played other significant roles, especially Robbie who managed to play several characters. Putting everything together was quite challenging and so too was remembering when to come on and off and which army you happened to be in! Margaret's dancing was wonderful also. The performance was a great success and we really enjoyed taking part. Summer Club We helped with the summer club in August. The theme was "Going Bananas". It was great helping with the children. Special thanks must go to the ABCs who took it in turn to dress as Banana Man. The children loved the character and enjoyed looking for him every day. We also ran a programme of evening events during the week including a pancake evening, a treasure hunt and bowling at Largs. 18

21 Dunblane As we do every year, we joined with other UF congregations in August at Dunblane High School for "God's Mission and God's People". We took part in worship before and after the workshops and really enjoyed the youth programme. It is always a great opportunity to catch up with youth groups from other churches. Iona In November we went to Iona for the weekend. We have never visited Iona as late in the year. The weather was pretty bad on the Friday night and particularly on the crossing to Mull on the Saturday. We had a pretty choppy crossing from Mull to Iona but arrived safely at the hostel. We explored the abbey and had everywhere to ourselves since we were practically the only visitors to the island that weekend. We worshiped at the little parish church on the Sunday and outnumbered the congregation. They made us most welcome. We had a truly wonderful weekend together it was great to share fellowship and spend time exploring the island. It was also great to share our experiences with congregation when we got home and we hope you enjoyed our service on the 24th November. We would like to say thank you to the managers for the kind donation they made towards the cost of our trip. 19

22 Watch-night We hope you enjoyed our watch-night service on Christmas Eve. We gave a short power point presentation on the various adverts seen on television during the lead up to Christmas followed by a reflective musical piece. Essentially, our Christmas message was that the items purchased as a result of the temptation such advertising promotes don't last, whereas the gift of God's own Son, Jesus Christ, endures forever. Despite the really awful weather conditions on Christmas Eve, many turned out for the service and thanks is extended to all who came to worship that night Our meetings start on Sunday 12th January 2014 from pm. Anyone in S1 - S6 (and beyond...) are welcome to attend. Monica Murray 20

23 Women's Association It is time again for our annual review. We are keeping a steady attendance at our meetings but unfortunately not growing in numbers. We meet in the afternoon on a Tuesday once a month from October to March, which seems to suit everyone at present. Last session ended with the Street Pastors from Paisley as our speaker. This session began with speakers from Christians Against Poverty and Mission Aviation Fellowship. The Carol Service on Sunday 1 st December with the Kilbirnie Salvation Army Band and Songsters was well attended and the collection on the evening was 253 we have already booked them for next Christmas. We have also attended three Women s Presbyterial Rallies, Ladies Day at the General Assembly and a Conference Weekend. We have also been represented at two meetings of the Women s Home and Oversees Committee. The theme for for Purpose Fit for God s Purpose (Ephesians 2:10) This year also has given us new badges with the symbol of the dove on them. The Sunshine Bags were distributed this summer and the response was very good with the total being many thinks to everyone who supported us in this way. 21

24 Some of the money from last year s Sunshine Bags was divided among: Christians Against Poverty, Scripture Union Camps, General Assembly Special Gift, Tear Fund, Prayer Union and the Girls Brigade. We pray that we are Fit for God s Purpose Elizabeth Martin. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and best wishes during my recent illness. The care I received from the medical profession was wonderful and your prayers sustained me throughout my recovery. Betty Graham 22

25 The Church is open every Wednesday evening from pm for prayer and meditation 23

26 Fundraising Committee This past year, 2013, we successfully ran 3 fundraising events. Early in the year, our committee voted on whether or not we should try again to have a "garden fete" at the manse, or, since we pay for the McKillop Hall anyway, as a back-up for a wet day, just opt for a Summer Fayre in the McKillop. The McKillop won by a majority vote and the Fayre proved to be a happy, worthwhile occasion, making a total of 1,722 after hall costs etc. had been deducted. We thought we would try something new - a "mini-fete" which we could hold in the church hall/grounds whatever the weather. This took place at the end of August and, according to reports, the people who attended found it enjoyable. The sum raised that day was 789. Our Christmas Fayre held on 23rd November proved to be the most successful, both in attendance and funds raised. The whole hall was filled with a jovial, friendly, warm atmosphere, with so many different things for sale, as well as the festive goodies served at our tearoom. Santa wound his way round the throngs adding to the festivity was the figure realised that day. A huge thankyou to all who helped in any way to make all three events go so well, - not forgetting the ones who do things behind the scenes who do a great job for us also. Hopefully, we can all look forward to our fundraising efforts again next year! Linda Lewis 24

27 1 st Lochwinnoch Boys Brigade There are around 55 Boys regularly attending the 1 st Lochwinnoch Boys Brigade Company on Tuesday ns. The Anchor Boys cater for boys in Primary 1, 2 and 3, The Junior Section caters for boys in Primary 4, 5 and 6 and then they move into the Company Section from P7 onwards. Overall numbers are up slightly from last year and the highest numbers are in the Company Section this year which is pleasing as this is the section where we have the best chance of achieving our objectives of positively influencing the lives of boys as they develop into young men. Our programmes in the different sections follow the Boys Brigade Award Structure which provides a wide range of activities, skills, interests and events and allows us to hopefully provide enjoyable and varied opportunities for all Boys. At our Annual Display and Inspection last April we were delighted that some of the senior boys in the Company Section had achieved enough progress through the BB award structure to be presented with their President s Badges which is the second highest award in the Boys Brigade. It was a proud moment for the Boys, their families and the Company when Sgts Gary Marsh, Ben McKinlay and Cameron Shields received their awards. 25

28 For the first time this year the Anchor Section joined the Junior and Company Sections at the event which meant that boys from Priamry1 through to Secondary six were on parade on the night and this certainly made for a packed all with all the additional parents, relatives and friends. A combined Junior and Company Section outing to the Glasgow Ski Centre in October gave the boys the opportunity to have instruction in ski-ing and enjoy the thrills of tubing..sliding down the slope in a giant rubber ring! Camping and outdoor activities have continued with weekend camps in June and October with the latter camp being held at South Newton Girl Guiding camp and training centre near Kilmacolm, which proved to be a successful venue likely to be visited again. Both the Junior and Company sections have had visits to Glasgow Climbing Centre which is a converted church building fitted out with lots of different climbing walls. They experienced the thrills of climbing up and abseiling from the spire under the watchful eye of their instructors.and the staff watched from the balcony! Our Coffee Morning at the end of October was well supported by the village and we raised over 400. Thanks to everyone who supported us. Around this time the devastation caused by the Philippines Typhoon was regularly in the news. 26

29 The Boys Brigade has numerous BB Companies in the Philippines and the company sent a donation to support the appeal for aid for the area. Following the success of last year s Christmas Dinner it was repeated again on Friday 20 th December with around 40 people being treated to a 3 course Christmas meal which was planned, prepared, cooked and served by a team of boys all under the watchful eye of our Chaplain Mr Ford. The Company Section Boys, the whole BB staff and some invited guests had an enjoyable evening. The Anchor Section Tuesday evening meetings are lively, noisy and exciting and it is great to see so many youngsters participating in BB activities and learning about Jesus in a fun environment. Table Tennis is a regular sport in the Company Section with additional training and practice taking place for a few hours on Friday nights in addition to our normal Tuesday night meetings. In December 3 boys took part in the Battalion Competition and gained 4 th place which for a first attempt was a good result. We continue to look for more adults who are prepared to help us in any way. 27

30 If you have a particular skill or hobby that you think may be of interest to the Boys and would be prepared to spend a few Tuesday nights with us then we would be happy to hear from you. Many of the Boys in our Company come from families with little or no connection with either Calder Church or the Parish Church and this means that the work of the Boys Brigade is a vital part of the mission work of the churches in Lochwinnoch. The object of the BB starts with The advancement of Christ s kingdom amongst Boys and ends with a true Christian manliness. Over the years many young men have attained true Christian manliness as a result of their years in the BB. Please remember The Boys Brigade and in particular all the leaders in your prayers, so that in the coming years in the Boys Brigade we can truly say that we are advancing Christ s Kingdom amongst the Boys in the village of Lochwinnoch. Mark Brown 28

31 Girls Brigade The first part of the new session was dominated by our 60 th Anniversary celebrations. On Saturday 28 th September we hosted a dinner for past Officers and girls at Lochwinnoch Golf Club where 60 of us enjoyed a lovely meal, much laughter and friendship and many trips down memory lane. We were delighted that six exmembers came from England and one from Inverness as well as many from the local area. The next morning we were together again, along with the girls of the present Company, parents, friends and the congregations of both Churches for our service of thanksgiving held in the Parish Church. The girls took part in the service and everyone who is a present member of the Company was presented with a Bible. Our thanks go to Archie and Mhairi for giving us such a lovely service of worship which was enjoyed by all who attended. WE then had the usual tea and cakes in the hall and had to say farewell to all our visitors, it was lovely seeing them all again. Thanks also go to the ladies of the Parish Church who helped us on the day. On the following Wednesday evening it was the girls turn to have some fun. This (for the first time ever) was a Disco, much to the delight of the younger girls. It was a good way to finish our celebrations. 29

32 This session we have 61 girls aged between 5 and 16 years attending regularly. Our badge work is under four headings spiritual, physical, educational and service. We must do one subject from each heading every year to allow the girls to obtain their awards. This is our main activity. The company would like to thank everyone who has helped and supported us in any way over the past twelve months. Margaret McKinlay. 30

33 April 13 th 20 th Sunday 13 th April am Palm Sunday Worship 6.30 pm Evening Fellowship Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday 7.00pm Prayers 14 th, 15 th, 16th Thursday 17th 7.00 pm Communion Friday 18 th 7.00 pm Joint Service in Calder Church Sunday 20 th 7.30am Lochside Service followed by breakfast in the Church Hall am Easter Sunday morning Worship 31

34 CONGREGATIONAL REGISTER Baptism Abigail Margaret Jackson Service of Blessing Rian Munro Funerals Mr Thomas Taylor Mrs Grace Manders Mrs Sheena Robertson Mr Paul Fleming Mr James Sturrock Milngavie Gates Rd Ford Cottage Calder St Erskine Hospital New Members Mr David McFadden Mr Gavin Pratt Miss Chloe Patterson Mrs Ashley Smith Mansfield Crookhill Gdns Newton of Barr Johnstone 32

35 Mission Statement: Calder Church seeks to worship God in our community and to reach out through fellowship, service and prayer, that all may come to faith in Jesus Christ

36 LOCHWINNOCH : CALDER United Free Church of Scotland Scottish Registered Charity No SCO16177

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