CHURCH NEWS Fernhill & Cathkin Parish Church June 2016 1
OUR MISSION IS:- TO OFFER WORSHIP TO THE GLORY OF GOD, TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR COMMUNITIES AND TO WELCOME, IN FRIENDLY AND PRACTICAL WAYS, THOSE WHO SEEK A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF GOD Fernhill & Cathkin Church of Scotland, 115 Fernhill Road, Rutherglen G73 4HP Scottish Charity no SCO 01077 Church of Scotland Congregation Reference 160858 2
Dear Friends JUNE 2016 My first word in this June Magazine is the word Thank you. You really are an amazing Congregation. Last month, there were two special events or maybe three which stood out for me in terms of your remarkable generosity. In Christian Aid Week, we decided to have a Coffee Morning, and there were indeed some intrepid men who came, complete with bow ties, and helped welcome people, serve at the tables, and wash up in the kitchen. All done with a smile. So, a big thank you to them, and to all who did baking, and to all who contributed to the Christian Aid appeal. When that amount was added to those donations which were handed in on Sunday mornings, the total has reached over 600! Then, at the end of the month, we had a visit from a singing group from a church in Alabama. Well, I should say we didn t have a visit from them, and then we did. On the Monday evening when we expected them, they didn t appear. The big Hall was laid out with a special supper, the tables groaning with food, all provided by members of the congregation. But no singing group. So we sang some favourite hymns in the Church, enjoyed the splendid supper, and everyone was remarkably cheerful. It transpired that there was a mix-up about the date, and so the Group from Alabama came the following Monday. Their presentation was called Adoration. It was an uplifting experience, to hear them express the Faith, in modern music and song, with such joy clearly in all their hearts. And then lo and behold in the big Hall, yet another equally splendid supper laid out and enjoyed by all. Again, a big thank you to all who helped make that visit so memorable.. These are both signs of a congregation very much alive, and it s good to recognize that. And now, we turn into the month of June, with Communion Sunday on the 12 th. In a real sense, there is a deep connection between the coffee morning tables at the Christian Aid Coffee Morning, the tables at the Adoration event, and the Communion Table. In the Church of Scotland, we don t have altars, we have tables. The Communion Table is the place around which we gather, as Jesus did with his friends in the Upper room at that last, splendid supper. And it s in that gathering, remembering, receiving and sharing that we are truly fed by God in Christ with the very Bread of Life. Then we see again that the whole of life belongs to God, and that we ourselves are called to be people of worship, fellowship and service. It will be good to welcome you to the Lord s Table, and to share with you in the Sacrament of Life and Love. And what about the other Sundays in June? Is it a while since you ve been to a service of worship? How about deciding to make it one Sunday soon? A small boy once went with his grandpa to church it was old, dusty, uncared for, cold and empty. Is this God s House? he asked. Yes said his grandpa. Well, said the boy, If I was God, I think I d flit. Fernhill and Cathkin isn t like that. It s a lovely building, as you know. The welcome is warm, the singing is strong, the choir is in good voice, the music uplifting and the Gospel is Good News. So how about it? God s Blessing be with you all. With every good wish, Yours sincerely, Stewart 3
FUNERALS Elsie Anderson 58 Woodend Road, Fernhill Died 6 May 2016 Bill McClymont 87 Lochbrae Court, Springhall Died 26 May 2016 Neil McLeod 3 Lochbrae Court, Springhall Died 3 June 2016 -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o ROTAS FOR JUNE - AUGUST Door Duty & Offering Jun 12 Communion Elders Jun 19 2 B McGarrie, B Kelly, E McGowan, J McIntyre Jun 26 3 H Flesher, A Borland, J Bolton, J McGregor Jul 3 Jul 24 Aug 141 D McLeod, S Stewart, D Hastie, F Abercrombie Jul 10 Jul 31 Aug 212 B McGarrie, B Kelly, E McGowan, J McIntyre Jul 17 Aug 7 Aug 283 H Flesher, A Borland, J Bolton, J McGregor Sep 4 D McLeod, S Stewart, D Hastie, F Abercrombie Sep 11 Communion Elders Readers Flowers Jun 5 Jim Bolton Mr & Mrs Paterson Jun 12 Scott Wilson Mr & Mrs Bolton Jun 19 Donald McLeod Mrs O Donnell Jun 26 Archie Paterson Mr A Purdon Jul 3 Bridie Kelly Mrs Siberry Jul 10 Fred Abercrombie Mr & Mrs Clearie Jul 17 Eddie Phillips Mr Armstrong Jul 24 Alex Borland Mrs McGowan & Mrs Begley Jul 31 Barbara McGarrie Mrs Sherlow & Mrs Thomson Aug 7 Ellen Mcgowan Mrs Kennedy Aug 14 Karen Watts Mrs Smeaton & Mrs Wills Aug 21 Fred Abercrombie Mrs Sharpe Aug 28 Scott Wilson Mrs M Thomson Sept 4 Jim Bolton Mrs V Robertson & Mrs Flesher Sep 11 Archie Paterson Doran Family & Friends June 27 th Monday WHATS ON Summer Holiday Club 10.30 am to 3.30 pm in Church Hall September 3 rd Friday Studio 32 Concert in Church at 7.30pm September 17 th Saturday Messy Church 4
A Tribute to Bill McClymont The Kirk Session, and indeed the whole congregation, was saddened by the recent death of our longest serving Elder. Bill McClymont was ordained to the Eldership on 8 th March 1958, over 58 years ago. When he and Margaret moved to Fernhill he was admitted to the Kirk Session here in Fernhill and Cathkin on 31 st March 1968 where he served faithfully, visiting his districts, undertaking the various duties assigned to him and attending meetings where his knowledge and experience was gratefully received. As well as his work with the adults of the congregation he became an officer of the Boys Brigade Company, here in the church, where he helped shape the lives of many young boys, myself included. Even after he had to step down from this role, he continued to take a real interest in the BB and supported it continuously, becoming one of the Elders who visited the organisation regularly. He died on Wednesday 25 th April, aged 88. He will be missed by all who knew him, both within and outwith this congregation. Our thoughts and prayers are with Margaret and their sons, Ian and William and their families. Fred Abercrombie Session Clerk. FLOWER COMMITTEE The Flower Committee would like to thank the folks who so kindly deliver the flowers on Sundays. The people who receive them are very grateful and express their thanks in the magazine or by cards which are displayed on notice board. Thanks also for the donations given in flower box in vestibule. THE GUILD The Guild held an Afternoon Tea in the Church Hall on Wed 1st June. Thanks to all those who baked or helped in any way. It was a beautiful afternoon and those who attended thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The next afternoon will be intimated in church SESSION ROOM RENOVATION Now that the Session Room/Crèche renovation is finished The Crèche supervisors would like to thank everyone who donated in any way toward achieving the result.those who first of all raised the money, those who cleaned, stripped wallpaper and got the room ready for the work to start, all workers who gave of their time freely or at a much reduced rate. The only thing left to do now is to install storage units and then it's on to the next project. The flooring for session room was purchased at a good discount from J&W Carpets in Rutherglen Road and they have offered a 10% discount to members of our church.if anyone would like to take advantage of this offer go into the store and ask for Graham or Paddy and mention that you go to Fernhill & Cathkin church. 5
THANKS I would like to thank the Church and Flower Committee for the lovely flowers she received. Love and Blessings Agnes Murdoch To the ladies of the Flower Committee and Church members, I just have to say Thank You for the flowers I received from the Church after my stay in Hospital. Yours sincerely Margaret Stanage The family of the late Anna Steel would like to thank friends in the congregation and neighbours for cards, beautiful flowers from the church and kind expressions of sympathy during their recent bereavement. Special thanks to Stewart for spiritual comfort, and Bridie for arranging flowers. It was very much appreciated. God bless Steel family Thank you for the lovely flowers that you sent. They were very much appreciated Mrs W Henderson Fernhill Road I am happy to tell you that this year we raised 626 for Christian Aid. On behalf of the Rutherglen Churches Christian Aid Committee I would like to thank all who contributed so generously. A special thanks to Stewart and the men of the congregation is due for such a successful coffee morning at the beginning of Christian Aid Week. Irene Bell ADORATION CONCERT MONDAY 23 rd MAY 2016 (and 30 th May 2016!!!!!) Early start on Monday morning, off to Morrison s to buy the food for the supper after the concert. Later at the church hall we put up the tables and put everything in place for the concert including the church where the concert was being performed. 6
At 5.30PM the choir will be arriving to set up their sound system. By 6 PM I was getting a bit worried as to why the choir had not arrived, we gave them our address and Post Code, they were being driven around their engagements in a mini bus, so the Post Code will help find the Church on their Sat Nav! By 7 PM when the concert was scheduled to start there was no sign of them, have they got lost or has there been an accident? As time ticked on we were getting more and more worried, we tried to contact our contact in America by email, but due to the time difference we did not get a reply! Luckily Stewart Smith came to our rescue and his wife Mary played the piano and the audience sang some well known hymns and Stewart told some of his many stories to the audience to keep them entertained till we got the supper prepared! Still no word from America the next morning, by lunch time we got a reply!!! The choir would not be arriving in Scotland till Friday of that week? It turns out that Alan Suska, Global Missions Project Director in America had got his diary and dates mixed up when the choir would be in Scotland big time! He had not checked that the dates we had given him coincided when the choir would be in Scotland. To further complicate matters he is in a different State from Alabama. When the choir did arrive on Friday he had not bothered to let the choir know that we were expecting them on Monday (23 rd ). So the concert was rescheduled for Monday 30 th May and it was well worth the wait, the choir led by John Baldwin, the other choir members are: Brenda Saltz, Sharon Jones, Karen Hicks and David Machefsky, all lovely people. ADORATION is an ensemble from First Baptist Church of Fairhope in Fairhope, Alabama. The choir was delighted to come to our church and to sing to a very appreciative audience, and they were very impressed with the acoustics of our Church building. The choir sang twelve items from their programme which included; Worship The Great I Am, Glorious!, Soloist John Baldwin, In God s Hands, Soloist Sharon Jones, People Like Us, My Ransom, Soloist Karen Hicks and Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer. At the end of the concert John Baldwin apologised for the choir not being there the 23 rd May, he and the choir really enjoyed the time with us it was an excellent concert. We all enjoyed the supper later provided by the Ways and Means Comm. and all who baked for the evening our thanks, and all who helped set up and clear up at the end, my thanks. The choir all enjoyed their visit to our Church and hopefully we can have them another time when they come back to Scotland. Archie Paterson, Ways and Means Convener. 246 Glasgow Company, The Boys Brigade The BB had a very successful year which culminated in a great parents evening in April. The boys showed their families a small bit of what they had been up to each week and it demonstrated the 7
hard work they had put into their various activities. At the end of the evening the boys of the Anchor Section received their attendance awards while the older ones received various badges, certificates, etc. Jack O Neil won the Best Boy shield within the Junior Section and Christopher Cuthbertson gained the Company Section Best Boy shield. Two days later the older boys, staff and Rev. Stewart Smith set off to Glenkin outdoor centre, in the middle of nowhere (near Dunoon), where we had a great weekend of outdoor activities and getting to know each other better some of which Stewart managed to mention in his sermon the next week. On your behalf I would like to thank the staff who give of their time, every week, over the winter months to try and enrich the lives of these young people and lead them to a true Christian manliness. Thanks to Jean, Debbie, Craig, Tony, Scott, James, Daniel, Andrew and Alex (and Jonathan who helped out at camp college prevented him attending the rest of the year). We start back the last Wednesday in August. Fred Abercrombie Captain 1 ST CATHKIN GUIDES Thank you On behalf of the Guide Leaders heading off to Ghana on June 28 th, I thank everyone who donated pens, pencils, pads and paints to distribute to th children. Elizabeth Abercrombie will be one of the volunteers going and we wish them all a safe trip. There will be a full report of what happened in the next Church News Karen Watts BROWNIES The 1 st Cathkin Brownie Pack had a very exciting and enjoyable year with the girls taking part in many activities and being awarded many badges at the parents night. There was disappointment at the end of the session when a planned trip to the LKepies and the Falkirk Wheel had to be cancelled as the bus which had been booked became unavailable. It is hoped to rearrange this trip for the Autumn. Marion Fleming Summer Holiday Club Monday 27 th June This year we are holding our children s Summer Club for just one day instead of the normal week. The Club will be held in the Church Hall on Monday 27 th June from 10.30 am to 3.30 pm and we invite all children who are in primary school (that is P1 to P7) to come along and have loads of fun for the day. The theme for this year is STREET WISE. 8
MESSY CHURCH SAVE THE DATE Last year, we had review of what outreach we were doing in the local community other than normal Sunday services. As part of this we agreed to invite families to join us for evenings of fellowship and fun. We are having a Messy Harvest here in the church on Saturday 17 th September from 4 to 6 pm This event is for families. Boys and girls (and their parents as well) are invited to join in with craft activities, singing, games and there will also be a meal. Anyone who would like to help out will be most welcome. There will be a meeting for volunteers in the church hall on Wednesday 10 th August at 7.30pm and if you would like to help please speak to Fred Abercrombie, Jim Bolton, Karen Watts, Ellen McGowan or Archie Paterson for more details. 9
forthcoming attraction Concert by STUDIO 32 Friday 3 September at 7.30pm Tickets 5 Available soon There is no CHURCH NEWS in July and August, The next CHURCH NEWS will be published on the first Sunday in SEPTEMBER Contributions for the SEPTEMBER edition of CHURCH NEWS should be given to Jim Bolton at any time but before THURSDAY 25 th August at the latest. Contributions should be written or typed or can be emailed to Jim Bolton at bolton11@talktalk.net 10