Church magazine September 2008

Dear friends

This is the last letter I will write for your magazine, at least as Interim Moderator – YIPPEE! Of course I mean that in the nicest possible way. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with you. I admit it has been a huge learning curve for me, working with a different congregation with similar and different issues to my own. And I am sure that at times you have wondered which planet I am from – don’t worry this is a normal experience for those who know me. However I would like you all to know that I have high hopes for you.

Many of you reading this perhaps don’t realise how hard working and dedicated your office bearers are. You see the outcome of their decisions, but I have been there watching them make them, and I am most impressed. They have taken some very tough decisions over past months, and have done so with much thought, prayer and discussion. Their ability to listen and to talk, to debate and ponder has been inspiring. Therefore I want you to know that you have a wonderful bunch of office bearers on the Board and Session and I ask you to pray for them and support them, and if the chance arises, join them.

When I see the potential in your church, through the congregation, through the committees and groups, through individuals I praise God because I know that you can have a wonderful and positive impact on your parish. And especially in a world that is in turmoil, the Church has a positive role to play. When the whole world is going pear-shaped we know we have a God who always loves us, a joy that no-one can destroy and peace that passes all human understanding. These are gifts that this world and your community need to hear and experience, and no one is better placed to do it than the Church family.

So as you welcome your new Minister Alan and his family into your midst, remember that he brings gifts to help you release yours. God doesn’t just work through individuals – he called us to work together as brothers and sisters in Christ. No minister is a one-man (or woman) –band – we are all part of the Body of Christ, of which Christ is the Head. And I know as the Body of Christ in the Parish of Carstairs and Carstairs Junction, you will work hard and achieve much for the glory of God. You have great potential – believe it because God believes in you.

All that remains for me to say is thank you for having me. Thank you for welcoming me, for trusting me and for allowing me the privilege of working with you. Although I sign off at the end of August as your Interim Moderator, I hope and pray that the links that we have began to build between yourselves and Forth will continue to grow.

God loves you. Go in his peace to walk in the light of his paths, and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, rest upon you and remain with you, now and always.

Thank you and God bless,

Sarah

Rev Sarah Ross

Signing off as Interim Moderator! J

FROM THE MANSE

As I sit and type this, I am surrounded by boxes, and there just seems to be so much more still to do as we desperately try to unpack and turn this beautiful house into our home.

It has been a great pleasure to meet many of you already in the short time in which we have been in the Manse. Karen, the boys and I have been greatly touched by the warmth of heart and home that has been extended to us since you invited me to become your Minister. Benjamin has started school in Carstairs, and George has begun nursery also. Suddenly life here is gathering pace and a routine is beginning to emerge – we are all excited and thrilled to be here.

Yet, all those wonderful, positive emotions were dampened by the sudden death of my father a few weeks ago. His death came as a great shock to the family as he was such a fit and healthy man. My dad and I were very close, and he was looking forward to this new chapter in our lives, in Carstairs. He would have been at the Induction service, and also at my first service on the 31^st August. He would have been a regular at our Sunday services, and there is a great pain in my heart that he is no longer with us.

Time and time again in the Gospels, Jesus reaches out to people in their time of darkest need. People in Carstairs and Strathaven have been so kind, and in their words and actions we have surely been met with the comforting presence of Christ.

I am looking forward to being your Minister. I am hugely grateful to Sarah Ross for all her hard work, and I am grateful also to the Property Committee and many other Office Bearers for their great endeavour in assisting us with the move.

There is a huge challenge here for the United Parish of Carstairs and Carstairs Junction – and I do fervently believe that if we put faith and prayer as our corner stones, and if we focus on Christ in all we do, then we can embark upon a journey together that will be a wonderful adventure.

Yours in Christ,

Alan, Karen, Benjamin and George

Weekly Intimation Sheet

What do you do with the weekly intimation sheet handed to you each Sunday at church? Do you take it home and refer to it during the week to find out when things are on, and to check times of meetings etc? Or are you unable to find it after the service, or when you get home?

It would appear that they can be tricky little things, these intimation sheets. Unless put in a safe place, like a jacket pocket or a handbag, they can disappear as nice as you like, wriggling off to hide in all sorts of unexpected places. It has been known for them to be spotted in both churches - on seats, under seats, on pews, under pews, and near the church door. Some of them are so skilled at hiding that they are often not found for several weeks, or much longer, lurking inside a Church Hymnary, Mission Praise or Songs of God’s People!

Just a few weeks ago, at a joint service, when there was a very good attendance, and more hymn books were being handed out than usual, some of the books at the bottom of the pile were found to contain copies of intimation sheets from way back … and not all of them were from the same week!

Perhaps they do this just to be naughty and put a good old spanner in the works for everyone who should be going along to some meeting or other in the week. Never mind though! We have always got the Gazette every Wednesday, with all the church news, and information about what’s on, and listed under the news for both the Village and the Junction. Or have we? More about that later.

First, let’s look at all the people and all the work involved in producing the little sheet handed out at the door each Sunday morning. We’ll use as an example one of those which was found recently, dated almost a year ago, intimating Manse Appeal; Boy’s Brigade; Church Guild; Nominating Committee; Board Meeting; Social Committee; Meeting for Prayer; Prayer Focus; Pulpit Supply for September; Contact for Intimations.

The information contained under all of the above headings was provided by nine different people, all working voluntarily within the congregation. They were the Church Treasurer, Boy’s Brigade Officer, Guild Secretary; Clerk to the Nominating Committee, Clerk to the Congregational Board, Convener of the Social Committee, Prayer Promoter; Session Clerk; and Convener of the Publicity Group.

At some time during the week, between Sunday and Thursday, each of these nine people passed details of their intimation to Lorna Bruce, who prepares the intimations sheet each week. Some would prepare a little handwritten report, while others would type it up neatly, before walking round to Lorna’s house to hand it in or pop it through the letterbox. Some would telephone and pass the message on verbally, while those who are up-to-date with computers would send their details to Lorna by e-mail. Lots of effort by lots of people then!

Next Lorna would type all the different bits of information together in one list, in date order, usually by Thursday evening or Friday morning. The original list would need to be copied, enough for both churches. Lorna has several methods of doing this, one of which involves obtaining a key for the community centre and going over there to use the photocopier. Then each sheet of A4 paper (large page) would have to be cut into two, to produce the A5 size (small page) which is usually used.

All of this would be completed by sometime on Saturday when Lorna would hand-deliver the intimations to Mary Cowan’s home for the Village and to Ina Milne’s home for the Junction. These two ladies would take them to church on Sunday morning, arriving early, in good time for them to be handed out to everyone attending morning worship. Lots more effort by even more people then!

But what about this “more about that later” concerning the Gazette? We have become used to seeing all the intimations for our congregation published each week in the local paper. However, recently the Gazette contacted Lorna to say that, due to lack of space, it would no longer be possible to publish all our details, and especially not when they are duplicated under news for both places. So in future, all the details of meetings of our various groups will be intimated to the group members as usual, and pulpit intimations will continue to be made, but these will not be published in the Gazette.

So it will be more important than ever for people to have their weekly intimation sheet at home, so that they can refer to it during the week for details, times etc. of meetings of various groups. And surely it would be disappointing to miss an important meeting or event, especially something you really enjoy - like a coffee evening!

What do you do with yours? What will you do in future? We hope, now you are aware of the peculiar nature of these playful paper pranksters, that you will put yours in a safe place, in a pocket or bag and take it home with you. Then you will always know what is happening, and when!

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK

Thank you to all those who helped make the Christian Aid Collection so successful this year. Our door to door collections raised £1530.71 which is an amazing amount of money. Our 3^rd Christian Aid lunch raised an additional £392.56. This gives a grand total of £1923.27 which will make a huge difference to the lives of those that Christian Aid supports.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

The change from monthly to quarterly coffee afternoons proved to be more successful and for that reason we have decided to stick with this frequency, for the next year anyway. We do, feel that everyone, ourselves included, enjoy the lunches and as there is not much more effort required we have decided to do quarterly lunches this year instead. The lunch dates will be:

Tuesday 23^rd September 2008 in aid of McMillan Cancer Care

Tuesday 25^th November 2008 will be for Church Funds

Tuesday 24^th February 2009 will be for Church Funds

Tuesday 26^th May 2009 will be our Christian Aid Lunch

As before we will be serving soup and sandwiches followed by tea, coffee and shortbread. We hope to be able to have a baking stall at the lunches. If you can help in anyway please contact:

Heather Forrest Mary Stokes , Una Doak or Linda Brown

We look forward to seeing you all there.

To watch the corn grow

To watch the corn grow, and the blossoms set;

to draw hard breath over ploughshare or spade;

to read, to think, to love, to hope, to pray -

these are the things that make people happy.

John Ruskin (1819-1900)

QUARTERLY PRAYER GUIDE

You are invited to use the following suggested prayer topics for each week during September, October and November, in your own prayer time with God. As we prepare to welcome our new minister and his family and enter into a new phase in the life of our congregation, it is also an appropriate time to offer our prayers of thanksgiving to God, for all the blessings we have received as a congregation, for all the answered prayer, for the amazing journey we have come through, and for all those who have helped and supported us throughout our time of vacancy.

September Theme: Prayers for our congregation

Week Beginning 31^st August

Ÿ Pray for our new minister, the Rev Alan Gibson, as he takes up his duties here, and for his family, his wife Karen and their children Benjamin and George, that they will be happy and blessed by God in their new home and congregation.

Week Beginning 7^th September

Ÿ Pray for all members of the Kirk Session as they work with our new Minister and care for the spiritual well being of our congregation.

Week Beginning 14^th September

Ÿ Pray for all members of the Congregational Board, as they give their time and talents to ensure the smooth running of the material affairs of the congregation.

Week Beginning 21^st September

Ÿ Pray for all members of the committees of the Congregational Board, who look after Finance, Property and Social and Fund-raising events.

Week Beginning 28^th September

Ÿ Pray for all members of the Way-Ahead Groups, Pastoral Care, Publicity and Exploring Worship, as they visit people in their homes; invite others to come along; and explore new spiritual dimensions in worship.

October Theme: Prayers for our Community

Week Beginning 5th October

Ÿ Ask God to bless our local schools, the children who attend them, and the teachers who work in them - Carstairs Junction Primary, Carstairs Primary and Lanark Grammar.

Week Beginning 12^th October

Ÿ Pray for the residents of Monteith House, and for all the staff who care for them. Pray too for the small group from our congregation who go along once a month for a short service of worship.

Week Beginning 19^th October

Ÿ Pray for all parents in our parish, many of whom find life difficult due to family problems, unemployment, concerns over finances, worries about drug abuse and other dangers for their children.

Week Beginning 26^th October

Ÿ Pray for all those who are experiencing difficulties in their lives, those who have been recently bereaved, and those coping with illness, constant pain, loneliness or disappointment in their lives.

November Theme: Prayers for our World

Week Beginning 2^nd November

Ÿ Pray for all people living in places suffering the ravages of war, especially Iran and Afghanistan, and ask God to bless all those who are working to bring about peace.

Week Beginning 9^th November

Ÿ Pray for people throughout the world who experience daily the distress of homelessness, hunger, serious illness and persecution. Ask God to keep us faithful in prayer for them, and in the giving of financial support to help them.

Week Beginning 16^th November

Ÿ Pray for all those who live in places where there is political unrest, where people are imprisoned and tortured daily. Ask God to protect and bless those who serve him in such places.

Week Beginning 23^rd November

Ÿ Pray for everyone living in those parts of the world where natural disasters are a regular threat, where storms, earthquakes and floods occur frequently. Pray that God will bless all who work with Christian Aid, Tearfund, Red Cross and other aid agencies, in providing relief throughout the world.

Meeting for Prayer

The Meeting for Prayer continues, in Carstairs Church Library, from 6.30 to 7 pm every second Wednesday. The dates of our meetings for the next quarter are: September 10^th and 24^th; October 8^th and 22^nd; November 5^th and 19^h; December 3^rd. You are very welcome to come along on any or all of these dates.

It can be difficult to set time aside for prayer. It is a busy life, and we can find ourselves rushing to and fro, here and there, never having time to sit quietly and enjoy the moment. Yet, in a recent sermon, we were reminded that the busier we are, the more important it is to pray. Our half-hour, once a fortnight, is an opportunity to sit in God’s presence, and focus on what is important. We invite you to join us.

The Sunday School

The Sunday School meets each Sunday in Carstairs Village Church at 12noon and all go along to the Community Centre for the Sunday School at 12.20pm. If it's a family service the children will stay in the church until 1.00pm.

In the Community Centre the children come together for any announcements relating to the Sunday School. They then go into classes with children of similar age for stories and lessons from the bible. Activities throughout the year include projects run by 'The Board of Parish Education' such as Art Competition, Bible Quiz and Concert. Family Services, Nativity Play, Easter and Palm Sunday Services, Christmas Party and Summer Trip.

As you can see there is plenty to keep both the children and teachers busy and we will make every effort to keep you informed of any events.

The term starts from August until June when we finish with a family service where prizes and certificates are awarded to the children for attendance throughout the year.

Please come along, everyone will be made very welcome.

1st Carstairs Boys' Brigade

The Boys Brigade resumes on Tuesday, 2^nd September in Carstairs Community Centre. Membership is £5.00, Weekly subscription is £1.00

Anchor Boys (5-8yrs) 6.30pm - 7.30pm

Uniform: BB red jumper, trousers (no jeans), indoor shoes for sport

Junior Section (8-11yrs) 7.30pm - 9.00pm

Uniform: BB sweatshirt, trousers (no jeans), BB hat & armband, indoor shoes for sport

Davina, Sean, Fiona, Louise & Elizabeth look forward to welcoming all boys.

Congratulations and Good Luck

Sean Brownlee was presented with a trophy at Lanark Grammar School which was awarded to him for his dedication to the Boy’s Brigade. The Company would like to take this opportunity in wishing Sean all the very best as he goes to University to study Social Work. We also wish Lynsey Campbell and Leah Burchell good luck with their studies and future careers.

Boys Brigade 150^th Anniversary

The Boys Brigade is looking for any related memorabilia which could be loaned to them for their special Memorial Service in October. This could be old uniforms, hats, certificates, badges or photo’s. It is hoped to display these items at the Service to be held in Carstairs Church celebrating 150 years of the Boys Brigade. Please contact Elizabeth Brown for further details.

Property Committee Report

The New Manse

On the recommendation of Presbytery the Property Committee were tasked with looking for a new Manse. After a lot of hard work and effort the Committee put forward proposals to the Board and Session. Approval was given to purchase a new Manse. Our new Minister, Rev Alan Gibson and his family moved into the manse on Thursday 14^th August. Alan and his family are wished a long and happy stay in their new home.

Carstairs Junction Church Organ

Despite several attempts to repair the organ it was agreed that when funds allowed a new organ should be purchased. However, an anonymous donation was received and on 24^th June 2008 a new organ was installed which has made a great difference to our Sunday worship. The donation is very much appreciated and we give a big thank you to our anonymous benefactor.

Other upgrades include:

· New radio microphones for both Churches

· New signs for both Churches to be erected shortly

· Carstairs Junction has a new CD player installed to play the bells on a Sunday morning

· Carstairs Junction Church garden weeded and flowers planted (volunteers are required to continue to keep it tidy)

· Carstairs Junction church vestry tidied and painted

· Carstairs Church staircase painted, window sills and pointing repaired

Carstairs and Carstairs Junction Guild

May As we look forward to a new session in the Guild, we also look back at the last one. The annual joint outing with the ladies from Carnwath Guild on Saturday 17^th May was most enjoyable. We travelled to Perth, with a stop for morning coffee at Dobbie’s Garden World on the way. Some ladies spent the afternoon lunching and shopping in Perth, while others enjoyed a visit to Scone Palace. We then met up and enjoyed a delicious high tea together before our journey home.

On Friday 30^th May we attended the Guild Summer Rally in Douglas St Bride’s Church. The guest speaker was Mrs Karen Gillon MSP who shared with us the story of how, through her own church, she came to have an interest in Malawi, and then as an MSP she was given the opportunity to visit Malawi, and observe for herself the conditions in which the people live. She showed slides and talked in a most relaxed and sincere manner of her experiences. We have invited Karen to speak at our Guild meeting next April. This will be an opportunity for others to come along and hear for themselves the dedication and commitment of this particular MSP. Visitors will be made very welcome.

August- Our Guild report for this edition of the magazine is being written at the beginning of August, to meet the deadline for publication. Our syllabus planning is almost complete; however, as it is presently just over four weeks until the Induction of our new minister, the Rev Alan Gibson, we have had to leave the arrangements for our Guild Dedication until we can meet with him and discuss what is most suitable for him. Details will be intimated as soon as possible.

Our planning for meetings this session has been restricted by the number of people we have who are willing to take responsibility for Convening meetings. Nevertheless, we have several interesting speakers coming, and we look forward to another enjoyable and challenging session.

October- We hope to have our Guild Dedication, possibly during Sunday Worship, sometime in October.

November- On Thursday 13^thNovember we meet in Carstairs Community Centre at 7.30 pm when our speaker will be Mrs Anna Aitken from Lesmahagow Old Parish Church. She will show slides and tell us about her visit to Peru with the Vine Trust.

It will be of interest to Guild members to be updated on the work of the Vine Trust in Peru, and learn of the progress which has been made since the visit of Melville and Irene Crosthwaite, who were our guest speakers several years ago. While Anna does not have any of the bracelets made by the street boys to sell to us, she will be very happy to accept donations to the work of the Vine Trust, and there will be an opportunity to give on the night. Members wishing to contribute should make a note to bring their offering along to the meeting.

December- Thursday 11^th December will be our Christmas Carol Night in Carstairs Junction Church, when our guest will be Mrs Ann McMillan, our church organist. We will also have our usual Bring and Buy parcels wrapped in Christmas gift wrap.

Details of our meetings in the second half of our session, beginning in February 2009, will be published in the next issue of the magazine in December.

We look forward to this third year of our Guild Theme “Let’s Live: Body, Mind and Soul”. We have already learned about our bodies, and how to look after them and respect them, using them in God‘s service. We have learned about our minds, and how to fill them with things which are honourable, just, pure, lovely and gracious. Our Guild Theme for this session is taken from Psalm 23 verse 3, “He restores my soul”. We look forward to considering ’the soul’, our spiritual, moral and emotional side Back to top

Church magazine September 2008

MINISTER'S LETTER

FROM THE MANSE

Weekly Intimation Sheet

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK

To watch the corn grow

Meeting for Prayer

The Sunday School

1st Carstairs Boys' Brigade

Property Committee Report

Carstairs and Carstairs Junction Guild

MINISTER'S LETTER

FROM THE MANSE

Weekly Intimation Sheet

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK

To watch the corn grow

Meeting for Prayer

The Sunday School

1st Carstairs Boys' Brigade

Property Committee Report

Carstairs and Carstairs Junction Guild