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                                                                                                                       Thursday September 27 2018 

Our regular round-up of news received from churches.

Please send items of parish news to magazine@lifeandwork.org or Life and Work, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN. Please check the quality of your pictures: images which are too small, blurry or too dark cannot be used. If there are children in any picture please confirm that their parents or guardians have given permission for publication.

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Thirty-five former members of an Edinburgh Youth Fellowship gathered earlier this month to celebrate the 70th anniversary of its launch.

The anniversary of the founding of the Fellowship by the Rev James G Matheson during his ministry at Blackhall Parish Church was celebrated on Sunday September 16 . Most had attended in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s when the Fellowship was strong and influential in the life of the congregation. Two original members were present. Ten still attend St Columba’s, sometimes after long spells away.

Those present attended morning worship led by the Rev Benjamin Abeledo and the Rev Mary Morrison, a former President. An important feature of the service was the presentation of Iona marble crosses to the young  of today as a symbol of passing on the faith.

Afterwards a celebratory lunch took place in a nearby hotel allowing shared reminiscences and memorabilia.

There were expressions of gratitude for the lessons of the Youth Fellowship about leading worship, preparing services and public speakin , all within the context of worship, Bible study, Christian living, fun and fellowship.

Mary Morrison has published a Book of Memories of Blackhall Youth Fellowship costing £5.

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All nine toilets at a two churches in Fife have been twinned with toilet blocks overseas.

The congregation of St John’s and Dairsie United Parish Church was presented with a stack of framed Toilet Twinning certificates to twin all nine of the toilets in their two church buildings on September 23. The presentation marked the milestone of £1,000 raised to build up to 16 toilets in the third world.

Elyse Kirkham, the Scottish organiser for the charity Toilet Twinning attended services in both Dairsie and Cupar to present the picture certificates.  She told the congregations: “Your money has gone to help not only provide simple clean toilets, but to cut down disease and death from non existent sanitation. Plus to make women and girls much safer in particular.”

Further donations raised the total to over £1,200.  The Rev Ian Wotherspoon said: “Our members are always very generous. We do not just sit in the pews....but get out into the wider community......we care and do what we can to show our faith in action.  Really pleasing was that after the service two junior church members agreed with their parents to twin both their toilets, using part of their own pocket money; marvellously.”

Four of the certificates presented were for an entire toilet block for a rural school in Uganda. This linked well to voluntary work already being done by members in Uganda already.  Elyse said. “As soon as we open these toilet blocks the number of girls attending school raises dramatically”

Elyse and Ian are pictured with members at the presentation in St John’s Church.

 

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A milestone in a twinning between a congregation in Stirling and a French Protestant Church in Paris was marked earlier this month with an exchange visit to Scotland.

Following a period of exploration and an approach through the Church of Scotland’s World Mission Council St Columba’s Parish Church in Stirling has been twinned with the United Protestant Church of France Luxembourg-Pentemont congregation in Paris for the last two years. It has been an exciting time: meeting Francis and Cecile Sykes, the first couple visiting in spring last year and for the Session Clerk, Dr Peter Murdoch and his wife, Sarah, to be invited to stay in Paris at the start of Advent 2017. They found tremendous warmth, missional outreach and hospitality from the gathered united congregation working from two very different buildings in the city.

Earlier this month five members of the French congregation and one of the two ministers travelled to Stirling and were hosted by members of the congregation for a weekend. They managed to have a walk around the town, enjoy a leisurely lunch with members of the St Columba’s, visit Holy Rude Church, Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument and attend a church ceilidh in the evening with guests including the local Scouts, soloists from Torbrex Community Choir and other local churches.

The Parisians participated in the Sunday morning service on September 9 and wore the Church of Scotland ties and Scottish scarves which had been gifted to them. A congregational soup and sandwich lunch was enjoyed by everyone prior to departure to catch flights home from Edinburgh.

Next year plans are in place for more visits and shared bible studies, youth exchanges and book clubs are being explored.


Parish News

Parish News

The 70th anniversary of an Edinburgh Youth Fellowship, Fife churches' toilet twinning and...

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Parish News

Parish News

The 70th anniversary of an Edinburgh Youth Fellowship, Fife churches' toilet twinning and...

Read More   >

Parish News

Parish News

The 70th anniversary of an Edinburgh Youth Fellowship, Fife churches' toilet twinning and...

Read More   >


Comments

david milne - Thursday, March 9th, 2023

“I live in London and on the 11/9/1971 I married a young lady Jess Bell from dalrymple ayrshire.Sadly I lost her in 2015.We have her in the city of london cemetery but also in the family grave in St Johns Town of Dalry.I came across this site when checking something to do with my planned visit to Dalry later this year. The point of my writing is to enquire whether this is the rev wotherspoon who conducted our wedding in Dalrymple parish church in 1971?”


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