Thursday May 5 2022
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Easter Sunday saw the signing of the BEK (Burntisland Parish Church of Scotland, Erskine United Free and Kinghorn Parish Church of Scotland) Partnership Covenant at a united service of worship in Burntisland Parish Church.
Discussions about forming a partnership between the three Fife churches to maximise ministry and mission opportunities began in 2019. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020 brought about closer working relationships as the three churches planned, prepared and delivered weekly shared online livestreamed Sunday worship services.
The BEK churches are looking ahead to the future of working ecumenically in their local context. Through local fundraising the partnership are in the process of employing a BEK Children’s and Families Worker.
Pictured l-r: the Rev Alexander Ritchie, minister, Erskine United Free Church; Ena Hudson, session clerk, Kinghorn Parish Church; Bill Sweenie, session clerk, Burntisland Parish Church; Bill Cairns, session clerk, Erskine United Free Church; the Rev Jim Reid, minister, Kinghorn Parish Church; and the Rev Eileen Miller, locum minister, Burntisland Parish Church.
On Sunday April 24 the ‘Fab four’ from Alloway Church in Ayr completed their Kiltwalk, walking from Clydebank to Balloch Park 14.4 miles. In doing so, they raised over £5500 for Christian Aid’s Global Hunger Appeal, which will be increased to over £8250 by the Hunter Foundation.
The Rev Neil McNaught, minister of Alloway, said “Once again our flabber has been gasted by the generosity of people in the congregation and wider community. We very much appreciate also the remarkable generosity of the Hunter Foundation and the organisers of the Kiltwalk.”
Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) will bring their four-seater Cessna aircraft to the Park Parish Church, Giffnock, on Sunday May 15 from 10am-12 noon, offering the chance to look around the plane as well as to hear about MAF’s work among isolated communities around the world.
Seven long-service certificates have been presented to elders of St Mary’s Parish Church, Motherwell. Irvine Brown, Alex Craig, and James Murray have served for 40 years and June Graham, Anne Johnstone, Neil McCallum and Sheila Sinclair for 30.
The presentations were made on behalf of the congregation by young people from the Junior Church Y Zone made the presentations. Also in the picture are minister, the Rev Bryce Calder, and session clerks Alan Joyce and Stewart Maxwell.
Strong links between the young and not-so-young members of the congregation have been maintained over the past two years. The young people have presented the Calls to Worship on line or more recently in person, and have provided on-line entertainment via Zoom for the Guild and some were able to visit recently to share details of their hobbies. In return the Guild has knitted Christmas Angels, Christmas stockings, Easter chickens and crosses which were given to the church’s own young people and to local schools.
Barrhead St Andrew’s Parish Church held a special service to ordain four new Elders and to recognise the contribution of their existing Kirk Session.
Special guest the Rev Dr George Whyte, Principal Clerk of the General Assembly, was invited to preach and to hand out long service certificates to those who had completed at least 25 years of service. Dr Whyte grew up in the church and was a member of the 1st Barrhead Boys Brigade.
The service featured a ceremony of ordination for four new Elders: Claire McKie, Fiona Mineard, Janice Rooney and Malison Ndau. In addition, Dr Whyte handed out 18 long service certificates to Elders who have served a grand total of 728 years between them – an average of 40 years each.
Picture of the session with Dr Whyte, taken by Rhys Jackson.
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