News

Parish News Round-up

Friday June 2 2017

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. Digital photographs should not be reduced. Please check the quality of your pictures: images which are 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.

The choir of Banff Parish Church in Aberdeenshire are pictured entertaining a craft fair held as part of the Coastal Fringe Festival on May 28.

They are shown with the ‘Teabag Angel’, an artwork created by local artist and choir member Alison Simpson (standing on right) to raise awareness about recycling and to encouraged people to discard less. Teabags were donated by churches from Shetland to Ballater.

Also during the weekend, the annual Blessing of the Fleet service at the harbour marina was led by the Rev David Locke, while the Rev Hugh O’Brien from Macduff offered a prayer of dedication for the new harbour general purpose boat.

The church hall was open all weekend for refreshments, with displays from the various church groups and the craft fair on Sunday afternoon. The choir, led by organist Stephen Pratt, sang for two hours.

Jackson Parish Church in Airdrie has received a £21,000 grant from Patersons Quarries Landfill Trust to fund energy efficiency works including loft insulation, new heating, windows and doors.

Pictured: representatives of the church, Patersons, and the Provost for North Lanarkshire, Jim Robertson. Left to right: Alex Cunningham, George Kane, treasurer Morag Hamilton, minister the Rev Kay Gilchrist, Dr Lorna Gall of Patersons, Mr Robertson, John Turnbull.

The Rev Alan Garrity presents Professor J Alistair M Inglis with a specially commissioned Certificate of Long Service for his role as Session Clerk. Prof Inglis had served nearly 60 years in the role – his first five years as Clerk in St Andrew’s Parish Church, Kilmarnock, where his father and grandfather had also served as Session Clerks. Over 54 years was served in Caldwell Parish Church, Uplawmoor where this presentation, on the occasion of his retirement, took place in March 2017. Professor Inglis was ordained as an elder in January 1957.

At the social part of the evening following the recent induction of the Rev Rosemary Frew to Bowden and Melrose Parish Church, a presentation was made by William Windram on behalf of the congregation to Ewan Rintoul, an elder for 50 years who has retired after 37 years as Session Clerk. He has previously served as Clerk to the Congregational Board for eight years and has been a member of the choir for over 50 years. He was presented with a framed certificate signed by all the elders, as well as the Interim Moderator and a cheque on behalf of the congregation.

Members of the linked Borders charges of Maxton & Mertoun, with Newtown with St Boswells, took a seven-mile walk on May 13 to celebrate the history of their places of worship.

The walk was inspired by the definition of 'steeplechase', which originated in the 18^th century when horses and riders raced from one town's steeple to the next.

Fortified by bacon rolls at Newtown Church, 35 gallant walkers braved the first rain for weeks to walk the River Tweed path to St Boswells for lunch, to shelter from a hail shower and visit to the parish church to learn something of its history. The route continued to the site of the old St Boswells Parish Church at Benrig, and a suitable sing-song. Then on to Maxton Kirk (where the above picture was taken) for tea and cake, and an interesting talk about some of the 1000-year-old church's past.

The walk finished at Mertoun Kirk, the younger 'sister' of Maxton Kirk by 25 years! Although it was not primarily intended to generate funds, the event raised £656 for the charge's current fundraising venture, the Vine Trust's 'Build a House in Tanzania' project.

An open air communion service was held in the grounds of Stair Parish Church, in the Presbytery of Ayr, attended by members of the six congregations under the banner name ‘C6’.

The six churches - Coylton l/w Drongan, Ochiltree l/w Stair and Patna l/w Dalmellington - formed a committee a number of years ago with a view of fostering co-operation, fellowship and sharing resources. Though all six churches are in vacancy at present, they regularly have concerts, fundraisers and services of worship throughout the year.

The communion service, on the evening of May 17, was conducted by the locums Morag Crossan, Ian Jamieson and Douglas Moore.