A CHURCH OF SCOTLAND PARISH CHURCH Page 1

March 2013

CROSSTALK

Congregation No. 161054

Scottish Charity No. SCO15579

Musings from the manse

I really enjoy going to the cinema, although at the moment I don’t get to go often. However a film I have really appreciated this year is “Lincoln”. Daniel Day Lewis deserved the Oscar for best actor, as he portrays the last four months of Lincoln’s life, when he seeks to ensure the emancipation of the slaves before the end of the civil war by political manoeuvring and bribery. It is wonderful portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, and of his deep sense of

morality and justice, and passion for what is right. When you read through some of Lincoln’s speeches and sayings, there are many wonderful quotations – like:

“ my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.” “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” “I never had a policy; I have just tried to do my very best each and every day.”

Lincoln had a rare mastery of words and originality of thought, which is quite inspiring.

(Continued on page 2)

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We are not all Abraham Lincoln’s, but reading about him, and other wise leaders like Martin Luther King Junior, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela or Aung San Suu Kyi, it inspires all of us to use words in a nobler way. God has given us the power of language to communicate and to be an encouragement and blessing to others. Yet so often we misuse this gift, and instead use words to criticise or pull down or to ridicule. The book of proverbs sums it up well, as in verse 4 of chapter 15: “ the tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, But a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” The season of lent is traditionally a period of reflection, as to how we live and about our priorities. Part of that time can be spent reflecting on the need to give up negative thoughts and language, and to ask God to help us to let go of envy and greed and to be led instead by God’s holy spirit. To use words to be a blessing is a challenge for all of us, but really it is a matter for the heart, for “ it is the wellspring of life” Proverbs 4:23. As we approach Easter, may our hearts be pure in God’s sight, and may our words and actions reflect the grace and beauty of our Lord Jesus Christ. May we all know the power of Christ’s resurrection, and be able to celebrate the Wonder of the love of God,

Every blessing,

Fiona Gardner

Some good news!

We are delighted that the dry rot repairs were finished before Christmas, and that we were able to get back into the sanctuary for the Christmas services. Thanks to everyone who made this possible, and especially to Robert Dallas and his team. At our February Congregational Board meeting, Robert resigned as fabric convener, due to health reasons. We are thankful for all his hard work over many years, and wish him well, and hope he gets a bit of a rest!

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Letters and Notice Board

Gentleman’s Dining Club

This time we will be going for an

ITALIAN meal.

If you have not been before, you

will be most welcome.

Give your name to John Brown or

Ian Murray.

From the Communications Team—

We are pleased to report that the sound and loop system is now working and apologies for any inconvenience caused during the time when it was not working.

Jessica Smyrl

David and Lesley Murray would like to thank Fiona and the flower committee for the beautiful flowers we received to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary at the beginning of February. It is always lovely to look at the floral decorations while sitting in the sanctuary.

Mothers and Toddlers

We have 12 children who come regularly. The children are doing a sponsored toddle and are having a pyjama party. Easter Bonnets parade is on 28th March. A special thank you to June, Claire and Fiona who will be helping out when I cannot be there due to illness. I cannot believe that it is nearly 10 years since I started doing Mothers & Toddlers, and I still love it!

A. Sweeney

The deadline for Summer

edition of Crosstalk is

Monday 27th May

Articles can be handed to me on a

Sunday (I’ll do the typing!) or

emailed to me on

michaelgraemeshanks@gmail.com

or any other way you can think to

get the information to me!

Michael Shanks

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Treasurer’s Report

At our Annual Stated Meeting this year I will be celebrating 26 years as your treasurer. In 1986 I was asked to be treasurer for 5 years more or less. I didn’t think that the “more” would be another 21 years. You are saying to yourself but 1986 to 2013 is 27 years. It took them nearly a year to convince me that I was the man for the job. I am sure that they said that they would give me training for the job. I am still waiting for that training. I have at last decided that there will be no training therefore I better just do my best. Also they didn’t mention that I would have to do an article for the magazine. A few lines of figures will suffice I was told by the editor at that time. So that is what I did a few lines of figures. It was then brought to my attention that nobody read my article therefore I should try and change the format and over the last number of years I have talked about for example her indoors my brother my dogs holiday experiences and if there was room left I put in some financial information. I was asked (or should I say commanded by her indoors) to speak at the Guild on my job (vocation) as Church Treasurer. Jim Stewart was invited at the same time to give a talk on being our Session Clerk. Between Jim and I we decided that he would be the straight man and I would do the funnies. Jim went first and was excellent the only thing was that he was longer than he said he would be and he got a lot of laughs. This then gave me a problem as I thought I would have to do the straight man and also cut my talk. Now can you imagine me being the straight man and also not waffling. Of course I waffled as I seem to be doing now therefore what about some financial information. The Church Accounts have been approved by the Congregational Board. There-fore that will save you the bother at the ASM to go through them page by page and you will only have to look at an abbreviated version. If you feel that you wish something to put you to sleep you can ask for a full set of the Accounts. The following is an extract from the Financial Review in the Accounts.

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“The principle source of income is weekly offerings and this year it was encour-aging to note that there was an increase from £80,755 to £82,502, Tax recovered on Gift Aid offerings increased from £13,647 to £14,204. Our income was once again greatly augmented by the receipt of legacies total-ling £38,754. Another increase in income was the rental of premises which rose from £395 to £8,723. It was decided by the trustees (Congregational Board) that the rental income should be placed in a designated fund for the payment of a part time youth worker. Unfortunately this year an outbreak of dry rot was detected in the church and the cost to eradicate it was £36,935. The General Fund ended with a deficit of £3,652. The trustees are satisfied with the financial results taking into account the difficult financial times we are in at present.” The Remembrance Sunday retiring collection for Erskine Hospital was £283.51. The communion retiring collection for the Scottish Bible Society was £132.60. The collection taken at the Watchnight Service for the Lodging House Mission was £290.06. The donations received on Souper Sunday for C of S HIV/Aids was £535.50 plus they would get at least another £100 re those who gift aided their donation. A GOOD TIME FOR MY USUAL PLUG IF YOU PAY TAX AND HAVE NOT YET SIGNED A GIFT AID FORM PLEASE CONTACT ELISABETH ROBERT-SON (TEL No 959 0498). That was a lot of serious stuff therefore a wee funny story which I told the Guild about my great niece Sophie to finish with. The other day I noticed that Sophie was pounding away on my computer therefore I asked her what she was doing. She replied she was writing a story. I asked her what the story was about to which she replied –“I don’t know Uncle Fergus I can’t read yet!!!!!!” I have a few other stories about Sophie but I will leave them to another report as I think I have probably overrun my allocation of words for this report.

Fergus

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201st Glasgow

Brownie Unit

The Tuesday Brownies have been growing in numbers since September and we now have 20 Girls. We have been working on keeping fit and healthy recently and have completed the healthy heart badge, which involved making posters, keeping diaries of what we eat during the week and making healthy fruit kebabs. The Girls have also taken part in a national consultation on our Promise, this in-volved the Girls completing a questionnaire with alternative words. It was a very interesting night to explore what the promise meant to the individual girls. The Girls have made a promise tree to illustrate their good turns which is on the new hall wall. 7 of the Brownies attended the County Thinking day celebration where we had a Fiesta in Mexico. The girls had a great afternoon making flower decorations for their hair, singing and dancing to a Mariachi band and learning to dance a salsa. The girls also had a talk from 2 Leaders who visited Our Cabana, which is the Guides international centre in Mexico. The Leaders explained how that during their visit they had a service project to do and it was to build a house for local people. The Girls were fascinated that the house was made of cardboard which was then coated with a laminate to keep the rain out.

Lesley Murray Brownie Leader

God grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked, the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the

eyesight to tell the difference.

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1st Kelvinside

Rainbows

We have 8 girls at the moment but we have room to have more if you know of any girls aged between 5 and 7 or are in primary 1 or 2 at school who love to play games, making crafts and making new friends. We meet in the old hall on Monday evenings from 6.15 to 7.15.

7 of the girls will be making their promise very soon and have been learning what it means to make a promise.

We are taking part in Sainsbury Active kids 2013, with the other youth organisa-tions in the church and hope to collect as many vouchers as possible to get some fantastic new equipment for the young people in the church. Vouchers are avail-able from Sainsburys stores, petrol stations and grocery online between now and 22 May 2013. So please get collecting!

So please donate your vouchers to us and let everyone know that we’re collect-ing! Your efforts are really appreciated and can make a huge difference.

We have placed a box in the large hall for the vouchers.

Thanks. Fiona MacIntyre

Rainbow Unit Guider

Some bloopers from Church newsletters...

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased per-son you want remembered.

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The Guild

Hello everyone, the Guild will soon be finished for the ses-sion and, despite having to cancel the meeting on February 5th due to the weather in the morning being so bad and then lo and behold, it turned nice just at the time we would have been having our meeting, fortunately we didn’t have to cancel a speaker as it was to have been a Drama by the Guild Committee – however, we have this in hand for another day! We are looking forward to our Bus Run which this year is to Baxter’s for “soup ‘n sandwiches” then on to Crieff for a bit of “retail therapy” and then to Crieff Hy-dro for High Tea. I am sure that we will have a lovely time. We may have some spare seats on the bus, if you would like to come along, please speak to Nancy Clark or Isabel Barrie or any of the guild committee. The Committee will, over the next few months be planning the Syllabus for 2013 – 14. If you have any ideas then perhaps you could let the committee know and we will see what we can do? We will let you know the date we start back in order that you can put this in your diary. Our closing meeting is on Tuesday 26th March at 2.00pm, when we will be enter-tained by Stewart and Friends. If you are free that day, please do come along and join us, you will be made most welcome. It may let you see what the Guild is all about and you might just enjoy yourself? Yours in His Spirit

Fay Platt President

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Youth Stuff!

The Youth Development team are doing a great job, seeking new initiatives to bring our young people together. Events planned for the future include: 24th March – Sunday morning – 11am Palm Sunday family Easter service 31st March - 7am Early Easter morning service at Dawsholm Park! Sunday 5th May 7.30-9pm Dr Who night June BBQ – date to follow!

Faith in Older People

We are delighted to welcome Mary Moffett from the charity “ Faith In Older People” to lead some workshops on issues that affect our visiting to some of the people in the congregation and parish. The first workshop is on Monday 29th April from 2-4pm, and is on the topic of “ supporting people in times of transition”. This work-shop will look at issues around moving into a care home, and the use of practical ways of communicating, including the use of memory boxes. The second workshop is on Tuesday 7th May from 2-4pm, and is on the topic of end of life issues. This workshop seeks to explore some of the issue that people might want to talk about, and how to create space for people to express their concerns. These workshops are open to all, and are recommended especially for elders and pastoral visitors within the congregation. Please let Fiona know if you would like to come to either or both workshops, as the number are limited. It would be helpful if you could let me know if you intend to come, before Sunday 31st March, so we can open them out to the community if there are additional spaces not reserved. Thank you.

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Easter Thoughts

The period of Lent that precedes Easter is important to us all. This allows us to prepare, take stock of our life, reassess our priorities and map out a course for the rest of the year, in the light of experience and renewed guidance through prayer. We are focussed and perform better, if we have a direc-tion and a goal. Easter and the events leading up to it, as told in the gospels, create a moving portrait of the human character of Jesus and his disciples and strike a visceral chord in most of us. We all know of the turbulent times that Jesus lived in. There were many false prophets, and testimonies. What made Jesus different from the rest and why is Jesus talked about, worshipped and prayed to even now? Jesus was and is differ-ent. Yes - Jesus was crucified! Yet on that first Easter morning, the earliest visitors to the tomb found to their amazement Jesus was not there. The stone was rolled away and the tomb was empty. The challenge of the empty tomb tells its own story – The victory that Jesus had over death. Jesus was and is the son of God, our creator and re-deemer. The reality of a risen Jesus Christ led to the birth of the church. Our Lord Jesus by his sacrifice wiped away our sins for all time. The power of the Cross has the potential to draw all humanity together as one people under one God. It is the ultimate link in God’s contract with all of us and shows the love of God in action, allowing the sacrifice of his own son Jesus Christ.

John 11:25-26

Jesus said to her: “I am the resurrection

and the life. He who believes in me will

live, even though he dies; and whoever

lives and believes in me will never die.

Do you believe this?”

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Easter is still relevant today and belief in the risen Christ is the cornerstone of our faith. If we focus on what is relevant to our lives we will move closer to God.

We can find stillness, peace, comfort and healing from the troubles of the world in the repose of our saviour, Lord Jesus Christ. Humankind needs perhaps now more than ever before, the guiding influence of a God who is all embracing, a safe harbour from troubled waters, a place of safety, where we can go in our hour of darkness and deepest despair.

I am an early riser and I cannot think of a better start to this special day, Easter Sunday, than going to our early morning “dawn” service in Dawsholm Park. Look-ing down over our sleeping parish is a very special moment with the realisation that Jesus is watching over us.

Proclaiming our risen Lord Jesus Christ is spiritually uplifting and it really sets the tone for the day and possibly the rest of our life.

John Brown

From Benbecula Church of Scotland

1. I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it.

2. My wild oats have turned into prunes and all-bran.

3. I finally got my head together, and now my body is falling apart.

4. Funny, I don’t remember being absent minded.

5. Funny, I don’t remember being absent minded.

6. If all is not lost, where is it?

7. It is easier to get older than it is to get wiser.

8. I wish the buck stopped here; I sure could use a few.

9. It’s hard to make a comeback when you haven’t been anywhere.

10. The only time the world beats a path to your door is when you’re in the bathroom.

11. If God wanted me to touch my toes he’d have put them on my knees.

12. It’s not hard to meet expenses…they’re everywhere.

13. These days, I spend a lot of time thinking about the hereafter… I go some-where to get something and then wonder what I’m hereafter.

14. Funny, I don’t remember being absent minded.

Via Alison Gray

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Girlguiding Scotland Ghana Project

Every 3 years, 12 volunteer adult leaders from Girlguiding Scotland travel to Ghana to take part in a month long service project. Our Guide Leader, Angela Gardner, has been lucky enough to go on projects as an 18 year old team member, and then more recently as a leader for the trip. She is now the project coordinator, and is responsible for sourcing funding and planning the project as well as training the team. This year’s project is a Sports Project around Schools and orphanages. We are looking for donations of old sports equipment such as tennis rackets, hockey sticks, balls, and any sports clothing which you are no longer using. Donations can be brought to the Church Old Hall on a Tuesday night between 7.30pm – 9.00pm, or left in the Old Hall beside the Guide Patrol Boxes, with a note of your name.

Blythswood

We are starting to collect shoeboxes (ones with lids which lift off). They can be handed to me or to Margaret Strathdee who has kindly offered to cover them.

We filled over 200 shoeboxes last year, mainly because I got hundreds of hats, scarves and gloves for 50p or 25p. Unfortunately, all I could get this year in my favourite shop was 10 ladies’ hats. So if anyone is willing to knit hats for adults or children, I have a simple pattern which I can give you.

Thank you. Alison Gray

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Parish Register

Deaths Mrs Helen McKenzie Abbotsford House (09) Mrs Anne MacDougall Cumbrae Care Home (Postal) New Members Mr Norman McNeillie Yair Drive (Postal) Mrs Flora McNeillie Yair Drive (Postal) Mr Craig Brown Temple Gardens (13) Transfers & Disjunctions Mrs S A Milligan Wamba Avenue (15) Supplementary Roll Mr Andrew Black Meggatland View (Postal) Mrs Rachel Black Meggatland View (Postal) Mrs Kirk-Wilson Dorchester Place (04) Mrs Mitchell Great Western Road (Postal) Mrs Flora Sweeney Alexandria (Postal) Mrs Helen Houston Great Western Road (18) Weddings 7th February - the wedding of Andrina Morton and Graham McCann, the Beard-more hotel, Clydebank. 8th February - the wedding of Stacey O'Donnell and Christopher Ramsay, Temple Anniesland church. Congratulations to both couples!

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From our Mission Partner

It is the Bishop of Raiwind’s Silver Jubilee and the Church and schools are taking the opportunity to celebrate. Bishop Sam-uel Azariah is also Moderator of the Synod of Church of Paki-stan. The English Medium School St Peter’s started on the campus by the Bishop and his wife gave a celebration concert and I was invited. Like many school concerts each class per-formed and parents, grandparents and aunties all wanted to see and take a picture of their particular child, which meant it got a bit chaotic. The children performed very well, their teachers had prepared them well.

The Diocese’s celebrations took place on my birthday. They started with a ser-vice in the Central Cathedral of Praying Hands followed by speeches and dinner. As usual with these events there were many presentations and speeches. Dinner was very late. My birthday was noted and I cut a cake and people sang Happy Birthday, it was quite a night.

I met with a group of women at the Centre. The women were of different ages but all have children and talked about educated them some work as domestic help and are poorly paid, life is full of hardship and they want to get better paid work. Some of the women are widows. Notably some own their homes which means they do not require to find rent or be under threat of eviction. This has probably happened due to inheritance. There was a woman, who was looked after by her daughter-in-law, both are widows and they all talked about their children. Many here have large families of four or more children. Most of the children were at school and one woman spoke about trying to educate all her children and not have them at work. Some had daughters who had completed the midwifery course.

I visited Baath Health Centre, which holds daily clinics with a doctor and offers physiotherapy treatments. It also offers midwifery training. The facilities are ba-sic and there is a need for investment which is needed for equipment but also staff. Having the means to provide 24 hour care and maternity facilities would help the local community. This facility is in a rural area south of Lahore, although Lahore now stretches far that there is little separation. There are factories round about which means the electricity supply is sustained. The community is mostly Muslim.

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From our Mission Partner cont...

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. I appreciate all the emails and letters. It is not easy to reply to letters as I have to get to the post office for stamps and to post. The good news is that I bought a printer so will not have to try and decipher my writing!

Please continue to pray for the work here, for all the staff, all those who are training or participating.

Susan Clark

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Temple Anniesland Calendar

Sun 24th March 11am Palm Sunday – all age service. 6.30pm Joint service at Knightswood Congregational Church

During Holy week, Mon to Fri, there will be a lunchtime service at 12 noon. On Thurs and Fri, there will be an evening service at 7pm ( venue to be confirmed).

31st March – Easter Sunday—7am open air Easter morning service at Dawsholm Park (leave from the church at 6.45am, or meet at the park at 7am)

11am The sacrament of communion will be celebrated. (there will be no evening service on this day).

7th April – 11am Morning worship, 6.30pm evening service

10th April – Wednesday – Congregational Board – 7.30pm

14th April – 11am worship – The sacrament of baptism will be celebrated. 6.30pm evening service

19th April – 7.30pm Christian Solidarity meeting - Findlay Memorial Church

21st April – 11am morning worship, 6.30pm evening worship

28th April – 11am Speaker Eileen Robertson, speaking on “ The Holy land” 6.30pm Prayers for healing 29th April – 2-4pm Monday FIOP workshop “ being with people in transition”

1st may – Wednesday 7.30pm Kirk Session meeting

5th May – 11am worship, 6.30pm evening worship. 7.30-9pm Dr Who night.

7th May – Tuesday – 2-4pm FIOP workshop “ end of life issues”

12th May 2013 – 11am morning worship Speaker Peter Fowler from the Store-house Foodbank. 6.30pm Evening service.

18th May – 24th May – the minster is at the General Assembly.

19th May – 11am Morning worship – Pentecost. 6.30pm KFC – St David’s Knightswood Church.

26th May – 11am Morning worship, 6.30pm Prayers for healing.

2nd June 11am Morning worship.

5th June – 7.30pm Congregational Board