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| Ferryhill
Parish Church Parish News June, July August 2002 |
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 Telephone: 01224 213093 E-mail: Office Minister Webmaster |
"The Journey of Life" The theme for the summer services this year is "The Journey of Life". Each Sunday we will examine a different stage in our physical and spiritual journey through life and reflect on the experiences which have shaped our lives and our faith. The services will be prepared through a series of workshops which will take place at 7.30pm in the Foyer during the week preceding each Sunday and it is hoped that as many folk as possible - of all ages and stages - will come along to take part in the discussions. You are invited to bring along each week photographs, keepsakes or other memorabilia, which illustrate an important event or memory in your life. For example, a toy to illustrate childhood, a graduation photograph to remember coming of age, or something you have created in your retirement years. It is hoped to build up a collage of photographs as well as a display of items as the weeks progress. The dates for the workshops are Wed. 5th,Thurs.13th, Wed. 19th,Thurs. 27th July, Wed. 3rd, Thurs. 11th August. |
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The Sunday Gang finish their very busy year with a Promotion Service on Sunday 23rd June and their Picnic and Sponsored "Blades, Bikes and Scooters" in the Duthie Park on Sunday 30th June. Last year they were able to send £300 to Christian Aid so they are hoping to set a new record. If you are unable to sponsor a child, you will have the opportunity to give a donation after the promotion service on the 23rd!
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The theme for this year's Summer
Club is "The Year of the Child". For the last 25
years, around 70 children have met every morning from 9.15am to 12.15pm to
enjoy games, songs, stories, crafts and a visit. This year it will run
from 5th to 11th August and the children will be looking at the lives of
children from around the world. Any child who will be attending Primary
School after the Summer will be made very welcome. Come early on Monday
5th to register. It is a wonderful, fun-filled week enjoyed by both the
children and the helpers. Could you give up a few mornings to help out? If
so, come along to a preparation meeting at 7.30pm in the halls on 20th
June, 4th & 18th July, or 2nd August. For more information contact
Fiona.
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SERVICES IN JUNE
SUNDAY 2ND JUNE SUNDAY 9TH JUNE SUNDAY 16TH JUNE TUESDAY 18TH JUNE SUNDAY 23RD JUNE The Tuesday lunch-time services SERVICES IN JULY AND AUGUST AT 10 A.M. The overall theme for these services is The
Journey of Life and they will be linked to Workshops to be
held during June and July - see the article on page 1 for more details. SUNDAY 7TH JULY SUNDAY 14TH JULY SUNDAY 21ST JULY SUNDAY 28TH JULY SUNDAY 4TH AUGUST SUNDAY 11TH AUGUST SUNDAY 18TH AUGUST SUNDAY 25TH AUGUST SERVICES IN SEPTEMBER SUNDAY 1st SEPTEMBER |
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Message from the Assistant Minister By Revd Norman Nicoll I was interested to read Ron Ferguson's recent article in the P&J entitled "Winning back the lost souls of the Kirk". As the Church of Scotland prepares for its forthcoming General Assembly in Edinburgh, a beleaguered Kirk will hear a report being presented which states that if current membership trends continue, there will be no Church of Scotland in 50 years. The question is: Where now for the Church of Scotland? |
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He goes on to say that a book written by Harry Reid, former Editor of
the Herald, has just been published - Outside Verdict: an Old Kirk
in a New Scotland. It is a very powerful analysis of the Kirk's
crisis which is recommended to be read by every member of the Church of
Scotland, and by everyone who cares about its future. The recovery of
confidence in its own Protestant heritage, he says, lies in the Kirk
taking a bit of pride in its past, in its vast contribution. Harry
believes the Kirk has lost its relevance to many Scots partly because of
the uncertainty of its spiritual response to an aggressively secular,
selfish and hedonistic society and we have to begin to win back the lost
souls of the Kirk. I agree with all that and I believe the issue of faith is the key in any appraisal because I believe it is in this realm that people have lost their confidence. Without faith in the person of Jesus Christ and the commitment to follow him, the Kirk can implement all the management changes proposed by Harry Reid but I'm not sure this will cure its ills. The church's problem is not financial, it is spiritual. Six years ago I attended a lecture for the Aberdeen School of Christian Studies given by John Drane, head of the Practical Theology department at Aberdeen University. Back then, he pointed out that the church was losing an average congregation every week. Interestingly, he offered a solution which seemed simple. He said that if we can hold on to our youth beyond Sunday School age, i.e. through their teenage years, then we will not only arrest the decline, but will reverse the trend! So is this an identifiable area where the church needs to change? It seems to me that "church" has to be relevant and fun, that we need a major shake-up in the way we 'do' church because we need reminding that our young people are tomorrow's church. Religion and faith is not inherited-its not in your genes-no one can do it for you. What legacy are we going to leave them? We need to pray for all young people that they will be awakened to what the faith is really about - not the church, the faith - there is a distinction, and our hope is that our young people will serve the church, but they'll serve the church because a faith has come alive in them, and we want that faith to come alive in us too so that God can use us. If we are true to our faith, God will use us in a powerful way, but only if we are tuned into Him. If God's people are in tune, nothing and no one can stop them. Yours in Christ Norman Nicoll |
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The next Indoor Car Boot Sale
is on Saturday 22nd June from 10am to 12 noon. There will be a huge variety of items for sale, including toys, bric a brac, books and home baking. The excellent coffee shop will also be open throughout the morning. To book a table (for £5) please phone
Fiona Firth on 590806. These sales are very popular, so book early! If you only have a few unwanted items, how about donating them to the church bric a brac table on the Friday evening?
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On Saturday 27th July, Northsound
Radio celebrate their 21st year of broadcasting with a
birthday party in the Duthie Park and are expecting thousands to attend.
We are invited to run a Ferryhill Beyond 2000
fund raising event of our choice throughout the day. It is
hoped that Home Baking and Bottle Stalls can be organised, from 12noon -
4pm. For this we will, of course, require donations, so the appeal
starts now. Bottles of all sorts can be handed in to the Foyer from now
on. Further announcements will be made nearer the time. The event will
be extensively advertised locally, and should provide us with a great
opportunity to boost Ferryhill beyond 2000 appeal.
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Christian Aid's Trade for Life Campaign aims to persuade the world's political leaders to rewrite the international trade rules so that trade starts to work for poor people rather than rich countries and multinational companies. Poor people trying to earn a living by growing crops and selling food products tell us that to campaign for fairer trade rules could make a huge difference to their lives. Please sign the pledge cards (pledging not money, but a desire to work for change), which are available in the Church Foyer. The cards will then be passed on to MPs, MSPs and MEPs. We hope to get some publicity for this while the Scottish Parliament is meeting in Aberdeen. Another way you can support the campaign is by buying fairly traded products. Look out for the FairTrade mark on coffee, tea, chocolate, bananas and orange juice. Most supermarkets stock some of these products and a small selection is available from our stall in the church foyer on Sundays. Finally, congratulations to Moira Whyte and Jackie Watson who did the sponsored Forth Road Bridge Cross in May and raised £580. Many thanks to all their sponsors as well as to all those who were out in the streets delivering and collecting the red envelopes during Christian Aid Week and of course to those of you who generously filled them. Look out for details soon of our Fashion Show in September. |
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Ministers' phone numbers: |
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