K WELCH / Interim Moderator / 01475 675259 /
REV D HEBENTON / Interim Minister / 01294 829228 /
K TUDOR / Session Clerk / 470008 /
J DUNWOODIE / Treasurer / 466895 /
R McMILLAN / Elder / 556014 /
M BRANNAN / Elder / 466017 /
F BURNETT / Elder / 469737
P CAMPBELL / Elder /
M CRAIK / Elder / 214733 /
J CUNNINGHAM / Elder / 466174 /
J DUFF / Elder / 466545 /
A EWART / Elder / 601117
G FERGUSON / Elder / 467742
C GRAYSTON / Elder / 468992 /
R KELSO / Elder / 468264 /
I MAGNESS / Elder / 465724 /
M MONTGOMERY / Elder / 605110 /
P MOORE / Elder / 469883
J Mc ALLISTER / Elder /
J MCGARVA / Elder / 461365 /
M MCKINNEY / Elder / 464940 /
PW MCLELLAN / Elder / 464778
D McMAIL / Elder /
J NIVEN / Elder / 467788 /
D ORR / Elder / 468345
J RAMSEY / Elder / 462688
M ROLLEY / Elder / 461963 /
A SANDS / Elder / 468297
E STEWART / Elder /
D THOMSON / Elder / 469067 /
M THOMSON / Elder / 469067 /
Holy Week services are as follows:-
Monday 10th April / ArdeerTuesday 11th April / Ardeer and Livingstone
Wednesday 12th April / Livingstone
Thursday 13th April / Livingstone
Friday 14th April / Ardeer
It is great to have good news to pass on and the good news is that the Nominating Committee have a candidate to fill the vacancy. The committee have worked hard for 18 months and following prayerful consideration are able to recommend the Rev David Sutherland to be the next minister of the linked charge. A profile of the Rev Sutherland appears in the magazine.
Intimation will shortly be given that he will preach as Sole Nominee on Sunday 12th March. Following the service all members and adherents present will be invited to vote “For or Against” the Nominee. I hope as many as are able will attend worship on that day. It is important to note that the congregation choose the minister and not the Nominating Committee. In this instance the candidate will preach before both congregations at the usual times.
We are grateful; to the Nominating Committee for their diligence and dedication. I am pleased to report that the members representing both congregations worked very well together and the decision to recommend Rev. Sutherland was unanimous.
Should the nominee be accepted by both congregations, preparations will be made for an Induction subject to the agreement and timing of Presbytery. The vacancy has lasted a long time but as I have said on many occasions, it will only be filled at a time of God’s choosing and we pray that this is the Minister that He has chosen to lead you in the future.
The appointment of a minister opens up great possibilities for the future development of both congregations and provided he is appointed, he will bring experience and skills which will create an exciting future and a deepening of faith and Christian service.
I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr Sutherland on two occasions and latterly with his wife Maureen. I was very impressed not only by his abilities but by his sincerity and humanity; and I would like to think that in one hearing you may come to a similar conclusion and welcome him as the Minister of the Linked Charge.
With every blessing
Ken Welch
Interim Moderator
Profile of Rev. Dave Sutherland
The nominating committee have unanimously invited Rev. Dave Sutherland, B.D.(Hons) to preach as sole nominee for our vacancy. The committee met with Rev. Sutherland on two occasions and heard him preach in Kirkgate, Saltcoats. We were impressed by his openness and commitment as well as how he engaged in discussion with us.
Rev. Sutherland was a late entrant to the full time ministry, having spent some 30 years as a police officer in Dundee, attaining the rank of sergeant. Much of his service was focused on community liaison including work with young people and in schools. He was first of all ordained as an auxiliary minister in 2001 while still a serving police officer, before successfully studying for full time ministry following his retirement from the police. He is currently minister at Dumfries Maxwelltown West where he has established a Bible Study group, prayer group, held a series of Messy Church and co-ordinated a Baby and Toddlers Group. He has also had a long association with Scouts, from assistant Cub Scout leader in the 1980s to appointment as Group Chairman for the Scout Group based in Maxwelltown West Church.
Dave is married and he and Maureen have one grown up son.
Rev. Sutherland will preach as sole nominee in both Ardeer and Livingstone on Sunday 12 March. You are encouraged to make sure you can attend. Following each service the congregation will be asked to vote on his appointment as minister. A strong attendance that Sunday will help to show Rev. Sutherland our commitment to God's work in Stevenston.
Treasurer’s Report February 2017
General Funding
The financial position for 2016 is summarised in the following extract from the Annual Report.
The main source of non-restricted income continues to be through the weekly offerings provided by the congregation. Income from Offerings totalled £37,373, representing an 11% increase on 2015 (£33,818). Tax recovered on Gift Aid donations of £7,741shows a significant increase compared to the previous year due primarily to a claim representing income received over a 15 month period rather than the normal 12 months claimed in earlier years. Other income comprising special fund raising events, donations received from our organisations plus for use of the halls shows a significant increase on the 2015 figure (£6,837 compared to £1,780).
Thanks to the above increased non-restricted income coupled with a reduction in expenditure compared to the budgeted figure we have fully met our obligations to Ministries and Mission by both paying the outstanding monies owed for 2015 and meeting our full allocation for 2016.
Stewardship Campaign
The Stewardship campaign undertaken during the final quarter of 2015 resulted in a 15% increase in Offerings for the period January to October 2016 compared the same period in 2015.
In addition, six new Standing Orders have been set – up to enable your Offerings to be provided on a regular basis.
Thanks to everyone for your support during 2016 as indicated above we met all 2016 financial commitments and funded our outstanding 2015 debt.
Restoration Fund
Funding in 2016 for building restoration continued by way of further grant income of £39,200 plus local congregation income of £5,780 compared to £7,020 received in 2015. Also £71,608 was received from the VAT refund on our Restoration expenditure from the Listed Places of Worship Scheme.
The work to replace the lighting in the church, has now been completed. It is hoped that the improvement work in the stairway and in the Transept area will be carried out over the next few weeks.
Jim Dunwoodie (Treasurer)
Children's Church
The Children's Church has started back after Christmas and numbers have been quite good although we would be happy with more. Please encourage any children you know to come along on aSundaymorning to take part in the Children'sChurch. Following on from the nativity we have looked at the story of John the Baptist baptising Jesus. We had a really good chat with the children about being baptised, what happens and why. We take a story every week, look at the story in the bible and then have a quiz or colour in relating to that story.
In this new term we are looking at new choruses to teach the children and will be looking out for something for Easter. My thanks to all the leaders and mums who help everySunday. We are hoping to organise a trip to the Ten Pin Bowling during the Easter Holidays for any of the children from Primary 1 upwards. We are about to start the planning for the summer mission which will be in July.
Jean Robertson
Learning Group
We hada really good evening before Christmas with the 'Come Dine with Me' night. Everyone was asked to say who from the bible they would ask to dinner and why. This led to a really interesting discussion about people from the bible and lots of other areas to do with the church. We just sat round the table and had a cuppa and some home baking and shared our views and thoughts on how we saw people and events in the bible.
It was a good night, quite thought provoking and good fellowship.
The next event will be an evening concert with the Ayrshire Community Gospel Choir. We have been in touch and are just waiting for a date from them but it is likely to be in May. As soon as we have the date we'll let you know. We look forward to welcoming them to Ardeer and sharing an evening of music and song.
Chance to Thrive
Chance to Thrive are hosting their first Lunch Club onWednesday 1st March 2017 12 noon till 2 pmin Ardeer Parish Church mail hall. All are welcome, come along have some home made soup, Sandwich, tea, coffee and home baking. Meet new friend and old ones for a catch up. The Chance To Thrive slogan is "Community Coming Together" and we hope this will be a good starting point, pass the message on to those who don't have access to Network. The Lunch Club will run oneWednesdaya month keep a look out for posters. The Chance to Thrive Team are looking forward to welcoming all onWednesday 1st March 2017.
The motto of the Church of Scotland Guild is 'Whose we are and Whom we Serve', in Ardeer the Guild has been in existence since 1922.
We meet everyMondayin the Church Hall at7.15pmand new members are always welcome.
Recently we have enjoyed visits from Ian Fraser speaking about an Ayrshire Safari and Elizabeth Howie telling us about her pilgrimage to Santiago in northern Spain. It was a pleasure to welcome Mima Anderson and hearing about her work as a District Nurse.
Although we are getting near the end of another session we have still to get visits from Jean Todd, Douglas Keith and David Walker.
Here at 1st Stevenston we are coming up on our last session of this term with parent’s night approaching fast also trips and camps.
Anchors
They had a Christmas party with a visit from the man in red to please the boys, we have had a visit from scales and tails with some lovely snakes and a cute hedgehog, and we had a wild-west party night, with lots of cowboys running about.
We took part in the battalion drawing competition and had a primary 3 boy who won 1st place; well done Graeme. Still to come we have a Simpsons and potted sports night. Then on to Easter fun, it will be time to start to practise for the parent’s night in May and our anchors day trip to the vikingar and soft play in Largs.
Juniors
The juniors have been busy with badge work and battalion competitions. They have taken part in a story competition, Badminton and football (which at the moment we are 2nd in the league table) well done boys keep up the good work. We have just completed general knowledge quiz and came 3rd winning bronze; potted sports and figure marching still to come.
The juniors had a fun Christmas party at the zone in Saltcoats with a bouncy castle and disco. They also enjoyed the Livingstone panto.
We had a visit from scales and tails with lots of creepy crawlies. The boys loved it, don’t know about the officers!
We still have a lot to look forward to before the end of session like PGL camp (parents get lost) where we go away for the weekend and the boys take part in lots of different activities from archery, problem solving to mounting biking.
Then a night away in Dunure for all primary 4s and company, before that we have a sleepover with the theme of the wild west. We take part in the dasher parade every year in Ardrossan to remember the people who lost their life’s when the dasher ship sunk in the waters just off Ardrossan beach. A group of boys go on the Arran ferry which stops over the water where the dasher lies. We also are having a visit from Mr John Steele who wrote a few books about the dasher.
Company
Company boys have had a busy few months. Before Christmas they helped at our bb fete raising £472.92; thank you for all your donations. Our senior boys had a great time in Edinburgh visiting the underground vaults. The company boys also took part in the Stevenston Christmas Light switch on. The boys helped bag packing in Morrison’s where we raised £660.79. The boys took part in battalion competitions like badminton and bible knowledge.
The boys had a late Christmas trip to La bowl in Ayr where they played bowling and visited LAzerzone followed by dinner. They have been busy with badge work, learning about Robert Burns enjoying a burns meal cooked by our senior boys, and taking part in bbs got talent (well a few comedians). The boys really enjoyed the sleepover with the theme wild west.
We still have lots to fit in before we finish in June. We have a visit from Mrs Cameron to show the boys pictures and tell them about her trip to Africa, and to show the boys where there gifts went to. This will be very interesting. We are also having Mr Steele to talk to the boys about the Dasher.
We have two camps still to come. In March we go to pgl in Stirlingshire then in May we are going to Dunure with company boys.
We have three boys receiving there presidents badge this year Redford Campbell. Robert Quinn, Lewis Thomasson, on the 26 February and the queen’s badge will be awarded to John Wilson at a later date.
Boys will be going to Arran camping in the summer and climbing goat fell, also we will be attending the Edinburgh tattoo.
We will be holding a prize bingo in May date to be confirmed, look out for posters.