The Manse
Loanhead
15th August 2017
Dear Friends
Someone once described getting back into work after the summer break as being like putting on a coat that has been frozen. It takes a bit of time flexing it before it begins to thaw out and feel comfortable again. I’m feeling a bit like that at the moment as September beckons with its usual round of commitments and involvement in different areas of work nationally and at Presbytery.
It did get me thinking though about whether we simply drop back into doing what is comfortable. One of the books I have read over the summer is entitled “What makes Churches grow?” Based on wide research one of the conclusions it reaches is that change is essential – and that keeping on doing the same things in the same way over many years is a recipe for decline.
• Churches that don’t make changes tend to shrink
• Churches that do make changes tend to grow
• Survey data shows this time and again
• Intentional change to church life necessary for church growth
The author (Bob Jackson) speaks of Magic Roundabout churches as against Gospel train churches – and encourages people to become the latter.
The chorus of the song goes something like:
The gospel train is coming
I hear it just at hand
I hear the car wheels moving
And rumbling thro' the land
Get on board, children (3×)
For there's room for many a more
Room for many a more sounds very similar to the phrase we use - a place for everyone.
The question of course is how we ensure that this is more than a nice catch phrase and genuinely true of us. Which means building on the changes we have already made over the last few years that have helped us move on.
That is likely to be a focus for us over the next year – with even the magazine getting a bit of a “makeover” for this edition. We hope you like the changes and if you’d like to become involved further in the production of the magazine please speak to Lorna Brown.
As we look at other areas of our work and witness I’m planning to use some of the material that Bob and others have written. Material that helps churches take time to reflect on what is developing, highlighting any areas that may be preventing people joining and feeling part of our church family and giving us an opportunity to address them.
I look forward to sharing with all of you in this as we travel together seeking God’s leading and guiding for all that lies ahead. Ensuring that we are not a Magic Roundabout Church. (With apologies to those under 45 who have never seen the TV programme and won’t make the connection!)
Graham Duffin
September Communion Service
Sunday 3rd September, Communion Service at 11 a.m.
Midweek Communion Service
Tuesday 5th September 2.30 p.m. - Trust Housing
Tea and coffee are available after the service. Contact the minister for transport.
Morning Services in the Autumn
Sun 3rd September Communion – Rev Graham Duffin
Sun 10th September Morning Service
Sun 17th September Guild Dedication Service 11 a.m.
Sun 24th Sep Harvest Thanksgiving
Sun 1st October Morning Service
Sun 8th October Morning Service
Sun 15th October Morning Service
Sun 22nd October Morning Service
Sunday 29th Oct Youth Dedication Service
Sun 5th November Morning Service
Sun 12th November Remembrance Sunday Service 11.15 a.m.
Sun 19th November Morning Service
Sun 26th November Family Service
Sun 3rd December Communion Service
Powered by Prayer
“One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up” Luke 18:1 NLT
We recognize the importance of prayer as part of our personal and collective faith journeys; the importance of underpinning everything we do as a church with prayer; the privilege it is to be able to take everything to God in prayer.
But we know too how challenging it can be to establish good practices and rhythms to our prayer lives, sometimes just knowing how to start and what to pray, but also how to keep going…..to not give up.
A small group is getting together to look at how we might develop our church’s prayer life, exploring the very many and varied ways in which we might do that and the tools we can use to help us.
The group is open to everyone. We are looking for your ideas and suggestions, tools and techniques, how we might use social media as well as more traditional means - we want to hear from you! Come and join us and help give shape to this important part of our church’s life and witness.
For more information please speak to Mary Millan, Jackie Easton or Audrey McLaren.
NEW DEPUTE SESSION CLERK
Margaret Hurst has recently been appointed as Depute Session Clerk and will take over as Session Clerk in June 2018. We assure Margaret of our support to her as she takes on this responsibility.
Midlothian Foodbank
Loanhead Parish Church’s partnership with the foodbank continues to flourish.
Summer holiday time sees a surge in demand at the foodbank as families struggle in the absence of school meals. This year as well as providing weekly food packs for some of the most vulnerable families in the area, the foodbank has been running a holiday club to provide wider support for families during the school holidays.
By mid-July the foodbank was running very low on most items and received emergency top ups from one of the Edinburgh Foodbanks and also the East Lothian Foodbank. To further boost supplies a collection was arranged at Sainsbury’s at very short notice at the end of July. Despite it being peak holiday time we were able to provide a team to support the collection, which was a great success.
Janice, the foodbank manager, emailed:
Once again your volunteers at Loanhead Parish Church have been amazing. We collected 1 tonne of food yesterday. Please tell them all a huge thank you for their time and their donations.
In the last edition of “Contact” we reported that the Foodbank was successful in applying to the Scottish Government’s “Fair Food Transformation Fund” for £16,000 of funding to support a project called “Growth Matters” which focuses on developing and working in partnership with community growing initiatives, supporting people in developing the skills to grow their own food and cook healthy meals on a tight budget. That initiative is starting to take shape and a partnership between the Foodbank and Bethany Christian Trust is being developed which brings together the complementary skills, knowledge and experience of the 2 organisations in this exciting project.
Thank you for your continued practical and prayerful support for the work of the Foodbank.
Fellowship/Discipleship Groups
There are a number of groups that meet together fortnightly to explore how we live out our faith in our lives day by day. The groups provide opportunities to encourage one another and to explore questions together. There are groups meeting at different times throughout the week, and if you would like to join a group when they restart in September please speak to the minister.
Membership Course / Alpha Course
We are looking at running an Alpha Course or a membership Course in the Autumn. Speak to the minister if you are interested.
Financial Giving to the Church
Remember you can start giving by WFO envelopes or direct through the bank by Standing Order at ANYTIME during the year.
Also please let me know if you wish to stop using WFO envelopes.
Thank you, Angela Stewart.
Income Tax
If you have signed a Gift Aid Declaration Form and you stop paying tax then you MUST let me know and I will stop claiming Gift Aid on your behalf.
Thank you, Angela Stewart, Gift Aid Convenor.
Summer football camp 2017
This year we had a shorter football camp only running 3 days on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. As in previous years we had good numbers with 70 children being registered from the 3 primary schools. Our weather was a real mixed bag during the week as we seemed to have had all summer. Monday the sun was out and was nice and warm with lots of water breaks. Tuesday was overcast but dry and Wednesday was rather wet but 55 children still braced the weather and had a great time.
The children again were working on their passing, dribbling and shooting through various drills and fun games. We used the same format as we have used for the previous year's having coaching in the morning, a short break for snack and a bible story with discussion then finishing each day with a tournament and fun games. As in previous years all the children got to take home a football and water bottle after the last day.
During the week we took breaks for snack and looked at 3 bible passages. We also had discussion around these passages in small groups which went really well with the children interacting during the small group time. The first bible passage we looked at was the good Samaritan and how we should help everyone not just some people. Secondly we looked at the two builders and how we should listen to God and do as he says and how we can know what God is saying to us. Lastly we looked at the woman at the well and how we should be
excited about what Jesus knows about us and want to tell others about him like the woman at the well did.
Lastly a big thank you to all my volunteers over the week from coaching to snack making without you it would not be possible to run this every year.
Alan Duffin
School Groups
We are planning to run lunch time and break-time groups in the schools again this coming year. These have always been well attended, giving the youngsters an opportunity to learn a bit more about the Christian faith in a fun setting.
Connect Bus
The bas passed its MOT again this year with minimal work required (two new headlights, a horn and windscreen wiper mechanism repaired.) This has allowed us to continue to use the bus on Friday evenings with the youngsters. With the work at the Sports Centre we had to move to the Memorial Park, but that has worked well as a venue.
We continue to run Youth Alpha evenings on the bus, giving the youngsters who come time to reflect on the Christian faith. We are planning a weekend away with them in the Autumn.
The bus is also used by other churches and was the venue for a big Easter event run by the church in Hopefield, where there are no community facilities.
GUILD OUTING TO DUMFRIES HOUSE
A bus party of Guild members, spouses, friends and relatives headed for Ayrshire on Saturday 27th May with John Jenkins at the wheel. Our destination was Dumfries House, Cumnock, East Ayrshire – the 18th Century palladian mansion inherited by John Colum Crichton-Stuart, 7th Marquess of Bute (better known as Johnny Dumfries the racing driver) on the death of his father.
The family seat isMount StuartnearRothesayon theIsle of Bute. Between 1994 and 2007, the current Marquess approached TheNational Trust for Scotlandwith offers to acquireDumfries House,which had been the second seat of the Crichton-Stuarts since 1792. In 2007Dumfries Housewas acquired by a charitable trust, The Great Steward of Scotland's Dumfries House Trust, with financial support from HRHThe Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay. Following refurbishment, it opened to the public on 6 June 2008.
There are gardens, paths, a river and lakes amongst the many features of the 2000 acre estate, as well as a John Adam bridge built in 1760 (see photo opposite)
We enjoyed a guided tour of the house and its history, led by very enthusiastic and informative guides. They also pointed out many rare items in the house, including an unrivalled collection of furniture and mirrors made by Thomas Chippendale. The Tapestry Room is panelled in American walnut and walls are hung with Flemish tapestries.
The T-shaped Pewter Corridor (the decoration of which had been painted over by the last resident in the 1960’s with grey oil-based paint!) has been painstakingly brought back to show it’s multicoloured decoration on the walls and domes.
The Grand Orrery (a form of planetarium with revolving discs, a sun ball and planetary arms) dating back to 1758 is in the Entrance Hall. Dining Rooms and Bedrooms also house many fine items and decoration.
My maternal grandmother was born at Temple, Auchinleck, which shared a boundary with the estate and my Mum spoke often of visiting and seeing the Temple on Dumfries House Estate (now a ruin).
There is so much to Dumfries House and it has often been described as a “hidden gem”. In fact 40 years ago I regularly passed the entrance to the estate between my home at Sanquhar and Ayr, where I attended Craigie College of Education and didn’t even know it was there!
After our visit, we had our evening meal in the Railway Hotel, Auchinleck. Auchinleck had been a mining village where I had my first ever teaching post. It was bedecked in the gold and black colours of Auchinleck Talbot who lost the Junior Cup Final the following week to local rivals Glenafton Athletic of Cumnock.