Ardeer Parish Church Magazine

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Ardeer Parish Church Magazine

September 2014

NAME / POSITION / PHONE NUMBER / E-MAIL ADDRESS
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
M CRAIK / Elder / 214733 /
J CUNNINGHAM / Elder / 466174
J DUFF / Elder / 466545
G EASTON / Elder / 463269 /
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 MCGARVA / Elder / 461365 /
M MCKINNEY / Elder / 464940
PW MCLELLAN / Elder / 464778
J NIVEN / Elder / 467788 /
D ORR / Elder / 468345
J RAMSEY / Elder / 462688
M ROLLEY / Elder / 461963
A SANDS / Elder / 469287
D THOMSON / Elder / 469067 /
M THOMSON / Elder / 469067 /

Dear friends

Summer is speeding by and soon we will be looking at autumn with its array of colours. Another successful Summer Club has been completed and shortly the school summer holidays will be over. Suddenly it seems that we will be moving into a new session in Church life when we feel that the freedom we enjoy has been curtailed or limited by the seemingly accelerated passing of time. A longed for day makes us impatient, but when that day dawns, time passes amazingly quickly. I hope that you have had an enjoyable and restful summer and that you approach the new session about to begin refreshed and ready to face new challenges.

I was hoping that by this time, there might have been some progress towards the time that we might begin the search for a new minister. Although the Kirk Sessions of Livingstone and Ardeer have held a very cordial meeting and discussed the way forward, nothing concrete has emerged. However, we should not be depressed by this because as I have stated previously, change only happens in God’s time and not at a time of our choosing. There will be a very good reason why discussions take time and it is right that they should, so that decisions are the correct ones and not just taken in haste to comply with some date in a diary.

I know that everyone is anxious to know how the Restoration Programme is going and I have to say that it has not been as quick as we had hoped. The second round application will be submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund during this month and we hope to receive an early indication from them re progress. In the meantime, I can inform you that the Fund is increasing and we were delighted to learn that the Ann Gloag Foundation has awarded Ardeer £10,000 to assist with the work. I hope that we may have some more definite information for the next newsletter.

God never rests; and the work of the church is endless, but never burdensome. As long as we feel we are growing in grace; and we are making progress in our faith, we will never be found wanting, nor will we lack in the satisfaction of knowing we are doing God’s will.

Another summer may be speeding by, but let us journey at our own pace towards the goals God has set for us even if the road ahead is not as predictable as we would like it to be.

With every blessing,

Ken Welch

Interim Moderator

Treasurer’s Report August 2014

General Funding: Regular Offerings to the end of July totaled £18,181 which equates to a weekly average of £606. The total received from our Gift Aid application was £5,935 which includes the tax recovered from the appropriate regular donations to the Restoration Fund.

Major items of expenditure during the period January to July include:

Presbytery Dues £901 Salaries £1,436

Energy Costs £5,810 Insurance £2,175

Ministerial Costs £14,162

As advised previously we have resumed our Fund Raising activities for both General and Restoration Funds.

To date £298 was obtained from the stall held as part of the Ardeer Gala Day plus £606 from the recent Fashion Show. Thanks to everyone who supported these two activities.

Forthcoming events are as follows:

Friday 19th September: Concert by J Nicol and Family

Tuesday14th October: Prize Bingo

Saturday 1st November; Halloween Coffee Morning

Further details of the above events will be advised when the final details have been agreed.

Stewardship Campaign

To help the congregation to secure increased regular general funding the Session have agreed that we will undertake a Stewardship campaign during the early part of 2015. Discussions have taken place with the Stewardship Department with the initial planning meeting due to be held in September 2014. Those of you familiar with the previous campaigns will know that this will involve a significant amount of planning and organization. To be fully effective the campaign will require the support of volunteers from the congregation.

Restoration Fund: As has been indicated previously, we have been successful in securing significant levels of funding from members of the congregation, the community and third party funders.

As at the end of July 2014 income received and grants approved for the Restoration Fund are as follows:

Local fund raising/Grants received : £70,175

Grants Approved not received : £51,700

In addition to the above and although delayed slightly, work is ongoing preparing the second stage application to the Heritage Lottery Fund, which if approved will provide a further £130,000. During the detailed survey of the building additional areas of expenditure have been identified which has resulted in an increase to the original anticipated total cost. The net cost is now estimated to be £350,000.

Additional applications have already been submitted with a view to securing the extra funding required plus with your continued support by way of on-going regular donations plus support for our funding events will enable us the achieve the required increased target.

Jim Dunwoodie (Treasurer)

The Guild

The guild starts on Monday 6th October. We look forward to meeting friends old and new. The syllabus has a varied selection of speakers and demonstrators and starts every Monday at

7.15 p.m.

Susan Stroyan

1st Stevenston Boys Brigade

The Boys Brigade are looking forward to our new session.

Since we stopped in May there have been some changes to the Boys Brigade. Sadly we have lost Brian and Esther Gibson; they have both left the Boys Brigade. It is sad to lose them and they will be missed by everyone. The remaining officers and leaders would like to thank them for their hard work over the years.

Sadly we have had to say farewell to a trusted old friend who has seen better days and was showing its age (no not Brian as above), our mini bus has gone to the great bus park in the sky. It was going to cost too much to repair and keep on the road. So if you have or know of anyone who is selling a mini bus, we are on the look out for one.

This session we will only meet on a Thursday due to the shortage of officers also the Wednesday night clashes with other groups. Our registration for the new session is on Thursday 28th August at 6.00 – 8.30pm. We will have wide ranging activities and events with themed party nights for the anchor boys the first being a pyjama party on 3rd October and a Harry Potter night after the New Year. We are hoping to have a visit from the owls where the boys can hold the birds and have their photographs taken. For the junior and company sections we will have various competitions (Football, swimming Chess etc.) also our popular camps to PGL Outdoor Centre at Dalguise in Perth and Dunure where we have a barbecue around the camp fire, we might also get a visit from “Wee Jeanie”. Some of our company section boys are hoping to take part in the remembrance parade at the cenotaph in London again this year. Our theme through the year will be the First World War in relation to our church.

We would like to thank the congregation for their support last year and look forward to their continued support in coming year.

Our thoughts are with our friend and former officer Mrs Jean Robertson, whose husband Bill passed away recently. We will think of them in our prayers.

Ian Magness , Boys Brigade

Just in case anyone was wondering what “PGL” stands for in the BB article I asked Ian on your behalf, and mine. That is the name of the company who run the camps. Ian also said the nickname is “Parents get lost”, I like that!!

Margaret Kelso

Summer Mission

This years summer mission was a great success. It was well attended and it was also an excellent example of the three churches working well together. There were approx 45 primary school children every morning for the Kids Club and 25 young people for the 2 Youth nights. During the Kids club we played games, sang songs, heard stories from the bible, and had lots of crafts to do. The Youth nights were organised by a team of 10 young people from across the three churches although, of the 10 young people, 8 were from Ardeer. They did a great job both organising the evenings and then running the activities on the night. Along with our adult volunteers they also came along to the Kids Club for the primary school children and helped at that. We can be very proud of the Young people of our church who did a very good job and worked hard all week.
We also ran a Family Challenge night and the usual Fun day which, amazingly, was blessed by good weather. Approx 140 children attended the Fun day plus a large number of adults. The week finished off with a Praise night in Livingstone Church which was a great celebration of a busy but very worthwhile week. We picked up the themes from the four days of the Kids club and sand some children's songs from the week and some adult songs which fitted in to the theme.
We would like to thank everyone who helped in any way during the week. It really was a practical example of everyone working to their strengths to provide a week of fun and hopefully an opportunity for the young people of the town to hear a little of God's message.
We were fortunate to receive a grant of £2,000 from the Church of Scotland 'Go for it' funding which really helped us to run things we might not otherwise have done. In particular that funding allowed us to hire busses to transport the children from Ardeer and Hayocks to the events being run and there is no doubt that the provision of transport allowed some children to attend who wouldn't normally be able to attend.

Margaret Craik

Children's Church
During the summer holidays we have been running a summer club but now the Children's Church has started back properly. Please encourage all the children to come along every week so that they can hear the bible stories and take part in the activities we have on offer. We're looking forward to seeing them all again.
Jean Robertson

A RUSTY NAIL

I ran a nail into my hand,

The wound was hard to heal;

So bitter was the pain to stand

I thought how it would feel,

To have spikes thrust through hands and feet,

Impaled by hammer beat

Then hoisted on a cross of oak

Against a sullen sky,

With all about the jeering folk

Who joyed to see me die;

Die hardly in insensate hear,

With bleeding hands and feet.

Yet it was not that day of Fate,

Of cruelty insane,

Climaxing centuries of hate

That woke our souls to pain!

And are we not the living seed

Of those who did the deed.

Of course, with thankful heart I know

We are not fiends as then;

And in a thousand years or so

We may be gentle men.

But it has cost a poisoned hand,

And pain beyond a cry,

To make me strangely understand

A Cross against the sky.

Ashley, Katrina and Gordon McBlain would like to thank all Ardeer Church members for their prayers, flowers and cards to wish Askley a speedy recovery. Thank you all for your love and support.

Ardeer Parish Church - Prayer List

Mrs N. Symington Shore Road, Stevenston

Mrs MaineDeer Park Avenue, Stevenston

Mr W. BlairCaledonian Road, Stevenston

Mr R. BurnettMcGregor Avenue, Stevenston

Mrs M. RolleyLongfield Avenue, Saltcoats

Mrs C. BatchelorGlencairn Street, Stevenston

Mrs S. CopelandGarven Road, Stevenston

Mrs I. MitchellParkhouse Road, Ardrossan

Mrs M. KentfieldSinclair Street, Stevenston

Mr & Mrs V. CunninghamClyde View Avenue, Stevenston

Mrs H. SmithClark Crescent, Stevenston

Mrs C. CrawfordSeafield Court, Ardrossan

Mr & Mrs W.HarveyStation Road, Stevenston

Mr & Mrs J. WilsonBurnside Cottages, Stevenston

MrsJ. JacksonTrelawney Terrace, Stevenston

Mrs B. ConnMayville Street, Stevenston

Travis Arnold& familyKilwinning

Mrs M. ElwoodMayfield Grove, Stevenston

Mr & Mrs T. Chandler Montgomerie Cres, Saltcoats

Mrs B. ThomsonDubbs Road, Stevenston

Mrs J. WilsonGreenhead Avenue, Stevenston

Mrs J. CrawfordCampbell Avenue, Stevenston

Mrs McLeanCaledonian Road, Stevenston

Remembering Friends who have Lost Loved Ones

Mrs J. Robertson

The Wilson family

The Gibson family

Friends in Bonnie Leslie Court

Mrs M. Hourston

Mr & Mrs S. Gibson

Mrs C. Montgomerie

Care Homes

Three Towns Care Home Stevenston

Mrs A. Burnett

Miss M McKenzie

Mr J. McDonald

Caledonia Care Home, Saltcoats

Mrs I. Agnew

Mrs A. Urquhart

Seabank

Mrs M. Pritchard

Flowers

Many thanks to the members of the congregation who have donated flowers which have beautified our Church over the last few months.

The flower calendar is situated at the front door of the church,anyone who would like to donate flowers to the church, please add your name to the calendar or you can simply make a donation.

The Flower conveners for:

September 2014Mrs M. Brannan & Mrs J. Niven

October 2014Mrs H. Smith & Mrs I. Easton

November 2014Mrs M. Montgomery & Mrs A. McDonald

December 2014Mrs J. Ramsay & Mrs M. Rolley

Next Edition

I am only the editor of this magazine and can only publish articles given to me. I therefore require the co-operation of the whole congregation to improve the magazine.

Articles to be included in the December 2014 edition need to be in my possession by Sunday 23rd November 2014. Thank you for your co-operation. Margaret Kelso

My e-mail address is , telephone 01294 468264

Church Website is:-