Summer 2015 Edition In April this year I had the privilege of visiting Amman, Jordan. I was with a group of ministers from Scotland and Northern Ireland and the purpose was to find out a little about what it is like to live as a Christian in a Muslim country. It was a challenging and stimulating experience. I had not visited a Middle Eastern country other than Israel and there was an immediate sensory overload. The people we met were very friendly and we never felt in any danger—except in a taxi as the driving was interesting.
We visited churches and enjoyed meeting fellow believers, even although everything was in Arabic. What was striking was the depth of faith of these believers. They live in a situation where it is www.mpnchurch.org.uk
absolutely forbidden to try to convert a Muslim person with prison (or deportation if you are a foreigner) as the consequence. So how can you be obedient to Jesus’ call to make disciples? How do you respond to the needs of 25% of the population who are refugees? How do you cope with the pressure of knowing that friends, neighbours or even church members may be reporting to the secret police? These are issues believers are grappling with and they need our prayers. It was also good to be able to see sites which have biblical significance. It helps to be reminded that the salvation story was grounded on a family that became a nation which, on it’s journey to the Promised Land, passed through what we now call Jordan. The place shapes the story and the actions of the people and the same is still true today. To be able, as Moses did, to look from Mount Nebo over Jericho and the Plains of Moab into what is now Israel is amazing. To stand on the banks of the Jordan and watch people being baptised is very moving but it also reminds us to ask some of the same questions that they are asking: Scottish Charity Number SC004271
What do we do with the outcasts in our society? How do we make disciples in our secular materialistic country? What does it really mean to follow Jesus in Scotland in 2015? We are going to have the chance to talk about some of that to 21 American visitors who will be with us from 3rd-12th June. They are from Arizona and the congregations we visited last summer: Desert Hills Presbyterian Church and Leupp Presbyterian Church. They want to learn what it is like for us to be Christian in Scotland and to find out some of the things we do as a congregation. They will be visiting local schools and nursing homes etc and helping at the Prom Day but there are also events being o rganised for church members to spend time with the team:
Please join us for some of these events if you’re free and make some new friends. Most of our church organisations have stopped for the summer and many of us are looking forward to being away for a holiday so If that’s you I hope you have a great break, but if you’re not away remember you can celebrate with us every Sunday morning.
David
CRÈCHE - THANK YOU As we near the end of the 2014/2015 Crèche session, I would like to thank everyone who has been on duty over the past year and I am sure I also speak for the parents in our Church family who use this facility. Thank you all once again. Pat Simpson
Thanks to Ina Donald for this article from the Glasgow Herald. SIX CHARITIES TO BENEFIT FROM CHURCH. A charity helping new parents having a baby is one of six organisations which will benefit from hundreds of thousands of pounds raised by the Church of Scotland’s Guild. Care for the Family Scotland has been announced as one of the Guild’s charities for the next three years. As the Church’s voluntary organisation, the Guild has more than 22,600 members in 890 groups across Scotland and has raised more than £670,000 for the projects it adopted during 2012—2015. Others who will benefit in Scotland include Street Pastors, and a project to make churches welcoming for people with learning disabilities. Abroad, there’s support for tackling female genital mutilation in Kenya, an environmental project in Bolivia and a missionary project in Haiti. Each of the six projects can expect to raise around £100,000 during the 2015—2018 fundraising cycle.
A Church is not what the people inside says it is—A Church is what the actions of the people inside is. A Christian is a living sermon whether or not he preaches a word.
THE INVITATION.
All you who are thirsty, come and drink.
Isaiah 55:1.
To receive an invitation is to be honoured—to be held in high esteem. For that reason all invitations deserve a kind and thoughtful response. But the most incredible invitations are not found in envelopes or fortune cookies, they are found in the Bible. You can’t read about God without finding him issuing invitations. He invited Eve to marry Adam, the animals to enter the ark, David to be king, Israel to leave bondage, Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem. God is an inviting God. He invited Mary to birth his son, the disciples to fish for men, the adulterous woman to start over, and Thomas to touch his wounds. God is the King who prepares the palace, sets the table, and invites his subjects to come in. God is a God who opens the door and waves his hand pointing pilgrims to a full table. His invitation is not just for a meal, however, it is for life. An invitation to come into His kingdom .......... Who can come? Whoever wishes. From Max Lucado.
Church Fete Our Annual Summer Fete will take place on Saturday 13th June. Teas etc will be served from 10.00am to 1.00pm and stalls 10.00am to 2.00pm. Tickets for tea/coffee and scones will go on sale shortly at the bargain price of £2. It is hoped to have all the usual stalls but we will need the support of all to provide items for sale and to help set up and run these. It is appreciated that June is a very busy month for the church but the fete is our major fund raising event of the year and the full support of all in the congregation is requested. If you can help in any way or have ideas for new stalls please contact Jim Riach or any member of the Pastoral Care Committee. Thanks Jim.
Finance update At the Congregational meeting held in March, we reported that our offerings have reduced considerably mainly due to bereavements. We said that if every member would give an extra £1 per week it would alleviate the financial situation in our Congregation. Many of you have already responded by increasing your offerings and on behalf of the Kirk Session I want to thank you most sincerely. Figures for the first three months of 2015 show that our offerings have reduced from 2014 levels by £1169.16. We have to, on a month-to-month basis, decide what bills to pay and which to hold until the next month. A situation that is not ideal. At this time, our Ministries & Mission contributions to The Church of Scotland are up to date. From January - April this year we have paid £5700 for gas/electricity. In July we expect a gas bill based on 2014 of £1800. In addition to our regular outgoings we have recently discovered that our photocopier needs to be replaced due to its age and lack of spare parts. We had already restricted our budget expenses compared to last year so this unexpected cost may mean that the outreach work of the church will have to be reduced. We can only achieve financial stability by the grace of God, hard work by the finance team and the continuing support of YOU the Congregation. We thank you for your ongoing support and would welcome any thoughts on stewardship and fund raising. Your Brother in Christ Robert Gibson Treasurer Thank God for what you have—Trust God for what you need. Prayer is one thing everyone can afford to give. Faith—it doesn’t make things easy. It makes them possible! Life isn’t waiting for the storm to pass It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.
SUMMER FAIR Saturday 13th June 2015 Teas etc : 10.00 am to 1.00 pm Stalls : 10.00 am to 2.00 pm HELP WANTED If you have a few hours to spare, why not volunteer to help with one of our varied stalls. We also need your baking skills to provide some goodies to sell at our baking stall. If you feel that you can help with either of the above, please fill in your details below and hand the form to one of our Door Duty Team, your Elder or to the Church Office of telephone the office 01292 678810.
STALLS: Name: _________________________________________________ Telephone No: ___________________________________________ HOME BAKING: Name: _________________________________________________ Telephone No: ___________________________________________
CAR OUTING Monday 8th JUNE 2015
It is a lovely sunny evening as I write this – just the kind of evening we usually get for the Car Outing. The evening will follow the usual format with drivers collecting their passengers about 6.45pm, taking them for a drive then back to the Hall for 8pm when a light supper will be served followed by some entertainment arranged by David Watson. Elders will give out invitations and then give me a note of those who can come. I will then match passengers to the car drivers who have volunteered for the evening. We may be joined by some of our American guests from Arizona. For the evening to be a success we need Car drivers, Caterers and lots of people to attend, so please come. If you do not wish to go for a drive you are very welcome to come to the hall at 8pm for the supper, entertainment and to meet some of our American visitors. To Volunteer to help with the supper –either preparing or serving please contact Pat Riach Tel 476458. Car drivers give names to Elder or contact Margaret Goodlad Tel 470903 or 07747864064. If you have not heard from your elder by the 1st of June and wish to come, please contact Margaret Goodlad. We look forward to seeing you on the 8th of June. Margaret Goodlad
FAIRTRADE The Soup and Sandwich Lunch on the 22nd February was very successful and raised £380 for Small Producers who struggle to earn enough money to feed their own children. The Government matched this money so £760 was contributed to the fund. The money will be spent by Traidcraft helping farmers to grow more crops efficiently and so improve their standard of living. Thank you to those who helped prepare the food and to all who made a donation. Margaret Goodlad Easyfundraising Since Monkton & Prestwick North Church joined easyfundraising.org.uk, a free and easy way to generate donations whenever our supporters shop online.
We have received free donations of £443.28 from 25 supporters making purchases through this web site, why not join them and raise more funds for our Church. Here's how you can help. Join easyfundraising for free at http:// www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/monktonprestwicknorthchurch and every time you shop online at partner retailers like John Lewis, Argos M & S and Amazon, they'll donate a percentage of what you spend straight to our cause for free. It couldn't be simpler, and over 400,000 people already use it to raise funds for causes close to their hearts.
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Many thanks to the contributor of this verse which is from an article by the Rev. Joyce Watson, Iona. Look to this day; Yesterday is already a dream And tomorrow is only a vision But today well lived Makes every yesterday A dream of happiness And every tomorrow a vision of H O P E !
I found this little story in a Friendship Book Travelling by car towards the English Channel bound for France, young Oliver tried to practise his reading skills by calling out road signs. He fell asleep just before entering France and when he awoke he caught site of the French motorway signs. Sounding perplexed, he said, “I think I forgot how to read when I was asleep.” (Made me think children say things as they see them and can make you laugh) Valerie.
Elaine’s Childminding Services Registered Childminder 23 years experience in Early Year Education Open Days available on request Contact:Elaine Wardrop 155 Adamton Road South Prestwick 01292 670513 Mobile 07526128194 wardrop.elaine@gmail.com
HISTORY OF THE WORLD
IN 100
MODERN OBJECTS By Francesca Hornax. SWITCH
S T I C K.
Every Thursday, Queenie, 90, goes to Zumba Gold in a chilly church hall in Huddersfield. To keep up, she uses a floral Switch Stick. It makes her feel like Ginger Rogers. Queenie has been a widow for 30 years. She had put meeting someone else out of her mind, but there’s something about Ron at Zumba. He reminds her of her husband, the way he doesn’t mind making a fool of himself. After class, Queenie always has a cup of tea and custard cream with Val and Irene. One day, Ron stays too. He compliments Queenie’s Switch Stick, and they laugh comparing hearing aids. Then he says he must dash to watch his great-grandson play football. Queenie does like that. Next week, Ron stands beside her, and jokes that his heart monitor is going “like the clappers”. Queenie isn’t sure if he means what she thinks he means, but feels quite giddy. So giddy, in fact, that during a fast turn she accidentally bops Ron on the bum with her Switch Stick. They’re both in stitches. After the class, Ron confiscates the stick, saying she can’t be trusted, and offers his elbow instead. Six months later, they’re married. Thanks to Margaret Cranston who is a regular contributor to the magazine for this.
F L O W E R
L I S T.
Flowers donated by
Delivered by
7th June
Nan Dagostino/Elspeth Manson
Jim McLauchlan
14th June
May Cumming
Jan Armour
21st June
Pat Riach
Carrie Lamont
28th June
Molly & John Paterson
Tom & Lily Dougan
5th July
Ann Shelton
Morag Hamil
12th July
Miss A. Brown
Nan Dagostino
19th July
Alice Crombie
Susan Campbell
26th July
Margaret & Colin Cranston
Marion Balish
2nd August
Morag Hamil
Elizabeth Ewing
9th August
Mrs. H. McGraw
Jeanette Munro
16th August
Jeanette Munro
Katrina Carswell
23rd August
Jennifer Bond
Margaret Goodlad
30th August
Elizabeth Ewing
Linda Welsh
6th September
Jim & Hazel-Ann McLauchlan
Margaret Thomson
13th September
Lynn Richmond
Leslie McCarrell
20th September
Mary Yuille
Elaine Wardrop
27th September
Ann Shelton
Jim McLauchlan
LUNCH CLUBS 2015 The first half of this year has been passing with amazing speed and here we are almost at the end of the first session of 2015. We have had a successful few months and have expanded our menu a little, while retaining our old favourites, and this seems to have pleased most of our Lunch clubbers. We are a friendly bunch and are always pleased to welcome any new diners. The price for 2 courses with tea or coffee is ÂŁ3.50 and the cheery company is free of charge! Our remaining lunches for this season are Wednesday 3rd June for Prestwick and Thursday 18th for Monkton. We will begin the Autumn Session on Wednesday 2nd September in Prestwick and Thursday 17th in Monkton. I hope everyone has a lovely summer and that the weather assists us to do so! Jeanette Munro
Healthy Eating Classes Planning is underway for our next session of Healthy Eating Classes in partnership with Sutherland House. Last summer, 8 of our friends from Sutherland House were presented with their certificates during morning worship for completing the Beginners Course. This summer they hope to achieve their Advanced Certificate in Healthy Eating, incorporating their Food Hygiene Certificate. The courses will run simultaneously each Monday afternoon from June – September. Once again, Morag will be running the Cookery Classes and we will be looking for people to help. If you are able to help with one or two of the classes we would be delighted to hear from you. The classes are very informal, we meet together for a short introduction, then start preparation and cooking in the kitchen, to finish, we sit down and share the meal together. It really is a privilege to work with our wonderful friends from Sutherland House, if you have any free Monday afternoons from June – September, I would strongly urge you to come along. I would like to say a huge thank you to Morag for all her hard work and preparation.
Walking Group Our Walking Group continues to meet monthly, usually the first Sunday of the month. We share fellowship and a nice warm bowl of soup together after Morning Worship before heading off for a gentle walk together. Our walk is suitable for all ages and abilities and we would strongly recommend you come and join us for friendship whilst keeping fit. We leave church around 1pm and return to church no later than 2.15pm. Our next walk will be Sunday 7th June when our American Friends will be joining us, we hope to see you there, you will be made most welcome. Thank you. Thank you for your prayers and continued support. For more information on Discovery please contact Elaine Wardrop (857153)
1st PRESTWICK BOYS’ BRIGADE - ANNUAL DISPLAY 2015 Our Annual Display was held on Friday 8 May with Rev. George Fiddes as our Inspecting Officer. It was well attended by parents, friends and members of our Church family. Lieutenant David Moore assisted by playing for our opening hymn. During the first half of the evening, the Inspection took place with Rev. Fiddes taking time to speak to the boys and officers. The boys then took part in Marching, Games and various other activities, all of which they performed with great enthusiasm. The second half of the evening was dedicated to the presentation of Awards, Badges, Prizes and Certificates that the boys had worked for throughout the session. Mrs Carol Fiddes presented the prizes to the boys and the main prize winners were: Anchor Boys Green Achievements
Aiden McCormack; Connor Black; Kyle Flannigan; Luca Cybulski; Luke Main; Matthew Campbell; Michael Gemmell; Rory Allan; Scott Goetz
Red Achievements
Edan Munro; Zack Mowles
Blue Achievements & Promotion
Jonathan Gibson; Jude Smith; Tyler Bews
Best Team
Falcons Jonathan Gibson; Tyler Bews; Zack Mowles; Edan Munro; Connor Black; Scott Goetz; Aiden McCormack; Cameron Bell
Battalion Competition – Colouring-in
1st. Luke Main’ 2nd Jonathan Gibson; Highly Commended Zack Mowles
Best Attendance (incl. Sunday Parades)
Luke Main; Michael Gemmell; Zack Mowles
Good Behaviour Trophy
Luke Main
Junior Section
Competitions: Winners Runners-up
Drama Physical Junior Section Battalion Championship
Best Crew (Games)
Blackburn Kangaroos
Best Crew (Inspection)
S.M. Warriors
Best Recruit
Gregory Taylor
Best Boy
Nathan Percy
Company Section
Queen’s Badge
Jason McClymont
Best Recruit
Curtis McLean-Daly
Best Boy
Gordon Campbell
Best NCO
Matthew McClure
Best Squad
1
Valerie Greig Trophy
Callum Gaw
We were delighted to be able to present one of our Company Section boys to receive his Queen’s Badges from the Lord Lieutenant at Ayr Battalion’s Annual Church Parade and Service held in Alloway Parish Church. The Queen’s Badge is the highest award that any boy in the Boys’ Brigade can receive and we congratulate Jason on obtaining this award through dedication and hard work. The Valerie Greig Trophy is presented each year to a Company Section boy who gets enjoyment from something he has done and passes that enjoyment on to others. Each year we have a special award in memory of one of our boys, Steven Muir. This award can be presented to a boy from any section of the Company and this year the Steven Muir Memorial Award was presented to Callum Gaw. In his closing remarks Rev. Fiddes praised the boys for their hard work and enthusiasm which he said had showed in all the events throughout the evening and he hoped it would continue into next session. He also paid a fitting tribute to the officers. Tea, coffee, juice and biscuits were served to all those who managed to stay a little while longer. Our thanks to all who helped make our evening such a success. We meet in the Church Halls on a Friday evening and our new session commences on Friday 4 September 2015 at the following times: Anchor Boys (5 – 8 years old/Primary 1 - 3) 6.00 p.m. – 7.00 p.m. Junior Section (8 – 11 years old/Primary 4 - 7) 6.30 p.m. – 8.30 p.m. Company Section (11 – 18 years old/ Secondary School) 7.15 p.m. – 9.45 p.m. Please note that boys aged 5 years and upwards can enrol and we would invite any boy who thinks he might be interested to come along and join us for a night of fun, games and fellowship. Sgd. Sam Gilmour, Captain
C.I.A. Visit to St Ninians Primary School Prestwick—April 2015 In March 2015 Christ In Action (C.I.A.) were invited By the Head Mistress, Mrs McGhee to visit the children at St Ninians Primary School here in Prestwick and talk to them about the Christ In Action Foodbank. The children in both Nursery and Primary 1 - 7, have been collecting and bringing non perishable food to school every week for several months. The food collection is relayed by Mrs McGhee directly from the school to their local parish church (St. Quivox). The food is then brought from St. Quivox Parish Church to the C.I.A. Food bank at Monkton & Prestwick North, on a Sunday. The children at St. Ninians have chosen to support the C.I.A Food bank as part of the Pope Francis Faith Award. The Award is to recognise young people in Primary 6/7 who put their faith into action in ways which are pleasing to God. Some of the ways they can do this is by showing their love and compassion for others through home, school or community.
We were delighted to visit the children during their Assembly and any concerns we might have had about discussing the topic with the youngest children quickly disappeared when we were met with such enthusiasm and obvious knowledge. They asked and answered lots of tough questions. We were very impressed by their confident, softly spoken responses and non-judgemental attitude to the problems faced by so many in our community each day. It was a privilege to visit them and we give gracious thanks for all the children and Teaching staff involved in this amazing project. Food Collection Bin—Sainsbury’s You may have noticed that Sainsbury's in Prestwick have a large Food bank Collection Bin situated opposite he Checkout Aisles. Customers are invited, if they so wish, to add an item to the Bin. The Sainsbury store Charity Colleagues decided that Christ In Action (C.I.A.) would be one of the recipients of the 'Bin Contents'. The C.I.A. will alternate with the South Ayrshire Food bank on a month by month basis. The Bin will be emptied as soon as it is full by C.I.A. volunteers. During the months of May, July, September and November 2015, Christ In Action will receive the donated bin contents. Sainsbury's work within the local community is very well known and greatly appreciated by many Charities. In particular, their support of the Food bank initiative at Monkton and Prestwick North Parish Church has been wonderful and we cannot thank them enough.
Christ in Action Food Bank is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation: SC045322
Newton Primary School.
C.I.A Family Resource
The C.I.A. were asked a couple of months ago to look at the possibility of setting up a small food bank resource for crisis hit families within Newton Primary school. A small group of CIA volunteers met with the Head Mistress, some parents and community builders to see if we could help in any way. The matter was reported and discussed with C.I.A. Members at their monthly meeting. The Members agreed that we were in a position to help and that a small Food bank resource should run for a period of three months and thereafter, be reviewed. The C.I.A. resource will be set up in the music room for 3 hours on a Monday. It will be manned by two CIA volunteers. It will be open from 11 am to 2 pm Referrals will come via the Head Mistress, Small cards enabling the family member who is in crisis will be issued by Head Mistress. The card will allow them entry to the Food bank. Food will be signed for as normal. Entry and Exit will be discrete. A small budget has been set aside for this resource and storage has been found within the school. This is an entirely new concept for the Christ In Action Team. We have no pre conceived ideas about how the project will develop, diversify or stop. We do however know that this is undoubtedly the direction in which we are being led and we have been supplied with everything we need (including extra food!) to begin the work. We would ask for the Church family support and prayers in this project. 1st Monkton & Prestwick Girls Brigade May 2015. The 1st Monkton & Prestwick Girls Brigade presented the Christ In Action Food bank with a cheque for ÂŁ100 at their annual display on Monday 11 May 2015. This was a fantastic sum raised by the girls. The C.I.A. team say a huge thank you for this donation and can confirm that it will be used to help the poorest people in our community. We give grateful thanks and pray Gods blessings and safety on the Leaders and the girls as G.B closes its doors for the summer holiday break. More Volunteers Needed. The C.I.A. team really needs some more volunteers. Would you be able to offer an afternoon a week to help with the increasing demands of the team? If you are interested in finding out more, please contact Liz on 01292 471288 or 0300 999 01 09. The C.I.A. team give gracious thanks and pray Gods richest blessings on the Church family for their continued and generous support of the C.I.A. Project. C.I.A. Team
Christ in Action Food Bank is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation: SC045322
Our Friendsheep Knitting Group is up and running and has been well attended. We meet from 2.30 – 4.00pm each Wednesday afternoon in the Session House, we have a wee cuppa and share friendship and fellowship whilst knitting and sharing our skills. We have experienced knitters and beginners, it really is for everyone. A warm, relaxed, friendly atmosphere where everyone is made most welcome. We are currently knitting squares for a blanket, however, equally, you could just bring knitting of your own to work on whilst enjoying the company of others. If you haven’t been yet and aren’t sure if it’s for you, please just pop in and try it, we are relaxed and flexible and it’s also fine to just pop in and out if you are able, we’d be delighted to see you. We’d like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped and supported us, thanks for your prayers and for all the very generous donations of wool, needles, patterns etc, we were overwhelmed by the response and very grateful. For more information please contact Elaine Wardrop on 857153.
Thank you
Through our Discovery programme, we recently met with GE Volunteers from GE Caledonian. As a company, GE Caledonian are very passionate about the work they do in the local community. They have committed to partnering with us for an indefinite period with a new project which we hope to be launching soon. Our “We Can Help Project” is a new venture for us, we hope to provide a service to people in our church and community who require practical help. The idea is for us to provide a postbox and sealable envelopes, anyone needing help with anything will be encouraged to use the envelope to write down ANY needs they have and to post them in the box. For confidentiality reasons, the only person authorized to open these envelopes will be the minister (probably weekly) He will them look at the requests, and act on them. So where does GE Caledonian come in? Well, they are going to provide the people, time and resources required for any practical needs placed in the box They have many employees with different trades and skills and volunteer time, enabling them to do the jobs required. They have many resources and tools and are covered by their company insurance to do their community work. They were very interested to hear about the wonderful work and dedication of the team at Sutherland House, and are very keen to get involved in our partnership with Sutherland House. There is funding available, therefore there hopefully would be no initial cost to the church. This project is in the early planning stages, but has the potential to show God’s love in a practical way to those in need, whilst building relationships and working together. We have more meetings and planning to do before the project can start, as soon as we have more information we will let you know. In the meantime, we would really appreciate your prayers for God’s guidance as we move forward .
Remember, together with our awesome God, we really can make a difference!
CHRISTIAN
AID
2015.
Every year in May we have Christian Aid Week which focuses on raising funds for a variety of good causes at home and abroad. Christian Aid is a charity which works tirelessly all year round supporting the most vulnerable people. So it is important for churches to give up a little time throughout Christian Aid Week to help raise some much needed money to support this fabulous Charity. The Christian Aid Committee in Prestwick is a committee representing various churches in Prestwick, the committee all work well together and get on with the work in hand each taking on board their tasks, not just this week, but also for other activities that the Prestwick Christian Aid Committee organise throughout the year. This is now my 3rd year as part of the committee and I feel really blessed to be able to play a small part in supporting this wonderful charity who provide help for causes throughout our world. Here is a list of money raised so far: Fun Day which raised just under Penny Jars Door To Door Collection Christian Aid Quiz approx.
1000.00 237.29 1,677.07 200.00
I’m sure you will agree, this is a wonderful total. As always, at this stage, there are still a few envelopes to come in, so the total is likely to rise slightly. May I take this opportunity to thank everyone who gave up their time and helped in any way, it really is a team effort, we just simply couldn’t do it without the commitment of you all, our very willing volunteers. Thank you, Scott Wardrop
A PERSONAL THOUGHT. When I was about seven or eight my Dad encouraged me to try crossword puzzles and word puzzles—the Daily Express was a favourite and I am now a ‘puzzle fanatic’. I often think when I am ‘puzzling’ and trying to work out the answers to the clues how this is similar to reading the Bible. One answer written in the crossword usually leads to finding another answer and if I get stuck I have a word app on the ‘phone which helps, the dictionary or the answers are all at the back of the puzzle book. Reading the Bible - one verse usually leads to understanding another verse and if I get stuck there are books, friends or our Minister who can help. Valerie.
MINISTER Rev. David Clarkson Telephone : 01292 471379 Email : minister@mpnchurch.org.uk
BIBLE STUDY Wednesday 10.30 am Margaret Thomson Telephone : 01292 477045
SESSION CLERK James U Riach Telephone : 01292 476458 Email : james@jriach2.fsnet.co.uk
BOYS’ BRIGADE Friday pm (Various) Pat Simpson Telephone : 01292 477289
TREASURER/HALL BOOKINGS Robert Gibson Telephone : 01292 479248 Email : property@mpnchurch.org.uk
GIRLS’ BRIGADE Monday 6.00 pm Sue Christie Telephone : 07751219601
ORGANIST David Watson Telephone : 01292 314867
GUILD Thursday 2.00 pm Margaret Goodlad Telephone : 01292 470903
CHURCH OFFICE Telephone : 01292 678810 Email : office@mpnchurch.org.uk KIRK SESSION COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES Discipleship Sam Gilmour Telephone : 01292 470614 Fabric & Finance Robert Gibson Telephone : 01292 479248 Outreach Pastoral Care Jim Riach Telephone : 01292 476458 Worship Scott Wardrop Telephone : 01292 670513
MONKTON BROWNIES Thursday 6.30 pm Monkton Community Church Irene Boyle Telephone : 01292 478376 KIDDIEWINKLES Monday 10.00 am Elaine Gilbert Telephone : 07734806812 TOTS-TOWN Wednesday 10.00 am Monkton Community Church Leigh Flanagan Telephone : 07545050190 THE YOUNG CHURCH Sunday 11.00 am Lesley McCarrell Telephone : 01292 477779 Duncan Campbell Telephone : 01292 435020