PILRIG St PAUL’S CHURCH SEPTEMBER 2017 1
Front cover from "Lindisfarne Images" The Brendan Voyage: Sailing to America in a Leather Boat to Prove 2 the Legend of the Irish Sailor Saints
CHURCH ACTIVITIES
SUNDAY - 11am WORSHIP in the Sanctuary, followed by tea or coffee, and a chat, in the Session Room. There is a creche for younger children, while those of school age join the congregation, including taking an active part in the all age 'Time to Talk’. ACTIVITIES NOTE THAT MOST YOUTH ORGANISATIONS DO NOT HOLD MEETINGS IN JULY AND AUGUST. PLEASE REFER TO INDIVIDUAL CONTACTS FOR DETAILS Alternate Tuesdays - The Guild 2.00pm Every Tuesday and Thursday 10.30-12.30 come to the open doorway for coffee, a chat, and quiet time in the sanctuary Wednesdays - Lunch club 11.30 Beavers, Cubs and Scouts 5 3/4 - 14 years The 5th Leith Scouts Edinburgh North East (Evelyn Torrance 552 1657) For Rainbows, Brownies and Guides please send all enquiries to www.girlguiding.org.uk . We have two groups associated with Pilrig St Paul’s The Church contact list is at the back of the magazine. THERE ARE MANY OTHER ACTIVITIES HELD ON OUR PREMISES, PLEASE SEE THE NOTICE BOARD IN PILRIG STREET (MIDDLE ENTRANCE) TO RENT OUR PREMISES, PLEASE CONTACT psp.halluse@gmail.com OUR WHEELCHAIR ENTRANCES ARE IN PILRIG STREET 3
Dear All, As from 2 September Leith Street will be closed to traffic for ten months to help facilitate the redevelopment of the St. James’ Centre site. This means that those travelling by car or bus into town will have to face the inevitable series of road detours and bus route diversions that the council will put into place. During the redevelopment works Lothian Regional Transport have asked travellers to plan their journeys in advance; allow more time to travel; and keep themselves informed of any changes to routes and timetables. No matter how well we plan our journeys, detours and diversions can be frustrating experiences. In the rush to get from A to B, from one chore to the next, we see detours as inconveniences that get in our way and rob us of our precious cargo of time. In Exodus chapter 13 (verses 17-18) we are told that after Pharaoh let the people go from Egypt, God did not lead them by a direct route to the Promised Land, but instead led them by a roundabout way through the wilderness. A detour which took them forty years to complete! Although frustrating at times for the Israelites, this Godly detour was also an opportunity to see things from a different perspective and explore new ways of expressing their relationship with God. Without maps of their own they had to trust in God’s guidance to lead them through the wilderness by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21). They had to trust in God’s provision as they received manna from heaven (Exodus 16:4-5) 4
and water from the rock (Exodus 17:1-6). They also entered a new relationship with God and with one another that were defined and governed by the ten commandments (Exodus 20). It could be said that this detour was something that helped to form the expression of their faith rather than something that got in the way of expressing their faith. No matter how well we try to plan our lives in advance, we know that unforeseen circumstances and events will often trip us up, slow us down, or force us to take detours along the way. These can be frustrating times, but they can also provide opportunities to see things from a different perspective and allow us to discover new ways of travelling with God. Our faith and our relationship with God is often formed and developed far more by the detours of our life than by the smooth planned routes we hope to take. None of us go looking for misfortune in our lives, but when it happens, may we draw strength from God’s presence and guidance during the detours. Shalom Mark The Magazine Thank you for all the contributions received this month, and for meeting the deadline. Please may I have articles for the October magazine by Sunday 17th September. Please note that there is new email for the magazine: psp.churchmagazine@gmail.com Thank you, Catriona Blackwood
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The food bank is designed to help individuals and families in crisis through the provision of emergency food supplies. Local care professionals in the Leith area refer people, with a food voucher, to the Foodbank distribution point where they are given their food supplies. For further information, and to volunteer to help on a Wednesday, please contact Roy Eprile
THE DONATIONS BASKET IS IN THE VESTIBULE. DONATIONS OF Sept – pot noodle; smash; custard/creamed rice We are grateful for other foodstuffs too and thank folks for all their donations. Postcard Search 2017: The theme of this year's search is "The Psalms". Send in a card that you feel shows a verse or verses from one of the psalms. Thank you to everyone who has sent cards to date. There is still plenty time to find and send cards before the deadline. All entries should be sent to the Church Office (1B Pilrig Street Edinburgh EH6 5AH) by Sunday 24 September. 6
THANK YOU Mark and Joanne would like to thank the congregation for the lovely gift of church flowers they received in July. Thank you for the lovely flowers I received after my recent operation. They were very much appreciated and cheered me up. Frances McPherson A big thank you, to all those who helped out with the cleaning, opening up the halls, hall hires, admin and the food bank deliveries, while I was on holiday. Maria Joy and Murdo MacLeod thank you for all the calls and enquiries, telephone calls, cards, good wishes and offers of help received during Joy's illness and stay in hospital recently, and we are grateful that we were in your thoughts when we needed you. We thank the Minister for his visits to both our home and hospital, which were particularly supportive. May all of God's blessings be with you all Many thanks for all the lovely cards and good wishes I received on my birthday (I tried to keep it quiet) also for the lovely flowers which were very much appreciated. David Fraser Thank you so very much for the lovely flowers on my 60 th Birthday. Maria Thank you again for our lovely flowers and cards with all your good wishes. We appreciate your kindness. A big thank you to Irene for her most welcome visit. Also thanks you from Jimmy Gilbert for his lovely flowers and to David Fraser for delivering them. The flowers were taken to Jean’s Care Home. The staff were delighted with them. Martha and Willie Cruikshank 7
Dear Mark and all my fellow members, Thanks to everyone at Pilrig St Paul’s for the good wishes, prayers, cards, emails kind concern and offers of help with my Church Duties, also for the beautiful flowers (on more than one occasion). Thanks to Mark for his visit and support. Bill and I really appreciate all this. Catriona Blackwood Thank you to the Congregation for the lovely bunch of flowers I received recently. It was very much appreciated and 10 days later are well and looking fresh. Charlie Forman Thank you for the lovely flowers I received from Lisa Innes after the April Communion Service. They cheered me up and were very much appreciated. Fiona Rankin (Sorry, this was missed from the last issue. Ed) Thank you very much for the lovely flowers I received recently. It was very kind of you to remember me and I appreciate it very much. Elizabeth Hogg Just to say a special Thankyou for the beautiful flowers I received from the church after my stay in hospital. Thanks to Margery for bringing them and also to Nancy for coming to see me. Eileen Gilhooley Dear Friends, Thank you very much for the beautiful yellow roses I was given on Sunday. I did appreciate them, Marjory McMahon Thank you for the nice card and flowers and thoughts, best wishes and prayers, much appreciated. Donald is doing well after his eye operation. Eileen and Donald Fraser. I thank you very much for the lovely roses I received recently and they were much appreciated. I also thank Margaret for bringing them to me. Chrissie Blacklaw. 8
Pastoral Care Team September 2017 Thank you to everyone in our recently expanded Flower Team. It has been great to have so many people involved and certainly makes it easier for everyone involved to be on rota less often. As you will see from the regular thank you messages in the magazine, the flowers are always appreciated by those who receive them and this is an important aspect of our Pastoral Care and reach to those in our congregation and the wider local community. If there is someone you think would appreciate some flowers from us please let any of the Pastoral Care team know and we will arrange this for you. Knitting Bee The Knitting Bee has been busy again and this year have been producing a range of items being gifted to different groups. We have handed over 50 hats to Simpsons Maternity hospital for the premature babies. We have over 30 cardigans and jumpers for new born babies that are being gifted to local charities that look after vulnerable new Mums and also to organisations who work with refugees settling in our local community. Our final project this year is our Twiddlemuffs and we have a number of these ready with more being knitted every week. These will be offered to members of our congregation and to local care homes after being blessed at one of services in the Autumn. We also took part in a research project being run by the University of Edinburgh on Health Poverty. At our last get together the Knitting Bee worked in two groups to prepare a community map of what is available to us in Leith. This work will be included in the overall research that is aiming to understand how we access and use health and social services and importantly why some people do not access services that are available for them. 9
We are now looking forward to our outing to a Crafting Exhibition where we are going to have a demonstration from one of the artists who is involved in the display of work. Leith Community Cinema Update We have had a quiet time over the Summer with the cinema however work has been continuing on our application for Charitable Status from OSCR. We have been given great support with this from an organisation called EVOC who provide both training that I have attended and also consultancy support. All being well we will be granted approval by the Autumn. We have also been advertising the screenings we will be running with the ÂŁeith Decides award in September and November. We are using the funding to hold Community Screenings that means attendance will be free including the wrap around activities, community cafĂŠ and entrance. Booking is now open for the September screenings of Beauty and the Beast 2017 and Hidden Figures . Places are being booked up quickly so if you would like to attend please reserve your ticket via our website, Facebook pages or on Eventbrite. We are also holding a Community Cinema Conference in October that will be open to everyone. More details about this and the November screenings in the next issue of the magazine. Helping Hands Please remember to let us know if you would like a visit or phone call from us or would like to arrange this for a member of our congregation you feel would appreciate this type of support. All you need to do is complete a Helping Hands form and pop it into the box in the Open Doorway of the Church or speak/call any of our team. 10
Pastoral Care Team Mark Foster - Minister Catriona Blackwood – Elder, Safegaurding Coordinator and Magazine Editor Christine Edington – CrossReach Co-ordinator Ella Gilfillan Linda Gill – Elder and Pastoral Care Team Leader Michelle Muhammad – Congregational Board Member Cathy Purdie – Contact for Special Needs Fiona Rankin – Elder Jeanette Sime – Elder and Roll Keeper Linda Gill Pastoral Care Team Leader 669-7409 or helpinghands@pilrigstpauls.org.uk Prayer Corner The Wexelstein family Norrie Frazer Emily Dickson and family Sybil Muir David and Lynn Cameron and family Frances Chambers The Davis family Murdo and Joy MacLeod Martha and Willie Cruickshanks Mrs Hunter and family Catriona Blackwood and family Evelyn and Euan Robertson Frazer and Craig Garvey and families Gary, Margaret and David Fraser
Jim and Jean Tait Joyce Loughlan June Welsh Isabel Pert Margaret Gunn Anne Dunn Isabel Fyfe Arthur Baxter Alex and Nancy Fleming Margaret Thomson Elspeth Dixon Helen Greig Matthew Green
Please let Roy Eprile know if you would like someone included in the prayer corner. 11
PILRIG ST PAULâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHURCH 1b Pilrig Street Edinburgh EH6 5AH www.pilrigstpauls.org.uk Church Office 0131 553 1876 MAGAZINE psp.churchmagazine@gmail.com MINISTER Rev Mark Foster (0131 332 5736) MFoster@churchofscotland.org.uk SESSION CLERK John Innes - (07802 917910) pilrig@btinternet.com THE CONGREGATIONAL BOARD Church address and phone number CLERK Aileen Fraser (0131 553 1876) ASSISTANT CLERK Maria Croall (07747 071545) pspcongragationalboard@gmail.com TREASURER and CHRISTIAN GIVINGS CONVENER Mark Wexelstein (0131 665 6881) mark.wexelstein@gmail.com ROLL KEEPER, GUILD CONVENOR Mrs Jeanette Sime - (0131 552 9652) PASTORAL CONVENOR, CINEMA LEADER Mrs Linda Gill Linda Gill <lindagill365@sky.com> linda@leithcommunitycinema.com SAFEGUARDING CO-ORDINATOR, MAGAZINE EDITOR Mrs Catriona Blackwood - (0131 554 6183) cewblackwood@tesco.net PROPERTY CONVENER Eric Fisher (0131 552 8982) eric.fisher@hotmail.co.uk HALL LETS psp.halluse@gmail.com ORGANIST and CHOIRMASTER Colin Gray (07901 556 217) PRAYER CORNER, FOODBANK CONTACT Roy Eprile MAGAZINE DISTRIBUTION Mrs Margaret Cameron (0131 554 2139) LUNCH CLUB Alex Allan (0131 554 3174) Scottish Charity no. SCO07277 www.leithchurchesforum.org.uk
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Do you know someone who would appreciate being remembered in our prayers each Sunday, a visit, a phone call, a card in the post or perhaps some flowers from us? Please provide the details below and put this card into the box in the Open Doorway or contact: Linda Gill on 669-7409 or helpinghands@pilrigstpauls.org.uk Postal address: Linda Gill, Pastoral Care Team Leader, Pilrig St Paul’s Church, 1B Pilrig Street, Edinburgh EH6 5AH Member's Details Name .................................................................................................................... Address ............................................................................................................... Phone number................................................................................................. Please choose from the following, which you think would be most appropriate. You can tick more than one option Remembered in our prayers each week ……. Visit to their home ……. Flowers from the Service ……. Phone call........ Card posted to their home……. Would you like to help with this? Yes / No (If you select yes please also provide your contact details) ................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................. Pilrig St. Paul's Church SCO 07277
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