PILRIG St PAUL’S CHURCH FEBRUARY 2016
PILRIG St PAUL’S WELCOMES YOU
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. WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MORE HELPERS, EITHER FOR A WEDNESDAY 4.30-6pm IN THE OPEN DOORWAY OR TO COLLECT SUPPLIES. For further information, please contact Roy Eprile
THE DONATIONS BASKET IS IN THE VESTIBULE.
If you want more information, or are unsure how to do this, please speak to Mark Wexelstein, Treasurer
CHURCH ACTIVITIES
SUNDAY - 11am WORSHIP in the sanctuary, followed by tea or coffee and a chat in the Session Room. Children’s activities from 10.50am: 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' and then follow activities or projects. TUESDAY AND THURSDAY - 10.30-12.30 open doorway for coffee, a chat and quiet time in the sanctuary CONTACTS Music and Choir - Colin Gray 07901 556 217 or at the Service Tuesdays - The Guild 2.00pm (Irene Wexelstein 476 1385) Beavers, Cubs and Scouts 5 3/4 - 14 years The 5th Leith Scouts Edinburgh North East Broughton Primary gym hall contact 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 THERE ARE MANY OTHER ACTIVITIES HELD ON OUR PREMISES, PLEASE SEE THE NOTICE BOARD IN PILRIG STREET (MIDDLE ENTRANCE) IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RENT OUR PREMISES, PLEASE CONTACT psp.halluse@gmail.com
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I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19 Dear All, Throughout the history of our faith God has called men and women, both young and old, to step out on journeys into the unknown, to experience new things, and to open their hearts and minds to new life changing experiences. And by trusting in God each one of them went on to enrich their understanding of both God and themselves in new and exciting ways that transformed their lives and the lives of others. As many of you will be aware Pilrig St. Paul’s has been selected to participate in a new pilot project called ‘Path of Renewal’, which seeks to explore different ways of being church in a changing landscape. The project has been launched by the Church of Scotland’s Panel of Review and Reform, in partnership with the Ministries and Mission and Discipleship Councils. The Church will invest time and resources in the training and development of the Minister, who in turn is expected to invest heavily in a small group of others, developing their leadership skills and a sense of God’s mission for the future. This small group will be drawn together from people who are currently involved in the life of the congregation as well as some who are on the fringes of the church and beyond. Together they will seek to explore and trial new initiatives to run alongside the current worship and mission of the congregation. All of this will take time to develop and the Church has pledged to help support us with both practical and financial assistance where required. There is a short Path of Renewal video on the Church of Scotland YouTube site explaining the process in a bit more detail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ILZ6oBDygc 2
The first steps have already begun. I attended a few days training at the Bield Christian Centre just outside Perth. I have returned with a long reading list and a lot of new information to digest. The next steps will involve some more training, reflection, and putting together the small team – and we will keep you informed of the progress throughout the project. As with all journeys of faith, we are not sure by which paths we will tread or where they will ultimately lead us to. There will no doubt be times of uncertainty when the way ahead is unclear and times when the temptation to turn back is strong. What we do know is that this is not a journey to be rushed and the Church envisages a timescale of 2/3 years for the process – so we will have to be patient. We also know that we will need the support and prayers of all those in the congregation over this period. I am excited that we have been selected to take part in this important project and hope that just like those men and women of faith who responded to God’s call in Scripture, we too will embark on a journey that enriches our understanding of God and the nature of our faith. Shalom Mark Providing Church Flowers in February 7th Hilda Winton 21st Flower Fund
14th Flower Fund 28th Maria Croall
Please contact Aileen Fraser about a date if you would like to contribute flowers and Catriona Blackwood if you would like to write a few lines about the significance of your chosen date. 3
The Magazine Thank you for all the items for the magazine this month. Please let me have articles for the March edition by 21 st February. Please accept my apologies for the printing the wrong date for the end of January Communion. Catriona Blackwood
THANK YOU
(Received end November 2015 – end January 2016)
Thank you for the flowers I received and for all the good wishes I have received over my health over the last couple of months. Mark Wexelstein Many thanks for the lovely flowers I received last Sunday. They were very much appreciated and cheered me up. Frances McPherson Thank you for the flowers I received on December 13th, they were much appreciated. May I also take this opportunity, on behalf of all the family, to say a special “Thank you” for all the cards, telephone calls and words of comfort we received on the tragic death of our much loved Leighanne, she is missed so much. Margaret Cameron Thanks for my Christmas present and to my friends in the guild for their good wishes. I can’t make it to the church but Eileen takes my envelope and brings me magazines. Chris Whelan Jim and Jean Tait send thanks for the kind thoughts and Christmas parcel. Thanks to Ella for delivering them. Thanks you to the minister and congregation for the lovely flowers we received at Christmas. Wishing you all the best for 2016. Joyce and Charlie Forman
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I would like to thank the church for the lovely Christmas planter which I received recently. It is very much appreciated. Thanks also to Joyce for delivering it. Katharine Elliot Murdo and Joy MacLeod thank you very much for our lovely Christmas gift. It is much appreciated. A big thank you from Pilrig (5th Leith) Beavers, to the congregation of Pilrig St Paul’s, for collecting milktops on our behalf. So now we can go ahead and make our snakes. This is part of our creative badge. To Mark and all the members of Pilrig St Paul’s Church thank you very much for the lovely gift I received at Christmas. Thanks also to Ella who brought it to me. Maisie Ritchie Thank you so much for the lovely flowers we received from the church and also the prayers and good wishes we received about Gary’s illness. Margaret and David Fraser Thank you for the lovely flowers I received last Sunday. Nancy Fleming From Jeanette Sime, on behalf of the ladies of the Guild who received long service certificates on 29th November (Ella, Irene, Jean, Marjory, Maureen and myself). I would like to say many thanks for the beautiful flowers we received after the service. It was a lovely surprise and very much appreciated. Many thanks for the lovely flowers and cards I received on my 80th Birthday earlier this month. I am so fortunate to have so many caring friends. x Margaret Cameron Thank you for the Christmas gift, and the lovely plant I received over the festive season. Mary Currie 5
Prayer Corner Michael Head Mark Wexelstein Isabel Hannay Matthew Green Agnes MacAuley Evelyn Turner Margaret Gunn Murdo and Joy MacLeod Mary Currie Norrie Frazer Gary Fraser
Jack McArthur Jim and Jean Tait Helen Greig Frances Chambers Betty Lauder and family Isabel Fyfe Isabel Pert Charlie and Joyce Forman June Welsh Jackie Allan
Please contact Roy Eprile if you have a name for this list. FROM THE CLERK’S DESK In this first magazine of the New Year, I’d like to extend my thanks to everyone who has worked so hard to make the church a living place throughout 2015. There are too many to mention individually for you all make a contribution. I would like thank those who have supported my Relish project, it has been a lot of fun making stuff, seeing what others have made, helping turn surplus fruit into chutneys and crumbles or even homemade wine! I want to continue the project in 2016 so if you have produce you can’t use, empty jars (250g is a great size) or recipes to share then please let me know. 2016 is shaping up to be an exciting year, you will read elsewhere in the magazine about the Path of Renewal project where we have been selected as one of the pilot congregations to trial this process of breaking out from the cycle of stagnation into something new and fresh. 6
The Leith Churches Forum also is moving ahead to implement some of the ideas from the Future of Leith group and hopefully there will be more news about that later in the year. This year is also one where we will participate in a Local Church Review where we have to meet with representatives from Presbytery set out the work we are doing as a congregation and our vision for the future in order that they can learn about our work and help shape our future path and vision. Here’s hoping for an exciting and fruitful year! John Innes Session Clerk FUTURE OF THE LEITH CHURCHES THIS INFORMATION WAS FIRST GIVEN by MARK WEXELSTEIN, Chairman, Worship sub-group, at the joint Communion Service on 10th January 2016* Background In 2014, a strategy group was formed to look at the future of the churches in the Leith Forum. The group consisted of the clergy and representatives from all four congregations. The purpose was to look into the future shape and direction of the Church of Scotland in Leith. A number of meetings were held, some with an external facilitator, to discuss our current situation in terms of church membership, finances, buildings use, worship, Congregational life and mission and community demographics. We also held a joint Session meeting that looked at some of the areas mentioned. The strategy group have produced a report for the Forum Coordinating Group. The feedback from the joint session meeting has also been collated and passed to the co-ordinating group.
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Findings from the Strategy Group This is the summary provided in the report from the strategy group. It was very clear from our discussions that we need to change and adapt to the changing circumstances in Leith. Towards this, the following aims were proposed: Create the circumstances where we can plan for a ‘one parish for Leith’. This would facilitate the consolidation of a number of the practical aspects of church life, administration, hall lettings and support functions for property, worship coordination, communication, organising church and community events. The ‘one parish’ will have a number of worship places, using church sanctuaries and other church buildings. There is also a need to determine the best use of our buildings in a ‘one parish’ situation What did the Co-ordinating Group do At our meeting in November we picked two areas to look at in more detail based on the report from the strategy group and the feedback from the joint session meeting. Two sub groups were appointed and one looked at pastoral care and the other at worship. The co-ordinating group met on Thursday night to look at the proposals from both groups and agree the next steps. How we care for ourselves and others is at the heart of our faith and all four congregations are already providing good pastoral care. It is important to remember that this involves us all and not just ministers and district elders in each congregation. Flower and magazine deliverers, Pastoral Care groups, The Guild, and friendships between neighbours in the pews all have an important role to play in pastoral care. As we share more time together in worship and fellowship we hope that these relationships of care will continue to grow and strengthen. In 8
order to help this happen the Ministry Team and Pastoral Care teams will continue to work together to share good practice and organise training to resource and equip others to join them in this work. The worship group realised that both the report and feedback from the joint session meeting showed that in the future we don’t expect all 4 buildings to be used for worship on a Sunday at 11am. We wanted to come up with an idea that would let all of us see what it would be like to worship in Leith when there are not 4 buildings being used on a Sunday at 11am. To do this we have agreed that in February and May we will only use 2 buildings for worship on a Sunday at 11am. If the building you normally worship in is not open then you can decide what building you go to during that month. In February worship will be held at Pilrig St. Paul’s and South Leith and in May it will be held in North Leith and Leith St. Andrew’s. This proposal needs the agreement of the sessions but as the joint session meeting acknowledged this would happen in the future, we trust they will agree. We realise there will be challenges to overcome such as the open plate offerings, flowers, intimations, readers and the arrangements for tea and coffee and no doubt others we have not mentioned. However, we are sure these can all be overcome as we work together. We will also hold a joint Lent study group and a fun day for the community on Easter Saturday. If you are interested in helping with the fun day either on the day or with the organising, then please let Rev Iain May know.
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Next Steps This is only the beginning of the work we need to do to work towards one parish in Leith. The co-ordinating group are going to have a meeting on Saturday 16th April to look at the challenge around resources and review how the worship in February went. If any lessons are learned in February we can make sure these are looked at for May. The strategy group advised a plan should be in place that could be shared and agreed and then presented to Presbytery by the end of June. The co-ordinating group are working towards this and at present expect to have a plan that can be shared with the congregations by this date. Conclusion These are exciting times as we plan to revitalise the Church of Scotland in Leith. We want to be able to give our vision for Leith to Presbytery and not wait until they tell us what will be happening. If you have any questions or ideas that you want the co-ordinating group to look at then please speak to one of the representatives on the co-ordinating group. If you are not sure who that is, your minister will be able to let you know as all 4 ministers are on the group. We hope everyone will take part in worship during February and May so we can get the required feedback to help us formulate the correct vision for our congregations in the future. * Progress Update: Since announcing the shared worship proposals at the joint Leith Churches Forum Service in January, the Kirk Session at Pilrig St. Paul’s has met and is strongly in favour of supporting this exciting initiative. Sadly the plans have had to be put on hold for the time being. We very much hope that they will be taken forward in the not too distant future and we will keep you informed of any progress made.
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PASTORAL CARE TEAM As we look to a new year we would like to wish everyone all the very best for 2016 and thank you for your support with our pastoral activity. We have delivered flowers, sent cards, sent emails, made visits and made phone calls to many of our congregation and it’s wider family over the year. Our Knitting Team delivered over 40 Arran Cardigan Tea Cosies and ensured that we raised £160 for our work in 2016. The Leith Community Cinema is now well established with two successful screenings in December under our belt and plans for January, February and March to explore new types of films things are looking great for 2016. For more info please visit our website on http://www.leithcommunitycinema.com If you would like to help or be involved in any way with the Community Cinema and Café please let me know, as we are keen to create a team to work with us on the on-going development of the cinema. Dance Class The Dance Classes commenced on 6th January at 11am in the Session Room and will run until June on the first Wednesday of each month. The class will be followed by a lunch together. If you would like to join the class please let me know. 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. Our team are trained and able to support in a number of ways with pastoral care. 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. 11
We are looking for one new member for our team. If you would like to join us please let me know. Pastoral Care Team Mark Foster - Minister Catriona Blackwood – Elder and Magazine Editor Christine Edington Ella Gilfillan Linda Gill – Elder and Pastoral Care Team Leader Cathy Purdie Fiona Rankin – Elder Jeanette Sime – Elder and Roll Keeper Linda Gill Pastoral Care Team Leader 669-7409 or helpinghands@pilrigstpauls.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
Scottish Charity no. SCO07277 www.pilrigstpauls.org.uk www.leithchurchesforum.org.uk OUR WHEELCHAIR ENTRANCES ARE IN PILRIG STREET
Cover photo by Catriona Blackwood
MINISTER Rev Mark Foster minister.psp@gmail.com (332 5736) SESSION CLERK John Innes - 33 Monktonhall Place, Musselburgh (07563 248722) pilrig@btinternet.com THE CONGREGATIONAL BOARD CLERK Aileen Fraser (07936 716 765) ASSISTANT CLERK Maria Croall (07747 071 545) CORRESPONDENCE to: pspcongragationalboard@gmail.com The Clerk to the Congregational Board Pilrig St Paul’s Church, 1B Pilrig Street, Edinburgh EH6 5AH TREASURER Mark Wexelstein (665 6881) mark.wexelstein@googlemail.com ROLL KEEPER Mrs Jeanette E. Sime - 1 South Trinity Road (552 9652) PASTORAL CONVENER Mrs Linda Gill (669 7409) SAFEGUARDING CO-ORDINATOR Mrs Catriona E.W. Blackwood - 4 Cambridge Gardens (554 6183) cewblackwood@tesco.net PROPERTY CONVENER Eric Fisher (552 8982) 104 Crewe Crescent HALL LET GROUP psp.halluse@gmail.com ORGANIST and CHOIRMASTER Colin Gray (07901 556 217) SUNDAY CLUB LEADER Mark Wexelstein (665 6881) mark.wexelstein@googlemail.com CHRISTIAN GIVINGS CONVENER Mrs Irene Wexelstein - 15 Upper Hermitage (476 1385) MAGAZINE Editor - Mrs Catriona E.W. Blackwood - see above Distribution - Mrs Margaret Cameron - 35 Lorne Street (554 2139)