ST ANDREW’S PARISH CHURCH

COATBRIDGE

 

OUTLOOK – JUNE 2003

 

 

Minister:                                                          Session Clerk:

Rev Ian G. Wotherspoon                               Mr Alex McKee

77 Eglinton Street                                          34 Woodlands Drive

Coatbridge                                                     Coatbridge

Tel: 437271                                                     Tel: 421191

 

St Andrew’s Church Tel: 431385

www.saintandrewscoatbridge.org

 

Dear Friends

In May we had a holiday to Wester Ross and visited the gardens at Poolewe.  Now well over one hundred years old, they are still giving pleasure to 130,000 visitors a year.

The gardens are owned by the National Trust and many of the people who visit will be members and there is usually someone around to encourage others to join.  In a way this mirrors the church.

I always look round on a Sunday to see who is there and one of the things which pleases me is the number (10 – 20 on average) who attend fairly regularly but have not yet joined.  They have started on the journey of faith and hopefully some day they will join but more important that the church and its message will continue to mean something to them.

I hope that everyone who enters our doors on a Sunday or during the week will find the kind of warmth and friendship which proclaims that we are Christ’ people and show his love.  Our task is to create the kind of atmosphere which will encourage people to journey with us on the journey of faith. It is a task we all share.

Talking about showing Christ’s love, I am delighted to say that the Christian Aid Week collection in our area raised £2,000, well up on last year, thanks to your generosity and the hard work of our collectors.

With best wishes

Yours sincerely,

 

 

Ian G. Wotherspoon

 

PARISH REGISTER

BAPTISMS

4.  05. 03         Robbie Laird Shanks, 1 Carrick Drive, Coatbridge

18. 05. 03        Amy Megan Sinnerton, 58 Kelso Quadrant, Coatbridge

MARRIAGES

24. 05. 03        Alison Hamilton, 10 Brandon Way, Coatbridge to Darren McPhie

30. 05. 03        Maureen Hamilton, 4 Methven Terrace, Coatbridge to Kenneth Cropper

FUNERALS

1. 05. 03          Mr James Callum, 37 Quarry Street, Coatbridge

14. 05. 03        Miss Agnes Gillies, 32 West George Street, Coatbridge

 

COLLECTIONS    F.W.O.            Open Plate                 Total

3 weeks May               £3,765.60           £191.96                    £3,957.56

 

SUNDAY SCHOOL

By the time you read this we will have enjoyed a wonderful trip to Leven (as usual).

The next event will be The Sunday School Prizegiving which will take place on Sunday 22nd June during the morning service, the Sunday School will finish for the summer break on 29th June.  The Summer Club will begin on Sunday 6th July and will run until 24th August.  The Summer Club is staffed by volunteers and I know that many of you will come along and enjoy the fun as usual.  Please let me have a note of your name and Sunday’s available for duty as soon as possible so that the rotas can be drawn up.  If you have never helped in the Summer Club before and would like to this year do not hesitate to come forward – you will be very welcome – men also!

The Sunday School will begin their new session on 31st August.

May I thank the teachers, children, congregation and especially the Minister for their support during a very busy year and wish everyone a lovely summer.  George McCall

 

BOYS’ BRIGADE

The Boys’ Brigade recently held their annual parents night.  Many thanks to all family, friends and elders who turned up to support us.  The main winners of the evening were:

 

            Best Recruit Junior Section:               G Wilkie

            Best Boy Junior Section:                     N Cooper

            Best Recruit Company Section:         A Bruin

            Best Boy Company Section:               J Scougall

            Captains Medal:                                  J Mathieson

 

Many thanks to all the boys and officers for their support during the session.  J Elliot, Captain

 

OVERSEAS LINK

Recently, there has not been a great deal to report from Cairo – possibly because our mission partners, Michael and Margaret, are due to retire this summer.

At a recent local area conference, I learned that after the Nolan’s retiral from Egypt, the Presbytery of Hamilton will have no mission partners left abroad.  Delegates at the meeting were also informed about a bursary scheme that exists whereby young people (over 18 years) going abroad to carry out voluntary or mission work or to study, can apply to the Presbytery of Hamilton World Mission Committee, and a grant may be available to those meeting the criteria set.  Please pass this information on to any young person who might benefit from it.

I Milligan

SILENT AUCTION – 21ST JUNE

The date of our Silent Auction is June 21st.  this is a Saturday and there will be viewing in the morning and the sale in the afternoon.  As we did the last time we will ‘close’ one table at a time.  This time however, we will select a number of the best items and at some point during the afternoon there will be a proper auction.  The advantage of this is that we should get a better price for the more valuable items.

The Silent auctions which we have held in the past have always been great fun and have raised a substantial amount of money, but they are entirely dependant on your support.  We have some very nice gifts handed in already, as we have been gathering things for some time now, but we need quite a lot more, so search the cupboards and explore the attic to achieve the joint goal of making your house free of all those things which you never use and at the same time make some valuable funds for the church.  Above all come along on the 21st to be part of the fun, enjoy a cup of tea and buy some more bits and pieces to fill the cupboards which you have emptied!

In addition to goods for the tables and auction we need baking for the teas which will be served during viewing and the sale.

SMALL HALL

The Small Hall is now carpeted, which makes it look and fell much more comfortable and I hope will help to reduce the sound transfer from the Large Hall.  The carpet was given and fitted by Donald Mclaren Ltd, (Funeral Undertakers).  This is a very generous gift which is greatly appreciated.