Worship Sun 26 Feb: 1st Lent: 'Moving Out'

WELCOME to this first Sunday in the season of Lent:
As Lent is a time when we think of walking with Jesus, and the journey of faith, over these next weeks of Lent we’ll be a people ‘On the move’ – our Lenten theme for 2023.
To help us as we travel, we’ll be exploring some passages from the Old Testament and we start in a garden where some choices are being made...

Today, we’re thinking about ‘moving out’.

If you'd prefer to go straight across to worship, the WORSHIP LINK IS HERE.

For reference, notices are copied below.

CHURCH NOTICES/ 
Let’s get growing: this afternoon, at the manse, between 1 and 3pm, you’re welcome to come along, pick up a bag of compost and collect a variety of vegetable seeds … so, grow your own veg, or grow them for the food bank… but whatever you choose to do: let’s get our community gardening project up and running again for the year – let’s get growing!

Evening worship & informal communion: It’s the last Sunday of the month, and at 5pm, at Leadhills Village Hall, we’ll be having a quiet evening communion with taize chants. So, come along, if you’re able, and get your Lent off to a gentle and contemplative start. There’ll be time for a cuppa and a blether after and all are welcome to come.

Funeral of Nan Steele: On Friday morning, this week, we’ll be saying our goodbyes to Nan Steele in the church, as we commit her to God. The funeral will be at 10am, followed by her interment at Crawfordjohn cemetery. 

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: Friday afternoon, at 2.30, Upper Clyde will be meeting up with our friends at Rigside, in their community hall, to share together a service in this week of prayer for Christian Unity. If you’d like to go – and need a lift, get in touch with Heather Watt. 

Communion: This coming Sunday will be our quarterly communion – it is the table of the Lord and all are welcome to the feast. Please do let friends and neighbours know. 

Congregational meeting: after the service next week, we’ll be having a congregational meeting – this to discuss the potential presbytery plan and our conversations with our neighbours in Douglas Valley and Cairngryffe parishes – again, please tell anyone you know who might be interested to come along. This is the time for everyone to have their say as we look ahead to the future.

As you journey into Lent, may you know God's blessing.
Take care and have a good week!

Nikki

Worship Sun 19 Feb: Transfiguration Sunday

WELCOME/ Along with many congregations around the world, today we’re marking the ‘transfiguration’ of Jesus: remembering that strange and mysterious story from the gospels in which Jesus walks up a mountain, taking Peter, James, and John and where a dazzling brightness falls upon him and there, in the midst, he meets with Moses and Elijah. One of those passages that remind us that while Jesus is human, he’s also divine – Son of God.

There are a lot of notices, all copied below for ease of reference.
If you'd like to go straight across to our time of worship
THE WORSHIP LINK IS HERE 

CHURCH NOTICES/

Lent begins: This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season we call ‘Lent’ –
a traditional time of preparation as we mark the weeks leading up to holy week and Easter. Last week I flagged up the possibility of having a Lent discussion group. If you’d like to take part, do let me know and we’ll begin this the week beginning Sunday the 26^th at some point that’s suitable for all.

Parish newsletter: The Easter edition of our newsletter is now being prepared. If you have any Easter-related items that you’d like to include, please do get in touch with Dee our editor, or myself - you can make use of the 'contact us' feature to the right hand side of the blog page.
The deadline for submission is 1pm Sunday the 12^th of March.

Let's get growing - again: Our ‘let’s get growing’ community gardening project is starting up once again. If you'd like a free bag of compost and a package containing several packs of different vegetable seeds, you can collect these from the manse on Sunday afternoon the 26^th of February, between 1 and 3pm.

Upcoming funeral: I’m sad to announce the death of Nan Steele who died on Thursday evening. For those of you who would like to attend: Nan’s funeral will be in the church at 10am on Friday the 3^rd of March, followed by her committal at Crawfordjohn cemetery. Notices will go up closer to the time.

Presbytery plan update: On Thursday, we had the first of our online cluster conversations discussing the presbytery plan, exploring a way forward with our neighbouring parishes of Douglas Valley and Cairngryffe to work together more closely - with a view to forming a possible union. Essentially, we're wondering about creating a rural 'maxi' parish, as each congregation has shared rural interests, and, since 2018, have been working as an informal parish grouping, each sharing our community outreach worker.

In our first meeting, with rep's from each congregation, we used what’s known as the 5 marks of mission to help frame our conversation.
The first half of the meeting was given over to each of the congregations represented to outline the different activities in their church life that fit under each of these 5 marks. The second half was spent looking at these and highlighting what we shared in common, as well as possible things that we might be able to do together, that we can’t quite do now, as individual congregations.
So basically, first, a bit of a stock take, and then a where to from here working together.

The next step is over to each congregation for the next few weeks, for our own conversations together –I’ll be putting up a dedicated page on our blog that you can access – to keep you in the loop, and also, in order for you to make your own comments, or give feedback, and such.
Essentially, what we did on Thursday night was to help get us started but the conversation involves all of us – so please do feel free to have your say – whether it’s thru the blog, or in person after worship over a cuppa, or even by just giving me a phone call.
More formally, we can do this onsite by having a congregational meeting after worship:
on Sunday the 5^th of March – which is communion Sunday. So, a date for your diaries.
After worship, we can go through to the hall and have the meeting over a cuppa.

What happens then? There'll be another joint meeting of the three congregations online at 7pm Thurs 16th of March, where each of us will be bringing back any feedback, questions, and concerns. We'll then explore how working together as a union - with our various interests - might work. So, looking at possible systems and structures.
Out of this meeting, we hope to have enough information to draw up a draft plan to submit to presbytery for their consideration. This proposal is to be submitted on the 31st of March.

At each stage, we'll be keeping you informed, and, should you wish to join the next joint meeting, do get in touch... it's open to all members who are interested.

Phew!! And with that, may you find our time of worship an encouragement as you begin a new week.
Take care and God bless,

Nikki

Worship Sun 12 Feb: 'Dedicated to the One I love'

WELCOME/ Hello and welcome to worship where, this coming week, love is in the air:
St Valentine’s Day is upon us. So, our worship this week is dedicated to the One we love…

To go straight to YouTube for our service, the WORSHIP LINK IS HERE.

And, for ease of reference our church notices follow below:

CHURCH NOTICES/
Presbytery plan -
'Cluster conversations': on Thursday evening at 7pm there’ll be an online conversation with our neighbours from the Douglas Valley congregations, and from Cairngryffe. This will focus in on exploring ways of looking to the future and how we might better work together – and underpinning all of this is the potential presbytery plan. This meeting is open to anyone within the congregation to attend, so if you’d like to join and hear what’s happening, and have your say, do let me know – you can join either by computer, or, use your phone. I’ll give you the details you’ll need to do so.
Following that meeting...
There will be further opportunities for more informal conversations within our own congregation and community over the weeks following. These will help feed into the next joint cluster conversation - which will be held in a further 4 week's time at 7pm, Thurs 16 March…
So: what are your hopes and dreams for our parish as we look to the future… here’s your chance to reflect and pray and have your say!

Possible Lent discussion group: I know this is rather late in the day...
If anyone would be interested in having the opportunity to form a discussion group over the weeks of Lent, do let me know.
We’ll either meet in person or online, or, find a way of doing both… a hybrid meeting, if you like. I’m looking at a book by Sheila Cassidy as a possible base for discussion, and it’ll cost £5.99. If you’d like me to order a copy for you, just get in touch and I can arrange it.

Easter newsletter: we’re now in the early stages of preparing our Easter newsletter, and as ever, we're on the lookout for items you might like to share. If you’ve particular memories of an Easter past, or a favourite Easter hymn you’d might like to share your thoughts on, or anything Easter related – quizzes, puzzles, a prayer or poem or favourite food or recipe do get in touch with Dee Yates, our editor, or myself – we’d be delighted to have your input! You can get in touch using the 'contact us' form to the right side of the blog page. For those of you who join us online from overseas - perhaps you have a favourite Easter tradition you'd like to share with us - we'd love to hear from you.
The deadline to get items in is by 1pm on Sunday the 12^th of March – so, in four week’s time.
The newsletter will hopefully be out and available the week before Palm Sunday... and online shortly thereafter. (if you look above at the various tabs, you'll currently see 'Christmas newsletter' - the Easter newsletter will have its own dedicated tab).

As you move into a new week, the Lord bless you and keep you, and may you walk in the knowledge of God's love.
Nikki

Worship Sun 5 Feb - 'Shine'

WELCOME/ 
 Hello – and welcome to worship. Today, we’re focusing in on the subject of light – and letting our light shine.

To go straight across to our worship video the WORSHIP LINK IS HERE.

And for church notices, please see below....

CHURCH NOTICES/ 
The Guild is meeting on Wednesday this week, at 2pm in the church building – if you’re able to come along it would be lovely to see you. 

Kirk Session - A reminder to all members of the Kirk Session that we’ve a meeting on Thurs evening at 7pm – we meet online by zoom, and I’ll send out the link by email later in the week. 

Presbytery plan - Just to flag up to everyone, not just session members: during our session meeting we’ll be having a wee discussion about the proposed timetable and process for us and our neighbours when it comes to having another go at getting a presbytery plan in place. As part of the ongoing process, we'll be joining with our neighbours for conversations concerning potential plans and where we all might fit within these. If you'd like to be a part of these conversations, let me know, and once we've settled on some dates to get together (for the most part, probably via 'zoom' online), I'll let you know.

Concerning ongoing presbytery conversations and the potential plan (mark II), I hope to have some information around about or just after Easter… and what information I have before then, I’ll put into our Easter newsletter so everyone knows what may or may not be proposed. As I said, I’ll keep you posted and if you’d like to join in the conversations that will be upcoming, let me know.

Let's get growing project update - we’ll be starting once again at the end of the month with a giveaway of a bag of compost, plus a bag containing 10 different packs of veg seeds to grow (so a pack of tomato seeds, cauliflower, salad leaves, lettuce, carrots, and suchlike). If you’d like to grow your own veg for satisfaction and to help keep the grocery bills down a wee bit, let me, or Angela know, and we’ll put your name down on the list - either call, email, or just use the 'contact us' form on the right hand panel of this page. Collection will be at the manse on the last Sunday this month between 1 and 3pm. I will flag this up closer to the time. 

These are all the notices, so, as you move into a new week, shine your light, and God bless,
Nikki