Summer newsletter

Aberdeen, St Mark’s Church of Scotland St Mark’s, sharing God’s love in the City Centre.’

“Ancient trees are precious. There is little else on Earth that plays host to such a rich community of life within a single living organism.”

— Sir David Attenborough

FROM OUR INTERIM MODERATOR

Hello to all at St. Mark’s. My name is David Stewart, I am minister at South Holburn Church, and I am also the interim moderator for St. Mark’s Church.

As I write this today, the dark shadow of Covid 19 continues to dominate so much of life. Optimism and hope of coming out from this shadow have been tempered somewhat in the last few days with the rise in cases through the Delta variant virus. None the less, we are enjoying some freedoms we have not enjoyed for a while. We can sing in Church again! Pew cushions will be returning to the pews! We can meet with a few friends, we can hug our loved ones.

While there seem to be difficulties ahead, it does appear as if we are emerging from the darkest days of the pandemic. And as we do so, many are asking questions about the how society will have changed. The phrase ‘a new normal’ has been much bandied about. What is this ‘new normal’?

Well. It is likely that masks will be with us for some time, as will some form of social distancing. The places where people work will also change as many have indicated that they wish to continue to work from home at least part of the time, and, as a result, the daily commute might look very different as less people are trying to get to the same place at the same time.

The way that we treat each other might also change. Isolation and lock down have reminded us of the importance of relationships and the importance of spending time with loved ones. But we are reminded too that so many people in our land and so many more

across the world are grieving the loss of dear ones because of Covid-19. The economic consequences of Covid will also be with us for some time. National debt is at its highest for many generations. Many companies have closed, many jobs have been lost. The ‘new normal’ will also reflect the effect of the pandemic upon children, young people and education, the effect on NHS staff, the effect upon care homes and upon vulnerable people, the mental health consequences on us all of these months and months of lockdown.

Over the next period of time we will see these and many more factors impacting upon what we consider to be normal life.

I am also writing these words after the General Assembly. There was much that was familiar at this year’s Assembly (not least the Churches committees’ seeming policy of not using one word when ten will do!). But there was also much that is far from normal.

Every report at this year’s General Assembly referred to the deep impact of Covid on the work and life of the Church. Church finances are in crisis. Every single congregation in the Church of Scotland has experienced a decline in income this year and many are in deficit. There are questions about how many members will be able to return to Churches when we do reopen.

The General Assembly has approved a further reduction in the number of minsters and congregations across Scotland, which will mean that our Presbytery plan in Aberdeen and Shetland Presbytery will once again have to be redrawn, taking into account a decrease in ministry numbers from 46 to 24. And across Scotland, full time ministry (ministers and mission development staff) will drop to 600.

There are positives too from the Church’s experience of lockdown.

While it is wonderful to be back in our Church sanctuary for Sunday services (albeit in a limited form for now), online worship

has opened up a new way of reaching all sorts of people who would not or cannot come along to Sunday services. Several people have told me in phone calls that they have been able to enjoy worship and even celebrate communion for the first time in years. Churches have also seen folk joining services from all over the world. While this form of worship has been a necessary feature of lockdown, I hope it will also play a part in our future.

Meetings have moved online. While this has not suited everyone, it has many advantages, not least being able to stay home and still attend a meeting. And I wonder if I will ever travel out of Aberdeen to attend a meeting ever again.

Congregations have found creative ways to share online in discussion groups, fellowship times, Lent and Easter services, and pastoral care. And these developments too should not be lost as we move forward.

Just as in society, so in the church we must ask what will the Church be like post-pandemic? As we return to normal, what is going to be normal for the Church?

To be honest, I don’t think I can answer that question. But there are certain elements which have always been part of our church, which must be part of our future too. Principally these are: a) our fellowship and care for one another – for this has always defined the church from Jesus’ command to “love one another”, to the life of the early church where outsiders commented “See how these Christians love one another!” b) Reaching out to the community around us – the church does not exist in a vacuum, instead we are called to be a parish church, caring not

simply for the people who come to services, but also all the people who live around the church. c) Worshipping and celebrating – how we have enjoyed getting back to church to worship together, how we have valued online services, how we long to be back again together in worship and praise, celebrating God at work. d) Working together with our fellow churches – churches have always worked closely with neighbouring churches. Those relationships have certainly been important in the pandemic for example joint services during the pandemic.

That working together will be an important part of our future as ministry numbers drop.

With thankfulness to God and appreciation of all who have helped and supported us through the pandemic, we move towards the future. We do not know what that future holds, though we can recognise that it will be different than what has been before. And whatever our new Church ‘normal’ looks like, it is a normal where we live with the certainty of God’s loving presence and care.

God’s Blessing to All. David CHANGE YOUR MINDSET If you fail, never give up because F A I L means First Attempt In Learning End is not the end. In fact E N D means Effort Never Dies If you get No as an answer, remember N O means Next Opportunity

FROM OUR LOCUM Dear friends As we have now been permitted to return to worship in our sanctuary, albeit only with a maximum of 50, we are grateful for small mercies.

I am sure that like me you have missed getting to church and joining in the worship, singing your heart out , sharing in the social events, concerts and coffee mornings. These are some of the things that St Marks was so well known for.

Do you think it will ever be back to the way it was?

That will be up to me and you working together with everyone playing their part.

If everything goes as the Government anticipate, we should see restrictions being completely lifted by the end of June. I think though we may still have to wear masks for some time.

I am working with you just now as locum taking the worship and working one other day a week. So far most of my one day has been dealing with funerals, but when things ease off, I plan to spend one morning a week in the office where I can be contacted for anything, and will do some necessary visits in the afternoon.

It is now up to every single member of this congregation to play their part. You may have been used to not being in church on a Sunday, but you will soon have to reappraise your commitment to your church, emotionally, spiritually and financially, so we can get back on a firm footing.

I have already said to you that I will give my all during the time I

am Locum but I am not and never will be a one man team. So come with me on this journey of discovery, and let us, in Gods Name, show that St Marks is still a church with its foot in the city centre.

God bless you and all that you love.

John ABIGAIL MINISTRIES – RUGUT PROJECTS Grace sent this photo of the family celebrating Mothers Day. They are all looking very well and are happier now that restrictions have been eased in Kenya. Kinyor is a Student at a Media institute in Nairobi.

Chepchumba finished High School this year and did very well in her exams and is hoping to go to University after the summer. Kathleen will start her Second year at High School where she is also doing well.

The Rugut Fund was started in June 2005 and since then, a total of over £58,000 has been raised through standing orders, coffee mornings, Just Giving and donations. Thank you to everyone who has helped to make this possible. Due to the pandemic, there has been little opportunity for fundraising this year. Lets hope we can remedy this soon.

Kathleen Innes

MENS CLUB St Mark’s Men’s club are not meeting at the present time because of the coronavirus, also due to falling numbers, a decision about its future will be taken as soon as the committee are able to meet.

OAK CAFE The OAK cafe remains closed due to the coronavirus outbreak and the possibility of special or Christmas meals will be looked at later.

WALKING GROUP On 17th March 2020 we met and had a short walk at Hazlehead and talked about the future as the coronavirus outbreak started to affect our lives. From the following week 23rd March 2020 it was decided that we would suspend all walks as a group.

A few of us met up on 20th September for a discussion and short walk around Victoria & Westburn Parks, however as more restrictions came into effect, we postponed all walking again.

Good news in April 2021 the group are back walking again. Thanks to the lifting of restrictions, we can meet up in groups of 6.

Our first walk on Tuesday 20th April 2021 was from Castlegate to Footdee and along the prom. We had a short stop at Footdee and discussed the future, and as far as possible we would meet every week in groups of 6. A walk along the prom followed into the cold wind and back to the Castlegate.

Tuesday 27th April walk postponed due to weather.

Tuesday 4th May only 5 walkers braved the elements to walk from Bridge Street to Duthie Park and then onto Cults via the railway

line and back via a lovely riverside stroll. Changeable weather but a nice walk for these brave members.

Tuesday 11th May a walk from outside the Tivoli to Girdleness lighthouse via the River Dee and the coast path, a short break was taken watching the pilot boat and tug going about their duties, then back to the lighthouse ,looking at the new harbour works before heading to the Torry Battery for our lunch stop. The return to city centre was along Market Street, bidding farewell to some members as we went. A fine walk however it was a bit windy along the coast near the lighthouse.

It is planned to meet every Tuesday, in groups of 6 with most of the walks within the city boundary so we do not all have to use public transport at the same time to get to a starting point. If you would like to join us on our little adventures please get in touch with Ian for more information.

01224 321882 mobile 079297 20846 email ianlord64@btinternet.com

CHRISTIAN AID WEEK 2021 At the middle of June £ 375 had been donated for Christian Aid which is a great achievement when attendance at worship is far from normal. The 30 envelopes ordered quickly disappeared from the church vestibule and ordinary envelopes had to be provided. Thank you so much to all who contributed to this total which will be increased by Gift Aid from a good number of members.

It is good to know that Christian Aid, through its partners in Kenya, will be continuing the work of providing reliable sources of water for those who need them.

Doreen Gray

FROM OUR SESSION CLERKS Now that Aberdeen City and Shire have moved into Level 1, restrictions have eased and we are now allowed to sing in church once more, albeit with masks still firmly in place. It was so joyful to be singing again, even if slightly out of breath and out of tune (speaking personally!).

The other exciting development is the return of the pew cushions, something which has been welcomed by all. We must all have gained respect for our forebears who didn't have such luxuries. The Kirk Session will also be discussing the re-opening of the balcony which would increase our capacity on a Sunday morning. It's been lovely to see so many folks coming along regularly on a Sunday and to be able to see even more of you would be fantastic.

Rev John Watson continues to lead us in Sunday worship. John is also very happy to make home visits if you wish. During John's summer holiday, Rev David Stewart, our Interim Moderator, took the Sunday services. It was great to meet David in person as we had only previously met via the wonders of Zoom.

Hopefully, if Covid-19 remains under control, it won't be too long until we can enjoy a cuppie and a 'fine piece' together after morning worship.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy summertime and let's hope this wonderful spell of weather continues.

God bless, Dianne and Helen

BIG ISSUE After easing of restrictions, distribution has resumed with the magazines being delivered to the vendors on a Monday. Most of our Romanian friends have relocated to either France or Ireland, so we have fewer vendors in Aberdeen. We are hoping to be able to open up the Big Issue Office on a Monday , Thursday/Friday at the church once restrictions are further eased.

WISE SAYINGS We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.

Mother Teresa I am not broken. I have learned that the struggles in life were not there to make me weak, they actually unearthed my strength. And in the places that might have broken me, I discovered bravery, courage and my health. Sometimes it takes the challenges to show us just how amazing we already are.

Rachel Marie Martin

God doesn’t call people who are qualified. He calls people who are willing, and then he qualifies them.

Richard Parker The miracle is this - the more we share, the more we have.

BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY

Leonard Nimoy

Now that we are finally returning to some sense of normality in the church it is time to get things moving once more. During the time I was minister at St Marks I was always aware of how busy things were. The danger is that since March 2020 many have become complacent and lazy in their worship. Yes lazy and the longer you stay away from your church the harder it is to return. It's a very true saying that you never really appreciate something until you lose it.

Well now is the time for all of you who are able to get back to what is important.

With the agreement of the Kirk Session I am proposing a very special service of worship for the first Sunday of September and I am going to name it "Back to Church Sunday". I hope to include several things in that service and my hope is by then, we will not be so restricted in our movements. We have a lot of catching up to do, and my job I feel, as your locum tempore, is to guide you through this time to a stable and iconic form of worship. You must, all of you, play your part.

In 1990 I produced a video set to music about the importance of our church to us and I called it "We all have a Cross to bear" we had then to raise almost £500,000 to repair major parts of the church. With the fantastic support of members we did that and more.

We still have that same cross to bear, and although I don't really know all of you as well as I would like, I know over the next months or so, I will get to know you. We will soon be able to bring back our social activities, something that St Marks was well known for, so all I am saying for the moment is WATCH THIS SPACE.

Knowing that you have all missed singing in the church I will be inviting you to choose your favourite hymn. I will ask you to tell me why you have chosen it and to say something about it. In fact I have included a form in the magazine for you to fill out and return to me. When I have them all back we will have a Songs of Praise Service, or more depending on the response.

In the meantime enjoy the summer and if you are managing a break away, enjoy it.

Blessings John

CHURCH WEBSITE

St Marks Website is currently undergoing maintenance and you may have noticed some changes and we apologise if you have any difficulties navigating the pages. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible. Meantime if you have any suggestions regarding the content of the website, please email the Webmaster via the link on the site or speak to John Burr or Kathleen Innes.

PARISH GROUPING

The group last met on 4th May with the main point on the agenda being the report by Ian Murray requested by the Presbytery but first was the 'branding' or naming of the group.

Regarding the 'Branding of ' or naming of the new Grouping, some progress was made but with not all churches discussing this yet, no decision was made. Here are some of the suggested names so far - Denburn Churches; West Central Aberdeen; Apardion Church; and West End City Grouping Churches Together. As this is ongoing , any other suggestions would be gratefully received and if you would like to submit one please contact the Church Office or Helen Burr.

As I said at the beginning the main point was the Report and I have copied the part of the Minutes covering this.

Paper from Rev Ian Murray Regarding St Mark’s Church All congregations had seen Rev. Murray’s report and shared what their responses to PDC Committee had been. · Queen’s Cross felt there was nothing In Rev. Murray’s report that made them feel they could do City Centre mission in a traditional Church of Scotland church. · Rubislaw felt St Mark’s building was not suitable for purpose and that St Mark’s congregation should unite with either Queen’s Cross or Midstocket (as the two churches who were not closing), and a new radical approach to mission in the City Centre should be explored. · Holburn West thought the report was creative and imaginative, and recognised there were positives in regard to St Mark’s and the development of Union Terrace Gardens. As a Kirk Session they felt they were being pushed very fast when they were only just working on the initial Presbytery Plan, and felt this was counter-

productive to the ethos of the Plan. · St Mark’s were very supportive of Rev. Murray’s report. For City Centre mission there needed to be a church, and they felt that, with repurposing, St Mark’s was the right building. · Midstocket Kirk Session had met the previous evening so were just about to put their response together. They did not think that Options 1 or 2 were useful but found it very difficult to make a decision as there was no clear direction yet as to what was needed in the City Centre. This was going to take time.

As a member of St Mark's , I was disappointed with the comments and lack of support for us. The subject of St Mark's came up later in the meeting and it was noted that we need and should be given support from this point as we go forward, but of course this all depends on the decision of Presbytery regarding the Development Plan.

Now, just to mix things up, the General Assembly has said that the 'Ten Year Plan' should be halted and it is now a 'Five Year Plan'.

Regarding Aberdeen and Shetland Presbytery, the number of ministers at present are 46, and should be reduced to 24.

Whatever happens is up to us and we must recognise and accept that St Mark's, like a lot of churches, will not and cannot be the same as it was before the present Covid19 situation. To survive we must have the strength and commitment to carry out our promise 'St Mark's, sharing God's love in the City Centre'.

Arlene Grant Congregational Representative of the Parish Grouping

THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US Mrs Kathleen Ritchie Mr Raymond Middleton Mrs Irene Kidd Mr Andrew Walkner

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God: believe also in me. My Father’s House has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? John 14 1 - 2

Great Grannie Anne Donaldson and Great Grandfather Rev John Watson are delighted to announce the birth of their great grandson Innes Alexander Henderson on Saturday 12th June 2021.

Congratulations to happy Mum and Dad, Rachael and David.

Aberdeen St Mark’s Church of Scotland is a registered Scottish charity No. SC015451

MY FAVOURITE HYMN Name...............................................................................................

The Hymn I would like included in service is

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Please complete this page and leave it for John in the church, or send to The Church Office, St Marks Church, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen. AB25 1JY.