StedfastFebruary09

February / March 2009

20th Anniversary at Calder UF Church, Lochwinnoch

Rev Archie Ford has been with us in Lochwinnoch for 20 years and the congregation thought it would be nice to mark the occasion with an informal lunch after worship on 26th October 2008. Archie and Fiona were presented with flowers and a cake by Angela Graham and Katie Harley (members of our Sunday School).

Wishaw Celebrates!

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Heroes of the Faith Page 12

The De Briefing Weekend

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ÂŁ1.25

In this Issue 10 Picture: While the meeting went on, Madeline and Micah designed two aircraft which flew very well — to the amusement of Rev Archie Ford.

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a c i r f A n r e h t u o S Reflections on Two more of the team reflect on a life-changing experience.

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7 1 Wishaw Celebrates!

6 Life & Faith

13 Saturday Prayer

and Bible Study

2 Christmas Lights

7 Knitting and Crafts

14 Obituaries

2 High Drama on the

8 The Global

16 The De Briefing Weekend

4 Schools Prayer

10 Calvin in Geneva

17 Reflections on

5 ‘Please note’

12 Heroes of the Faith

18 20th Anniversary

in Lochwinnoch

High Street, Kirkcaldy!

Network

at Milngavie

Financial Crisis

Southern Africa at Calder UF Church, Lochwinnoch

Editorial ‘Speeding things up does not give any extra time’ comments Douglas Halcrow in the interview on page 6, as he reflects on our use of the internet and mobile phones. Recently I received an email from the Scottish Council for Healthy Working Lives in which they began by apologising for the delay in getting in touch due to ‘pressure of work’. Obviously they have not found a way of overcoming that problem! Many people do feel themselves under pressure these days and stress levels can be high!

In such times it is all the more important we make ‘space’ for God and take time to worship Him. As we do that, we discover again not only that he is with us in our worship but with us in every aspect of our lives. Several of the articles in this issue help us reflect on the difference he makes as we know him with us wherever we go.

John Fulton

Cebelihle Ladies… - The house mothers with the architect and builder in the background.

Allan Brown (Drumchapel) boy did we do We went out to Africa to work and n aback by our that! I think the Africans were take e rather than ther out k passion and desire to wor sight see. So was I, mind you! e so faithful, so In Africa we met people who wer To go out to rts. kind and so grateful for our effo his work was an Africa and serve under God to do live with me honour and an experience that will faith in my ned gthe forever. Personally, it stren ionship relat God and helped me to grow in my God looking with Him as I saw with my own eyes after his children. but we had a lot There were ten of us in the team in our team, of help along the way! We had God us plus you and the people in Africa looking after allowed us to many others in the UF Church who supported us, go on behalf of the denomination, before, during encouraged us and prayed for us you played in part big and after the mission. The and a success ible the team made the mission poss ple and children that will continue to benefit the peo in Africa. lts we helped So on behalf of the children and adu Congregational in Africa, on behalf of the United group that went Churches of South Africa and the to Africa can I say ‘thank you’!

Gavin Mackenzie (Balintore) Having spent much time preparing with excitement and trepidation for our trip to Southern Africa, it was not until we travelled out to the Orphanage on our second day in South Africa that I realised and took in the poverty of the area. The contrast between the rich, urban nature of Durban in comparison to that of Hammersdale, where the build was taking place, heightened my sense of injustice towards what these people faced.

The reality of our time in Southern Africa was that we were given more by the children and the adults than we could ever hope to give to them. Our time playing with the children in Kwazulu Natal will live with me through my whole life. The children welcomed us with such love and affection that when we had to say goodbye we felt as if a real and lasting bond had been developed. Being a bit of a football fanatic, an excuse for a game of football was never far away and it never fails to amaze me how the game can unite people from such different backgrounds wherever you go in the world. However, an ever greater bond united us and that was our love of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Listening to the children sing in both Botswana and South Africa was just amazing; their spontaneity and joy when they sang was so refreshing. One of the other great encouragements for me on our trip was the fellowship and discussions we were able to have as a group. To see such passion and zeal for God’s word that my colleagues showed really challenged me in my walk as well as encouraged me in the knowledge of so many young Christians active and ready for service across the church in Scotland. We were so conscious of God’s leading and guiding through the trip and will never forget the children we came into contact with.

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WISHAW CELEBRATES

By Rev Peter de Villiers 75 years of Christian worship was celebrated by the Wishaw congregation on 22 – 23 November 2008. The church building was dedicated on 11 November 1933, but the congregation had already existed for some years before that.

On Saturday 22 November the celebrations started with a formal dinner in the church hall followed by and evening of entertainment in the church. Special guests included the

Moderator of General Assembly and the Moderator’s Lady, Dr and Mrs Macdonald; the Moderator of the Presbytery of the West, Rev J. Marshall and Mrs Marshall; the Rev and Mrs Scrimgeour and Mr & Mrs Nicky Kyle. A very appetising meal was enjoyed by everyone present.

Entertainment was provided by Same Difference, a group consisting of members of the Cambusnethan North Parish Church. Popular music and songs from some musicals had the audience merrily singing along.

Everyone agreed that the whole evening was just superb.

Celebrations were continued on Sunday 23 November by a service of Praise and Thanksgiving and

concluded with a sandwich lunch in the hall. Guest preacher was Dr Donald McDonald who took his sermon from Psalm 139. He reminded the congregation of God’s omniscience: God knows our faults and failures; our fears and frustrations; our future and our faithfulness. During the service four elders were presented with certificates for long and faithful service. Jim Ramage and Bill Minnican had served as elders for 26 years; Willie Martin for 32 years and Jessie Whitehouse for 40 years.

Thanks be to God for his faithfulness in the past, his guidance in the present and his steadfast love for the future!

Picture: The Moderator, Dr Donald Macdonald, preached on the Sunday and presented Elders’ Certificates to l to r: Willie Martin (32 yrs), Jessie Whitehouse (40 yrs), Bill Minnican (26 yrs) and Jim Ramage (26 yrs) .

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Christmas Lights in Lochwinnoch At the foot of Johnshill stands the gable of the former Parish Church.

On the hour its bell strikes a gentle ring that in earlier days roused the weavers from their sleep. It is a symbol of the past and on an early Saturday evening in Advent it stood as a backdrop to a crowd of over 200 villagers. It was a beautiful, frosty December evening as the first Christmas carol was sung and then a Christmas poem read. Young and old then counted down and the star upon the church remains was lit.

The happy throng moved on along the High Street gathering stragglers and calling folk down from their window perches, and come they

did. At Our Lady of Fatima more lights were lit and likewise at Calder Church where very appropriately the Dove of Peace (Symbol of the United Presbyterian Church ) was illuminated and beamed down upon us all. The porch of the 200 year old Parish formed the backdrop for an enactment of the coming of the Wise Men to Bethlehem and under a bright shining star again we shared in singing of the Saviour’s birth. The journey ended at the village hall with more singing and lights and for those who could wait something to eat and drink. No traffic moved along the main streets of the village as the Police blocked

the main thoroughfares and all that could be heard were happy sounds of friendly chatter. It was a joy to see people who live on their own coming out to be, what they are, part of the community. It was a lovely evening.

Where did this come from? Over the years, the village Christmas decorations were a solitary tree with lights provided by the council.

This provided some young people with entertainment as they regularly smashed the light bulbs. Two years ago a village committee led by a few enthusiasts raised funds to buy new lights and asked the Churches

High Drama on the High Street, Kirkcaldy!

Rev Jim Neil reports on dramatic events in Fife.

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Was it a first for Kirkcaldy? A young Christian Mime and Drama Team from Pennsylvania, USA, took to Kirkcaldy's High Street in Dramatic fashion on Saturday 8th November. With their painted faces and compelling presence they brought smiles and tears to shoppers and families. It was part of a ten-day tour from 7th - 16th November, most of which was spent in the Fife area and brought them into contact with 1,500 children and teenagers. They came at the invitation of three churches, Erskine U.F. Church, Burntisland and the parish churches in Burntisland and Kinghorn. Their Mimed presentations, mainly to music, all carried clear and challenging Gospel messages, which were done with youthful energy and passion.

churches. The team of thirteen young Christian artists led by Tim King (together with their chaperone, Tim's mum!) are but a small part of numerous Drama Teams led by Tim developed over the last 7 years or so.

The tour included support of Street Outreach work on Kirkcaldy‘s High Street; youth groups and youth cafes in Burntisland, Kinghorn and Kirkcaldy; visits to local schools (Balwearie High School‘s 5th and 6th year assemblies and the upper Primary School classes at Kinghorn and Burntisland); Church Services.

Their tour went even further with appearances in Glasgow and Perth and the large 'PowerPoint’ youth gathering in Edinburgh with over 300 teenagers present.

The team was accommodated by hosts from all three congregations and lavishly looked after throughout their stay receiving the best of Scottish home cooking! A hire bus took them to get around and enabled them to fit in an excursion or two in an otherwise very busy schedule. It has been truly amazing to see how doors of fresh opportunity opened up for the Team to minister freely within the schools and community. Wherever they went they left behind a truly wholesome and godly witness which was thrilling to see and hear. (more can be gleaned from their website: www.dramateam.org)

This was the second visit by the Team to Scotland. So successful was their first visit in 2006 that a return was always hoped for by the local

Erskine church was blessed to have the team present at worship on 16th November and the congregation was deeply touched by their mimed gospel

We were grateful to receive support from the UF Evangelism Committee.

....by Archie Ford and the council for permission to put them up. They organised the evening to light them to great effect. Now we have beautiful lights on all the churches which in the main shine unmolested. The lights draw attention to the Christmas story and the coming of the Christ calling villagers to hear the message and worship the Christ. The route of the walk is repeated again on Hogmanay when villagers are invited to travel around the churches to three short services as we look ahead to a new year.

Today we often hear stories of how Christ is being forced out of the festive season. We in Lochwinnoch have to give thanks to those who in a little way drawn the focus back to the one who is the Light of the World.

Picture: High Street Kirkcaldy – the group draw a crowd as they perform in Kirkcaldy High Street.

presentation and a testimony by one of their group.

Picture: Drama Team – the members of the drama team with their leader, Tim King, on the left.

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Schools Prayer Network Stedfast Article January 2009 Elizabeth McDowall Prayer Coordinator Scripture Union Scotland Elizabeth is a member of Park UF Church in Uddingston.

School – we’ve all been there! It may be a teacher you vividly recall, or perhaps the smells which evoke the most memories; carbolic soap, school dinners, not to mention school toilets! School memories can be happy, with good friendships made that last a lifetime and good teachers who influence us for life. School memories can also be painful, with memories of corporal punishment (if you are old enough), bullies and exam pressures, of failure to succeed and of humiliation. For some reading this of course, school is a present reality and part of everyday life as a pupil, teacher or other member of the school staff.

School is where our children spend the bulk of their lives. It is important in shaping their attitudes, their relationships with others, even their relationship with God. Nowadays very few children have meaningful contact with a Christian adult, or access to hearing the gospel in any way other than at school. At school they may have a Christian teacher or headteacher, investigate Christianity as part of the curriculum, have assembly led by a chaplain or youth worker, and have access to a Scripture Union group at lunchtime or after school. At school they will most probably receive a copy of the New Testament, courtesy of Gideons International. Statistics say that 86% of us came to faith under the age of 16 – how vital then that we pray for our young people, where they are, in school!

There are 2794 schools in Scotland, and approximately 550 are registered with the Network for prayer. Those who pray have begun to see the effects, as Helen Anderson reports from Edinburgh: “We have been meeting to pray in Oxgangs Primary, Edinburgh for 10 years. After the first year, after which we prayed for a Christian teacher to be employed, we got instead a Christian youth worker at the local church which also had good links with the school. The Head also asked if we would like to start an SU group since that had been missed since the last leader moved on. Last school year we had two Christian probationers, one of whom has been asked back to fill a long term sick post this year. God has been faithful.”

Please note: On Saturday 29th August, ‘Bannockburn’ is moving to Dunblane.

Please look out for further information about this event so that you don’t get lost!

The Schools Prayer Network offers resources and ideas, and the following events to stimulate prayer throughout the year: • Strictly Come Praying: Grangemouth, Sunday 29th March from 3pm to 8pm, and Inverness, Saturday 18th April from 11.00am to 4pm. These are events aimed at young people aged P7 to S6. Both include Bible teaching, praise and worship, interactive workshops, multi-sensory prayer stations, dinner together and chat. Why not come with your youth group?

• To mark the start of the new school year in August there are resources for

your church to hold a “Back to School with God Sunday”; to pray for the young people and teachers in your church family and let them see the importance of their witness at school.

•The third Tuesday of November is European Pray Day for Schools, which this year saw both church groups and pupil groups meeting together to pray. One Primary School teacher reported 80 children turning up for her prayer meeting!

It would be wonderful to see every school in Scotland being registered for prayer. If you are at school, why not gather with other Christian pupils and

teachers to pray? If school is but a distant memory, what about praying for the school your children or grandchildren attend, or the one close by your church fellowship?

Pray alone, pray as a house group, or pray as a church prayer fellowship.

But let’s get praying for Scotland’s young people where they are — at school!

Check out the website www.suscotland.org.uk/prayer for more information and to check if your local school is already registered.

To register follow the web link to Schools Prayer Network, email: schoolsprayernetwork@suscotland.org.uk

The Schools Prayer Network is not an organisation. It is administered by Scripture Union, and is an informal network of churches, parents, young people, teachers and others who believe God uses prayer to bring transformation, and are praying for that transformation in schools.

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Picture: ‘Douglas Halcrow was one of the speakers at the recent Youth Assembly. Here, on the left, he completes this impressive musical group.’

Over the next few issues we hope to have a number of people tell us something about themselves and how their faith affects their lives.

In this article Ian Shering interviewed Douglas Halcrow from Cunningsburgh UF in Shetland.

Life & Faith Have you lived all your life in Shetland?

Yes. I was born here and have stayed in the same village all my life.

What do you do for a living?

When I left the school I started to work with my parents on the croft. Over the years things have changed a lot; I have always been self employed but have diversified into other things along with crofting. At present that includes running coaches on school transport contracts, cutting peat for fuel, self catering cottages and other bits and pieces.

Have you family?

I’ve been married to Sheila for just over 26 years and we have four children.

How would you describe life in Shetland?

Traditionally Shetland, in common with other Islands, has a quiet way of life and we lived at a slower pace compared with the mainland. Since North Sea oil came to the islands in the late seventies things have changed a lot and there is plenty of work and prosperity. Along with that has come a higher level of drinking, drugs, pressure on marriage and family life. The beautiful scenery and wildlife are still the same, remoteness is not an issue unless you make it one and it is still a good place to bring up a family.

Remoteness does not remove the desire to try drink and drugs, affluence gives the means to do it and modern communication is the vehicle that puts pressure on folk to go with the flow. Yes we are influenced by what happens further south, but equally we are capable of being bad ourselves.

How has modern communications affected you?

The internet and mobile phones have made us no different to someone living in a city, but speeding things up does not given any extra time in return. So I suppose it really just erodes our traditional life style.

Do young people generally stay in Shetland, or return after a while?

I think most young folk would want to stay in Shetland, but there are not enough jobs locally for everyone who has gone on for a university qualification. This means that up to 75% end up working away. Along with this there is a shortage of workers in the service industries.

When / how did you become a Christian?

Not really, but the type of things it does affect is when bairns have to leave home for further education.

I was saved on 3rd October 1976 during a mission by an evangelist Marshall Shallis who was in Shetland for a weekend. I had always attended Church; looking back I can see God’s hand had been on me for many years and He had used the faithful ministry of many people including parents, ministers and friends to bring me to that point in my life.

Are there any advantages to living in Shetland?

How did you become involved in the Church there?

Yes there are many, mainly to do with quality of life.

As I said, I had always attended Church through from Sunday School days to when I was saved. Now life took on a new meaning; I was keen to go on with my Faith and so it was very easy to become involved in various aspects of our local Church. I had been singing in the Church Choir,

People here often think Shetland is a bit isolated, do you feel this?

Or disadvantages?

Yes, the time and planning to get to the mainland along with costs of ferries or air fares.

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You mention drink, drugs etc. Has the down side of our culture affected you?

but now it took on a new meaning. Soon there was opportunity to sing with other Christians as a group not only locally but throughout Shetland at Gospel rallies and many church events. Help was always needed for youth work and practical things to keep the Church maintained.

I became a member of our Church in 1977.

You are Session Clerk and you have just had a vacancy for a minister filled. How did this affect you and the Church?

With any vacancy, the work load increases, of not only the Session Clerk, but also for members, Presbytery and the Interim Moderator. In our case, once the initial process was completed and the Vacancy Committee had been appointed, we prayed for God’s guidance for our churches.

Ministers we felt would be right for our churches were approached but soon it was obvious that God was not allowing any doors to open. This was coupled with the frustration of our Presbyterian system that for me effectively blocked many routes we could have gone down in our search. It was easy to get despondent and wonder if God did have a plan for our future. After 4 years vacant, Rev Martin Whitehead, who had completed his training, accepted the call to come to Shetland and was ordained.

He moved to Shetland in early summer 2008. During the vacancy the church stayed in good heart, but now I am conscious that this is a time for re-evaluation.

Have you been Session Clerk for long?

Yes, maybe too long, since November 1983.

Do you do any preaching yourself?

Yes occasionally when asked but not so often as when we were vacant.

What is the attitude of the general public to Christian things in Shetland?

We have moved on more than one generation since people came to church because it was the done thing. Some folk still respect the moral side of Christianity and for the rest evangelical Christians are looked on as being some sort of fundamental extremists.

Does the church have an important role in the community?

Yes I believe it has, but how well we are fulfilling that role is a different matter. Church growth within the church family is important, good and necessary but we need to be able to connect with people in our local community. That is not easy and it is in this area that I feel we have work to do.

Douglas, thank you for giving us an insight into your own life but also telling us a bit about life in Shetland.

Knitting and Crafts at Milngavie Joan Crawford reports on a new group at Milngavie.

About 18 months ago Mrs. Heather Lindsay mentioned to me that it would be good if we could have some sort of social group meeting in the church. Heather is a very busy lady, so I started thinking if there was anything I could do. A short time later I was reading a monthly knitting magazine and there was the answerthe addresses of all the knitting groups around the country, and I thought ‘Yes, I could do that!’ Not just knitting but a bit of crafting too.

The idea was born. I spoke to Andrew Scott (Session Clerk) about this and he said that I could go ahead. Oxfam gave us wool and needles to get us started, and 2 weeks later we were up and running. In our 1st. year we have donated blankets to Oxfam and Erskine Home, jumpers to Blythswood Care and cot blankets and baby clothes to The Queen Mother’s Hospital. On November 8th. we raised £250 for children’s charities at a coffee morning selling our knitting. Some teddy bears have been dressed and will be given to Lighthouse for deprived children. Another 30 blankets and premature baby clothes are now ready for the Queen Mothers Hospital.

Our latest venture was to decorate a tree in St. Paul’s church for their Christmas Tree Festival. The theme for our tree was "Hand Made with Love".

I would like thank everyone in Milngavie U.F. for supporting the craft group and would welcome anyone who would like to come along to our meetings for a cup of tea and a chat!

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The Global Financial Crisis Fergus Henderson prepared this paper which reflects the views of the UF Church and Society Committee. The Global Financial Crisis is something which affects us all in one way or another. What do you think — let us know your views! Please send them by letter or email — contact details are on the back cover.

From mid 2008 news bulletins have been largely occupied by problems affecting banking and financial institutions. So much so that other matters of concern have been pushed into the background. We have become familiar with such terms such as 'Credit Crunch', 'Stock Market Crash', 'Toxic Debt', 'Financial Crisis', and even 'Global Recession'.

For the majority of the public these terms will, as yet, be somewhat obscure, but we must be concerned for those who have experienced the impact of the crisis directly. For example those who were about to acquire their first house and are prevented from doing so because suitable mortgages are no longer available. Even worse is the plight of those who have recently purchased a house using a short term fixed rate mortgage and who find that renewing this is difficult at a time of falling

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house prices and are faced with the loss of their home. Then we should consider those nearing retirement whose pension plans have suddenly dropped in value and who face a difficult future. And if recession deepens there will be increasing numbers of unemployed whose future lives have suddenly become bleak.

An inclusive and caring society should surely seek to help those who suffer through no fault of their own, but when the problem is so severe and widespread it becomes difficult to identify appropriate action.

A distinguishing feature of the current crisis compared with earlier ones is that it is truly global.

A distinguishing feature of the current crisis compared with earlier ones is that it is truly global. It is true of course that different countries have managed their affairs differently but it appears that no matter how wisely a nation has managed its economy it is not immune from the present troubles.

It seems that this situation has its roots in the liberalisation of the rules of international trade which took place in the 1970's when the 'Free Market' came into being untrammelled by much in the way of regulation.

A clear picture of what requires to be done is not currently available but there does appear to be a consensus that first emergency action is required to stabilise the present situation and thereafter there is a need to reform the rules governing international trade and the bodies which control it such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

What should be the role of the Church in this difficult situation?

It is clear that the Church has no special expertise to recommend a complete, perfect solution; and it would be unwise to attempt to do so. But this does not mean that it should do or say nothing. After all this is a situation where real people, God's children, are suffering and surely it is the duty of the Christian Church to care for them. What the Church can and should do is to set out certain principles or guidelines which should be incorporated in any plan of action for the future.

God has laid upon His children a duty of Stewardship for this world. In the past it has been assumed that the resources of the world are so vast that they could be considered unlimited and the economic growth that has taken place up till now has been based on that assumption. There are many today who continue to believe that growth can continue as before and the present troubles are merely a blip which will soon pass. But there have been signs this may not be so.There are the signs of climate change brought about by mankind's demands on the

environment. There are growing shortages in basic commodities such as oil and metals. All of these signs point to a future where any growth will have to be sustainable otherwise one person's gain will be another's loss.

In our own land there has in recent times been a move towards a society which sets great store in ‘luck’. Gambling has become desirable as a way of obtaining wealth with no regard to the obvious fact that if you win someone else loses.

At least part of the blame for the Stock Market collapse has been the practice of 'short selling', i.e. selling shares which you do not possess in the hope the market will fall and you will be able to buy them back before the date of settlement at a reduced price. This of course is simply gambling.

So what can the Church recommend to the policymakers? The Church & Society Committee suggest the following:1. The present crisis is unacceptable and must not be allowed to happen again.

2. There is a need for an international authority to set rules for the financial markets and administer them.

3. The system arrived at should include a requirement for investments to be ethically motivated and to give priority to justice and fairness to all.

4. There is a great need for morality in the rules governing Stock Market trading; certain practices, such as the use of hedge funds and shortselling, should be banned and the payment of excessive bonus payments avoided.

5. The global nature of world trade should be acknowledged by making the international financial agencies more democratic. The expansion of the G8 group to the G20 group by the inclusion of newly emerging economic powers such as Brazil, India, China is to be welcomed but should be continued by giving a voice to the poorer nations which have little economic power but also suffer when recession strikes.

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Calvin in Geneva

he preached without any manuscript little of his material survived. Calvin experienced times of personal sadness.

His children lived only briefly and his wife, who had given him immense support, died in 1549. For much of this second period in Geneva Calvin's health was poor and he often worked whilst in considerable pain.

2009 is the 500th Anniversary of the birth of John Calvin.

This is the first of several articles to help us learn more about Calvin and to reflect on his influence and relevance for the Church 500 years later.

This article was written by Rev Colin Brown, Minister of Darnley UF and Junior Principal Clerk to the General Assembly.

It is probably fair to say that in recent times John Calvin has not always had a good press. He is so often thought of as being authoritarian, humourless and narrow minded and in the eyes of some, responsible for the all the worst excesses of capitalism. To describe someone or something as being 'Calvinist' is almost regarded as an insult and is associated with that which is repressive and hypocritical. In fact the image of the Scottish Calvinist is far removed from the personality of the man himself.

John Calvin was an outgoing and dynamic man who in modern terms might be called ‘charismatic’. A great advocate of social justice, he also encouraged a more democratic approach in both church and state and was passionate about education.

He had a strong sense of community and what he sought to achieve was the creation of a caring Christian community in Geneva, albeit one with great stress on order and discipline.

Perhaps his legacy is reflected in the order and discipline that we associate with Swiss society today.

Although associated with Switzerland, particularly Geneva, Calvin was actually French, having been born and brought

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up in Picardy. He left there to study in Paris, initially training as a humanist lawyer. In fact, despite his long residency in Geneva, Calvin did not seek citizenship there and throughout his life he remained proud of his French nationality. He always longed to return to a homeland that was so near yet so closed to him and his greatest wish in later life was to see France turn to the reformed faith. Little is known of Calvin's conversion to that faith other than the fact it seems to have been a sudden one and one which quickly led to him having to flee his homeland to Basle where the first edition of his famous 'Institutes' was published.

It was fellow reformer, William Farel, who first invited Calvin to Geneva to help him with the task of reforming the Church. However the City Council resisted the ideas of Calvin and Farel and they were expelled from the city.

In Strasbourg Calvin ministered to French refugees and met and married his wife, Idelette. However, when those more sympathetic to his teaching were elected to the city council, he was invited to return to Geneva, although his French nationality continued to arouse the suspicions of many there.

Having been forcibly removed from the city he returned to an official welcome

and was given a spacious house by the City Council.

In 1541 the City Council passed the 'Ordonnances ecclesiastiques' which established a system of church government we would recognise as being similar in form to Presbyterianism.

The role of ministers, teachers and elders was defined and a ‘consistery’ was set up. This was a church court made up of ministers and elders to govern the church but significantly from our perspective with no civil power.

This separation of civil and ecclesistical power was a significant aspect of Calvin's world view. The state had no control over the church and equally the church had no control over the state. They were separate domains.

Calvin continued to face opposition until the arrival of a Spanish heretic, Michael Servatus whom he denounced and the City Council arrested. The council sentenced Servatus to be burned alive. Calvin's sense of justice led him to oppose the sentence as he believed it to be barbaric and he suggested that, rather than be burned alive, he should be beheaded!

During his time in Geneva Calvin preached over 2000 sermons most of which lasted for about an hour but as

Calvin's later years in Geneva saw his authority practically unchallenged and the city saw his vision of a Christian community operate in practice. His influence continued even after his death and travelled far beyond the city. He supported the idea of an ecumenical assembly of all evangelical churches and it is therefore significant that both the World Council of Churches and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches have been based in Geneva for many years.

During the last ten years of his life he sheltered many refugees, people who, like himself, had espoused the Reformation and then had to flee from persecution. In Geneva they were taught and trained and many returned to minister back home. Among these were around a hundred ministers whom Calvin sent back to his beloved France and, of course, John Knox who brought some of Calvin's ideas to the Scottish Reformation.

Calvin attached a great deal of importance to education and established a school which included an 'academie' which was later to become the University of Geneva.

John Calvin died in 1564 at the age of just 54 leaving behind a legacy, not only of reformed theology, but of an example of a model Christian community based on education, support for the weak, reward for hard work and supported by a strong and sound faith. That model has influenced many around the world, yet despite this, his greatest impact was probably in Geneva, the city with which he will always be associated.

“A great advocate of social justice, he also encouraged a more democratic approach in both church and state and was passionate about education.

He had a strong sense of community and what he sought to achieve was the creation of a caring Christian community in Geneva, albeit one with great stress on order and discipline.”

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Saturday Prayer and Bible Study

Heroes

Laura Mackenzie reports on a new initiative for all ages.

of the Faith Laura Mackenzie reports on the recent Youth Assembly.

The Youth Assembly met together at the Cairngorms Christian Centre from the 7th9th of November for ‘Heroes of the Faith’. The 29 young people attending had a great weekend and are very grateful to Rev Ian Robertson, Rev Patrick Coltman, Mr Douglas Halcrow and Mr Ron Blanchard for leading the teaching sessions.

The theme for the weekend was what it means to be a’ hero’ in the eyes of God. We looked together at heroes from history, heroes from the bible and also at people living out their lives with God on a daily basis. There were quite a few young people there for the first time and it was just fantastic to see so many new folk! All of our speakers challenged the young people to take seriously their walk with God. They shared with the group something of their own coming to faith and how they live for God now.

Douglas Halcrow was our first speaker and shared with the group his testimony and how he walks with God on a daily basis, living and working in Cunningsburgh, Shetland. The group was very aware of his passion for the things of God and his passion to see young people mature in their faith.

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Patrick Coltman was our next speaker and again the group was made aware of his commitment to God and how he could see God’s hand on his life from an early age. He shared with us some difficult times in his life and how God had brought him through them.

He also challenged the young people to continue to see the importance of the church.

Ron Blanchard then spoke to the group about his time at sea in the Navy and what it means to be a hero in God’s eyes. It was a real treat to hear some of his experiences. He explained to the young people that for him it is about being a hero in the eyes of God, not man, that is important. Again a man with a passion for God and a passion to share Him with others was evident.

Throughout the weekend our speakers

encouraged the young people to see God’s hand upon them and to trust in Him, and take Him seriously.

Ian Robertson then shared with the group passages from Psalm 139 and Isaiah 43. He encouraged the group to live safe in the knowledge that God is all-knowing, all-seeing and ever present. They were encouraged to answer questions in groups relating to the passages. Ian helped the group to understand the passages and to be encouraged by God’s word. He challenged them to take it seriously and to keep learning. The group enjoyed the session and were greatly encouraged. The young people also spent time in groups discussing who their hero

of the bible is and why, they struggled to narrow it down to just one!

There were quite a few young people there for the first time and it was just fantastic to see so many new folk!

The number of young people at this Youth Assembly was excellent – thank you to all who attended! The group mixed together very well and were happy to show off their talents on the Saturday evening at our ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ party! We had dancing, beat boxing, singing, playing instruments, chocolate eating in record time and even a ventriloquist act! Our esteemed panel of judges had a difficult job narrowing down a winner, but in the end Alison from Aberdeen won the coveted box of sweets for her impressive gymnastics routine!

We had a great weekend and it was a pleasure to be part of it. To see the young people studying their bibles and discussing in groups was just fantastic.

We are indebted to all of our speakers for taking time to come along and to share with the young people. We are truly blessed to have the group we have. Thank you to all who continue to prayerfully support our youth work. Please continue to do so!

The young people were greatly encouraged by the number of people who came to the Church Office on Saturday 18th October for the first of their Prayer and Bible Study mornings. There were around 40 people there that morning sharing in worship and being taught and challenged

by Rev David Cartledge on the passage from 2 Chronicles; “If my people…” It was an excellent and very worthwhile day! Thank you to all who came along and to David for taking the time to prepare and speak so well on a difficult passage. The young people chose the hymns, readings, prayer topics and even the topic given to David. They even baked cakes to accompany the tea and coffee!

The young people themselves requested this day and were pleased to see so many come out to join with them for this important venture. We are very blessed to have young people who desire to know more about God and studying His word. They felt that they would like to have the opportunity to study together with others from the UF Church of all ages.

The idea behind these days is that we come together as the family of the UF in presbytery areas and share in worship, bible study and prayer together. There will be four of these meetings held a year with a variety of speakers and themes covered.

The morning consists of tea and coffee on arrival followed by a time of opening worship and then we hand over to the speaker who leads us through a chosen passage. There is then a time of open prayer led by one of the young people and then we close with more worship. Our day begins at 10am and ends between 12 and 12.30. The group of young people in charge of organising these days is made up of Martin Patterson of Park UF, Carol Owen of Chryston UF and Avril Fotheringham of Sauchie & Fishcross UF. It was a real blessing to be part of the group and see people of a variety of ages praying and learning together.

The time of prayer was led by Carol, giving topics to cover with readings from the Bible. Both Avril and Martin welcomed everyone and led the worship times with Nathan Owens and Allan Brown playing guitar and violin. The day was very successful and all who attended were blessed by being there.

The idea behind these days is that we come together as the family of the UF in presbytery areas and share in worship, bible study and prayer together.

Our next Prayer and Bible Study will be in the East in Feb/March.

The team will send out information to you all soon, and would be delighted if you could join them.

Watch this space!

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Obituaries

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to us all.

Ilene Brunton: Sauchie & Fishcross It was with great sadness that the congregation and community in Sauchie heard of the passing of Ilene Brunton after a long illness. The fact that over 300 people crammed into the church building for her Funeral Service was testimony to the high regard in which Ilene was held.

Ilene came to faith in Christ in 1973, and devoted herself to witnessing for her Saviour and serving him in the congregation and beyond. She taught in the Sunday School, became a very faithful elder, served as President of the Women’s Christian Fellowship for 25 years and became involved in the

choir. Ilene was a member of the Gospel Belles and the Moody and Sankey Group, both of which were involved in sharing the good news of Jesus throughout central Scotland.

She was involved in children’s missions and many different outreach activities. She also spoke at various meetings in the congregation and throughout Clackmannanshire.

Ilene was a great inspiration and a great encourager who displayed the love of Christ to others. She had a great love for the Word of God and was faithful in prayer for the work of

God. It was always her desire that others might come to know and to love Jesus as she had.

As a congregation we thank God that Ilene is now with the Saviour whom she loved and served, but we are aware that the life of our fellowship will never quite be the same again without her. In their very deep loss, we pray God’s comfort for Ilene’s husband, Billy, her children, Laura and Derek, her grandaughter, Leona and her sister, Linda.

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Her commitment to Christ as Lord was all important and her faith was extraordinary, shaping her life and values. She came to faith in Christ in Faifley Evangelical Church which she attended as a child and in youth. When the family moved to Duntocher she became a member and later an office bearer in Duntocher West. There she served as Sunday school superintendent for many years. She loved the children and her enthusiasm was passed on to a number of generations who have passed through the Sunday school.

Her conducting of the family services at summer prize giving and Christmas were outstanding and there was so

David and his wife, Margaret, came to our fellowship in Ayr in 1986.

He became Session Clerk, a role he undertook reluctantly but carried out with great diligence and compassion.

He guided us through both stormy and quiet waters with great wisdom and grace.

Assembly and was a great supporter of the events held in Bannockburn. In truth it is only in his passing that many of the visits and tasks he carried out quietly in love for his Lord have come to light. For David the words of James 1: 19 – 22 were the tramlines upon which he sought to live his life.

David was by nature a quiet man who lived his faith in a practical way, undertaking many tasks in an unassuming manner. He was faithful in his attendance at worship and Bible Study. He enjoyed attending the General

In 1952 he married Margaret.

David had studied Maths at Glasgow University and went on to teach in several schools before becoming a lecturer in Ayr College.His sudden, yet peaceful, passing on Saturday 27th

much more that was done in the background from visiting the ill and the elderly to organising the church big clean.

This last year was a further revelation of her personality and inner strength and faith, as she faced coping with a terminal illness.

Duntocher West Church; Clydebank High school; and our community greatly appreciated Jan’s bright personality, genuine warm friendship, hard work and determination, by which she was enabled to accomplish so much. She will be greatly missed.

September was a shock to all who knew him and was greatly felt within the fellowship. We in Ayr have been greatly blessed with having walked part of our life’s journey with David and we give God the praise for the privilege that has been ours.

Our thoughts are with Margaret, David, Norman & Howard and their families at this time and we commend them to the Grace and Love of God.

Chester McNab: Knightswood Chester McNab lived just a month short of his 90th birthday. He was brought up in Glasgow and completed his education in Canada when the family emigrated. After the family returned to Scotland, Chester was called up to join the army and was stationed in Derby. He was becoming a promising football player and could have become a professional player.

Jan Cleife: Duntocher, West Jan was 54 and one of the younger members of congregation and Sunday school superintendent. She grew up in Clydebank and went to Clydebank High School then Glasgow University where she graduated MA (Hons.) and took a teacher training course. She returned to Clydebank High in 1977 to begin her career as a teacher of English. There she had a very fulfilling and rewarding career and she was still managing to get back to work in-between hospitalization.

Jan was involved in a wide range of activities in the school was well liked by staff and pupils. She met Terry Cleife and they married in July 1977 and had two sons Gordon and Gary.

David Findlay: Ayr

In Derby he met and married his wife Joan and after the war they set up home in Knightswood where their two sons Gordon and Allan were born. The family became members of Knightswood UF and were all involved in Boys Brigade where Chester helped the football team. He became an elder and served very conscientiously on the Kirk Session. He was a good visitor of

his district and attended worship every Sunday until his health failed.

His special love was his family including his 4 grandchildren and great grandchildren. He also was interested in bowling and football.

The congregation at Knightswood has lost a good friend and conscientious elder he will be sadly missed.

Isobel Shivas: Erskine, Burntisland With the passing of Isobel Shivas on 31st October Erskine lost a much loved and esteemed Elder. The very large gathering, which met to celebrate her life and to offer thanksgiving to God for her devoted love and faithfulness, was a memorable testimonial which spoke much to her husband Roger, her children Michael and Yvonne and their wider family. Isobel was a daughter of the manse and, born in 1942, was the youngest of four children. Her happiest childhood memories were of Applecross.

Though quiet and circumspect in manner, Isobel was inwardly strong and during the last two years of illness showed remarkable strength of character and steadfast faith. Her wisdom and counsel was often sought by all ages. For a period she and her family moved to the United States of America and she maintained her life of faith there. Upon her return to Scotland the family settled in the Erskine Church where she proved to be an inspirational leader of the young people. Her deep faith and desire to prepare the youth to live

out their Christian walk in the world left an indelible impression upon that generation. However she was equally at home with the older generation too and many looked forward to her comely visits and edifying conversation. Her life was one of quiet and selfless service and these qualities she brought to the eldership when she was ordained in 1999.

Isobel’s life lit up the lives of many wherever she went. She has placed securely in their hands a baton which will help others run the course of life.

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The De Briefing Weekend Laura Mackenzie reports on an opportunity for the team to reflect on their experiences.

The Africa Mission team were reunited at Stroove House, Skelmorlie for a de briefing weekend from the 5th-7th of December. Not quite as exotic a location as our last trip, but very comfortable! It was an excellent opportunity to get together and reflect on the trip now that we are all home and have settled back into our daily routines. The team hadn’t been all together since saying goodbye at Glasgow International Airport back in August; and so it was exciting to see each other and swap photos and stories.

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The weekend began on the Friday evening with opening worship led

by Rev. Ian Robertson. It was good to have time to thank God for what was achieved during the trip and also to hear a challenging message from God’s word. We then spent the evening preparing for the rally taking place on the Saturday at Darnley UF and looking at photos and the DVD Gordon had put together of the trip.

Seeing the children again and watching the work progressing was lovely and brought it all back to us.

On Saturday morning Rev Patricia Johnston led us in 3 sessions looking at the trip and our reactions to it.The first session focused on the overall trip. We were all asked to bring an item or photograph that summed up our experience and were each given time to present to the rest of the group. This was a very moving time as each person in turn was able to share something that had made an impression on them and talk about what God had taught them during the African trip. We all really enjoyed this session and were able to share stories and remember together things that had happened. Some of the stories shared made us laugh and others had us crying, but the common theme running through everyone’s presentation was just how good our God is and how He is in control even when things seems hopeless.

The next two sessions looked at our reactions since returning and other’s reactions when we shared our experiences with them. The team were able to examine possible ways of sharing with the wider denomination and helping others be enthused about mission. All in all it was a very thought provoking and helpful day and we are very grateful to Patricia for coming along and leading the day so well.

Saturday evening was the rally at Darnley which was well attended and gave the team an opportunity to share some of their reflections of the projects and the people we had worked with.

It was good to have everyone together to take part in the evening! Sarah and Allan talked about the orphanage then Liam and Jamie shared their highlights of the Lephoi Centre and the building of the playground. The others prayed and shared God’s word or sang. Thank you to all who came out on a very cold evening, so near to Christmas!

We then spent the evening preparing for the rally... ..Seeing the children again and watching the work progressing was lovely and brought it all back to us.

The team had a good weekend and a good trip and are very grateful to you all for your support in this venture. God has been very good to us in allowing us to be part of this. As a team we look forward to the future and to exploring what God will do with this experience.

We have come back a changed group of people, God has taught us and challenged us in ways that we are very thankful for. It has been a very worthwhile experience for all involved!

Picture (left): Rev Scott Couper and his wife Susan with their children Micah and Madeline when they visited Church Office in December. Scott is UCCSA’s HIV/Aids Coordinator in KwaZulu Natal and gave us invaluable assistance in having the orphanage built.

20th Anniversary at Calder UF Church, Lochwinnoch

Rev Archie Ford has been with us in Lochwinnoch for 20 years and the congregation thought it would be nice to mark the occasion with an informal lunch after worship on 26th October 2008. Archie and Fiona were presented with flowers and a cake by Angela Graham and Katie Harley (members of our Sunday School).

Wishaw Celebrates!

Page 1

Heroes of the Faith Page 12

The De Briefing Weekend

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In this Issue 10 Picture: While the meeting went on, Madeline and Micah designed two aircraft which flew very well — to the amusement of Rev Archie Ford.

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a c i r f A n r e h t u o S Reflections on Two more of the team reflect on a life-changing experience.

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7 1 Wishaw Celebrates!

6 Life & Faith

13 Saturday Prayer

and Bible Study

2 Christmas Lights

7 Knitting and Crafts

14 Obituaries

2 High Drama on the

8 The Global

16 The De Briefing Weekend

4 Schools Prayer

10 Calvin in Geneva

17 Reflections on

5 ‘Please note’

12 Heroes of the Faith

18 20th Anniversary

in Lochwinnoch

High Street, Kirkcaldy!

Network

at Milngavie

Financial Crisis

Southern Africa at Calder UF Church, Lochwinnoch

Editorial ‘Speeding things up does not give any extra time’ comments Douglas Halcrow in the interview on page 6, as he reflects on our use of the internet and mobile phones. Recently I received an email from the Scottish Council for Healthy Working Lives in which they began by apologising for the delay in getting in touch due to ‘pressure of work’. Obviously they have not found a way of overcoming that problem! Many people do feel themselves under pressure these days and stress levels can be high!

In such times it is all the more important we make ‘space’ for God and take time to worship Him. As we do that, we discover again not only that he is with us in our worship but with us in every aspect of our lives. Several of the articles in this issue help us reflect on the difference he makes as we know him with us wherever we go.

John Fulton

Cebelihle Ladies… - The house mothers with the architect and builder in the background.

Allan Brown (Drumchapel) boy did we do We went out to Africa to work and n aback by our that! I think the Africans were take e rather than ther out k passion and desire to wor sight see. So was I, mind you! e so faithful, so In Africa we met people who wer To go out to rts. kind and so grateful for our effo his work was an Africa and serve under God to do live with me honour and an experience that will faith in my ned gthe forever. Personally, it stren ionship relat God and helped me to grow in my God looking with Him as I saw with my own eyes after his children. but we had a lot There were ten of us in the team in our team, of help along the way! We had God us plus you and the people in Africa looking after allowed us to many others in the UF Church who supported us, go on behalf of the denomination, before, during encouraged us and prayed for us you played in part big and after the mission. The and a success ible the team made the mission poss ple and children that will continue to benefit the peo in Africa. lts we helped So on behalf of the children and adu Congregational in Africa, on behalf of the United group that went Churches of South Africa and the to Africa can I say ‘thank you’!

Gavin Mackenzie (Balintore) Having spent much time preparing with excitement and trepidation for our trip to Southern Africa, it was not until we travelled out to the Orphanage on our second day in South Africa that I realised and took in the poverty of the area. The contrast between the rich, urban nature of Durban in comparison to that of Hammersdale, where the build was taking place, heightened my sense of injustice towards what these people faced.

The reality of our time in Southern Africa was that we were given more by the children and the adults than we could ever hope to give to them. Our time playing with the children in Kwazulu Natal will live with me through my whole life. The children welcomed us with such love and affection that when we had to say goodbye we felt as if a real and lasting bond had been developed. Being a bit of a football fanatic, an excuse for a game of football was never far away and it never fails to amaze me how the game can unite people from such different backgrounds wherever you go in the world. However, an ever greater bond united us and that was our love of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Listening to the children sing in both Botswana and South Africa was just amazing; their spontaneity and joy when they sang was so refreshing. One of the other great encouragements for me on our trip was the fellowship and discussions we were able to have as a group. To see such passion and zeal for God’s word that my colleagues showed really challenged me in my walk as well as encouraged me in the knowledge of so many young Christians active and ready for service across the church in Scotland. We were so conscious of God’s leading and guiding through the trip and will never forget the children we came into contact with.

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