december 2016/january 2017 - st mary’s-greyfriars’ church, … · 2017-03-03 · move over...

St Mary’s-Greyfriars’ Parish Church Minister: Rev David Logan

Tel 01387 270128 www.stmarysgreyfriars.org.uk

Scottish charity no SC009432

december 2016/january 2017

Chrystal Chronicle December 2016/January 2017 www.stmarysgreyfriars.org.uk

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Fifty years an ElderRonald McEwan was presented

with a certificate recently to mark 50 years of service as an Elder.

He asked that his thanks be passed on, saying: “I would to thank Rev David for the kind words when he presented my 50 years certificate. Also thanks to all of you for the beautiful engraved glasses I received to mark the occasion. Thanks once again.”

On September 19, Ann Eales gave us a talk on assistance dogs. She brought along one of her dogs – Alfie, a minia-ture labradoodle – who helps her with household tasks. The dogs have a lot of commands to learn, it costs £40,000 to train a dog. The scheme first started in England, but has now expanded north of the border. The dogs provide a lifeline for many people. It was a very good talk.

At our meeting on October 3, Gary Kirkpatrick gave us a talk about the Duke of Edin-burgh’s Award, which has helped many boys and girls. In 2001 HRH Duke of Edinburgh handed over championship of Trustees to Sir Tom Trainer but he remains patron. A very good afternoon.

Linda McTurk gave us a demonstration on making traybakes on October 17, making rocky road and custard creams, which we enjoyed with our tea.

We had our Halloween party on October 31, Rhona Pringle did a good programme of music, song and poetry. Quite a few folk were dressed up, as you can see from our pic-ture! We also had very good audience participation with dooking for apples, and enjoyed panscones with treacle and syrup.

Freda Hunter

From the Buzz


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From the ManseDear friends at St Mary’s-Greyfriars’,

2016 has been a turbulent year filling us with all sorts of anxieties. Thinking back to another unusual year long ago, can you imagine how Mary must have felt when she was visited by the Angel Gabriel and was told that she was going to be the mother of God’s Son? I imagine that there would have been fear, if not panic, in her heart. A sense of bewilder-ment and anxiety all mixed together. It was certainly a time that she would remember for the rest of her life!

As we approach the festive season it is all to easy to become focused on the “now” of Christmas – now I must make the cake, now I must buy the food, now I must wrap the presents, now I must buy and decorate the tree, now I must … rest!

We have all already been given the greatest gift we could ever receive. A little baby boy, who would go on to grow up and become our Saviour. When you look at the rush of our modern Christmas it is so easy for us to overlook what Christmas is really all about. We have been conditioned by marketing people to see Christmas Day as the culmination of Christmas when in fact, Christmas Day should be the start of 12 days of holiday and feasting hence, we bring down our decorations on 12th night. Imagine the Christmas food shop-ping for that celebration!

This year, I urge you to take a few moments to read the Christmas story as it is told in the Bible. It is time well spent and, I know that it will help you to understand the true meaning of Christmas. I do hope that you will find time to join us for our Christmas services this year. You will be made very welcome.

Catriona joins me in sending you our warmest wishes for a very Happy Christmas and a healthy and happy New Year.

We give thanks that we were able to take along to the collection point on November 14 (for delivery for Christmas) 92 filled shoeboxes with additional bags of items – knitted, toys and other essential items.

The boxes were lovingly prepared and there were loads of beautiful knitted items and toys, specially made to be delivered with love to men, women and children in need in Bulgaria, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Pakistan, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine.

In addition £146 (mostly Gift Aided) separate donations were included (it costs £3500-4000 to transport a container load of boxes to Eastern Europe and Asia) .

Anne Twiname

Shoebox appeal


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Church register

Changing spaces …

What’s on …DecemberSaturday 3: Christmas Bazaar, 10am to 12 noon in the hallTuesday 6: Guild, Card Making, Agnes Maxwell. Also Christmas nibblesMonday 12: Buzz Christmas PartyTuesday 20: Guild Christmas Dinner

JanuarySaturday 14: Bacon Butties in the hall, 9.30-11.30amTuesday 17: Guild, A musical afternoon with Robert LindWednesday 18: Garden Club, Keir Mill Outing, Bob Shepherd and Bill HollandMonday 23: Buzz, Keeping Safe, Community PoliceMonday 30: Service and soup in the hall, 12.15pm

FebruaryWednesday 1: Garden Club, speaker to be confirmed Saturday 4: Buzz coffee morning, 10am to 12 noonMonday 6: Buzz, Celebrate Burns, Betty Haining and Avril KerrTuesday 7: Guild, My journey into Parish Nursing, Catriona Logan

New member – “Welcome!”Christine Bell

Please let me know of any changes of address: Marion Bennett, 2 Wolfgill Drive, Dumfries DG1 4XY. Tel: 263106.

Move over Kirstie Allsopp and Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen! Now we have been using our re-furbished church space for a number of months, we’ve identified some further improvements to make it even better and are looking for volunteers to assist for a short time to get it in place.

If you would be able to help by giving a few hours of your time in the coming months – and perhaps have some ideas of your own about what would make our church interior more attractive – please get in touch with David Matheson, our Session Clerk and conven-er of our fabric and property committee. The committee will continue to deal with ongoing issues like maintenance – this short-term group is just looking at some specific and exciting possibilities like a new font, Communion table and appropriate audiovisual enhancements.


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About the magazine Useful contactsThe deadline for our February/March is-sue is Sunday January 21 for items through the church – and 3pm that day for those sent direct. Many thanks – and Merr y Christmas!

Editor: David BennettWrite: 2 Wolfgill Drive, Dumfries DG1 4XYCall: 01387 263106Email: [email protected]

Minister Rev David Logan ..... 270128/07793 542411

Session Clerk David Matheson .............................. 252042

Treasurer Stewart Williamson ......................... 261257

Gift Aid and freewill offering envelopes Billy Simpson ................................... 252278

Christmas servicesOur Christmas family service will take place on December 18 in the church, at 11.30am, led by the Sunday Kids.

Christingle and Watchnight services are taking place on December 24, with the retir-ing collection shared between Blood Bikes and Salvation Army. The Christingle service is at 6pm. There’s tea and coffee served in the church from 10.30pm and carol singing at 11.15pm, with the service starting at 11.30pm.

The services on Sunday December 25 and Sunday January 1 are as usual, at 11.30am in the church.

Christmas musical eveningThis is being held on the evening of Sunday December 18 in the church hall, commencing at 6.30pm. Come along and join in community singing, and hear our church choir and oth-ers perform some Christmas music.

Refreshments will be served and donations to our church funds will be accepted.

Jamie Stuart, the author of the bestselling book The Glasgow Gospel, died recently. One of the favourite parts was his translation of the Lord’s Prayer so it’s shared here for all to enjoy.

Faither o us aw, biding oan high, We ken yer name is holy. Let yer blessins stert, an let yer rules be carried oot, here, right noo, jist like in Heaven. Gie us breid for the day, Lord, an let us aff the hook for aw oor fauts – an we’ll dae the same for them that gie us a hard time. Dear God, keep us awa’ from temptation, an save us from the evil one. For sure, the Kingdom is aw yours Lord, alang wi the power, an the hale glory, aye – even tae the feenish o time. Amen

Remembering Glasgow Gospel author


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I am …I am the minister, I am,I am the pastor, the carer, the listener,the one with the time to drop everything andI also understand global politics and immi-gration and,and who cares about “our boys”I care about graffiti, litter and the position-ing of zebra crossings near schools.

I am passionate about school assembliescouncil meetingsmums and toddlers tooI am good at one to one and small groups andI listen and empathise and, at the same timeI am the one who plans and strategises andI am the one who understands budgets, and decides if we can afford staplesor replace the heating system.I am the minister I am.

I am the quiet reflective prayer andI am the speaker, the enthuser, the motiva-tor, the learned teacher andI can engage a room of 10, 50, 300 people with no problem becauseI am the one who relates well to children, older people, the middle agedthe jobless, the employed, the doctors, teenagers andI am the one who is always one step ahead andI am the one who is endearingly disorgan-ised.I am the minister I am. I am up to date with theological develop-ments.

I understand the history of the Reformation and the Disruptionthe armed forcesthe warthe governmentPresbytery121the Jewish background of Jesus and I care about the excluded and domestic abuseI manage my own adminand I keep my mouth shut carrying many secretsI am the minister I am.

I am the one in whom trust is placedI am the one in whom grumbles are placedI am the one who is always talking to eve-ryone elseI am the one who models worship, mar-riage, familygardeningconservationbakingprayerlisteningtalking, planning.

I often get it wrong.I am the one who has to keep my doubts under wraps andI am the one who is vulnerablethe one who is gossiped aboutwho has to live in someone else’s houseI am dependablestabletrustworthy.

I am the one who chairs meetings


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From the GuildOur session got off to a great start on October 4 with a talk on how Rev David Logan made the journey from Polis to Pulpit – so if you wondered how this happened, you should have come along to find out! This was followed by the sharing of Holy Communion.

October 18th was our opening social evening, when we invited other Guilds, who enjoyed the entertainment provided by Kate Scaiffe and Mixed Bag, an enthusiastic choir who clearly have a lot of fun sharing their music with an audience – who are expected to participate.

It was our Project Night on November 1, when our speaker Hugh Henderson MBE gave a most interesting and moving account of the work of Mission International, in particular, the Haiti project.

Please see the diary (page 4) for further meetings. Anne Mackie

A seasonal reminder: please remember to bring your used postage stamps to church to support the current project.

This year, the appeal is supporting the Church of South India’s Othara Eco- Spirituality Centre.

Plans are in hand for a visit by people from our Presbytery to Debrecen next May/June. We don’t have a Christmas message from them yet but I know they will be thinking of us and we send them our seasonal prayers and best wishes.

Liz Tanner

I am the one who manages group discussionsI am the volunteer co-ordinatorthe opinion co-ordinatorthe trespasser on the territory of people who have been around a lot longer than I and, who will be there long after me.I understand the heating systemthe financial systemthe rota system.

I love committeesI drink tea with older peopleand coffee with younger peopleI listen to stories of bus routes and hospital visits

I believe in the transforming power of Jesus.

I am the one who is very tiredI am the one who hates wearing cassocks but still smilesand would love to be muddy all the time.

I am the one who works one day per week and who has the temerity to have a day off.I am the one who loves this jobI am the one making it up as I go alongI am the one who would not swap this for anythingI am the minister I am.

Hungarian greetings Stamps appeal

I am …


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Notes of thanks

Advent has come again – the Advent ring has for some time been prepared by the late Mar-garet McCafferty, as were Remembrance poppies and she decorated the Christmas tree.

Margaret enjoyed doing these and wanted to do them. We miss her expertise but others are ably following in her footsteps. We are hoping this year that we will have had some as-sistance from church members interested in helping with the church decoration which will have been completed by the time you read this magazine.

Happy Christmas from the flower team. Anyone wishing to donate flowers please con-tact Norna Francis (250199), Moira Cannon (720394) Betty Jardine (257691) or Margaret Thomson (253484).

From the flower team

Congratulations: The congregation send congratulations and best wishes to David Bennett and Alison Tait on their recent marriage. They married in the church on Saturday Novem-ber 26.

On the first day …

Thank you for the posy received from the Harvest service on October 9. Mary Wallace

I have also been asked to pass on thanks for flowers this edition from Margaret Franks, Nessie Glendinning and Muriel Shepherd.

Do you know the meaning behind the “12 days of Christmas” song? A partridge – In early art, the church was often depicted a partridge.Two turtle doves – The Old and the New Testaments.Three French hens – The three virtues of faith, hope and love.Four calling doves – The four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.Five gold rings – The first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Pentateuch.Six geese a-laying – The six days of creation.Seven swans a-swimming – The seven gifts of the Spirit in Paul’s letter to the Romans: prophecy, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading and compassion.Eight maids a-milking – The Beatitudes in Matthew’s Gospel.Nine ladies dancing – The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians: love, joy, peace, faithfulness, goodness, patience, kindness, gentleness and self control.Ten lords a-leaping – The 10 commandments.Eleven pipers piping – The 11 Apostles who stayed true to Christ.Twelve drummers drumming – The 12 points of doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed.


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PS …Our Father, light of the world,You gave us our world. You created us. You created light.We adore and praise you for all we can see that is glorious and beautiful.

Our Father, forgiver of sins,You gave us free will. You allow us to be us. You give us space.We come before you and ask forgiveness for all that we do that is hurtful and thoughtless.

Our Father, ruler of all, You gave us the gift of Christ at Christmas. He gave us his life at Easter. He gave us the promise of eternal life.We thank you for the many blessings that you bestow upon us, our families and friends especially for our safety, freedoms and fellowship.

Our Father, beacon of hope,You give us purpose. You give us as framework for our lives. You give us hope for the future.We ask that your messages of peace, love and respect inspires leaders around the world and in our town of Dumfries. Help us to commit our lives to You anew in the coming year.

We ask all this in the name of Jesus Christ, our strength and our Redeemer.Amen

A Different Kind of ChristmasSometimes Christmas is just overwhelm-ing, it seems, as we rush around buying up stuff.

We spend without end, and we rack up those bills, but it seems like it’s never enough.

So this Christmas, let’s all take a different approach: let’s try to be more in accord

With God’s Christmas gift, the best one of all – Our sweet Saviour, our Jesus, our Lord.

We’ll be humble and loving, and giving and kind, and we’ll keep our priorities straight;

The gifts of the spirit, the gifts of the heart are the ones that we’ll all celebrate.

And we’ll feel more at peace, and our stress will decrease, as we decorate, package, and trim;

Our new Christmas will be a pure joy and delight, as we try to be much more like Him.


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From the Treasurer Sep/Oct 2016 Sep/Oct 2015 9 Sundays 8 SundaysOpen Plate £ 2288 £ 1690Weekly Freewill Offerings £ 4631 £ 4748Banker’s Orders/Cheques £ 2839 £ 3193Collection Boxes £ 43 £ 0Total £ 9801 £ 9631Average weekly collections £ 1089 £ 1203Annual total to date £ 45,052 £ 42,631

Stewart Williamson, Treasurer

In the gardenOn September 14 Bob Shepherd showed us a video, with music, of photographs from the Royal Photographic Society Nature Group Exhibition. The exhibits ranged worldwide from north to south, from extreme cold to blistering hot countries. There were close-ups of plants, insects, butterflies, birds, fish and animals. Some were brilliantly coloured; others camouflaged and almost impossible to see. He followed it up with a compilation of his own photographs taken locally. The members thoroughly enjoyed them and were enthralled by the beauty and colour.

Colin Stokes spoke on Stained Glass on September 28, displaying a number of small stained glass panels along the windowsill for us to enjoy throughout his talk. He spoke of his first encounter with a church window when he was seven. He was so captivated by it that he is certain he could still draw it from memory. Although he trained as a teacher and went into teaching, he was drawn to stained glass. He told us stories of his training, and as a stained glass tutor – running courses in his own home. He enthralled us with stories of that time at “Colin’s Barn”.

On October 12 we had another good turnout as Isobel Evans shared with us all the holiday she and her husband Tom had in New Zealand and Australia earlier in the year. We were all transported as if on holiday with them. Another wonderful afternoon spent with our group.

Leigh-Ann Brady of the South of Scotland Wildlife Hospital at the Barony spoke on October 26, showing slides of some of her bird and animal patients. It is a Wildlife Hospital and the aim is to return the patients to the wild after recovery. Leigh-Ann lectures to students at the Barony and is helped by them looking after the patients. There is only the minimum necessary contact with the patients to prevent any chance of domestication. Some patients, like otters, are passed on to other sanctuaries so that they will be with their own kind. Members enjoyed the cuddly nature of her patients – but realised their vulnerability. Leigh-Ann was warmly thanked for her presentation. In turn she thanked members for their donations of tins of dog and cat food.

Bill Holland


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Pop-up charity shop

Thank you to all who helped make our week’s efforts successful. I will not name any one person as you all know who you are but I add my thanks to those of the congregation’s for raising the magnificent sum of £2323.80. It was a week of hard work by all who helped gather in the goods, helped staff the shop and helped to clear the shop on the Saturday.

Janet McSherry

Silence is golden!Elisabeth Manson and Anne Twiname staged a sponsored silence at the cof-fee morning on November 5, to raise money toward s the Bibleworld Bus visit.

They managed to stay silent for the whole t wo hour s – no mean feat! –and raised around £300 to help fund the co st of the bus’s recent v i s i t to Dumfries.


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Our Harvest Thanksgiving service this year saw the church filled with donations for the Trussell Trust food bank. In all, 15 huge bags/boxes of food were collected and donated to the trust.

Our Sunday Kids also played a great part in the service – they’re pictured above with Rev David Logan.

Afterwards, the hall was packed for the harvest soup and sweet lunch, in aid of the Let’s Build a House appeal. There has been a fantastic response to the appeal, with lots of quizzes sold, more than 60 collection boxes taken (please return them by Christmas at the very latest and check your name is “ticked off” on the list), and almost £500 collected by our intrepid Criffel Sherpas Alan and David. There will be a final update in the next magazine.

Food for thought

december 2016/january 2017 - st mary’s-greyfriars’ church, … · 2017-03-03 · move over...

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