FOCUS

    Spring       2010

Kirk and Community News

For the Parishes of Cairngryffe and Symington

Church of Scotland

Cairngryffe with Symington Parish Churches

Minister:  Rev Dr Graham Houston

16 Abington Road, Symington (01899 308838)

Session Clerks: 

Cairngryffe- Mr Jack Meikle

Glenbow Cottage, Thankerton (01899 308397)

Symington-  Mr Ross Russell

Spindrift, Main Street, Symington (01899 308240)

SUNDAY SERVICES

March and April 2010

09.30am   Cairngryffe   11.00am   Symington

May, June, July and August 2009

09.30am   Symington   11.00am   Cairngryffe

COMMUNION SERVICES

Sunday March 7th

                                                                                                        9.30am Cairngryffe

11.00am Symington

“Do this in Memory of Me”

Joint Office-Bearers’ Meeting Monday April 26th 7.30pm Cairngryffe

Board and Session Meetings

Monday March 1st Cairngryffe 7.30pm February 22^nd Symington 7.30pm

Mondays May 10^th Symington 7.30pm, May 17^th Cairngryffe 7.30pm

Stewardship Services and Stated Annual Meetings of the congregations

Sunday March 21^st at 09.30 am Cairngryffe and

Sunday March 14^th at 11.00am Symington.

Holy Week Services 2010 - March 29^th to April 4^th 

Palm Sunday 28^th March Family Services at 9.30am (Cairngryffe) and 11.00am (Symington) also Service led by Elders 6pm at Cairngryffe.

Monday 29^th , Tuesday 30^th March, Cairngryffe, 7pm.

Wednesday 31^st March, Thur 1^st April & Good Friday 2^nd April, Symington, 7pm,

Including informal Communion on Maundy Thursday.

Evening services last 30 minutes and all are welcome.

Easter Services Sunday April 4^th at 9.30am Cairngryffe and 11am Symington

Prayer and Praise Services First Thursday of the month at 7.30pm:

Cairngryffe March 4^th, and June 3rd; Symington May 6^th all are welcome.  (Note no P&P service in April due to Easter)

Visit our websites at  

www.symingtonkirk.com Webmaster Robert Carson

www.cairngryffekirk.org.uk  Webmaster Jim Watt

From the Manse February 2010

It’s great to be back on a phased return to work. Thanks very much for all the kind thoughts and prayers, cards and visits during my time off. And thanks to those who led worship, especially Rev Harry Findlay, who did most of the pulpit supply. He has continued to help and support. As we enter Lent this is the time of year for giving thanks for all who give of their time, talents and money for the ongoing work of the church.  The past year has been a difficult one for me personally and my family, but many have continued to enable the work to go ahead. To all I offer my sincere thanks.

Of course the season of Lent is built around the 40 days of Jesus testing in the wilderness during which time he experienced every temptation known to human kind and resisted them all. Not for his own sake, but for the sake of others. His refusal to submit means that we can have the strength to do the same. That’s good news given the pressure we are under to conform to the ways of the world. Strength to overcome. That is what is promised to all who trust in Jesus the tempted one, who of course never gave in to temptation. James puts it very well:” When tempted no on should say ‘God is tempting me’ for God cannot be tempted by evil nor does he tempt anybody; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived it gives birth to sin; and sin when it is full grown gives birth to death.”(Jas 1;13-15) And Hebrews reminds us: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with out weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”(Heb 4:15-16)

That tells us that Lent is about prayer, and so it should be. An opportunity to grow in prayer as we reflect on the struggles of Christ on our behalf. So let’s take the opportunity while it is with us. Let’s turn to God in prayer as never before and seek his guidance and blessing.

Yours in Christ

Graham Houston.

News from the Parishes

Funerals

Bob Roberts from Thankerton died January 31^st 2010

Betty Roberts, mother of above, died February 1^st 2010

After a joint service at Cairngryffe on Tuesday 9^th February they were interred at Covington Cemetery. 

Mary Buchanan, Greenhills Care Home, Biggar, formerly of Glenburn Avenue died on 25 December. Mary was our oldest member at Symington.

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT CAIRNGRYFFE

This is to keep all our members up to date with what is happening in the Kirk Session at Cairngryffe.

*Our Minister Graham as most of you will know is gradually getting back to work and we are all delighted to see him back in the pulpit again.   We all thank God that he has answered our prayers. Harry is still assisting but his involvement gets less each week as Graham gets back to his usual self.

* The church windows have all had their grills fitted on the outside to protect them and the missing face is still being reconstructed but we hope it will be in position soon .

* The snow we had over Christmas and New Year was not as bad as 1963 and certainly not nearly as bad as 1947 but it did cause some minor problems. I was very pleased to see however it did not deter the brave souls who attended our services especially the Watchnight Service on Christmas Eve. The frost however gripped the bell and our bell ringer could only produce a bit of a dunt at midnight but we all enjoyed the service. Thank you all for coming and thank you to all who took part.

*You will have noticed the PortaCabins at the front of the Church, which are leaving even less space to park at the hall and the church. This is all part of the building of the new Carmichael School and once the drains are all in place I am advised by the contractors it be put back to what it was before. During this period there will be some disruption to our parking at the church and parking at the hall. Hall users may need to share our car park so please bear with us and it should all be back to normal in due course.

Jack Meikle. Session Clerk at Cairngryffe

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SYMINGTON

A very big thank you to Tinto Construction and their stalwarts for the great job they did in making the pavements in Symington passable during the January snow.  It certainly made life easier for a lot of people.

The Choir has started again and as always, we would welcome any newcomers who would enjoy a good ‘sing’.  Phone Gaynor at 308240 if you are interested.

A ‘Souper Sunday’ is being held in the Church Hall, Symington on Sunday 28 February at 1200, after the morning service when soup and sandwiches will be served.  Proceeds will go to the Church of Scotland HIV/AIDS appeal. Please come along and support this venture.

PRESBYTERY REPORT

This winter discussions have been taking place throughout Scotland on the financial situation of the Church. Discussions have been based on a report called ‘2020 Vision – Building for the future through Presbytery Planning’

Although this report is concerned with devolving decisions from the centre in Edinburgh to the individual presbyteries, all members should know how these discussions could affect individual churches.

The background paper to the Report notes that if the Ministries Council keeps drawing on its reserves at the current rate, these reserves will be exhausted by 2018. The Ministries Council is responsible for dealing with the salaries of ministers. There are many factors which have caused this drop in reserves including the credit crunch.

This is only one part of the finances of the Church as a whole but obviously something has to be done.

            Changes suggested are :-

1. offer more autonomy and responsibility for budget to the regional and local church.  Do we know if we pay the full cost of having a minister. We pay our Presbyteries Dues every year but this is not the same thing.

2. encourage local initiative and entrepreneurial spirit to provide motivated and relevant ministry.

3. unlock structures which tie the church into a one parish/one minister/one manse model of ministry
4. clear the bottlenecks which impede the radical change which might halt the Church of Scotland's serious decline in membership and influence.

The Report is concerned with Presbytery Planning. The Planning is concerned with how ministers are distributed round the parishes and decides if unions or linkages are required

The following ways of moving forward are suggested :-

Planning with Purpose.    A clear connection between Presbytery Planning and the overall purpose/vision of the Church is absent.  By introducing vision, audit and objective setting before the detailed work of creating Presbytery Plans is started there will be a clearer sense of what the Plan is trying to achieve. This could mean placing Ministers in areas where they could be most effective – not necessarily parishes

Planning for Variety.    A single model of ministry – the full time paid person – has forced every worshipping community into a single mould.  Planning for a variety of kinds of ministry will allow a range of organic worshipping communities to emerge. Varieties of ministry could include part time ministers, more use of readers, more responsibility placed on elders.

Planning and Finance.     Rather than being integrated, Planning and Finance are disconnected.  A way of integrating them is proposed which will connect rights with responsibilities, create an incentive for increased giving and a penalty for those who ignore their responsibilities.

It came as a shock to most members of Presbytery to find out that as a Presbytery we are aid receiving i.e. income from churches in Presbytery does not meet the total cost of the ministers employed. Pressure is bound to be put on individual churches to meet the full cost of their minister.

This account has had to be brief. A considerable amount has been left out, however every member needs to know about these discussions. We are part of the Church as a whole not a separate entity. This Report will be brought up at the General Assembly in May and all members should try to keep as informed as possible about decisions made there.  It could be that the Assembly decides that few changes are necessary.

Lambert Allan  ( Elder to the Presbytery )

THE GUILD

Symington Guild

Our December meeting was chaired by Sheena Carlyle. She introduced leader Fiona Mathers with her Tinto Primary Choir. There young Voices were much enjoyed.

In January Pat Allan took the chair. Lynn Smith from Clydeside Astronomical Society was welcomed and gave an interesting talk and slide show on the Planets andFormation of stars.

On 25th February we look forward to “My Work in Malawi” by Karen Gillon M.S.P. We invite non members including men folk to come along

Our March meeting will be “A Visit to Korea” by Irene Houston.

Our closing dinner will be held on 22nd April and we hope all members both past and present, will join us.

  Contact Helen Anderson  308598 or Martha Cowan 308657.

Cairngryffe Guild

The guild normally meets in Thankerton Village hall on the second Wednesday of every month at 7.30pm

* March 5th (Friday) World day of Prayer in Carnwath Church at 7.30pm

* March 10th Past Times and Music (part two) Charlie Todd and Jack Meikle

* March 26th (Friday) Spring Rally- A.G.M Greyfriars Church Hall Lanark at 7.30pm

* April 14th Guild Dinner and A.G.M. Tinto Hotel 6.30pm

* June 4th Summer Rally Lesmahagow Old Church at 7.30pm.

for further information contact Margaret Watt Secretary 01555 663394 or Mary McLellan, President at 01555 871114

CAIRNGRYFFE SOCIAL COMMITTEE

The prolonged period of bad weather in December/January delayed the start of ticket sales for the proposed Ceilidh in February which had to be abandoned. The Social Committee will meet shortly to see what else can be organized – possibly another presentation of old photographs sometime in May.                    Charlie Todd (Convener) 01899 308327

CAIRNGRYFFE SUNDAY SCHOOL

Sunday School meets in the church at the start of the service at 9.30am every Sunday from now (21/02/10) until 28th of March. We are on Holiday during the school Easter Holidays Sundays 4th, 11th and 18th April and recommence on the 25th of April at 9.30am for our Summer Term. In May we change time to 11am.

This term the children have been exploring the stories of Jeremiah, Daniel and the life of Jesus. The children have been looking at these stories through reading the bible and interpreting the stories through art and crafts We will also be preparing for Easter.

      For further information, call Rosmairi Galloway 01555 880779.

FROM OUR KIRK TREASURERS

Cairngryffe

These are the 2009 unaudited accounts. A more detailed set of audited accounts showing all restricted funds held will be available to view in March The audited accounts will be presented at the Stated Annual Meeting to be held on the 21^st March 2010.

Linzi Struthers, Treasurer

Symington

The accounts for 2009 are now complete although they still have to be audited. They show a small surplus for the year. The audited accounts will be presented at the Stated Annual Meeting to be held on the 14th March 2010.

Robert Carson (Treasurer)

CAIRNGRYFFE EVERYOUNG CLUB

Meetings are held fortnightly on Thursdays in Thankerton Village Hall at 2.00pm. and all who are young at heart are welcome!

The programme for the rest of the spring meetings is: -

For more information contact Sadie Campbell at 01899 308328

FLOWER LISTS

SCOTTISH WOMEN'S RURAL INSTITUTE

Carmichael Institute

Camichael WRI meet in the village hall on the second Monday of each month at 7.30pm

*The next meeting will be on

Monday 8th March when the topic is Planting Pots and hints

by Heather Watt and Beatrice Gilbert.

* The 12th April will be "Who wants to be a Millionaire" and a Taste and Try evening.

*May 20th is the Annual Outing.

for further information contact Janette Elliot secretary 01555 880614

Thankerton Institute

Thankerton SWRI holds its meetings on the first Thursday of each month between September and April at 7.30pm in Thankerton Village Hall.

The meetings for 2009 were varied, well attended, and enjoyed by all.

2010 meetings stared with a cancellation in January due to the terrible weather conditions.

Meetings for the remainder of the session included/will include:

February 4th –Invitation from Symington Rural to take part in a Scottish Quiz night

March 4th - John Kinloch - Slide show and talk on first 10 years of Lanercost  

April 1st   - AGM with buffet supper and cancelled speaker from January meeting - A Light hearted Tribute to Burns by Mr Alex Baird 

Any lady interested in coming along to any evening, or in joining, will be made most welcome.

Please contact Secretary, Irene Ross on 01899-308738

or President, Connie Johnstone on 01899-308734 for further details.

Pettinain Institute

Pettinain WRI meets in Pettinain Village Hall at 7.30pm on a Wednesday.   Why not join us?  New members are welcome. 

March 17 A night with Pat McKenzie  

April 21   AGM                          

                                                                               Contact Ann Murray on 01555 870379

Symington Institute

New members are always welcome to join us at our meetings in Symington Village Hall on the first Thursday of the month at 7.30pm.  We enjoy a talk or demonstration each month on a variety of subjects. 

March 4 Gardening Tips with Ian McKenzie  

April 1   AGM & Homeopathic Medicine with Dr Sommerville

Contact Janet Hope  at 01899 308716 for more information.

Carmichael Playgroup & Toddlers Group

This group for little ones from 0 to 5 years meets in Carmichael Village Hall on Mondays and Thursdays from 9.15 to 11.15am.The children enjoy a good variety of activities and all will be made very welcome.  More details can be had from the playleader             

Catherine Hamilton, on 01555 665239.

Symington Playgroup

We meet twice weekly in Symington Village Hall, Tuesday and Wednesday, from 9.30am until 11.20am.   Come and join us for singing, stories, games, arts, crafts and lots of fun! Children from age 2 are very welcome.   We still have places available.  For further information please call Donna Allison on 01899 309049.

Tinto Toddlers

Tinto Toddlers, for parents and carers with children from newborn to nursery age, meet every Monday and Friday in Symington Village Hall from 9.45 to 11.15am. All will be warmly welcomed.  Older school age children can join in during school holidays as we now operate throughout the year.  We charge £1 per session for Toddlers and 50p for babies, including a healthy snack, with tea or coffee for mum/dad.  For more information please call  

Chairperson Kate Melanby on 01899 308997

Brownies

1^st Symington Brownies

Alysoun, Claire and Rebecca look forward to welcoming the Brownies back to the Church Hall. We are now looking forward to lots of activities, crafts, fun and games over the next few months. Brownies are open to all girls aged 7 – 10 years old. We meet from 6.15 – 7.15pm on Mondays. Anyone wishing to join please contact

Contact Alysoun Wilson on 01899 220609 / 07831 455404  for further info.

1^st Tinto Brownies (Thankerton)

The pack meets every Monday evening in Thankerton and all 7 to 10 year olds are welcome.   The brownies learn lots of new and different things, games, crafts, badge work and even baking on a good night.  If you would like further information about the Brownie Pack please contact

Mandy Reilly on 01555 840010

RAINBOWS

Rainbows are for girls aged 5-7 years and meet in Symington on a Monday during school term time.  Each week we will be having fun working towards badges.  More information can be had from one of our leaders, or from our sister organizations.

SYMINGTON GUIDES

Junior Section - girls aged 10-14 meet on Monday evenings in Symington Village Hall from 7.15 to 9.15pm.  We currently have 2 vacancies.

Senior Section: - girls aged 14 - 25 yrs now meet in Symington Village Hall on alternate Tuesday evenings from 5.15 to 7.15pm and there are spaces available. Help is always appreciated as our girls work towards various awards, so if any adult with a particular skill and an hour to spare on a Tuesday would like to help out we'd be delighted to hear from you.       

Call Anne Galloway (District Commissioner) on 01555 870865 for more information

BEAVERS CUBS AND SCOUTS

1^st Biggar Tinto Beavers, Cubs and Scouts meet in Biggar on Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout term time.  They currently have a waiting list in all sections.  If you are interested in joining, either as a Beaver Cub or Scout or are interested in helping as part of the leadership team, please contact Alex Clark at 01899 308330.  He can give full details of meeting times and venues and of the waiting lists involved.

BIGGAR PROBUS CLUB

The Probus Club of Biggar, for retired Gentlemen meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month from September to March in Biggar Municipal Hall at !0:30 for fellowship and to hear a varied range of speakers.   Tea and coffee are served from 09:45 to !0:15.   Our speakers for the rest of

the season are:

2nd March    Working with adults who stammer     Caroline Allen

16th March      Alternative Energy         Pauline Alison

30th March     Musical Sampler     Eleanor and Allan Potts

New members are always welcome.    For further details contact Jim Watt (01555 663394) or Henry McMahon (01899 308131)

Tinto PRIMARY After School Club

Tinto Primary After School Club have had a slow start to the year due to the weather. Our football club will start again in April, chanter and badminton are our regular clubs at the moment. We have had knitting, sewing and cookery sessions this term, athletics, short tennis, dance, gymnastics and football for the P1-3s will hopefully be starting soon. We are still looking for a chess tutor. A new coordinator will be starting on the 1st April, Aileen Simpson, we are sure she will do a fantastic job. If you have any skills or abilities you can share with the After School Club please contact Rhona Spence on 01899 308432.   

CARMICHAEL CARPET BOWLING CLUB

Plans are now well in hand for celebrating our Centenary and the Council are giving us a Civic Reception to mark this very special occasion. The Council will send out the invitations next month and it will be a memorable evening for all involved.

Our special  Prize Giving Dance is in Ravenstruther Hall on March 26th and tickets have already all been sold . We will continue to play all summer on Tuesday nights at 7.30 pm and all are welcome.

Jack Meikle (secretary) 01899 308397

SundayZone @ Symington

The cold wintery weather at the start of the year did not put us off and we have had fun learning about Paul’s work and the growth of the church.

The children took part in the Unicef ‘Day for Change’ campaign at the beginning of February.  Our collection from the day will be sent as a donation to help children in Mozambique.

Our new block of lessons will concentrate on Moses, Palm Sunday & Easter.  Following the holidays we will have a further look at the work of Jesus.

SundayZone will be on every Sunday except for the Easter holidays (4, 11 & 18 April) - 11.00am until end April,
9.30am from May.

Dates for your Diary:

·         SundayZone Trip
A trip to Almond Valley Heritage Centre (near Livingston) is being planned for May – date and further details will be provided nearer the time but it will follow one of the services.

·         End of Session Prize Giving
We will finish for the summer on 23^rd May with a prize giving for the children.

If you have any queries, please see one of us at Church.

Donna, Hazel & Susan

THE UPPERWARD PARISHES HISTORY PROJECT

The Editor and Jack Meikle have now collected and scanned over 1,100 photographs and postcards of the three parishes with a few more still in the pipeline. The intention now is to make them available in book form to compliment William Fleming’s 3 excellent books (tele 01555 661386). One photograph book covering all 3 parishes in now 95% complete. We have also been joined by Ross Russell (Session Clerk at Symington), who is working on a Symington volume and Tom Brown who is working on Libberton/Quothquan. Volunteers to work on other parishes would be most welcome as would a loan of further photographs and postcards.    

Prayer Page

Prayer and Praise Services

The joint Cairngryffe and Symington Churches Prayer and Praise Services continue to be held on the first Thursday of every month and we invite everyone to come along and be a part of it. It’s an ideal opportunity to spend some time in prayer, praise and fellowship. Sometimes it’s hard to pray on your own so what better way to learn how to pray than among friends at the Monthly Prayer and Praise Services. So, when we pray, we are following Jesus.

The next Service is in Cairngryffe Church Thursday 4^th March ’10 at 7.30pm

Then at Symington Church Thursday 6^th May ’10 at 7.30pm

Note:  There will be no Prayer & Praise service in April as the Holy Week evening services will be held between Palm Sunday 28^th Mar.’10 - Good Friday 2^nd April ‘10.

Please Pray

·         Pray for those who are mourning for lost loved ones and for God’s comfort to those who have been injured.

·         Pray that more humanitarian aid can get through to those who have lost homes and possessions.

• Pray for an end to the food crisis and for the millions struggling to survive.
• Pray for unity, wisdom and strength for the churches as they seek to hear God’s voice.
• Pray for Christians to demonstrate the hope they have in Christ by being honest, generous and inclusive.
• For the suffering of the peoples of the world where there is continuous injustice, exploitation and a lack of opportunity. As we cope with immediate and unknown challenges in the West, we remember the unparalleled hardships borne by others with humility and dignity over untold years and generations.

Prayer Promoters

Cairngryffe – Sandra Stewart Tel: 01555 880655

Symington – George Mathew Tel: 01899 308648

Editor's Note

I would like to express grateful thanks to everyone who contributed material for this edition of Focus

The summer edition of FOCUS will be issued mid May 2010. Contributions from church groups and organisations, covering the period from June 2010 to the end of August 2010, should be sent to the Editor by Sunday May 9th at the latest.   I can be reached at: -

Charlie Todd, 63 Station Rd, Thankerton, Biggar ML12 6NZ Tel: 01899 308327 or by email at charles.todd@southlanarkshire.gov.uk