Business as usual!
Following a fall of plaster in the church sanctuary in February 2010 we have been unable to use the church for worship, as structural surveys have revealed serious problems with the building. We are in the process of commissioning a feasibility study for our buildings to determine what kind of facilities we require to allow us to successfully provide outreach and services to our community. Exciting times are ahead for us.
As such, we are now using our church hall for the foreseeable future for all services. Since February, it has seen a remarkable transformation - from a thorough cleaning, installation of a digital organ, new window blinds, and over the course of the coming summer, new chairs and noticeboards/curtains.
We can happily accommodate over 120 people seated in the hall. For events that require a larger capacity such as some weddings and funerals, we have arrangements in place to use alternative church accommodation in the town.
Recent photos
A selection of photos from the Sunday School's trip to Sorbie Farm, and their participation in the Millport challenge are now available to view in our Gallery. Also shown under the 'People' section are the Long Service Awards to elders and Induction of our two new Elders, Andrew and Vivien Bruce.
Millport Challenge 2010
Bus Trip to Kyles of Bute - Sat 31st July
We are organising a bus trip to the Kyles of Bute on Saturday 31st July. Departing the church at 9am, we will head to Gourock and get the ferry over to Dunoon. We will then head to Portavadie Marina for a BBQ lunch, before returning to Tighnabruaich around 2.30pm for a chance to wander around the scenic little village. Cost for the trip, including lunch, is £21 Adult and £10 Child. We only have 4 spaces left, so don't delay if you wish to go on this trip. Monies are due by Sunday 25th July.
From the Manse - June
At the time of writing I have just returned from my week at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The weather in Edinburgh was glorious, but there was very little opportunity to enjoy it. Apart from Sunday, the Assembly opened for business every morning (from Thursday 20th to Wednesday 26th May) at 930am and didn’t wind up again most days until after 5pm. Although some days (if we were lucky) we got an hour or so for lunch!
I was planning to write an ‘Assembly Diary’, but that didn’t happen. There was so much going on each day and so much for a first time commissioner like myself to take in. Much of the time I just sat listening to the debates and trying to makes sense of it all. And by the time I got back to my ‘digs’ at night I was too tired to write anything. So what you get here is just a few edited highlights!
Coffee Morning and Organ Recital - 26 June
Our coffee morning held on Saturday 26th June raised an amazing £935. In addition, the organ recital held later in the afternoon raised an additional £120 and was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended. A very big thank you to all who supported both events.
Donate a Chair
There has been a wonderful response to our appeal to buy new chairs and we have now raised over £4300 to date. We now have some sample chairs for us to try.
The appeal will stay open during June as additional donations will enable us to put arms on some of the chairs and to buy special trolleys for moving the chairs in and out of the hall.
1st Ardrossan Boys' Brigade
The 1st Ardrossan Boys' Brigade is urgently looking to recruit some extra helpers and staff as they now only have two officers and one helper to look after three sections. As you can imagine this is putting a considerable strain on them, and if no-one else can be found to assist the company may not be able to continue.
If you are interested in helping or supporting the Boys' Brigade please speak to either Rev Dorothy Granger (01294 463571) or Rev Jim Smith (01294 469378).
Aeolian Male Voice Choir Concert
The opening event for Barony St John’s "Year of Music’ was the Guild’s fundraising concert by Kilmarnock’s Aeolian Male Voice Choir held on 25th February. Comprising over 40 men, the choir’s excellent performance lasted just over 1.5 hours and was thoroughly enjoyed by more than 120 people. A few other pictures from the concert can be viewed in our Gallery
Pastoral Care Team
Appeal for Pastoral Visitors
We are in need of more pastoral visitors to visit some of our elderly and housebound members. You don’t have to be an elder to do this, just someone with a listening ear who can extend the hand of support and friendship to someone who is no longer able to get to church regularly.
At the moment nearly all our pastoral visiting is done by the elders, but we have a limited number of elders and many members who would benefit from additional visitors.
The commitment is not a heavy one – if you want to visit one or two people and no more that is fine. The timing and frequency of the visiting is left entirely to you.
So if this is something you have been thinking about and feel you would like to do, please get in touch with me (01294 463571).
We also rely on your help to keep the Pastoral Care Team up to date with information about people who are in need of pastoral visits at home or in hospital.
The two main contacts for pastoral care are: Alison Buick (01294 464531) for hospital visiting and Liz Clark (01294 552717) for home or nursing home visits. And if you would like me to visit (or if you would like home communion) please do call me on 01294 463571.
