ST ANDREW’S PARISH CHURCH

COATBRIDGE

 

OUTLOOK – JUNE 2002

 

Minister:                                                           Session Clerk:

Rev Ian G. Wotherspoon                                  Mr Alex McKee

77 Eglinton Street                                             34 Woodlands Drive

Coatbridge                                                       Coatbridge

Tel: 437271                                                      Tel: 421191

 

St Andrew’s Church Tel: 431385

 

Dear Friends,

By the time you read this we will have celebrated our June Communion, this year combined with a few simple things to mark the Golden Jubilee of our Queen.

We will continue that celebration with an evening service of praise on Sunday 16th June at 7.00 p.m. when we will welcome the musicians of Rosehall High School, our Guides and of course, our own choir.  I hope there will be a good turn out for what I am sure will be a most enjoyable evening.

As I write I am also looking forward to our Sunday School Prize Giving (having signed endless labels for books and attendance certificates!).  How wonderful when so many are prepared to write the church off that we have a Sunday School of over eighty children most of whom attend regularly and two of whom would like to be ministers!

I am still waiting to hear how much we gathered for Christian Aid Week, but I am confident that with our brothers and sisters in the other congregations, the amount will be up on last year.

In other words the church still has an important and valued place in our community and in our world. Perhaps what we need most of all is a bit of self confidence and start to look for the positive things which are happening.

With every blessing and good wishes

Yours sincerely

 

 

Ian G. Wotherspoon

 

PARISH REGISTER

Baptisms

26. 5. 02          Natalie Catherine Wilson, (d of b: 29. 8. 97)

18 Inveresk Place, Coatbridge

                        Jack Scott, (d of b: 17. 1. 02)

31 Garden Square Walk, Airdrie

Wedding

25. 5. 02.         Elizabeth Graham, 46D Sunnyside Road, Coatbridge

to Mark Richmond

Funerals

27. 5. 02          Mr Harold Hamilton, 22 Parkview Drive, Coatbridge

28. 5. 02          Mrs Agnes Dolan, 147 Burnbank Street, Coatbridge

29. 5. 02          Mrs Elizabeth McGill, 35 Coulter Avenue, Coatbridge

JAMES CLELLAND

 

James Clelland, one of our senior elders, died suddenly at the age of 88 in his own home on Saturday the 27th April 2002.

Jim worked as a Forman welder in the Lochrin works for many years, in addition to this working as a part time lecturer at evening classes in Coatbridge College.  In due course Jim became a full time lecturer at the College, making many friends there over the years.

During the war Jim was an auxiliary Fireman and served in Clydebank during the blitz there.  At one point, a bomb destroyed the fire tender his crew was using.

A man of many interests, he loved his garden and took great pride in it.  After his wife’s death he taught himself not only to cook but to bake, and regularly made ‘cloutie dumplings’ for family occasions.  He loved walking and walked from his home in Burleigh street to Tesco the day before he died.  He was a mason and enjoyed the lodge and its brotherhood.  He loved poetry and the especially the works of Burns and often handed a poem, which he had copied out, to the minister on a Sunday morning.

It is as an elder that we remember him today.  He was ordained to the eldership in Maxwell Church in 1955 and served his district, the congregation and the Session faithfully and well over the years.  For a while he was Presbytery elder, representing Maxwell at Hamilton Presbytery.  He was committed to Christian aid and enjoyed the work with members of other denominations which this involved.

Jim may not have been an active elder in St Andrew’s after the union, but he was nevertheless loyal to the new congregations and regularly to be found in his seat in the gallery on a Sunday morning.  Jim found strength and comfort from worship and from the fellowship of the church and the friendship of those he met within these walls on a Sunday morning.

Jim had a simple but deep faith which was a very important part of his life and it was fitting, appropriate and moving that he chose a lovely old children’s hymn to be sung at his funeral service, the hymn ‘If I come to Jesus’  I recall him telling me that this was his favourite hymn and that he often read it as a preparation for worship before the service began.

We give thanks for a life of faith and for a life of service to Christ and his church. 

 

COLLECTIONS               FWO        Open Plate                      Total

May                             £4313.78         £213.30                       £4527.08

 

CHURCH FLOWERS

We are sorry to receive the resignation of Mrs Etta Alexander who was treasurer of the flower fund and responsible for arranging the list of flower donors.  Mrs Alexander has been doing this valuable work since the congregation was formed and has retired due to ill health.  We thank her for all her faithful work and wish her a speedy and complete recovery.

 

SUNDAY SCHOOL

The prizegiving will be held on Sunday 16 June with the Sunday School continuing until 30 June.  The Summer Club will start on Sunday 7 July and I would be grateful if anyone willing to help would give their names as soon as possible.  The trip is going to Portobello on Saturday 8 June and some seats are still available on the buses.

 

6th COATBRIDGE GIRLS’ BRIGADE

Our session ended on 30th April with our Display/Parents Evening.   We were delighted at the good turn out and hope everyone enjoyed the evening.

Explorer – Best Girl                              Explorer – Outstanding Progress

Nichola Brown                                     Natalie Graham

Junior – Best Girl                                  Junior  - Continued Effort

Arlene McCoy                                     Jenni Krebs

Katherine Docherty

Brigader – Best Girl

Lynsay McLachlan

The Captain and Officers would like to thank everyone who has helped us over the session and again many thanks for your continued support.

Our new session will commence on Tuesday 3rd September 2002.  We look forward and would welcome any new members between the age of 5 and 18 years.

I hope you all have a good summer.

 

Irene Krebs, Captain.

 

AUGUST EDITION OF OUTLOOK

All material for the August edition of Outlook should be placed in the box at the door of the Church on or before Sunday 28th July.  Will contributors and distributors please note that there will be no Outlook in July.