ST ANDREW’S PARISH CHURCH
COATBRIDGE
OUTLOOK -DECEMBER 2001
Minister: Session
Clerk:
Rev Ian G. Wotherspoon Mr
Alex McKee
77 Eglinton Street 34
Woodlands Drive
Coatbridge, ML5 3JF Coatbridge,
ML5
Tel: 437271 Tel:
421191
Mobile Tel: 07711 706634
St Andrew's Church Tel:
431385
Web Site:
www.saintandrewscoatbridge.org
Dear Friends,
Once again you have
demonstrated your generous support for St Andrew’s Church. As you will see in the article which Jean
MacDonald has written, our Christmas Fayre was a great success, raising £2,400
and providing a very happy afternoon.
My thanks to you all of you who worked so hard and gave so generously to
make this total possible, well done!
This is the last magazine
for the year and Christmas is approaching all too fast with the usual tasks of
writing cards and buying presents seeming almost impossible, so I leave it all
to Rosemary! Our Christmas swill be fun
as all the family will be at home here in the manse. This will mean mountains of food, utter chaos, noise and the need
for Harry Potter’s magic wand to do all the housework. I have no doubt Iona and Amy will be full of
excitement on Christmas morning as they examine the joint effort of Santa and
the Argos catalogue.
Christmas should be an exciting
time as we remember the beautiful story of God’ love made flesh in Jesus. A
gift from God which shows his love for our world. It is right that we try to respond to this by reflecting God’s
generous love and the way the session has chosen to have a collection at the
Christmas Eve service for the people of Afghanistan.
Before the war Afghanistan
was facing famine after three years of draught. Before the war the estimate was
that 5 million people were facing starvation, that figure has risen to 7 million
and now there is a massive refugee
problem to make matters worse. There is
no doubt the food aid which has been delivered has helped and saved many lives
but the problem is still unimaginable.
By giving this Christmas we
will help Christian Aid to give one of the poorest countries on earth, now
devastated by war, a ray of hope as Spring a better weather makes rebuilding
and planting crops possible. In a sea
of horror let us do our best to do a
little to bring light in this dreadful darkness and human tragedy.
If you are unable to be at
the Christmas Eve service place your donation in an envelope mark ‘Afghanistan’
and put in the plate or send it too us.
I end the year by thanking
you all for your support and friendship, wishing you all a very happy Christmas
and a good New Year.
With every blessing,
Yours sincerely,
Ian G. Wotherspoon
PARISH
REGISTER
BAPTISMS
4. 11. 01 Louise Tobasnick ( d of b 2. 11. 00) 1H
Baird Street, Coatbridge
18. 11. 01 Aimee Sharon Sedgeworth ( d of b 24. 6.
01) 3 Morven street, Coatbridge
MARRIAGE
3. 11. 01 Linda Lammie, 12 St Boswells Drive,
Coatbridge to Scott Paton
FUNERAL
23. 11. 01 Mrs Winnifred McMeekin, 1c Clarkston
Drive, Airdrie
COLLECTIONS
WFO Open Plate Total
November 2001 £4,730.09 £356.46 £5,086.55
The Retiring Collection on Remembrance Sunday in aid of the Earl Haig Fund amounted to £287.34.
CHRISTMAS
SERVICES
Sunday
16th December
At the morning service our choir will be singing a number of carols and some Christmas music which they have been practicing.
At 7.30 p.m. We are hosting a United Carol Service for Christian aid with a massed choir from all the churches and lots of carol singing for everyone! I hope there will be a cup of tea in the Hall afterwards.
Sunday 23rd December
The Sunday School will perform their Nativity play at the morning service and interpret the Christmas story in there own unique way in word and music.
At 2.30 there will be a United Carol Service in the Quadrant with a collection for St Andrew’s Hospice.
Monday 24th December 11.30 p.m.
Our Christmas Eve service with the offering of Afghanistan.
ORDINATION OF ELDERS
Eight new elders have been chosen by the Kirk Session and will be ordained on Sunday 27th January at the morning service. This is a very special and important occasion for the congregation and for the new elders and I hope there will be a good turn out of the congregation to support them.
SUNDAY SCHOOL
The Sunday School Christmas parties will be held on Saturday 22 December from 2.00p.m. to 4.30p.m. (Crèche 3-4.15pm) with Santa arriving before the end of each party. I hope all the children will be able to come along and enjoy the food, games and Santa.
The children will be taking part in the service on Sunday 23 December when they will be performing a Nativity Play.
Please note also that only a Crèche will be available on Sunday 30 December.
DIARY NOTE The Annual Coffee Morning will be held on Saturday 2 February 2002 from 10am - 12 noon price £1.50. All donations of baking (or anything else) will be gratefully accepted. George McCall
CHRISTMAS FAYRE
The Christmas Fayre on 17 November was very well supported both by the congregation and the community. The sum raised to date was £2,400. Very many thanks to everyone who helped make this possible. Jean MacDonald
TEA TOWELS FOR THE HALL KITCHEN
Recently is has been noted that the tea towels kept in the hall kitchen for use by any organisations using the kitchen have been decreasing in number. Would anyone who has surplus tea towels and would like to donate some please see Barbara Goldie.
SOCIAL COMMITTEE
Three successful social evenings have been held during the first part of the session, and it is intended to continue on the first Saturday of February, March and April. There will, however, be no dinner dance in February.
INDOOR BOWLING
In the recent match against the Bellshill Churches team, we came out on top with a fairly big winning margin. Well done to our team, and the cup is now with us.... hopefully we can retain it the next time we meet, which should be sometime in the spring.
As intimated, our own afternoon game is on Friday 28th December at 4p.m. with High Tea as usual. As we will still be in the festive season, let's make it a Christmas Special. Slips will be given out as usual and should be returned as soon as possible.
The Committee would like to thank all who have supported their efforts this past year and I would say a personal Thank You to the members of the committee and friends for their hard work and assistance.
Best Wishes to all for a Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
J Ferguson, Convenor
LINE DANCING
After a successful run of three and a half years, we have reluctantly had to close owing to a lack of support. It was very enjoyable and made a good financial return for the Church, but times change. We would like to thank our tutor Sheila and all the ladies who did support the Line Dancing and wish them All Best Wishes for Christmas and the New Year. A Owens and J Ferguson
LIFE AND WORK
From January 2002 Life & Work magazine will be £1.00 per copy.
THE SCOTTISH BIBLE SOCIETY
On behalf of the Scottish Bible Society I would like to thank everyone who gave of their precious time to bake, gave donations and helped sell the baking on Sunday 28th October. A warm thanks also to all who came along and supported us, helping to raise the grand total of £240. I am very grateful for your kind generosity and continued support. Best wishes and thanks.
The Scottish Bible Society are running a campaign called Operation Family, which converts unwanted items into cash to make available much wanted Bibles for, in particular, Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. If you have any watches or coins lying around unwanted (either old UK or foreign - remember the Euro will shortly make some existing European currency worthless) please hand them to Jessie Rock.
MACMILLAN CANCER RELIEF
The winner of the DOLL raffled at the Coffee Morning was Mrs Margaret McRae
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NOTICE FOR OUTLOOK DISTRIBUTORS AND CONTRIBUTORS
FEBRUARY EDITION OF OUTLOOK
There
will be no edition of Outlook printed in January 2002 so all material for the
February edition of Outlook should be placed in the box marked
"Outlook" on the table at the front door of the Church on or before
27 January 2002.