ARCHIVE - MISSION GROUP
September 2023
Peace Garden
By the time you are reading this, we hope that it will have been possible to enjoy the beautiful surroundings of our Peace Garden for the last part of our joint service on Sunday 10 September. Special thanks once again to the group of gardeners who work timelessly to make this space so attractive and welcoming.
We have had to spend some considerable time considering how best to tackle the issue of dog fouling, which continues to spoil the enjoyment of our church grounds. Wording has been agreed for notices which will be displayed. As our Minister says, the church grounds are a sacred space, and we just want everyone to use them responsibly.
Mary's Meals Sunday
Detailed plans are now in place for this Joint Service and we are delighted that members of the Anderson Parish Church will participate in this service and assist in serving teas afterwards.
Outreach Tea Bar
We look forward to welcoming you and others at this new venture which will start on Wednesday 4 October from 10.00am - 12.00noon. As outlined previously, our aim is to provide a warm space and opportunity for frindship and fellowship for church members and for anyone else who would like to attend. Posters will soon appear around the town. Please come along on 4 October and enjoy meeting old friends and perhaps making some new ones over tea/coffee and a biscuit.
Harvest Thanksgiving Service
This will be held in our church on Sunday 22 October at 11.00am. All donations of food (non-perishible only) will be sent to the Kilsyth Food Bank. We are planning to invite a speaker from the Food Bank to this service.
Reflective Service/Carols by Candlelight
We will use our next meeting in October to plan this Joint Service to be held in our church on Sunday 10 December at the usual tie of 11.00am. We have already agreed on the theme of "Hope".
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We are grateful to the Kirk Session and congregation for the continuing support for our endeavours. We always welcome your thoughts and ideas - please speak to any member of the Mission Group.
August 2023
Following a short break over the summer, the Mission Group met again on 7 August.
Forthcoming Services
At the joint service in Kilsyth Burns & Old Parish Church on Sunday 10 September, there will be an opportunity to find out more about current developments within the Mary's Meals charity; there will also be a joint retiring collection for Mary's Meals. After the service, (part of which will be held outside, weather permitting) we will gather in the hall for tea/coffee and home baking. This will be a joint venture with members of the Anderson Church, and we look forward to working with them in this way,
We are also working on the idea of combining elements of the previous Reflective Service and Carols by Candlelight during a joint morning service on Sunday 10 December - more information to follow in due course.
Outreach Tea Bar
We propose running an Outreach Tea Bar on Wednesday mornings, starting around October/November. This will provide a warm space and opportunity for friendship and fellowship for church members and anyone else who would like to attend. More detailed information will follow nearer the time.
Peace Garden
We all continue to be very grateful to the group of gardeners and to their friends and supporters for providing such a lovely display of flowers and plants in our church grounds. We hope that you have been able to enjoy this space over the summer.
We also continue to be grateful for the support we receive from the Kirk Session and from the congregation. If you have any ideas you would like us to consider, please speak to any member of the Mission Group.
July 2023 "Garden Party"
As a thank you to the gardeners and helpers, the ladies invited some friends along for tea and a chat (hopefully in the garden). The weather initially wasn't too kind so tea was taken in the hall. Luckily, the sun came out and everyone managed to come out and see the progress that has been made. A lovely afternoon was enjoyed by everyone.
June 2023
Peace Garden:
The group of gardeners who work hard to keep the Peace Garden looking so lovely will be buying new plants so we will be able to continue enjoying the colour and fragrance of the plants and flowers over the summer. The group is very grateful for the support from church members.
Forward Planning:
As we develop our ideas for outreach in the community, we look forward to attending the Kirk Session meeting which focuses on outreach.
Forthcoming Services:
The Mission Group homes to plan a "Mary's Meals Sunday", possibly in September and we would hope that part of the service could again be held in the Peace Garden (weather permitting).
As always, we are very grateful for the support we receive from the Kirk Session and from the congregation. Please let us knw of any ideas you would like us to take forward by speaking to any member of the Group.
May 2023
Palm Sunday Lunch: It was lovely to see so many from our own congregation and our friends from Kilsyth Anderson coming together for the Palm Sunday service. Around 120 accepted the invitation to come up to the large hall for lunch. It was a really happy occasion and we thank everyone for coming along.
Peace Garden: The garden is full of colour just now with the daffodils and hyacinths in full bloom. However, over the winter months, we lost quite a number of plants so the gardeners will be out again round the garden centres buying new plants to fill the many gaps and making the Peace Garden such a lovely area in our church grounds.
Walking Group: Over the last few years, personal circumstances and abilities have changed and it has been decided not to continue with the programme of monthly walks.
Summer Fayre: The Mission Group will give every assistance to help make this a lovely day for all.
Forward Plannng: We have a number of plans being discussed at the moment and will bring details to you as they take shape. We are always very grateful for the support we receive from the Kirk Session and from the congregation. Please let us know of any ideas you would like us to take forward by speaking to any Mission Group member.
Strathcarron Hospice
The Mission Group received a lovely letter of thanks from Strathcarron Hospice:
"On behalf of everyone at Strathcarron Hospice, I am writing to thank the Mission Group at Kilsyth Burns & Old Parish Church for this very generous donation of £430 raised following your recent Pancake Coffee Morning before Sunday Service.
This kind donation can cover 20 hours of specialist nursing care for one terminally ill patient in the Hospice, so please pass on my sincere thanks to everyone involved for making this possible.
Strathcarron Hospice is privileged to provide specialist care, love and support completely free of charge for patients and their families. To enable us to do this, we rely on charitable giving from supporters to cover the daily costs of £14,632.
Thank you for all your support of Strahcarron Hospice.
Yours sincerely,
Jackie Johnston
Fundraising Manager"
April 2023
The Mission Group had their second meeting of the year on Monday 6 March and had quite a full agenda.
Pancake Breakfast: This was a very happy morning with many enjoying pancakes ahead of the Sunday service. The Mission Group thanks everyone who accepted the invitation to breakfast and to those who later handed in donations. An amazing sum of £430 was realised and this has now been sent off to Strathcarron Hospice which we all know is very deserving of our support. See below under March some photographs capturing "the aroma of the day" as well as some very familiar happy faces.
Walking Group: For a number of reasons, we have not been able to meet up so far this year. We hope to resume our walks this month and full details will be include in Sunday morning intimations as well as here on the website. We would welcome new members to join us. Our walks are easy and in various locations. We finish up with a tea/coffee stop which is very enjoyable. If you woul like to have any further information, please ask any Mission Group member.
Peace Garden: The snowdrops around the perimeter wall are now fairly well established (again some photographs below) and have given a lovely show this year. The Gardening Group will soon be adding some spring planting and also replacing some of the plants which have not survived the winter. This is always the challenge of gardening.
There is quite a problem with dog fouling in the grounds and in and around the flower beds. While we want the community to enjoy the garden, we would also like this problem to be resolved.
Palm Sunday Service: The service on Palm Sunday will be a joint service with our friends from the Anderson Church. The Mission Group is planning a light lunch for everyone after the service. This will be a great opportunity for the members of the two conregations to meet up after the service and enjoy a nice lunch in one another's company. Please put the date Sunday 2 April in your diary for Palm Sunday service followed by lunch.
Future Planning: We are working on a number of projects between now and the end of the year and we will let you know details of these in future issues of Contact.
If you have any ideas for community outreach, please let any Mission Group member know. We will be more than happy to consider any ideas you wish to bring to us.
March 2023
Some updated photos of the snowdrops around the perimeter wall of the church grounds plus a lovely primrose to finish off.
4 March 2023
Click on each of the four photographs to see in full.
Thank you to everyone who came along and supported the Pancake Coffee Morning which was recently held in aid of Strathcarron Hospice. We hope you all enjoyed your tea and coffee with a freshly made pancake. We would also like to thank everyone who handed in donations afterwards and helped realise the wonderful total of £430. Many thanks again for your generosity.
Here are some photos taken on the day.
March 2023
The Mission Group met on Monday 6 February and we would like to share with you a summary of our discussions and planning for 2023.
Review of Reflective Service (December 2022): While this service was well received, we are aware that some people missed the "Carols by Candlelight" Service whiich had been held in previous years. The church may consider holding this event again in future around the time of the Reflective Service.
Foodbank: It was felt that it would be more appropriate to ask the congregation to donate as and when they feel able, rather than constantly asking for donations. We would, however, be happy to respond if the Foodbank put out an urgent appeal.
Walking Group: A breakfast will be arranged in the near future with a view to starting walks again in March/April.
Tea Bar: The Sunday tea bar donations in January amounted to £211.65. Many thanks to all who contributed.
Ideas for 2023
Community Outreach: While we feel that the idea of providing warm spaces for those in need is a good one, we understand that those who really need this support are not currently coming aong. It was suggested that what might be helpful would be practical guidance in cooking simple meals, but we are aware that this would be a complex task due to the various rules and regulations in place.
Extension of Bowling Club: The possibility of offering additional activities for members of this group was discussed during a visit from elders, but the members are happy to come along for bowling, and then enjoy tea and a chat afterwards.
Pancake Breakfast: We are pleased to advise that this will take place on Sunday 19 February at 9.45 am before morning worship, and we look forward to sharing this time of fellowship with you. The cost will be £2 with all proceeds going to Strathcarron Hospice as part of our outreach to the community.
Lunch on Sunday 2 April (Palm Sunday): Following a joint service at Anderson Church on 12 March, we felt it would be a good idea to hold a lunch after morning worship at the next joint service to be held at Kilsyth Burns & Old on 2 April. We feel this provides an idea opportunity for the two congregations to come together. Please put this date in your diary and come along on the day.
As always, we welcome ideas for mission and outreach from any member of the congregation. Just pass on your ideas to any member of the Mission Group and we will be happy to consider them.
February 2023
Here we are - mid February and the snowdrops have made their appearance. Such lovely little flowers which will multiply yearly. Is spring around the corner?
January 2023
Happy New Year to all. We look forward to the new opportunities to serve which 2023 will bring.
Reflective Service: The Mission Group thanks everyone who braved the icy conditions to attend the Reflective Service in the Church and thanks also to those who joined us on Conferoo. From your feedback, we are delighted that the service was seen as uplifting and with a positive message and we are very grateful to all the willing participants who helped to bring this about.
Foodbank Appeal: Once again, the Mission Group has been overwhelmed by the generosity of the congregation in responding to our appeal for Christmas goodies for the Foodbank. Each week over the the three week period of the appeal, a full car load of donations was delivered to the local Foodbank. They were very gratefully received and the Foodbank wishes to thank each and every one for their kindness which enabled them to donate hampers to many needy families in our community in time for Christmas. We are reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew 25, v35 "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat."
Peace Garden: It will not be long before we see snowdrops making their very welcome appearance all round the perimeter wall of the Church. They are incredibly delicate yet hardy little flowers which lift our spirits as we know that soon after the spring bulbs will make an apparance and the cycle of gardening life begins all over again.
Future Plans: At the time of writing this article, the Mission Group has yet to have the first meeting of 2023. It is a good time to remind everyone that the Mission Group welcomes ideas of mission and outreach from any member of the congregation. Just pass on your ideas to any member of the Group and we will be happy to consider them and make 2023 an exciting year in our Church calendar.
December 2022
Reflective Service
The Mission Group invites you to this year's Reflective Service in the church on Sunday 11 December 2022 at 3.00pm. The church will be in candelight and there will be an opportunity for anyone wishing to light a candle in memory of a loved one.
We know that this has been a very difficult and sad year for many in our congregation and community and, while we will pause to reflect on that within the service, we also want to recognise that there have been lighter moments and times of celebration. We have worked hard to ensure that this will be an uplifting service with lovely readings, messages and special musical items in the hope that you will go home feeling your heart a bit lighter, and saying that it was good to have come along.
Please invite a family member or friend. All will be made very welcome and there will be an opportunity after the service to share some time together over tea/coffee and some Christmas fayre. The service will also be available on Conferoo. Please dial in any time from 2.50 - 2.59 on 0345 0388 07442, pin no 468 824.
Food Bank
As part of our outreach to the local community, we have invited Lesley Murray from the local Foodbank to come along and give a short talk at the service on Sunday 27 November 2022. We understand that everyone is affected by the rising cost of food, energy and just about everything. We also recognisse that the congregation gave generously for the Harvest Thanksgiving.
However, we also know that this Christmas there are families in our town who will be dependant on help and support from the Foodbank which in turn is dependant on donations from the community it serves. While the Foodbank will accept any donations, at this time of year to help them provide hampers to needy families, they would particularly welcome donations of crackers, oatcakes, cheese, tinned ham, Schloer or juice, fresh orange juice, boxes of sweets/selection boxes, long life milk and sugar.
If you are able to help in any way you are able, please bring items to Church startng from Sunday 4 December 2022. There will be a box in the vestibule which can be handed to any member of the Duty Team. We will then deliver them to the Foodbank.
Peace Garden
The Gardening Team has planted up the spring bulbs which will hopefully bring some colour to the garden in the Spring. The snowdrops around the perimeter wall should be well established and we look forward to a lovely show as they make their appearance in late January/early February.
Walking Group
The Walking Group has enjoyed some lovely walks throughout the year. During the winter months, it is hard to predict when and where will be suitable for walking. There may be some ad-hoc walks but our main programme will return in the early Spring. We look forward to some new friends joining us as we enjoy easy walking in and around our lovely area.
The Mission Group thanks the Kirk Session and congregation for all the support and encouragement you have given us throughout 2022 and wish everyone a Happy and Peaceful Christmas.
November 2022
New Friends
A warm welcome continues to be extended to ex-members of Banton and Twechar churches. We are already very happy to have welcomed members from both churches.
Ex members of Banton Church have been receiving our "Contact" magazine for some time but recently, following the sad closure of Twechar church, "Contact" has now been delivered in the Twechar area along with a warm invitation to join us.
We hope that ove the Christmas period we will have the opportunity of welcoming more members from both churches and that they will enjoy the fellowshi here at Kilsyth Burns & Old.
October 2022
Recently, the Mission Group has been meeting on a fortnightly basis.
Foodbank
We understand that everyone is impacted by the increase in the cost of living and higher energy prices. We will be supporting the local Foodbank with our Harvest Thanksgiving donations but, recognising that there is an all year round demand on the Foodbank, we feel it would be good to donate to them on an ongoing basis.
Starting from the first Sunday in December, we will have a box in the vestibule of the Church to receive donations for the Foodbank. We invite you to donate whatever you can, even one item, as and when you can, to the box with the clear understanding that we appreciate all our incomes are being stretched this winter. However, we do know that there are those in our community for whom the Foodbank is their lifeline.
Peace Garden
The Gardening Group had a happy morning up at Caulders chosing some autumnal plants for the garden. We were very fortunate that the day we chose for planting out was dry and sunny, quite a rare ocurrence over the last few weeks. As we have been working in the garden, we have had the opportunity to speak to quite a few folk who really enjoy passing through and sitting down in the peaceful setting. We feel this has really become a garden enjoyed and admired by the community. It only remains now to have the spring bulbs planted which will happen very shortly.
Walking Group
We did not have a walk in October. We may have one in November depending on numbers and weather. Details of a November walk will be intimated on the previous Sundays and will also be on the website.
Support for concert
The Mission Group enjoyed being part of this very happy afternoon, organising and serving the afternoon teas. It was great to see everyone so clearly enjoying themselves.
Pancake Breakfast
Again, a very happy time, well supported by the congregation. It was good to see the ongoing support for Mary's Meals. Further details are available under a separate announcement. However, the sum of £600 was raised for this very deserving cause. A huge "thank you" to everyone who helped on the day and supported us.
Reflective Service
We are well ahead with our plans for this year's Reflective Service which will take place on: Sunday 11 December at 3.00pm in the Sanctuary.
The service this year, which will also be available on Conferoo, will be a bit different, both in format and in mood as we travel together the Road to Bethlehem through word, images and very special musical items. We would ask you to put this date in your diaries, and, if possible, come down to the Church to experience what we know will be a very meaningful and uplifting service.
As you will see from the above, the Mission Group is very active. We appreciate very much the support we receive from the Kirk Session and the congregation. If you have any ideas you would like to pass on, please do so by speaking to any Mission Group member (see names of members at the top).
September 2022
We had a very busy meeting on 5 September planning for the months ahead.
Peace Garden: The gardening Group continues to work in the Peace Garden and has also done some additional work within the Church grounds. Over the next few weeks, we will be removing the summer bedding and replacing it with some additional planting. We are really happy that the congregation is using the garden area for some quiet time or just meeting up with friends.
If you are interested in joining the Gardening Group to help with some light maintenance or for a chat about gardening in general, please contact any Mission Group member. We would love to have your company.
Walking Group: See latest information under separate Walking Group page.
Pancake Breakfast: The Mission Group will host a Pancake Breakfast on Sunday 16 October 2022 from 9.45 to 10.45. This will be for funds for Mary's Meals and will keep alive our commitment to this very worthwhile charity now that the backpack programme has stopped. We look forward to your support as you enjoy lovely pancakes and some fellowship before our Sunday worship. In addition, we are working on plans to support much needed charities nearer to home.
Concert, 1 October 2022: The Mission Group members are looking forward to supporting this event by arranging and serving the afternoon teas. We look forward to sharing with you in what promises to be a very happy afternoon.
Reflective Service: We are now working on plans for the Reflective Service on Sunday 11 December 2022 at 3.00pm. It is hoped that the service this year will be held in the church and also over Conferoo.
August 2022
Service of Thanksgiving and Celebration
A sincere "thank you" to all who responded to the invitation to join us for the service, both in person and on Conferoo, on Sunday 7 August. There has been really positive feedback on the format of the service and we owe a very special thanks to Rev Sandra Farrington, Lorna Duncan, Jean McDonald and Margaret Bankier for their very meaningful contributions. It was so good to see so many in the sanctuary for the service and we hope that it will have been a stepping stone for those who had been hesitant about returning to church. On the other hand, we totally recognise that for some people it is just not possible to be in the sanctuary on a Sunday and we know how much hearing the services on Conferoo means to them and how we must strive to improve the quality of their experience.
Peace Garden: The final part of the Service of Thanksgiving and Celebration was held in the Peace Garden. We were blessed with a fine dry morning enabling most of the congregation to be out in the garden area. It was a very moving moment when Bob dedicated the Peace Garden as a special area within the church grounds. The singing of the doxology outdoors was lovely as the service drew to a close. We hope that the area will continue to be a special place for meeting with friends or for a quiet reflection.
It has been a lovely summer to have been working in the Peace Garden. We have added in a large section of new shrubs and plants to the two main flower beds and planted alpines below the Church notice board in keeping with the shallower ground. More tubs and troughs have also been added in and around the Church grounds for an extra boost of seasonal colour. After two years now, like any garden, we are finding what takes root and thrives!
Thank you to everyone who has donated to the garden over the summer; it has been very much appreciated and allowed us to continue to develop the area. The gardeners took time out as well this year for the first time and had a catch-up at the garden solely for the purpose of enjoying the surroundings. All had a lovely morning and we hope to repeat it again before the weather changes.
Anyone who would like to come along and join the gardeners would be made most welcome. It is only light duties we do now to maintain the garden, the biggest thing we do is CHAT! All welcome.
Walking Group: See latest information under Walking Group page.
Future Plans: We are working on plans for a Reflective Service in December and some other events over the next few months. Please feel free to pass on any ideas you may have to any Mission Group member.