Hi,
I hope you are continuing to enjoy this unusually sunny weather, but are perhaps wondering, 'What's the catch?', or indeed 'Is this a sign of the End Times?'. Scott loves getting these eschatological questions any time of day or night so don't hold back... but if I were you I wouldn't be making too many plans for the future, just saying.
So, the magazine is off for a much undeserved Summer break...will any of us be here by the time it's back...will that affect the readership to any great degree?
The fact that we are only in the introduction and it's already gone a bit esoteric just proves that it's time for a break.
Enjoy the mag!
M
From the Manse
Dear Congregation,
There was a General Assembly this year in May which was partly in Edinburgh and mostly on-line. I was not present. The outcomes of that Assembly are being disseminated. The Faith Nurture Forum delivered a supplementary report which was accepted and called for a radical action plan to help turn the denomination around.
The letter below is certainly unsettling for all in the Church of Scotland as well as ourselves at MMCC. However, we trust in a Sovereign God whose purposes are not always clear to us. It is His Church. It is to Him we must go in prayer at this time.
The denomination has financial shortfalls, dwindling numbers attending worship and an excess of property. In addition to these facts, around 35% of ministers will reach retirement age within the next few years. The number of candidates for the ministry is very small.
Two of our elders and myself recently participated in an online question and answer session about this report.
The report calls for the church that emerges from this era to have “Mission” at its heart. This mission is defined under “5 Marks”. These are:
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To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom.
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To teach, baptise and nurture new believers.
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To respond to human need by loving service.
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To seek to transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind, and pursue peace and reconciliation.
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To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.
The Assembly passed The Presbytery Mission Plan Act which plans to cut the number of employees across the country. The report states that by 2025 the denomination will only be able to afford 600 posts, a significant reduction. If interested you can read this report here.
Glasgow Presbytery which currently has over 130 staffing positions and about 130 congregations are to reduce staffing to 84 (that is all staff). A plan on how this shall be achieved has to put in place by September 2022 and “signed off” centrally by December 2022. For the Church of Scotland, that is an exceptionally fast time-frame.
There is an equally radical requirement for reduction in the number of church buildings. There are too many buildings which are often in the wrong location. Many are ill equipped for ministry in the 21st century, are large, expensive to maintain and accommodate very small congregations.
In Newton Mearns, we currently have four congregations, four ministers and four buildings. (Eaglesham was granted permission to call a new minister before the embargo came into place and so Rev Jade Ableitner will be inducted in September.)
Two of our Mearns ministers have indicated they will reach retirement age within the next few years. Another minister nearby, though far from retirement, is employed on the basis of “reviewable tenure” and this is scheduled for review in the same period. In the event of these retirements/review opportunity is created for change.
I still have about ten years till retirement and my calling to Maxwell is based on an “unrestricted tenure”. In regard to any plan, “unrestricted tenure” means that (as church law currently stands) it is only with my agreement that the circumstances of my “Call” to Maxwell Mearns Castle as minister can change.
The outcome of the above must be fewer congregations, fewer ministers, fewer buildings and the Mearns will be brought into these reductions.
Presbytery is wanting each congregation to see this as a positive opportunity to discuss how it sees its future. To this end, our elders have actually already begun praying about this and have been meeting for prayer through the summer.
I appreciate there are many questions which emerge from the information above and I am not sure we can know too many answers at this time. However, at this point, I would invite each of you to begin praying about the future of the Church of Scotland and the congregations of The Mearns.
The Acting Presbytery Clerk of Glasgow Presbytery has produced a six-minute video about this which you can watch on YouTube here.
Scott
Fellowship in the Sun
It's been really good to have the opportunity to wait around after the services recently, grab a coffee and catch up with people.
Small things we used to take for granted.
Thanks to those who have organised this week to week - if you would like to be involved and part of the rota helping to organise this just email Sue at the office.
Ladybird Book of Maxwell
Olympics (kind of ) Bible Quiz
Shooting:
David won the battle against Goliath with a shot from his sling.
1. How many stones had he brought with him to the battle?
2. Which tribe was Goliath from ?
Running:
3. What are the missing words in this verse?
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of......................... let us throw off everything that hinders and the........ that so easily entangles. And let us run with ................................... the race marked out for us, fixing our ................. on ...................., the pioneer and perfecter of ..............
Javelin:
4. Who threw a Javelin at David before he was King? And why?
Wrestling:
5. Who wrestled with God?
6. What part of his body did God injure in the fight?
7. What was this person's name changed to after the fight?
Swimming:
8. Paul had to do some open water swimming in Acts 27 - which Island did he and others land on?
Weight Lifting:
9. Samson carried the gates away from which Philistine city?
10. What was the name of the woman who caused him to lose his strength?
Answers below
Refiner's Fire
Fiona W came across this reflection and sent it in...if you have things for the magazine, send to Sue at the office.
There was once a group of women studying the book of Malachi in the Old Testament.
As they were studying chapter three, they came across verse three, which says: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” This verse puzzled the women, and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study.
That week this woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot – then she thought again about the verse, that he sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.
The man answered “Yes”, and explained that he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be damaged.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”
He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy. When I see my image in it.”
If today you are feeling the heat of this world’s fire, just remember that God, our Father has His eyes on you.
This is a 'sermon jam' video from Matt Chandler which goes well with the reflection above.
Definitely worth a 2 min watch...and then maybe watch again.
Summer Holiday Club - Resources!
Monday 9th - Friday 13th August
Plans are well underway for holiday club in August. Booking has opened on Eventbrite and over half the spaces are filled already. Please spread the word to anyone with primary school aged children. Details are on our website and Facebook page. If anyone would like to join a prayer team specifically for holiday club please contact Graeme Lipsett.
RESOURCES!
We have a number of resources we need to gather and are hopeful some people in the congregation may be able to provide us with some things. If you have anything on the list below we could borrow or have please get in touch. (I'm on holiday for a week so will reply on my return!) Thanks, Pauline
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Gazebos
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Tarpaulins/ground sheets/picnic rugs
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Medium/large plastic boxes with lids to store group resources like stationary, craft supplies, bibles etc and to protect them if it rains!
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Wool and string
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Leftover lengths of wallpaper/lining paper
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Small traffic cones/markers
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Any jungle themed waterproof decorations or props
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Jungle explorer style hat
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Play dough
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Jenga game
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Wooden play building bricks
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Large boxes
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Water guns
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Colourful thread
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Old washing lines
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Old colanders
Play Group
It's been great to hear about how well the Play Group has done since starting up again after the restrictions. We prayed that the start back would go well...these photos should prompt us to give thanks.
Quiz Answers:
1. 5 2. Philistines
3. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
4. King Saul. Jealousy
5. Jacob 6. Hip 7. Israel 8. Malta
9. Gaza 10. Delilah
PULSE is off the Summer weeks.