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Church Magazine Easter 2011 |
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Interim Moderator's Letter
Gardenstown Manse March
2011 This is my fourth and final letter as your
Interim Moderator, for we are now in the happy position of having called a
new minister for Macduff Parish Church. This has
been a relative short vacancy nowadays, and we now look forward to Friday 15
April when Calum Stark will be ordained and
inducted as minister. Looking back on the time since the church became
vacant we are delighted in the way that the numbers attending worship have
remained healthy. Worship has been led by a number of different preachers including
your own readers, and each have brought the
unchanging message of the salvation found in Jesus Christ in their own way. I
want to express my thanks for their willingness to lead worship. As we now look ahead to a new chapter in the life
of the church, I know that many of you are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Calum, Liz and the boys. Some of you who read this magazine will not have
been attending as regularly as you might have wanted to. If that has been the
case, it is now your opportunity for new beginnings and to also be an
encouragement for the new minister with your presence at church. The new minister begins at a most glorious time
in the Christian calendar, which is the celebration of the rising from the
grave of the Messiah, Jesus. His coming into the world is important, of
course, but his resurrection is even more important, for if Jesus did not
rise from the dead, then we have no hope. ‘We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.’ -
Hebrews 6:19 He was put to death before Passover, and he was
raised, that is where our faith lies, and because he arose to newness of
life, we too can be raised to new life in Him. I will have the opportunity of giving a
presentation of the last week of the life of Christ on earth, at Macduff Church on Good Friday. This presentation is based
on the biblical account and enhanced by photographs from Israel from my last
number of visits. Perhaps you already realise that around a third of the
Gospels refer to the last week of Jesus. Such was the importance of those
events then and for us today. Do make sure you come on that Friday evening. After the resurrection Jesus, said to ‘doubting’
Thomas, “Because you have seen me you have believed, blessed are those who
have not seen me and yet have believed. - John 20:29 Donald N
Martin |
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Calum Stark
Nominating
Committee There
was a sense of anticipation as members of the Nominating Committee met in the
church extension on a cold Tuesday evening early in December. A phone call was being made to Calum Stark to ask him to preach as sole nominee. Spontaneously, a round of applause broke
out as Calum’s positive response was relayed to the
waiting group. Eight months of
meetings, phone calls, discussions, visits and prayer culminated in the
unanimous decision to recommend Calum to the Kirk
Session and Congregation. Calum and Liz first met with the committee during the
last weekend in October when, as well as having the opportunity to look round
the town, they also joined the congregation for the service of
communion. The committee are grateful
for the support and encouragement of the congregation and now look forward to
the start of his ministry. Calum and Liz will have the opportunity to introduce
themselves, but the following will be of interest as a brief background: Calum was brought up in Edinburgh and studied Law at Dundee
University. From there he worked in Human
Resources (Personnel Services) with East Lothian Council and Edinburgh’s
Telford College. He met and married
Liz, who is a daughter of the manse from Northern Ireland and is a teacher. They have two children - Douglas (7) and
Fergus (3). Calum’s
interests include many sports and he was a part time ski instructor for a
number of years. Calum was converted at a Billy Graham outreach in 1991 and
about seven years ago began to feel the call from God to full time
ministry. He trained at Edinburgh
University, graduating in 2009. His
probationary period was spent at Granton Parish
Church where Rev Norman Smith is minister.
Norman will be remembered by many for spending his probationary period
in Macduff. The
Nominating Committee is delighted to be able to commend Calum,
Liz and their family to the congregation and to the community. Call to Macduff – A Letter from Calum
God often speaks in simple ways
I think that we often make Christianity
into something extremely complex, when God calls us to do things that are
very simple. In the Bible Jesus says
to his disciples, “follow me” – you can’t get more clear-cut than that! This does not mean that the Christian life
is easy because often carrying out the most simple of tasks can be difficult
as they often involve sacrifice, commitment and trust – things that, as human
beings we instinctively resist. When I felt called to the ministry, over
five years ago now, it came as a bit of a surprise. Liz, who was brought up as a child of the
manse, never for a moment thought that she might end up in a manse as a wife
and mother! However we both felt God’s
gentle prompting, nudging and guiding at the same time bringing about a
shared vision and sense of “togetherness” as we looked towards the future.
This was something that was to prove crucial in our calling to Macduff. After completing my training I commenced
the process of looking at various vacancies and I must admit that things
seemed increasingly unclear, this feeling was exacerbated by that fact that I
was inundated on a weekly basis with parish profiles coming through the
letter box from areas all across the country (this is something that happens
to all candidates for the ministry as your name gets added to a list that
nominating committees across Scotland can access). Throughout my training people kept saying
“surely you’ll look for a job in Edinburgh.”
This was a loaded question and on this one, I was clear, we were not
looking for a role in Edinburgh as both Liz and I felt guided from an early
stage that we needed to be willing to move further afield. The other popular question was “what kind
of a parish would you like?” To this I
had no answer – was I suited to a city church, a country Kirk, a big
congregation or a small community?
Whilst I did not have an answer to this question, I did feel a clear
sense that my calling was to be about “people rather than place.” I therefore recognised quickly that I
needed to meet a group of people who were like-minded, who shared a common
vision and with whom I felt the potential to become part of a genuine faith
family and gospel partners – little did I know that this was to be found
beyond my expectation in Macduff! On our first arrival in Macduff
to meet the nominating committee, Liz and I prayed a simple prayer together –
“as we meet the people of this church please make this clear for both of us
and them as to whether this is where you want us to serve you.” Whilst this may seem nicely balanced, I
must confess that despite sounding quite open in that prayer we were
subconsciously closed. Despite feeling
led to leave Edinburgh I had decided to lay down my agenda and complicate
things by limiting our search more centrally and Macduff
was outside my mental geographical boundary line! I had been challenged by a
certain Rev. N Smith (my supervisor) earlier in the month as to why I had not
applied for this vacancy and I realised deep down that I should not limit
possibilities. After having had a
tour of Macduff and the surrounding vicinity and
after having met with the committee, both Liz and I felt overcome and
immediately felt drawn to the “people and the place!” We did not expect that to happen – we were
very much of one mind – we were compelled in a way that neither of us
expected! Through this process I have been reminded
once more that often God’s ways are simple and straightforward and we have to
be careful not to complicate things by overlaying our own personal
agenda. As one person said to me “when
you go through times when there are big decisions to make you can either
tread water and strive to achieve your own will or you can lean back, trust
and float on God’s spirit.” We have been overcome by God’s generosity
and patience with us in this process and also by the warm welcome that we
have already received from you. We are
grateful to all of you who have been praying for us and we look forward to
our new life with you and becoming part of your church family here in Macduff. Calum Stark Service of
Induction The
service of the Induction and Ordination of Calum
Stark will take place at 7.00pm on Friday 15 April 2011 This
service is conducted by the Presbytery of Buchan and will be followed by a
social event and welcome to Calum and the family
that will take place in the church immediately after. Full details of both events will be
publicised nearer the time. However,
it is hoped that members of the congregation and community will want to be
present to welcome Calum and as a sign of support
for his ministry. We anticipate a
number of visitors from across Scotland and Northern Ireland - including Rev.
Norman Smith returning to the place of his own probationary period. Kirk
Session Since
Calum Stark preached on Sunday 9 January as sole
nominee I have frequently been asked about potential changes. My answer has often included the phrase
that this will be a “new chapter” in the life of the congregation. A chapter in a book does not stand on its
own. In a good book each chapter
builds on what has gone before. Themes
that run through a book are taken forward and developed. Characters mature and take on new
roles. Since the Christian Gospel
first came to the Moray coast, the message of salvation through Jesus has
been central to the life and worship of the church. The Bible as God’s word has been read and
preached. Christians have sought
practical means to share God’s love with neighbours, friends and
colleagues. As a new minister arrives,
these themes will continue. No doubt
society will change as we move further into the 21st century and
so too the way the Gospel is presented must evolve. How we as a church respond to new
situations will change, but the underlying themes continue. Like a book, the life of the church is
about people with their different personalities, interests and skills. As members of the congregation we have
parts to play in the next phase in the life of Macduff
Parish Church - for we are the church, God’s people in our community. There will be times to use and develop
talents and skills. As in a book,
there will be the opportunity to develop our personal contributions in new situations
and as new people join the fellowship.
It is not a time to be “written out” but to become more involved in
the story. For the central theme of
the story is God working. Our place in
the life of His church continues, as should be our desire to live for
him. Like many, I enjoy reading books. However, no matter how much any of us might
enjoy a particular chapter there is little point in putting a book down with
more pages still to read. As we look
forward to Calum Stark’s arrival, and the anticipation
of a new chapter opening, the challenge for each of us is take our place in
the story of the life of Macduff Parish
Church. A story that has yet to be
written and which, by God’s grace, we can look forward to with anticipation
and excitement. . Preachers – March and
April
Calum will be taking the services after
he is ‘preached in’ on Sunday 17 April at 11 a.m. Easter Services 7.30pm
Friday 22 April - Good Friday Service 8.30am
Sunday 24 April - Early beach morning service at Sandy Ends followed
by breakfast in the Extension 11.00am
Sunday 24 April - Easter family worship 6.00pm
Sunday 24 April - Easter Evening worship Junior Church WHAT CAN ‘WE’ LEARN FROM ‘THEM’ ???
Epaphroditus – a missionary working along with
Paul! Philemon
– a slave owner! Timothy
– a young lad learning to live God’s way! Jonah
– a prophet who didn’t like what God was asking him to do! ****************************************** These are the characters that we have been
learning about in Junior Church over the past weeks. All of them lived a long time ago, so what
do they have to teach us today? From David we learn that God does
not always do what we expect! When it
came to the sons of Jesse, the prophet Samuel was sure that a future king
would be coming from among those who were presented to him – but God said
“NO!” He told Samuel “You can only see
what is outside, I can see the heart!”1Sam16v7.
God sees beyond what and how we are right now. He sees what we can become if we are
willing to walk in His ways. David was
not perfect, but God said “He is a man after my own heart” Acts13v22. Epaphroditus teaches us that
following God requires commitment and sometimes self – sacrifice Phil2v25-30. Epaphroditus had
been sent by the church to help Paul; he had become ill as a result of all
the hard work he had done and needed some well-earned rest. As we think of our own lives; how committed
are we - not only to the work of God but also to looking after the welfare of
those who are ‘totally’ involved in God’s service? Following Jesus requires change. Philemon was a believer – his house
was the meeting place for the local church.
Onesimus, his slave, was lazy and had run
away only to end up in prison! There he
met Paul and came to faith in Jesus.
Philemon was asked not only to take him back, but to forgive him and
accept him as a brother in Christ. The
challenge for us is – are we ready to forgive those who have wronged us; or accept
those who are ‘different’ from us? Timothy could be any young person who has
grown up going to church, yet unsure of their faith as they go out into the
wider world. Paul writes to encourage
him to stand firm in his faith, not to be afraid – for the truths he learned
from his mother and grandmother are what will help him to live for God 2Tim1v3-10:3v14-17. Through Timothy we learn that young people
need encouragement from those who are more experienced in the things of God. They need to be encouraged to read their
Bible, pray and find fellowship as they move away from home. There won’t always be a Christian family in
the background to support them. Sometimes older Christians may feel like
they have done their ‘bit’ for the church and it is time to step back, but
they have an important role in encouraging younger people whether by letter,
phone or email! Jonah – most of us are familiar with the story
but it is not so much a story about a big fish but a challenge of obedience
to God! God very often leads us along
paths that we don’t want to go. It is
all too easy to rebel. Yet through
Jonah we learn the importance of obedience and the consequences when we
don’t! But we also learn that even if
we have run away from what God wants us to do, we are assured that if we
repent, God will forgive us and let us start again. In Junior Church it is our aim, not only to
tell Bible stories, but also to explain the lessons behind them. In doing so, we often learn things as well.
It doesn’t matter how old or young we
are, there is always something for us to learn from the things we read in the
Bible – even the ‘boring’ bits! As I
write this, Valentine’s day has just passed – many will have received
expressions of love in the way of cards or flowers. As you read the Bible, remember it is God’s
‘love letter’ to us – we only need to open our hearts and minds to accept His
love and listen to what He has to say. Anna Sivewright Jive The
Friday night youth club, formerly known as YES, was revived and re-branded in
August. Youngsters, Academy age, S1
and upwards have been coming along fortnightly to enjoy a mix of games,
music, Wii and our Bible Bit, which explores
different themes from a biblical view.
We have also had pizza nights, a smoothie n
sports night and have been joined by the Huntly
Youth Group recently. An invitation to
the P7’s going to JAFFA will be going out soon and we hope to encourage them
to come along to ensure a smooth transition between groups before they head
off to the Academy. We
have a Wii console, but sadly only 2 games, if
anyone has old or spare games not being used we would greatly appreciate any
donations. We
thank you for your continued support in prayer for the youth work and an open
invitation is given to any youngster of Academy age to come along, a reminder
is in the Banff Academy school bulletin every fortnight. Gordon,
Steven and Helen DATES:
18 Mar, 1, 29 April, 13, 27 May, 10, 24 June The Guild Following
a cancelled meeting due to unpredictable weather in December, 2011 got off to
a calmer start with Dr Eilidh Whiteford
MP encouraging
us with her lively account of her life story, her warmth and her clear
thinking. I’m sure Guild members feel
they have an excellent representative at Westminster - irrespective of their
party politics! For
our second Jnauary meeting we were delighted that
Joe Mackinnon was able to come and share with us some of his experiences of
his year in South Africa where he worked on Outward Bound courses bringing
wholly new experiences to the people from the townships. Joe’s beautiful pictures were appreciated
as were his enthusiasm and confidence in what he was doing. The thought of abseiling down cliff faces
or encountering black mambas was just too much for some of us!! We all wish Joe well in his future studies. Our
mental stimulation was continued by ‘Question Time’ at our first February
meeting when Dr Janet Anderson, Hamish Hunter, Fiona Stewart and Sydney Mair gave their differing and sometimes controversial
views on subjects from climate change, animal welfare and council
communication to their choice of luxuries on a desert island and their
alternative choice of career. With Helen McPherson as a lively and
encouraging chairperson we reckon the real ‘Question Time’ has competition. At
each Guild meeting we enjoy singing along to Moyra’s
accompaniment but this session we have had the pleasure and inspiration of
listening to a short recital of Moyra’s choice of
beautiful piano music. As part of our
tribute to Esther, Moyra movingly played ‘Deep
River’ while we all remembered Esther as we knew her. On a lighter note, Moyra
set up a hymn tune quiz when we realized how easy it is to hum along but how
hard it is to remember the words of the first line! We are blessed in having such a willing and
accomplished pianist. At
the
end of our session, Guild members will be once again supporting the Guild
Projects. The two we have chosen this
year are Mission Aviation Fellowship’s Madagascar Run and International Justice’s ‘Terrify
No More’ against human trafficking in Cambodia. It is good to see that after just eighteen
months of the current six projects, guilds across Scotland have raised £325
577.00. As
Guild members locally we would like to thank you all for your support, both
prayerful and financial, in everything we try to do in following our theme,
‘Called to love mercy’ and in adhering to our motto, ‘Whose we are and Whom
we serve’. We would also like to
remind you that all the meetings are open and you are warmly invited to
attend. We’ll bring out more chairs
and spread more pancakes ‘nae bather at aa’ and you’ll wonder why you put the Guild experience
off for so long. Elspet Macintosh Advance Notices The
Guild – Thursday evenings 7.30 pm
Young
People’s activities
Men
for Mission Held
at Jim Givan’s at 7.30 pm on Monday 4
April 2011 Men’s
Breakfasts – commence at 8.30 am
Coffee Corner –
Every Tuesday 10 am – 12 noon In Church Hall,
Market Street All Stars – Parents
and Toddlers whenever school is open 1 pm – 2.30 pm in
Church Hall, Market Street Mid-week meeting
held every Wednesday 7.45 pm In Church Hall,
Market Street House Groups held
on alternate weeks as per Intimation Sheet Mondays at 7.30 pm Friday at 10.30 am |
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