The Autumn 2007 Messenger Letter from the Manse Well, we can’t ask where has summer gone, because it never really arrived, did it? That is unless, you count the few weeks we had in April. So it seems that we are going into a new Session without having had those wonderful hey days of a typical Aberdeen summer. It is nice to have good weather, but that isn’t all that matters. What matters is that you are hale and hearty and that you are comfortable and well looked after. The summer time in St Mark’s has been one of the busiest since I became Minister in 1989. There have been few days when there has been a lull and so as I write I find myself looking forward to my own break in a few weeks time when I will take up a book and don my sunspecs and think about you all! Two visitors who came to Aberdeen and happened to come into our Church during a Coffee Morning one Saturday remarked how friendly everyone was, and how loving towards each other, they had not seen this in any church before. To me that is a statement of what we are all about here in St Mark’s. I have said it many times, that because we are a City Centre Church it is important that we go out of our way to show that very special welcome, not only on a Sunday morning, but also at other times. On Sunday 12th August I took part in a service that was called “Ask the Minister a question”. Out of that service came 5 deep thinking questions which provided me with some thoughts for the new Session. Many of the folks at the door said how much they enjoyed the service, and one couple said that it was a pity that there were not more in Church to hear what was being said. With that in mind I have printed the questions and the answers, in the hope that some of what was said will make all of you think about the future of St Mark’s. I hope to see much more of you in the coming months. Every Blessing
From your Minister and his Family Question 1
John, how and when did you realise you had the gift to Heal? Answer
I have been interested in the Healing Ministry for some time now, but it was whilst I was serving as a trainee Minister that it really took root. The Minister I was being supervised by, Rev Ian Currie of St John’s in Paisley, mentioned that I may be interested in going to a Healing Service which was to be conducted by the Rev Maurice Coull at Hillington Park Church in Glasgow. I went eagerly, and there learned how Maurice had found his own Healing Ministry when he laid hands on his dying niece, who had been given days to live by the Medical Staff in Yorkhill Hospital. Allison, then aged 4, was in the final stages of Leukaemia. After Maurice had laid his hands on her and left, the little girl came to and asked her mother why Uncle Maurice’s fingers felt so ‘fizzy’. He knew, she knew and I knew, in fact we all knew that that ‘fizziness’ was God’s power surging into her little body because 4 days later she was released from hospital miraculously cured, and is to this day a witness to Healing. I would like to make it very clear that I do not heal anyone, I am merely an instrument of Christ’s Healing power in the world. I do as He wills me to do. Question 2
When we pray for people in church that we don’t know, how does God know who that person is? Answer
God is omnipotent. Omnipotent is a big word which means He is everything and everywhere at the same time, much more than we can ever imagine. God knows everything about us and about every other person. He knows before we tell Him that someone is ill, and He knows what is needed to make that person well. Our prayers show God about our concern for His children in the world whether we know them or not. It has also been true that many times prayers that are said for others out of compassion are the most effective. I don’t really think that people fully understand the power that prayer has and the effects that it can proffer. Question 3
How do we, as a Congregation, encourage members to attend Sunday worship? Answer
Every member of St Mark’s should be aware of their commitment to the Church and to Jesus Christ. Membership entails regular attendance and giving a proportionate part of your income for the work of the Church. If it is not taken seriously then the Church will go into decline and eventually die and be closed. I know people cannot be at church all the time. Holidays take place and illness and so forth, but it should not stop the commitment taken on with membership. Each member has been given a command by Jesus to go out into the world (metaphorically speaking) and spread the Good News. The Good News being the story of Jesus and what He can do for people. Goodness knows how much we need that now. The day will come when every person reading this will be asked this question by Jesus Christ. “How many people did you bring to Me?” What will your answer be?
Question 4
Is it time for a full Stewardship Campaign and could members be reminded that they need to give every week of the year, whether or not they attend church - especially in the summer months?
Answer
This is really two questions in one, so I will take the first part about Stewardship. Every congregation has been ordered by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, to appoint a Stewardship Convenor. Because no one in St Mark’s has volunteered it has been left to me to take on the task. That means I have to be responsible for bringing to the attention of members the need for regular giving and good stewardship of our resources. Secondly, if everyone did as they promised to do there would be no need for a Campaign, but yes, we will have to have a Campaign and this will start in the autumn of this year. I will be calling on a few members of the Board to help me organise this but you will see by the Worship Calendar that we will be starting this in October of this year. This summer has been disappointing, not only the weather we have had but also the lack of attendance amongst many of our members. There are members who say they don’t come because there is no Sunday School. I cannot accept that as an excuse for non attendance. There are those who prefer to be elsewhere other than in church on Sunday morning. I will not get into an argument with anyone about their commitments, but the warning is clear...use it or lose it! I cannot be more exact than that. Bums on seats will solve many of our problems, so let us see a clearer indication of your commitment in the months and years to come. Questions 5
What do you consider your main achievement at St Mark’s and what, if anything, has been a source of disappointment in the life of the Congregation? Answer
Again there are two questions here and I will take the one about achievements first. I have never really looked at myself as being an achiever in the sense of the word, so achievement is not something I really set out to do. Things happened as I went along and I tackled them one at a time. As I look around our Church I can see that our Church has been completely refurbished from top to bottom literally since I became the Minister here and that to me is something worth talking about. It means that, with the exception of an annoying little leak, the building should be wind and water tight for the next 100 years,
give or take a year! The Church has also moved out of the status of an unnecessary building to one of full status, meaning quite simply that when I retire you, as a Congregation, will get the right to call a Minister on full status. That helps me to sleep better at night...but it will be asked of you when the time comes...do you want a Minister?...yes or no. If yes, then you will have to pay for him/her. To answer the question about disappointment. I think that mainly my disappointment lies in the fact that too many people in the Congregation like to take time off for no other reason than lack of commitment. It is very hard to get people to take on responsibilities now, and is an indictment on your commitment to serve your Church in the future. Need I say more! There will be a special service organised to try and deal with this later on next year. NB I would like to say that I did enjoy the question session, especially as I had no knowledge of the questions beforehand. A Word From Our Stewardship Convener One of my many roles is that of Stewardship Convener, therefore it is my task to implement what has been suggested by a member of the congregation during the ‘Question Time’ Service. I am therefore proposing that we hold a Stewardship Campaign. The lead up time to the Campaign will take place in October. The reason for this Campaign is fairly obvious. Apart from a loss of income because of the demise of the Leisure Centre (VSA), overall costs have risen in the last two years by nearly 15% whereas offerings have only risen by a very small percentage, if at all. It means that in 2008 I will be asking every person to re-commit themselves to their giving to St Mark’s. Just as the retiring Treasurer has intimated, we lose a lot of income from those who give only when they come to church instead of giving weekly. This cannot go on and the matter will have to be addressed in the Stewardship Campaign. If you are one of the people to whom I am referring, then please ensure that your commitment to Christ is one of importance.
Rev John M Watson
Convener Thought from Sermon 19th August 2007
I don’t want to be younger, I just want to live to get older!
Welcome to St Mark’s Brian and Grace Kandiero from Mpachika Church in Malawi will be our guests from 9th-24th October. Brian and Grace were hosts to Margaret Donald when she visited Malawi two years ago and did the same for John when he visited last year. Their hospitality is legendary, and we hope to reciprocate in equal manner during their stay here. You can greet them in Church on Sunday 14th October at 11.00am and again at 2pm or on Sunday 21st October. A letter from Austin Katunga, the Session Clerk at Mpachika and who stayed with John and Jennifer in May appears on our Malawi Twinning 2 page. Circle of Care The Circle of Care Afternoon Communion and Tea on 10th June was very well attended - perhaps the largest number since this event started; the side pews were all filled. As always we are indebted to all those who contributed to make the occasion such a success.
Notes from the Retiring Treasurer
Mrs Jennifer Watson I have been the Church Treasurer for more than three years. Owing to impending ill health and so forth, I have decided to retire. The new Treasurer, Alex McConochie, has been duly elected by the Congregational Board and I wish him well in his duties. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have been instrumental in helping me to do my job as Treasurer during the past three years. I would also like to appeal to all Members to increase their giving if they have not already done so, and make a special appeal to all those who do not attend regularly to ensure that weekly giving is part of their commitment to the Church. As a result of the lack of attendance during August we were £1,000 down. By the time the magazine is issued, October will be upon us and I wonder what the situation will be then? It is up to you!
Jennifer Watson Handy Tips: Make parking cars in garage easier. Having a tennis ball on a string from the garage ceiling so it will hit the windscreen at the spot where you should stop your car. (This works)
No knife to cut a cake? Dental floss (unused!) cuts cake into neat slices! St Mark’s Congregational Outing
Sunday 26th August After the 10am Service, soup, sandwiches and ‘fine pieces’ were served in the Hall. The bus left at 12.00 noon to take the picnickers to Turriff where various activities had been arranged. Some played games in the Show Ground, others walked around the area and some went on the bus to Banff. Everyone then met in the Church Hall at St Andrew’s Church where they enjoyed a snack and tested their knowledge with a quiz. Everyone then took part in a short Service prior to returning home. Our very grateful thanks to those who organised the outing and worked so hard to make it such a success. From the New Treasurer A few weeks ago I stood in for John and lead morning worship taking as my text a verse from Isaiah's commission, "Here am I Lord". My sermon suggested that not enough members take an active role in church life and that too much is left to too few in our church family. I have been told that my message did not fall on totally deaf ears and that more volunteers than previously signed up for duty in the Charity Shop. I wish however that my sermon had produced a better qualified individual than myself to take on the job of Congregational Treasurer in succession to Jennifer Watson who has had to give up due to impending surgical treatment. I am now in post and getting to grips with the debits and credits of the Church accounts. This is quite a traditional job and unlike the new magazine editor I have little scope for much in the way of obvious visible change. One change I would like to encourage however is in the way we make our regular giving to the church. Elsewhere in the Messenger John and Jennifer have both written about the need for regular giving. As Clerk to the Board I was well aware of how income tends to fall during the summer months when members are away and at other times (illness, family commitments etc) when services are missed. We could all help by ensuring our offerings are made regularly during the year by giving by Standing Order. Some members already use this and it is something we are all familiar with, mortgages, rent, finance loans etc etc can all be paid this way, so why not our regular giving to support our Church? Please consider converting your next year's offering to a Standing Order payment now. A form was included in the printed version of the Messenger but if you have mislaid it why not e-mail me and I will let you have one. Or if you prefer you can now download one to print off for yourself. Alex McConochie Two poems written by Tinkhani Tembo and Hazel Tembo (Mpachika CCAP) Blantyre - Malawi can be found on the Twinning 2 Page. All About Me Ruaridh is a 12 year old boy and at the time of writing this, like thousands of others boys, he will have started at a new school in August, however Ruaridh has Tourette’s Syndrome and in his own words “Sometimes I just need a bit of extra help from my family and my teachers”. He wrote the following words so that his ‘new’ teachers can better understand him and others understand Tourette’s Syndrome. I tried to edit ‘bits’ out to make the story shorter, but I couldn’t; when you read the story I think you will understand why this was not possible. My name is Ruaridh. I am 12 years old and live at home with my Mum, Dad and little brother Daniel. I live in Kingswells and will be starting Dyce Academy after the summer holidays. I have lots of hobbies and interests, like playing the piano and playing on the computer. I like looking things up on the Internet and I really like outdoor sports and kayaking. I have a big interest in planes and like to find out about the different types and like to go to the airport and watch them taking off. I play lots of different musical instruments and I can play pieces of music from memory without needing to read music. The things I am good at are skipping (Double Dutch), playing the clarinet and I have been told that I have a special talent for kayaking the first time I tried it. At school I am good at art and coming up with ideas. I find maths a bit boring and think it’s quite hard to write stories, especially knowing how to start them. Another thing about me is that I have Tourette’s Syndrome. It’s one of the things that make me who I am. Having Tourette’s Syndrome doesn’t mean that I am sick or that I am bad or wrong or that I am better than other children. Tourette’s Syndrome was named after a French doctor, Gilles de la Tourette, who first described all the things that is part of it way back in 1885. He was looking after lots of patients who all had the same problems. Tourette’s is called a neurological disorder because it involves the brain. Most peoples’ brains tell them when to move their arms or legs or blink their eyes or use their voice. When you have Tourette’s Syndrome it’s as though the engine of your car has started when you haven’t turned on the ignition and sometimes these things happen without me controlling them. These movements and noises that I make are called tics. Sometimes I do them over and over again, like flickering my eyes, jerking my head, making a high pitched squeak and grunting. I like to touch things and people when I walk past them. Some people think Tourette’s is all about swearing but this is not the case at all and not something that I do. I sometimes think of swear words in my head but I can stop myself from saying them out loud at times when it is not appropriate. I have met a man called John Davidson who has Tourette’s Syndrome and he swears all the time. He used to get into big trouble every day at school because his teacher thought he was doing it on purpose and he used to get punishments and be made to stand in front of the class. This made him feel embarrassed and sad so he now helps people understand more about Tourette’s. Sometimes I feel like I am being tempted to do something like pick up an object and throw it when I am in class. It is hard to make the thought go away and sometimes I do it. I haven’t had these thoughts recently though. I can also get very worried and stressed about things not being clean, like cups and spoons before I use them. It is hard for me to use toilets that are not in my house because I feel embarrassed. I worry about getting sick or ill and about foods going passed their expiry dates. I also think about things happening to my family quite a lot. I like to do things a certain number of times and it always has to be even numbers from the ‘2’ times table. I have to correct odd numbers and I can’t get the thought out of my head until I do. In school if an answer to a sum is an odd number, I will write the correct answer down but say an even number to myself to make it okay. Sometimes I think of funny things like songs, cartoons or things other people have done that are funny. This makes me laugh sometimes when I am not supposed to. If I have to sit quietly, concentrating on my work for a long time, I can get bored and fidgety and when I do go outside for a break I feel very excited and can shout and squeal very loudly. I like to have friends to play with but sometimes I can find friendships a bit confusing and need help to understand things. The things that help me are:
I like to have something to look forward to.
It helps if I can have short breaks between pieces of work.
I like it when people tell me what to do instead of what I shouldn’t, as sometimes if they say ‘don’t do it’ I have to do it one more time and this can get me into trouble.
I like to have plenty of space to do my work so I don’t feel crowded. When I have big worries I need help to manage them by making a step-by-step plan. Sometimes it helps if I am allowed a certain amount of time and then it’s time to move on so I don’t get stuck.
Sometimes I can get a bit stuck when I have a worry and need some help to mange it. I have learned a process that helps. It is a STOP, THINKS (about what’s hard) and PLAN (how to manage it) and then MOVE ON (and get back to what I was doing) I can tell people how I am feeling, but if this is hard I can use my stress thermometer.
I like time to run around and be active and loud at break times.
Exercise and relaxing music help me when I am feeling stressed.
I like to be able to leave class it I feel I need to let my tics out, and then go back when I am ready. I can show my ‘I need at break’ card.
I like to know what is happening and when, so I don’t get confused and worried.
I like to earn reward time when I have worked hard, like my ‘Burger King’ time that I have with Lorraine. As you can tell from my story, there are things that I find hard, but I also have lots of skills and ways of managing. Sometimes I just need a bit of extra help from my family and teachers. Note from the Editor
I think most people who have heard of Tourette’s Syndrome will probably have the lasting impression that the media portrays and I hope this will enlighten and touch the reader in the same way it did me.
Do you have a story to tell? Do you have a job in which the readers would be interested? This Is Me…... or A Day In The Life Of…….. By email lynn@pumpwell.co.uk or leave an envelope in the Church. VSA Leisure Club Following a decision by VSA to stop funding the post of full time organiser, the Committee of the Over 50's Leisure Club met in August and decided that the club would no longer continue to meet. They felt unable to take on responsibility for organising the weekly events. We are sorry to see the club leave St Mark's after a long association and we will need to work hard to make up the £8,000 shortfall in Hall fees this decision will create.
Message from the Editor
I would like to pay special tribute to my predecessor, Rosalyn who did such an excellent job. Being Editor takes a lot of time and effort and Rosalyn managed to carry out her role in style whilst being involved in other projects not least Malawi. This is my first magazine and I have made some changes which I hope you will enjoy. I look forward to bringing you a magazine full of St Mark’s news, and I will try to include some interesting articles. This is your magazine — I am only putting together the contributions I receive. I take editorial privilege here! I heard during John’s sermon on Sunday 2nd September that Jesus Christ is the same Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, very reassuring. I also heard that WE need to change, and the way we give was one example. I have taken note of our new Treasurer and have already filled in my Standing Order form, hope you do too; think of the time saved in counting the offering!
Lynn Thomson
Editor Letter from the Manse, Summer 2007 Hasn’t this been a busy time in the church? One member said to me towards the end of April “Why don’t we just go from 30 April to 1 June and miss out May? I know just how she felt but like me I am sure you would rather have a church that is buzzing than a church that is dying. I am sure that many of the congregations in some of our towns and cities would like to have the same problem that we have.
I am sure that most of you will now be looking forward to the holidays and the long nights of the summer. The summer months give us all a bit of time to tidy up our lives as well as our homes and gardens, but when September comes again, then it will be back in to the biz once more. I want to take this opportunity of saying thanks to the congregation who have been very understanding during the time I was ill on return from Israel. Due to a bug, I was advised not to visit hospitals or nursing homes and of course this created a backlog for me to catch up when I got the all clear.
By the time this magazine reaches you, we will have hosted our three friends from Mpachika: Rev. Matero Tsatithe, Session Clerk Austin Katanga and elder Lasmore Mbotwa. I am sure that they will have many things to say about the folks from St. Mark’s on their return to Blantyre. I personally wanted so much for Brian Kandiero to be here also as Brian was my host in Malawi and I wanted to return some of the fabulous hospitality I received from him and Grace. However, Brian was ill and advised not to travel so we will pray for his recovery and hope that very soon he and Grace can visit us from their homeland as our guests.
I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday when you go off and that you will be refreshed by your rest and if you come across any ideas or items for our next magazine, please hand them to me. I am hoping that by the time of the next magazine, we will have a new editor as Rosalyn is retiring from her duties due to work demands.
God bless you and your families one and all.
John, Jennifer and David
Quotable Quotes
No man begins to be good till he sees himself to be bad. A church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints. Your Mobile Bible? What would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our mobile phone? What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it?
What if we gave it to our children as a gift?
What if we used it when we travelled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?
Unlike our mobile, we don’t have to worry about our Bible being “disconnected” because of an unpaid bill.
Jesus already paid the bill. In full.
And just think—no dropped calls! God hears them all!!
When God Calls Brrring, brrring. “Hello? God here—do you have a moment?” If only it were that straightforward! How much easier it would be to discover our intended path and calling in life but we know it doesn’t work like that. So how do we discern what God is calling us to do—our Christian vocation? Firstly and most importantly of all, we can be confident that God is calling! The words of Jesus to the Galilean fishermen are still being spoken in the hearts of all who can hear: “follow me!” In addition to any call to any specific work or ministry, God is still calling all to become followers of Christ. Paul urged the "Christians in Ephesus to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all the lowliness and meekness with patience bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph 4:1-3). This is our primary and on-going call: to become active and faithful members of the body of Christ. But what about the other kind of call, the burning conviction that we are supposed to be doing something special and distinct for God? In order to build up the body of Christ on earth, God does call some people to a variety of ministries for which they have to be selected and trained. These include the priesthood, reader ministry, being missionaries, counsellors or youth workers. Such calls often involve thoughts and desires that just won’t go away. And also encouragement from other people who can sometimes see our potential more clearly than we can ourselves. Usually, though, God’s call involves recognising what we love to do and what we’re already good at and looking for opportunities to use our time and talents in our homes communities, churches and place of work—or even abroad! If, for instance, I am a good listener, perhaps I could use my talent to visit people who are housebound or help out with a reading scheme at a local school. If my passion is arts and crafts, there might be a call for my talent and skills in a Sunday School or at a community centre or creating new works of art for my church. If I really care about helping young people, I could volunteer my time and other resources for church or community projects that are aimed at this age group. Where service to God is concerned, it is often the case of being able to see a need and then being willing to respond. No matter what the call, though, it will always be the case of being and becoming—the hands and feet of Christ, seeing with his eyes and allowing his compassion to inspire and motivate all that we do. That’s what’s at the heart of true discipleship and that’s a call for all of us, for all of our lives. Christina Rees |
