October 2017 (End of Trinity to Christmas Eve)

The Scottish Episcopal Church The Parish Magazine of St John the Evangelist Forres Charity Number SC010346

Last Sunday after Trinity to October Christmas Eve The Eagle 2017

This edition of the Eagle is available in full colour on St John’s Website

We celebrate the baptism of Theodore Ian Ramesh Mowat-Patel 27th August 2017

2 NOTICES OUR PRIEST IN CHARGE—during the interregnum is the Very Rev. Alison Simpson. St JOHNS DAVID AND PAULINE WARD–just as Eagle went NOTICES to print, we understand that David and Pauline have moved into sheltered accommodation in Inverurie. If you want their address, please contact Wiz Latham. OUR NEW PRIEST IN CHARGE—the two way process of prayer and discernment for a new Priest in Charge has been fruitful, and we are honoured to welcome Rev Dr Hamilton Inbadas to this role. We pray for a successful outcome of his visa application, for himself, his wife Grace and their family and look forward to them moving into the Rectory between Christmas and New Year, and for his installation as Priest in Charge in January 2018. See page 10 for a photograph of Rev Dr Inbadas and his family. ACM MEETING & NEW VESTRY MEMBERS—congratulations are proffered to Mrs. Laura Smith {leader of our new Youth Fellowship Group and Glen17 Leader} and the Rev. Dr. Judith Hampson (a member of our Choir and Interfaith Minister} who were elected to serve for three years on the Vestry at the recent ACM. The ACM recorded their thanks to Dorothy Gough and John Horrocks for their help and construc- tive debate on Vestry during their three year terms of office. The ACM also reappointed Derek Bedford and Grant Swain as Lay Rep and Alternate Lay Rep on Diocesan Synod and reappointed Gareth Whymant and Sally Ross Mowat as Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults Officers. Gareth thanked Sally for her work and informed the meeting that St John’s is in a period of flux, updating paperwork with the relevant Diocesan Officer(s). Finally thanks to all who contributes towards the Annex of Groups and Activities booklet, which highlighted the many and varied activities which take place within our church’s footprint. EXTERNAL REDECORATION—in recent weeks, a firm of decorators was engaged in the external redecoration of the Church and Rectory. The most visible sign was a cherry picker in the Rectory grounds, used to access the high windows and tower. Estimated costs were in the region of £16,400+VAT. Thankfully a prudent member of vestry, in spite of some doubt, has managed to obtain a grant from the Landfill Communities Fund of slightly over £16,400 to cover the costs of the work. Hopefully a further refund will be available from Gordon Brown’s Listed Places of Wor- ship scheme for the VAT on the redecoration of the church, leaving only the VAT on the Rectory redecoration (approx. £1,300) to be paid out of Church Funds, Thanks to everyone for your forbearance by not parking on the rectory drive during the redecoration works. Peter Airey has identified a number of snags with the external redecoration and the contractors will be returning to church in the coming weeks to rectify these issues. PLANT SALE—thanks to all who helped and supported this event, which raised approx. £1,200. The unsold items left over of Deacon Anthony’s garden accessories will be available at the Christ- mas Coffee Morning on the 25th November. Photos on the back pages. PIPE AND ORGAN CONCERT—was better supported than last year, several members of the audi-

3 ence commented about the poor quality of the Church sound (or lack of) system, which it is hoped will be improved before their next visit due in 2018.

HARVEST FESTIVAL – a very big thank you to everyone who decorated the church for our Harvest Festival . ST. DROSTAN REGIONAL SYNOD–Saturday 4th November at Holy Trinity, Elgin starting with a Eucharist at 9.30am—further details on the notice board at the back of church. This is your opportunity to discover what the Diocesan Synod has been discussing during the past year. VESTRY MEETINGS – Monday 6th November and 4th December in the Parish Room at 7.00 pm. BOOK CLUB—on Tuesday 7th November at 7.00pm at 2 Woodside Drive, when the book being discussed will be Bring Me Home by Alan Titchmarsh. MOTHERS’ UNION MEETINGS – Tuesday 14th November (Mary’s Meals Part Two) and 12th De- cember in the Parish Room at 2.00pm. BEETLE DRIVE—has been postponed until January 2018. CHRISTMAS COFFEE MORNING—Saturday 25th November in St Leonard’s Church Hall from 10am to Noon. The stalls will include Chocolate Tombola, Raffle, Bottles, Christmas Gifts, Cakes and Books (no bric-a-brac please). Tickets £2 sold in advance, please collect your tickets in church. Please bring donations, no matter how small, to church on Sundays when Tina will collect them from you. Many thanks for your kind donations and support. ADVENT—watch out for prayer stations in church during Advent, there will be an Advent evening service of reflection starting at 5pm on Friday 15th December. Further details nearer the time will be in the pew sheet. Thanks to the Bible Study Group. BAKE OFF MINCE PIES—Sunday 26th November – a relaxing and fun competition in St John’s Church Hall after the 10.00am Eucharist, with tea and coffee available. Bring six mince pies on a plate and they will be judged anonymously by the consumers. Donations welcome. CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS —the Fund Raising Committee plan to mix the Pudding Mix at Kirsteen’s House at 10am on Friday 1st December and for the resultant mix to be on sale after the 10am Eucharist on Sunday 3rd December. Made to order only at a very modest charge of £2 per lb. Please sign up on the list in church asking for donations towards the mix. Christmas Cakes and mince pies will also be made to order. FUND RAISING MEETING – Monday 11th December in the Parish Room at 2.00pm MUSICK FYNE CONCERT – This will take place at 8pm on Wednesday 13th December at St John’s – the music will be the Vespers from Rachmaninov's All-Night Vigil in a context of Russian orthodox chants, with music for voices and brass by Bruckner. Tickets £10 with mince pies and mulled wine or apple juice included. CAROL SERVICE – our annual Carol Service will be held on Sunday 17th December at 6pm. Mince pies and mulled wine or apple juice will be served after the service and there will be a collection for a worthy charity. CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES—The 10am Eucharist on Christmas Eve will be from the reserved sac- rament led by Deacon Anthony and the Lay Eucharistic Minister Team, to celebrate the Lay Eu- charistc Ministers who have given so much of their time to cover all of the Thursday 10am and

4 many of the Sunday 8am Eucharists. Finally, there will be a Midnight Eucharist, starting at 1130pm on Christmas Eve (Sunday 24th December) led by the Rev Canon Robin Forrest.

CHRISTMAS EVE/DAY SERVICES – there will be a Family Service with a Eucharist at 11am on Christmas Day (Monday 25th December). This service will be led by the Rev Patrick Thompson. WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY – Thursday 18th January to the 25th January 2018 – full details to follow, but please make a note of this week in your 2018 diaries or calendars. Materials for 2018 have been produced in the Caribbean and use Exodus 15, a song of triumph over op- pression, as the motif of the Week of Prayer. These dates mark the octave of St. Paul and are the traditional dates for the week—local events may take place on days outside of these dates. BURNS CEILIDH – Saturday 27th January 2018 in the Church Hall – details tba. AUCTION AND PANCAKE PARTY – Shrove Tuesday, the 13th February 2018 in the Church Hall – details to be advised. QUIZ—Saturday 7th April 2018 in the Church Hall – details tba. YOUR NEXT EDITION OF EAGLE— will be in church from the Christmas Eve, Sunday 24th Decem- ber. Our hard working printers {TopPrint of Alton, Hampshire} will be having a well deserved holiday for Christmas and Hogmanay, hence the earlier production date for the next issue. As will the electronic carrier pigeons who assist in the transmission of the magazine from the Editorial Garret to the printers. All items to Michael please by the 14th December 2017. Your editor and webmaster is Michael Ellison, who can be contacted :- St. Crispin’s, 9 South St., Forres IV36 1DE Email [email protected] Telephone 07932 000398 Eagle is produced on a two monthly basis, with Eagle ar- riving in church for the last Sunday in February, April, June, August, October and De- cember. Please submit articles for publication in Eagle by the second Sunday of each of these months. {The editor would like to thank all the members of our congregation who have con- tributed articles for this Edi- tion and also thank all for your kind words of support and encouragement for this and previous editions)

Many Thanks Michael

5 Moray Fresh Start

Following two interesting visits earlier this year to meetings at St Johns I thought it would be beneficial for church members to hear an update on this local charity. It has been a busy but productive few months for the charity, we moved out of the Pinefield store. With some reorganisation in Unit 10 at the Elgin Business Centre we are now settled in and finding it more satis- factory to be under one roof. We now have two more trustees on the Board both of whom come with considerable experience in charity work and the homeless. A new treasurer has also been appointed and about to face his first Board meeting! We are still looking for enthusiastic volunteers as we now hope to have the store open on a daily basis to not only distribute packs but also to receive donations. I would be delighted to arrange a visit to the store for any prospective volunteers. Fundraising is proving difficult but important, as this year we did not receive any funding from Moray Council due to financial restrictions which we hope will be rectified next year. We are applying for grant funding, this is not only time consuming but not always successful. So we are grateful for any donations that can also be gift aided. Personally, I very much appreciate all the support given by church members and friends, At the moment we are looking for kitchen rolls, toilet rolls, washing up liquid, clothes washing liquid, bath mats, we are well stocked with bedlinen, china, mugs and curtains. We are of course happy to come and talk to any groups to explain what we do. The homeless situation is not going to improve and it effects not only the young but the old as well, several of the applicants this year have been over 70 years old. Please do contact me if you need any further information Mary Nelson, Chairman, 01309 675371 At the time of production of this edition of Eagle, the Moray Fresh Start were short of the following:- Hand towels, Bath towels, Bath mats, Pedes- tal mats, Glass tumblers, Small casserole dishes and Small saucepans. http://www.morayfreshstart.org.uk/

6 Installation of Bishop Mark as Primus

To celebrate and mark Bishop Mark being elected to the Office of Primus, there was a Choral Evensong at Inverness Cathedral on Sun- day 3rd September, which a number of our congregation attended. The sermon was given by the Dean, the Very Reverend Alison Simp- son (this is reproduced below for the benefit of those not at the service):- Celebrating Bishop Mark’s appointment as Primus Mark, I don’t know if you recall this but early in your episcopate you called me to ask advice on whether you should attend a particular event within the bounds of the Diocese. The said event was one of those particular brands of eccentricity and nuttiness which only the church can come up with and I knew this because I had been to it once before. However, rather than tell the truth, I said I thought it was something, as a new Bishop, you should experience first hand. Unfortunately, you caught up with me later in the day in question and although I can- not repeat what you actually said, a rough translation would be “I am going to kill you.” Mark, my friend, colleague, Bishop and now Primus, I promise tonight you are safe, there will be no surprises! What I offer you, and indeed all of us, are three items to reflect upon as you begin to take up your further responsibilities as our Primus: A compass rose, a cathedral church and a lump of lead. Your predecessor in this role wrote recently of the Anglican Communion, “ we are a communion of relationships. We live by unity and diversity; who we are is not defined by any one majority view but by the wealth of culture and community which creates us.” The compass rose, spreading its arms to all points of the globe, inlaid into the floor of Can- terbury Cathedral, has become symbolic of that world-wide Anglican Communion and the breadth and diversity of people and traditions found there. For those of us who have been priv- ileged to experience a little of that diversity Rose Window—St Columba’s Nairn through the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council, the Anglican Networks or simply through partner relationships with Diocese across the globe, we have shared a glimpse of the faith experience, discipleship, compassion and often courage of ordinary people doing the work of God’s Kingdom in many varied and sometimes dangerous places. And yet despite our differences and diversity in terms of wealth and opportuni-

7 ty, the lasting impression from such shared encounters, is often one of unity; of the things which bind us together and hold us together, things like the desire for justice, peace, integrity and equality; or simply the bonds of friendship, community and faith that are often far more dearly held than the things that divide us. On an AJP Network visit to a Christian community in the West Bank I sat and listened to the people talk about the pressures they lived under, checkpoints and the Separa- tion wall, the disillusionment and despair among young and old, we shared communion and we ate together, but what was really quite moving was when we sat and watched the members of the congregation prepare lunch, because they could have been any of our congregations, any congregation anywhere preparing for guests and yet they were people who lived daily with fear and threat. None of us remain un- touched by listening, by experiencing the life of our wider communion. And that in turn brings enrichment to our own discipleship and the life of our Diocese. We know that in travelling on behalf of all of us you will experience that sense of belonging to something wider than ourselves, and although we may see less of you, we will also gain from what you share with us of the vision and insight of others in leader- ship and mission in Christ’s church. Early George Washington Wilson view of Inverness Cathedral from the Archive at Aberdeen University Then there this cathedral church and all that it means to us of our Diocese and the community of faith we are together. It was built under the oversight of Robert Eden, Bishop and Primus in the later 1800’s. Someone with a surprisingly contemporary grasp of the wider church and his role within it. When Eden came here there was no cathedral only a small chapel on the bank of the river, in fact there were very few churches at all and even less clergy. He worked hard to build up the life of the diocese both in congregations and places of worship. He laid the founda- tion and later consecrated this building to be a place of worship and a focus for the life of the Diocese as it still is. But it is not just this magnificent building we

8 have to thank him. Many of the things we take for granted like the participation of lay people in the life of the Diocese, especially the role of our Lay Representatives and our General Synod, these things all have their origin in Robert Eden’s Primacy and his vision for a modern Church. He was a pastoral Bishop as well as a diplomat and cared for God’s people in visible and tangible ways, the Aberlour Orphanage being only one of a number of projects which he set up to support the poor and the vulnerable in this place. So this building is a testimony to faithfulness and discipleship, renewal and hope and all done with a Christ like touch of compassion and care. And for all of us, this place a home, a haven, a place where we welcome the world and build bridges of community and friendship. Mark, when you were appointed to this new role you said, “while I step out on new and exciting journeys of faith, I will continue to serve my beloved Highlands.” It is our prayer that this place may continue to be a place of peace and reflection for you and a place where we continue to be inspired and enriched by your ministry among us. And then there is the lump of lead and a more personal story. It fell into my hands because a member of a congregation found it in a box of odds and ends purchased from £5 from the local saleroom. Thankfully they realised what it was and rescued it, or may- be it is just that it found its way to the place where it was meant to be. After 13th Octo- ber 2007, I gave it to Mark to whom I knew it would mean a great deal. Because the lump of lead is a communion token from the 1840’s with the initials “AP” on it. A relic of Nairn Communion Token from the church of Bishop Arthur Petrie, Bishop of http://thomasgreaves1.com Moray and one of the three Scottish Bishops who laid hands on Samuel Seabury, the first Bishop of the Anglican Communion. Arthur Petrie, a faithful and caring parish priest, an inspired teacher and leader and present at the birth of our Communion; the same church, the same communion as you are about to step out into as our leader. From that little token we come full circle from the herit- age of faith of the past, to this place and the ministry and mission of the present and our hopes and vision for the future. Mark, my friend, Bishop, Primus in the next few weeks alone you will gather with other Primates from across the communion in Canterbury, you will represent the Scottish Episcopal Church in gathering with Lutheran Bishop’s in Lithuania and we will join with you in welcoming Bishop Michael Curry from the USA and that’s only the start. We wish you and Jane God’s richest blessing in all that lies ahead and you will ever be in our prayers. Yes, we will moan and complain every time you are not here but in some far flung corner of the world, or even worse, when you have gone to Edinburgh. But we remain those who have pledged our obedience and those who seek to share your min-

9 istry wherever that may be. And so I want to leave you with these images some words from the great pioneer and conservationist, John Muir which I hope express what we and this glorious Highland landscape can be to you in the months and years ahead, “Everyone needs beauty as well as bread, places to play and pray in and where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike. “ Various gifts were presented to Bishop Mark, including a Rainbow Box from the Youth of the Diocese which included our newest confirmand— Chloe Jade Martin-Campbell. Chloe is seen prior to the service with the Diocesan Youth Officer, Ley-Anne For- syth on the steps of the cathedral. It was also an abso- lute delight to also meet with our new priest in Charge, Reverend Dr Hamilton In- badas and his family and it is hoped they all had a safe journey back to Dumfries and we look forward to them arriv- ing in Forres. We hope the roads rise up to meet Dr Hamilton and his family on their journeys over Druimuachder and Dava or Slochd over the coming months.

10 A letter from Wiz Latham

Having heard in a talk given by Hilary (Julian's sister) about her work, writing to and befriending men on "Death Row" in America, I bought a book of poems written by Ojore McKinnon. Some of the poems are very sad, full of loneliness and darkness, and others incredibly positive and brave.

Ojore is a black American who has been on Death Row for many years and always protested his innocence. Hil- ary, with a lot of experience, believes he is innocent. I was very moved by some of his poems, and his whole attitude to life - so I wrote a brief note congratulating him and encouraging him! I had a delightful and very brave letter back, and we correspond from time to time. In his last letter amongst other thoughts he wrote... "Elisabeth, I read Romans 15:13. I can assure you, I'm filled with joy and peace at the moment and am overflowing with determination and an empowering spirit. Partly due to the fact I was able to spend some time with my daughter, grandchildren and nephew back in June. After every visit with them it refuels and renews my will, my determination and quest to be free of this injustice and dark place. The strength and encouragement I receive from individuals like yourself keeps a light of hope on my path" Through the sale of his book of poems (which you can buy from Julian or Michael, mini- mum price £3 per copy) Ojore is hoping to raise enough money to pay for a decent ad- vocate to fight his case, and meanwhile he keeps himself busy with writing his manu- scripts, essays and poems, and helping other prisoners. The book was produced by Hila- ry and Michael and the first edition was printed by the Eagle printer, TopPrint of Alton, free of charge so that all proceeds go towards Ojore’s Defense Fund. PLEASE, IF YOU FEEL ABLE, PRAY FOR OJORE. With thanks, Wiz

11 Kinloss Mass a success, despite the weather

Worshippers turned out in significant numbers, despite the rain, to see a traditional medieval thanksgiving ceremony in Moray on Saturday. The open air service at Kinloss Abbey featured music and lit- urgy from the medieval period in the Abbey’s history and was led by Bishop Mark Strange of Moray, Ross and Caith- ness. He was accompanied by the Musick Fyne choir. Between 50 and 60 people braved the elements for the historic service, the first of its kind in the Abbey’s burial grounds. The Bishop and his clergy wore white Cistercian robes and delivered a poignant mass. Musick Fyne, led by James Ross, performed church music from the period in Latin.

12 The ceremony was the idea of Kirsteen Mitcalfe, who is chairwoman of the Kinloss Abbey Trust, which raised thou- sands towards the renovation of the church. She also sang with the choir. Judy Stewart, a trustee, said: It was absolutely remarkable. It was the most wonderful ceremony in its organisation in the open air. The clergy and the choir did the most amazing job, even in the wet weather. It was a medieval mass. It was the brainchild of Kirsteen and she, along with the Bishop, put on a wonderful service. It was a religiously moving ceremony. It was a spectacle in the sense that nothing like this had been done before. The Bishop and the deacons were wearing the most magnificent Cistercian robes. The mass lasted for about an hour and a half. The choir and James Ross performed the most amazing medieval mass music in Latin. Sir James Dunbar Nasmith, a trustee of Kinloss Abbey Trust, added: The weather was changeable, to put it mildly. The sun shone beautifully at first, but the poor people carrying out the service did get rather wet later on. “It was very well attended. We must thank the choir who travelled from all over the north-east to attend. The trust also thanked the Royal Engineers from Kinloss who helped get everything set up before the ceremony com- menced. Article from the Press and Journal with photographs by Mike Trail (via Kirsteen) and Face- book.

13 Mothers’ Union News

Our September meeting was well attended and were entertained by Ian Nel- son talking about Morayvia, with assistance from Michael Ellison on the projection. They had arrived early to evaluate what was the best position for the projector to enable the image to be seen on the wall. It needed the painting to be moved and the wall cleaned of many years accumulation of dust etc., before they found the best angle of projection. Michael returned with the electronic equipment in October to show the Child 31 DVD, which is a very thoughtful dissertation on the aims and actions of this charity. No doubt readers will recall both the Saturday evening talk last summer and the article in the previous edition of Eagle. The talk was only a week after Mary’s Meal were pleased to an- nounce the they had reached the incredible milestone of serving one billion school meals to im- poverished children around the world. The billionth meal – a dish of vegetable curry and rice – was served to 12-year-old Mohsin, at the Sangam Vihar Informal Education Centre in Noida, India. Mohsin and his classmates celebrated the joyful occasion with dancing and songs. They began feeding just 200 children at a school in Malawi in 2002, but have since grown into a global movement providing life-changing meals to more than 1.3 million children across 14 countries every school day. Their founder and chief executive, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, said: “While Mary’s Meals isn’t really driven by big numbers, this is a remarkable milestone. One billion meals served! That’s a number almost too big to comprehend and one that has been reached simply by focusing on one child, one meal at a time. Every one of those meals is the result of a series of little acts of love carried out by a chain of people all over the world – volunteers who raise awareness and fundraise, people who donate money, those who pray for our work and, of course, the army of local volunteers who cook and serve for the children in their own communities.” In India, which is home to a third of the world’s poor, and where more than six million children of primary school age are out of school, the promise of Mary’s Meals is transforming lives. Michael will be returning for our November Meeting (on 14th November) to show the second Mary’s Meals DVD Generation Hope . As was announced in the August edition of Eagle, the Mothers’ Union and congregation at the Thursday Morning Eucharist have started to give the money given for Tea and Coffee to Mary’s Meals. The collection box which was provided by Hel- en Barrett for the benefit of Kitty Amuge has also been reused for the same purpose. As of Thurs- day 19th October over £107 has been raised so far to feed at least another 8 children for a year. If you would like to make a donation for Mary’s Meals and can not make our meeting or the Sunday/Thursday services, please hand your donation over to a Mothers’ Union member or Mi- chael. Daphne has two copies of The Shed That Fed a Million Children: The Extraordinary Story of Mary’s Meals by Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow, which tells their remarkable story, please contact Daphne if you would like to read about it.

14 As reported in the “I” - the cost of a plate of food in many countries far exceeds daily income. Analysts used New York state as a baseline for calculating equivalent costs around the world. In that state a simple plate of food costs £0.90p or 0.6% of average daily income. This table indicates the costs of an equivalent dish around the world…

Country Cost* %Income Country Cost* %Income Yemen £35 22% D. R. Congo £62 40% Malawi £71 45% Deir Ezzor, Syria £143 115% Nigeria £151 121% South Sudan £242 155%

*Cost is the equivalent cost for a plate of food, % Income is the average daily income needed to purchase that food. The Mothers’ Union are grateful for your continuing support our Foodbank initiative at the back of church. The box by the font is always available for you to donate items, which are then taken to the Moray Foodbank at their collection point at ReBoot. The Trussell Trust’s new report, highlights that although the rollout of the new Universal Credit system for administering benefits has been piecemeal so far, foodbanks in areas of partial or full rollout are reporting significant problems with its impact. Inverness was one of the areas for the trial rollout of Universal Credit, the MP reporting 60% of his casework is taken up by the scheme. Key findings from the report reveal:

 Foodbanks in areas of full Universal Credit rollout to single people, couples and families, have seen a 16.85% average increase in referrals for emergency food, more than double the national average of 6.64%.  The effect of a 6+ week waiting period for a first Universal Credit payment can be serious, leading to foodbank referrals, debt, mental health issues, rent arrears and eviction. These effects can last even after people receive their Universal Credit payments, as bills and debts pile up.  People in insecure or seasonal work are particularly affected, suggesting the work incentives in Universal Credit are not yet helping everyone.  Navigating the online system can be difficult for people struggling with computers or unable to afford telephone helplines. In some cases, the system does not register people’s claims correctly, invalidating it.  Foodbanks are working hard to stop people going hungry in areas of rollout, by providing food and support for more than two visits to the foodbank and working closely with other charities to provide holistic support. However, foodbanks have concerns about the extra pressure this puts on food donation stocks and volunteers’ time and emotional welfare. Trussell Trust data also reveals that benefit delays and changes remain the biggest cause of referral to a foodbank, accounting for 43% of all referrals (26% benefit delay; 17% benefit change), a slight rise on last year’s 42%. Low income has also risen as a referral cause from 23% to 26%. Thank You

15 SUNDAY EUCHARIST PRESIDENTS, READERS and INTERCESSORS ROTA DATE Eucharistic President OLD TESTAMENT PSALM NEW TESTAMENT GOSPEL Reader and Intercessor 29th October 8am Alison M & Derek Bedford Leviticus 19 1 1 Thessalonians 2 Matthew 22 Reader George Latham Last Sunday of Trinity 10am Rev Patrick Thompson 1-2, 15-18 1-8 34-46 Int’csr Deacon Anthony

5th November 8am Deacon Anthony Revelation 7 34 1 John 3 Matthew 5 Reader Barbara Westie ALL SAINTS’ DAY 10am Rev Patrick Thompson 9-17 1-10 1-3 1-12 Int’csr Pat Ellison

12th November 8am George Latham and John Horrocks Job 19 90 1 Corinthians 15 John 6 Reader June Airey REMEMBRANCE 10am Rev Martin Roff 21-27 51-57 37-40 Int’csr Glenda Thompson SUNDAY/Proper 32 19th November 8am Deacon Anthony Zephaniah 1 90 1 Thessalonians 5 Matthew 25 Reader John Horrocks 2nd Sunday before Advent/ 10am Very Rev Alison Simpson 7,12-18 1-8 (9-11) 12 1-11 14-30 Int’csr June Airey Proper 33

26th November 8am Tina Coffey Ezekiel 34 95 Ephesians 1 Matthew 25 Reader Jennie Swain Christ the King/Proper 34 10am Rev Patrick Thompson 11-16, 20-24 1-7a 15-23 31-46 Int’csr Derek Bedford

3rd December 8am Alison Manson and Derek B Isiah 64 80 1 Corinthians 1 Mark 13 Reader Michael Thompson Advent Sunday 10am Rev Patrick Thompson 1-9 1-7, 16-18 3-9 24-37 Int’csr Pat Ellison Start of Year B

10th December 8am Rev Canon Laurence Gunner Isaiah 40 85 2 Peter 3 Mark 1 Reader Seymour Munro 2nd Sunday of Advent 10am Rev Canon Laurence Gunner 1-11 1-2, 8-13 8-15a 1-8 Int’csr Wiz Latham

17th December 8am George Latham and John Horrocks Isaiah 61 Canticle 1 Thessalonians 5 John 1. 10am Reader Laura Smith 3rd Sunday of Advent 10am Rev Marian Keston 1-4, 8-11 Luke1. 46b-55 16-24 6-8,19-28 10am Int’csr Deacon Anthony 6pm….Rev Patrick Thompson (Magnificat) 24th December 8am Deacon Anthony 2 Samuel 7 89 Acts 13 Luke 1 10am Reader John Horrocks & Christmas Eve 10am Deacon Anthony and Lay 1-16 2,21-27 16-26 67-79 Derek Bedford Eucharistic Minister Team 10am Int’csr Pat Ellison

1130pm Rev Canon Robin Forrest Isaiah 52 98 Hebrews 1 John 1 1130 Reader…tbc 7-10 1-4(5-12) 1-14 1130..Int’csr…..Derek Bedford 25th December 11am Rev Patrick Thompson Isaiah 11 Luke 2 Reader Alison Manson Christmas Day 1-9 1-20 Int’csr Rev Patrick Thompson

31st December 8am Tina Coffey Isaiah 61 148 Galatians 4 Luke 2 Reader Emma Moffatt Christmas 1 10am Rev Patrick Thompson 10-62.3 4-7 22-40 Int’csr June Airey

Priest in Charge:- The Very Rev. Alison Simpson St John’s website: www.stjohnsforres.wordpress.com The Rectory, Victoria Road, Forres, IV36 3BN Diocesan website: www.moray.anglican.org Clergy Email [email protected] Phone: 01309 672856 Provincial website: www.scotland.anglican.org 16 SUNDAY EUCHARIST PRESIDENTS, READERS and INTERCESSORS ROTA DATE Eucharistic President OLD TESTAMENT PSALM NEW TESTAMENT GOSPEL Reader and Intercessor 29th October 8am Alison M & Derek Bedford Leviticus 19 1 1 Thessalonians 2 Matthew 22 Reader George Latham Last Sunday of Trinity 10am Rev Patrick Thompson 1-2, 15-18 1-8 34-46 Int’csr Deacon Anthony

5th November 8am Deacon Anthony Revelation 7 34 1 John 3 Matthew 5 Reader Barbara Westie ALL SAINTS’ DAY 10am Rev Patrick Thompson 9-17 1-10 1-3 1-12 Int’csr Pat Ellison

26th November 8am Tina Coffey Ezekiel 34 95 Ephesians 1 Matthew 25 Reader Jennie Swain Christ the King/Proper 34 10am Rev Patrick Thompson 11-16, 20-24 1-7a 15-23 31-46 Int’csr Derek Bedford

10th December 8am Rev Canon Laurence Gunner Isaiah 40 85 2 Peter 3 Mark 1 Reader Seymour Munro 2nd Sunday of Advent 10am Rev Canon Laurence Gunner 1-11 1-2, 8-13 8-15a 1-8 Int’csr Wiz Latham

31st December 8am Tina Coffey Isaiah 61 148 Galatians 4 Luke 2 Reader Emma Moffatt Christmas 1 10am Rev Patrick Thompson 10-62.3 4-7 22-40 Int’csr June Airey

The Sparrowhawk is a bird which promotes a variety of emotions from dislike to admi- ration. Seeing your favourite Blackbird or Robin taken by a Sparrowhawk can be dis- tressing but this is a natural process, exactly the same as a Blackbird feeding on worms or a Blue Tit taking caterpil- lars - it is part of a natural system Sparrowhawks are easily identified by their flap, flap glide flight as they patrol hedges and forest edge searching for prey. The female has brown grey upper parts, a white stripe above and below the eye, and fine barring underneath. The smaller male is more colourful, being slate grey above with fine barring and a reddish brown wash across the breast. Pairs are frequently seen soaring together during the spring and male Sparrow- hawks become more obvious, declaring their ownership of territories with gliding, loop- ing aerial display flights. It’s always worth scanning the sky on sunny, still March after- noons. Back in the 1960s and 70s Sparrowhawks suffered as a result of the use of DDT and other organochlorine pesticides which, when first used, were viewed as a wonderful tool within agriculture, partly because a single application lasted for such a long time. Unfor- tunately, these compounds were found to persist in the food chain and to accumulate in animals at the top of it, such as Sparrowhawks. Organochlorines reduced the thick- ness of eggshells which became more likely to break while the female was incubating them: the population of Sparrowhawks crashed. At the same time, Sparrowhawks were in conflict with people rearing gamebirds for subsequent release, and so were controlled by gamekeepers. Given both the organochlorine ban and better enforcement of their legal protection, Sparrowhawk numbers have boomed in recent decades, exhibiting a 13-fold increase in gardens since the 1970s. Despite their rapid re-colonisation, BTO research suggests that Sparrowhawks are not a principal cause of the decline in songbird numbers, though certainly there is a balance between prey and predator which probably has an influence on Sparrow populations for instance. Sparrowhawks are most frequently seen in gardens during the autumn and winter months, a time when numbers are swelled with juveniles and when the smaller birds they prey on are flocking into gardens to feed. January 2016 saw the highest average counts of Sparrowhawks for the time of year but since summer 2016 numbers have been abnormally low, according to Garden BirdWatch. They were only seen in 8% of gardens in December 2016, well below average and a reduction on December 2015. This decline is probably linked to the wet weather in June last year which resulted in a

poor breeding season for many of the smaller birds on which Sparrowhawks feed, such as Blue Tits and Great Tits. With fewer young birds around there would have been less available food to feed their own chicks, potentially leading to lower survival in young Sparrowhawks. They may also have been directly affected by the wet weather. Love them or hate them, they are efficient predators and marvellous to watch as they zoom through the garden! If you find the lives of our garden birds to be of interest, and would like to join in and count the feathered occupants of your garden, please contact me or visit the BTO Gar- den BirdWatch website (www.bto.org/gbw). If you know of a local organisation who would like a talk on garden birds call: Mike Gray 07596 366342 or [email protected]. Mike Gray

19 Advent Arrival By John Scott

We see the glory shining bright ahead To which we are drawn by faith confessed With expectant purpose we hopefully tread Father we shall not delay to rest. The light that shines is our trusty guide To see, to know what is not worldly bluff Angels urge us forward at every stride For prophets’ word is certainty enough A voice is heard seemingly in the mind “Approach the One for whom the years did wait And .what’s done or undone repentance find Since close at hand is the Lord incarnate; Your soul He’ll bear up in life’s swirling stream And we and wrong is ready to redeem.”

20 Thank You !!

As you all know, 2 friends and myself entered the Loch Ness Beast Race on 2nd September. I was doing so on behalf of BLESMA - the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen's Association. I am delighted to say we completed it in one piece with the only injury being the tragic loss of one of my false nails! In the space of two and a half hours we scrambled, climbed and hurtled over/under 30 obsta- cles, plunged into open water (which felt like an arctic import!) and covered a distance of 10km. Facing nets, 12 ft. walls, trees, hurdles, waist deep mud, barbed wire, tunnels and practically vertical hills we still managed to laugh at what felt like one of the worst ideas of our lives. After months of worrying and stressing, being able to climb up a stack of hay bales to see the finish line staring back at us was probably one of the best feelings, making it all worth- while. As a sense of achievement and satisfaction swept over us we forgot the torture we had just endured and crawled across the line to be greeted by a glass of well - deserved bubbly, our medals and some very proud parents. My folks were especially delighted that they didn't receive the expected call from A&E! Now that all my sponsor money has been collected, I have raised a total of £902, of which £227 was kindly donated by members of St John’s. Better still, almost everyone ticked the ‘Gift Aid’ box, meaning BLESMA will benefit to the tune of about £1100 - I’m still awaiting final confirmation from them. I can’t express how grateful I am to all my generous sponsors for your encouragement and donations. Thanks to you all, I have raised over 5 times my original target. On behalf of myself, and everyone at and supported by BLESMA, thank you! Until next year…..!!! Emily Horrocks Photos from John Horrocks, for the record Emily and her 2 team mates all supported different charities, so the funds raised by Emily were for BLES- MA alone and her chums raised addi- tional amounts for their respective charities.

21 St John’s Youth Fellowship

th We had our first Youth Fellowship evening on Wednesday 11 October. There were 5 of us in total including 2 of our young people. The theme of the evening was ‘What God and Faith means to me?’ We discussed what faith in society is today and how we use faith in our daily lives. There were lots of ideas and discussions and we are planning on revisiting this topic in a few months’ time. To end our evenings, we have created a Prayer Board where we are going to write a prayer each week for us all to put on the board and add in our own prayers. We are hoping to put this in the church during each week. We have a fun filled programme from now until Christmas. Anyone of secondary school age can join us, so pass on the word. The more the merrier. Laura Smith

Laura has produced the above programme for the period up to the end of this year. Before there is any panic that any unauthorised fires will be lit in the Parish Room at the meeting on the 8th November, the group will be retiring to St Crispin’s to do the cooking. The group requires two adults to be present at each Youth Group meeting, Sally Ross Mowat has drawn up a list of PVG checked volunteers on a rota basis to assist Laura . If you would be interested in volunteering, please talk with Sally Ross Mowat who will guide you through the PVG checking process and add you to the list of volunteer help- ers.

22 Bishop Mark’s address to the Primates’ Meeting

Primus addresses the Anglican Communion Primates’ Meeting on Scottish Episcopal Church’s decision to change its Canon on Marriage. At the Primates’ Meeting today the Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church was asked to explain the process undertaken by the Scottish Episcopal Church in its move towards an adjustment of its Canon on Marriage to enable those who felt called to offer marriage to same gender couples the ability to do so. He explained that the process had included much prayer, theological debate, open and, at times, very personal testimony and that opportunity had been provided for groups throughout the Church to discuss this matter and to pray about it; this included the voice of the youth in the Church, the sharing of powerful words and stories from elder- ly members and hearing representation from those who hold a traditional understanding of marriage, those who see marriage as including same gender couples and those who have encountered exclusion in declaring their love. The Primus also explained that the nature of decision reached by the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church, is such as to allow those of different views to continue to “walk together”. It recognises that there are different understandings of marriage and that no member of clergy is compelled to conduct any marriage against their con- science. Only those clergy who wish to solemnise marriages of same gender couples will be nominated to the civil authorities for authorisation to do so. The Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross & Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church says “In June the General Synod of the Scottish Episcopal Church voted to change its Canon on Marriage. This decision was ours to take as a self- governing province of the Anglican Communion. “However, I recognise that this decision is one that has caused some hurt and anger in parts of the Anglican Communion and that the decision taken at the last Primates’ Meeting, which was to exclude our brothers and sisters in The Episcopal Church from debate on Doctrine and from Chairing Anglican Communion Committees, is a decision that now also pertains to us. We will continue to play our part in the Anglican Commun- ion we helped to establish, and I will do all I can to rebuild relationships, but that will be done from the position our Church has now reached in accordance with its synodical processes and in the belief that Love means Love.” Kevin Holdsworth to Scottish Episcopalians Facebook 5pm 3/10/17

23 Bishop of Edinburgh’s Sermon

By the Rt Rev Dr John Armes, Bishop of Edinburgh at the Wedding of Alistair & Peter A School Where We May Learn Christ Having known Alistair and Peter for some years I was delighted when they invited me to preach at their wedding. But it was a challenging task. Theirs was the first wedding of a same-sex couple in a church in the Diocese of Edinburgh. As the bishop of the diocese I needed to weigh my words carefully. Part of our long and careful process of canonical change and, indeed, integral to our reframing of the Canon was a recognition of and respect for those members of our church who could not agree that the marriage of a same-sex couple should be recognised by the church. I had no wish for my words to come across as disrespectful or uncaring of those who hold this view. On the other hand, this was an opportunity to set out why a significant majority of our General Synod reached the decision it did; why it considered this change to be compatible with the Good News of Jesus Christ. I knew there would be people attending the wedding on 16th September who whilst they wanted only the best for the couple nevertheless felt ambivalent about what was taking place. My hope was that they and everyone present would find it possible to rejoice that Peter and Alistair in their commitment to each other and in their love and faithfulness were fulfilling the purposes of God. In the end, of course, you will find here a sermon not a lecture. I am not offering the pros and cons of same-sex marriage; I am not exploring all the theological highways and by-ways. And, since a sermon is an example of public speaking, the printed words alone will not convey the atmosphere of the moment in which they were originally spoken. Nevertheless, with all their limitations, I hope my words will help you to hear the Word of God and to get a sense of how all marriages may lead a couple into a deeper knowledge of God and holiness of life – a school where they may learn Christ. The readings were Colossians 3.12- 17; Luke 1.46-55, ‘All we know is: love surprises us.’ (Epithalamium) by Liz Lochead. It surprises Alistair and Peter as it surprises most couples about to get married. Who would have thought it – that I would be here with you today? And I daresay there’s a deeper level of surprise too. Who would have thought, only a few years ago, that it might be possible for two men or two women to pledge their faithfulness to each other in the eyes of the law – and more extraordinary still, that they might make their vows here in church – here, as we put it, in the sight of God – and seek and receive God’s blessing. ‘All we know is: love surprises us.’ Let’s be brutally honest about it. Even those of us surprised and delighted to be at this particular wedding have come a long way to reach this point. There was a time, perhaps, when what we’re doing today would have caused us alarm. So let’s acknowledge that there are many Christians,

24 many of our own church members, who are disturbed not only at the direction love sometimes takes but that the church should dare to call such love holy. This devoutly held point of view is honoured and protected in the changes our church has made to its rules. But given this differ- ence of opinion, and given that this is the first wedding of a same-gender couple in a church in this diocese, please forgive me for taking a few minutes, to explain why we are doing something new today. It’s not new for two men to love each other and long for each other, body and soul – this has been so since time immemorial. Nor is it new for the church to make public God’s blessing on the lifelong and faithful commitment of two people to each other. What is new is this revolutionary idea that these two ancient truths might coalesce into something profoundly Christian, profoundly of Christ. Jesus’ mother Mary sang a song of joy as she awaited his birth – we heard it just now. ‘My soul magnifies the Lord…’ Mary magnifies God, makes God bigger, proclaims a God who transcends our expectations. In God’s world, God’s Kingdom, the high and mighty are humbled and the lowly and the hungry, including Mary herself, are lifted up and filled with unbelievably good things. In God’s world, what was once believed to be impossible suddenly becomes possible. For this shocking, bewildering God has overturned the natural order, the right way of doing things, and chosen an unmarried virgin to bear His Son, Jesus. And as we reflect on that Son we find ourselves asking, with Mary, what kind of God is this who walks the earth, turns water into wine, makes the deaf hear, the blind see and who makes his own suffering and death a journey into life? Who calls us into eternal life in which, ultimately, we neither marry nor are given in marriage but live as children of the resurrection and citizens of heaven. Normal, abnormal; natural, unnatural. What do such words mean when spoken in the subversive context of the Kingdom of God? In a moment, the choir will sing an anthem, written by a certain Alistair Dinnie. Whilst I know that, in part, it’s a tribute to Alistair’s own Peter, in fact the words are the words of Jesus, spoken to his chief disciple – Tu es Petrus. ‘You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church… I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven…’ Too often we think of keys as locking something, keeping doors closed, safe, inaccessible to the wrong people, keeping something hidden, keeping someone under control. Yet keys are also intended to unlock, open doors, allow access, provide welcome, set people free. The apostle Peter, of all people, came painfully to understand that he was not to be a self-righteous jobs- worth, barring the door to all but the very best and most orthodox people, keeping the secrets of the Kingdom for the exclusive use of the chosen few. On the contrary, he learned to open the doors of the Kingdom to people like him, failures, sinners, outcasts, people who mess up – people, in other words, like you and me. The church is the inheritor of these keys, and what this event represents, Peter and Alistair’s wedding, is an attempt by the church to unlock the doors of God’s Kingdom and to recognise the abundant and indiscriminate nature of God’s grace. For over the last few years, as we’ve debated this issue in private and in public, the question that’s always intrigued me, challenged me, has been this: What’s Christian about the Christian understanding of marriage? The first part of my answer is that if marriage is to be thought of as Christian, if it is relevant to our life in Christ, then it must enable us to enter more completely into, and to demonstrate in our own lives the new, unnatural, disturbing order of which Mary sings and to which Jesus Christ in his life and death bears witness. Our first reading takes us more deeply into this and helps to provide the second part of my an-

25 swer. For St Paul describes the quality of the new life expected of us in Christ. That we should take off the old and put on the new self – clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Forgiving one another – above all, loving one another. Being a people where the peace of Christ rules in our hearts and overflows into songs of joy and gratitude. So, when I ask myself what is Christian about the Christian understanding of marriage, it’s both that it has the potential to point us towards God’s Kingdom and that it provides fertile soil in which the fruits of the Spirit grow. It is a school where we may learn Christ. It’s not just marriage that stimulates such virtues, of course. For Christians all relationships are inspired by and in some way are a reflection of the love of the Father for the Son, the love of Christ for his church, and the unity that is the gift of the Holy Spirit. But Christians uphold marriage because we believe it’s one way in which human beings may grow up into the full stature of Christ-like living. This is partly because it asks so much of us. Peter and Alistair will be well aware that they’re placing themselves in a crucible that has inciner- ated many a dream of love; yet it has also been a proving ground of human mettle, one place where love’s endeavour may be gloriously realised. For whilst in marriage our many imperfec- tions are brought painfully into the light, in marriage too we hear words of forgiveness and know the consolation that someone loveable still loves us in spite of everything. In this way, a married couple embody the love of God for each other; they are a sacramental sign of our God who longs for us intimately, and accepts us utterly. Each holds the key that opens the door to God’s Kingdom, where the Holy Spirit works in us and shapes us as a holy people. I’m setting the bar high (you’ll have noticed). The decision to bless marriages of same-sex couples isn’t about saying, ‘anything goes.’ It’s not about watering down marriage. Nor does it deny the significance of marriage as the proper setting for the birth and nurture of children. Rather, what it’s saying is that in the end the truly fruitful marriage is one in which both partners, because of their passionate love for and unassailable commitment to each other are enabled to grow in humanity and in holiness. Our church reached the decision it did because, in the end, we could not imagine why our magni- fied, abundant and disturbing God would make gender alone a reason to exclude any couple from this grace. This is why, Alistair and Peter, you’re surrounded today by people who love you, who want only the best for you and who admire the huge gifts you bring not only to your marriage but to the world at large. It’s our hope and prayer that your marriage will overflow with blessings. May it lead you deeper into God; may faith and love grow in you and be a catalyst for faith and love in others. May you be astonished by joy every day; may each day give you new reasons to discover that God’s love gives to you and demands from you far more than you could ever imagine. And in magnifying God may your love for each other magnify your humanity and your holiness. ‘Love surprises us’? It does indeed. And thank God for that. Amen. From http://pisky.scot/ The Online Magazine of the Scottish Episcopal Church

27 Advent Advent Sunday this year falls on 03 December and the season concludes at midnight on Christmas Eve, when Christians meet together to celebrate the Incarnation of our Lord, Christmas Day, the feast of the Nativity. Today, life is so busy and people are taken up with preparations for Christmas; time for reflection is squeezed out of our schedules and the messages of Advent can be lost. So this is a time of expectation and preparation, as the Church prepares to celebrate the coming (adventus) of Christ in his incarnation, and also looks ahead to his final advent as judge at the end of time. The readings and liturgies not only direct us towards Christ’s birth, they also challenge us to think about Christ’s coming again. The Four Last Things – Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell – have been traditional themes for Advent meditation. Our Bible Study group will be setting some prayer stations in church to help us in reflection, thinking about how we want to be ready for Jesus to come, and what we might need to put aside if our hearts are to be open to him. These will always include an invi- tation to prayer – and also to share in the journeys of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, and the mysterious journey of the Magi to welcome the new king. Church decorations are simple and spare during the season, and purple is the traditional liturgical colour. In the northern hemisphere of course, the Advent season falls at the darkest time of the year, and the natural symbols of darkness and light are powerfully at work. Candles are lit in the Advent wreath – for the people of God, for the prophets, for John the Baptist and for our Lady; finally a white candle is lit when Christmas comes, for Jesus, the light of the world. We will also hold a service for Advent on Friday 15 December at 5pm; Blue - a service of Remembrance for Advent. This will be a service for reflection and remembering – for those who find the Christmas season difficult, either through bereavement or loneliness or a sense of exclusion – and for all of us to remember those with whom for what- ever reason we can no longer celebrate. All are welcome. May Advent be blessed for us all in our prayer and preparation. Pat Ellison Vestry Seconds

Tidying up of the garden continues apace with several ‘garden parties’. The Vestry are aware that the garden requires a lot of maintenance and are investigating whether or not an annual contract could be let for garden services to reduce the workload on volunteers and our priest. The intermittent problem with water leaks around the water boiler in the Hall kitchen is still being investigated. It may be that we have to consider the issue unsolvable and have a completely new system installed. And - finally - the heating timing HAD been set to ‘winter mode’ but the boiler had failed, thankfully the boiler has now been fixed and serviced together with the Rectory and Hall boilers.

28 Money Matters First the redecoration grant means we will not have to withdraw further funds from our investments and may even mean that we can repurchase the units we sold to help towards the Rectory refurbishment. No promises yet, but it is just possible that we may end the interregnum in the same financial state that we began it. That’s not quite as good news as it looks, however. By ‘same financial state’ I mean not only that our cash and investment levels will be roughly the same - but that our under- lying cash flow issues will not have changed either. Last year I reported to the ACM that we were running an approximate deficit of £5,000 per annum. This year I reported the same thing. I also suggested that we should be setting aside funds towards the refurbishment and external redecoration of the Hall. Additionally their will be a need to replace all of our cast iron guttering in the not-too-distant future and repainting the walls of the Church below the string course. It may be that we manage to secure grants towards those expenses - but hoping for grants is not prudent financial management - we should be making provision for the future. Adding in reasonable provision leaves us with an annual deficit of considerably more than £5,000. At our ACM I presented our accounts and asked the meeting to receive them. I should also have presented a budget and asked the meeting to approve it. However, in my time as Treasurer I have not been able to produce a meaningful budget. Given a fixed income, a budget should show how that money is to be apportioned and spent - it should reflect the choices we have made. However, all of our expenditure is forced upon us. Energy bills, insurances, stipend, council tax, wages, National Insurance, pen- sion contributions, candles, wafers, buildings maintenance, licences, printing costs, sta- tionery supplies and postage. None of this is optional - there are no choices to discuss or ask the ACM to approve. But is it not all doom and gloom. The interregnum may have involved a lot of work for many people, but it has allowed us to set much of our house in order. We have attract- ed a priest with a young family, we have a growing Sunday School and the promise of a small but lively Youth Group. Our Fund Raising Committee have excelled themselves this year and, I can’t be sure because I sit at the front, there seem to be more people behind me in Church than there used to be. Finally, the format, timing and length of the 2018 ACM will be discussed between our new Priest in Charge and the Vestry, in plenty of time for next year’s ACM. This will allow the reporting and discussion of general church groups and activities etc. Grant Swain ED: this is an edited version of Grants report, as many of the items were already covered with this Edition. If you want a full copy of Grant’s report, it will be available on the website with the Activity , Property Report and other papers from the ACM.

29 FROM THE REGISTERS Baptisms We welcome into the fellowship of faith Chloe Jade Martin-Campbell—13th August Theodore Ian Ramesh Mowat-Patel—27th August Confirmations We celebrate the affirmation of faith Douglas Roderick Hugh Mackenzie—7th May Chloe Jade Martin-Campbell—13th August Funerals since last All Souls Day We remember with love all those whom we have placed in your hands ~ Christine Matthewson Pamela Candy Susan Boag John Alcott Jeff Jeffrey John Robinson Handley Barrett

Our Priest in Charge’s contact details are:- The Very Rev. Alison Simpson The Rectory, Victoria Road, Forres, IV36 3BN Telephone 01309 672856 Email [email protected]

for personal matters only please use: The New Rectory, 3 Queen Street, Nairn IV12 4AA Telephone 01667 452458 Mobile 07548 230745 Email [email protected]

30 Photograph (right) of the Gar- den Tidy-up Party 22nd September by Kirsteen Mitcalfe;

Below and over- leaf photographs of the Plant Sale on the 9th Sep- tember by Mi- chael Ellison