MAY TheThe SentinelSentinel 2014 Volume 52 No 5 I’ve got my collecting can for Christian Aid week. Have you got yours? Magazine of Giffnock South Parish Church The General Assembly opens on Saturday 17th May and closes on Friday 23rd. New Moderator-Designate appointed—see page 2 Look at our fab Easter bonnets! Our Christian Aid Convener, Brian Cochran is looking for more collectors for Christian Aid Week which starts on Monday 12th May. Please help. Can you spare a few hours of your time? Of course you can. Phone Brian on 616 3236 NOW. Page 2 We’re fairly looking forward to May’s big event, the BIG SING when all our favourite hymns and yours will be given the Alan Gillon treatment on the organ and will allow the choir (and hangers-on too) to give them the Beattie ‘wellie’. Make sure you don’t miss this five-star evening on May 18th at 7pm. Remember to hand in a list of your favourites to any of the office bearers or a member of the choir or the events group. Contributions for the June edition of The Sentinel should be sent to the Church office or emailed to [email protected] by 11th May. CHURCH OF SCOTLAND NEWS The Rev John Chalmers (pictured) was recently named as Moderator-Designate, taking the place of the Rev Dr Angus Morrison, who had to stand down due to ill health (as reported in last month’s Sentinel). Mr Chalmers, 61, the long-standing and widely respected Principal Clerk to the General Assembly, has spent most of his life supporting the work of Enable, the charity for people with learning difficulties. During his moderatorial year he intends to visit many special-needs facilities. He is quoted as saying: "I want to tell the story of a church which cares about the conditions in which people live and which puts its money where its faith is, in the work it does amongst the most vulnerable and marginalised." Mr Chalmers also said that he would: "seek above all else to hold the people of the Church of Scotland together in peace and unity". These remarks were as a result of the anxiety voiced by a former Moderator, Alison Elliot, who was worried about the future of the country after a divisive campaign leading up to the referendum in September. She said in February: "How will you feel on September 19th if you have not done as much as you might to promote the particular view you want?" GIFFNOCK SOUTH NEWS Honour for As we write this, Easter has just passed and we look back Giffnock over these past few days, commencing with the joint Rainbows service on Maundy Thursday at the Park Church with a memorable sermon by the former moderator, Rev Dr John Fiona Doyle, Assistant Miller. Our church was then open on Good Friday when Leader of the First Catherine read The Passion and Alan Gillon and Robert Giffnock Rainbows has Beattie provided a gentle musical accompaniment to our been selected to carry meditation. This was followed by the Good Friday service the Commonwealth at URC led by Rev Mary Buchanan and our own Catherine Games Baton when it Beattie. But what was surely the high point was the early passes through East service on Easter Sunday in Giffnock South’s garden The Baton Renfrewshire on July followed by breakfast magnificently prepared by Hannah 16th. She was nominated because of and Laura Beattie. The entire Beattie family do so much to her work with the Rainbows and for enhance the fellowship of our church. The main service at The beautiful cross raising money for local charities by 11am was also very moving with many rousing Easter made from papier running half marathons and 10k hymns and, as usual, a thought-provoking sermon. mâchḗ by Mora Kerr’s events. SEE PHOTOS ON EGAP father. EASTWOODHILL NEWS The Annual Eastwoodhill Coffee Morning was held this year on Saturday 12th April and proved to be as popular as ever with stalls besieged by keen customers with an eye on a bargain. Every table in the Winton Hall was filled and the waitresses were kept on their toes satisfying the thirsty throng. The ability of the new kitchen to cater for large numbers was amply demonstrated and the quality of the coffee was particularly noted. Around £1700 was raised which is to be spent renovating the healthcare room in Eastwoodhill to cater for minor medical treatment and other uses which will enhance the experience of the residents.. Such an event entails a huge amount of extremely hard work by the staff and the ‘Friends’ of Eastwoodhill and they and the generous ‘customers’ deserve a huge dollop of Eastwoodhill Care Home grateful thanks. Dear Friends, CHURCH Page 3 It hardly seems like any time since we’ve completed our recent projects within our building! I don’t know DIRECTORY about you but I still get something of a buzz when I walk into the sanctuary and see again what a The Minister: wonderful job has been done - not to mention our wonderful kitchen. As everyone says, far from Rev Catherine Beattie BDMin spoiling the church, we’ve enhanced it! We still retain the sense of the sacred and yet we have all 0141 258 7804 the attributes of a flexible, inclusive space – the perfect combination for furthering the worship and 07709 086 767 Mobile witness of the congregation. [email protected] Though pride is to be avoided – coming as it usually does before a fall – there’s a good deal of Church Officer: pleasure to be had in showing visitors around the The Minister’s buildings! Seeing how others appreciate what’s Mr Graham Morton Letter been done helps me to appreciate it all over again. 0141 638 3594 But here’s the thing; re-doing our kitchen was never an end in itself. We’ve made that clear throughout the various stages of the project and will continue to Church Office Hours: do so. Rather, it was about providing for ourselves a means of progressing the mission of the church. The church office is open in the That’s why I’m so delighted then that we’re seeing signs of that taking place. We mornings from Monday to have people coming into our buildings for the first time – some of them to share Friday from 9.30am till noon in our worship, others of them to take advantage of one or other of our midweek ministries. In terms of worship, as has been written elsewhere, wasn’t it 0141 638 2599 wonderful to see the church so busy on Easter Day and what a breakfast! [email protected] Well, the Parent and Toddler Group is going from strength to strength and, by way of one more example, earlier this week (at time of writing) we have added Session Clerk: baby change facilities in the Ladies loo to make coming to our building with a wee one an easier experience. (See photo on page 7). Tony Ireland We’re making it abundantly clear that our church is not a closed shop or a holy huddle, but the kind of place where everyone is welcome and where anyone can 0141 639 6532 Home find a home. 07831 525 513 Mobile I’ve never doubted for a minute that we made the right decision in going ahead with these projects. It has required a huge effort – not least by our fabric team, Church Website: who still continue to oversee the final stages to ensure that all loose ends are tied up. But it’s an effort that will, I’m sure, reap rich rewards in terms of the Www.giffnocksouth.co.uk future health and well-being of the congregation and its mission. So - there’s plenty to rejoice in and to look forward to. If you’ve been away for a The church Facebook page can be found at: while, why not try to get yourself back on board. We would love to see you and www.facebook.com/giffnocksouthparish to have you as part of all that’s going on. God Bless, Catherine. Enjoy a cup of tea or Inspiring Easter Cantata by the Choir coffee before and after the service every If you missed the choir’s rendition of American composer John Sunday Peterson’s ‘Hallelujah What a Saviour!’ on Sunday evening 6th April, you missed an absolute treat as this was a stirring and dramatic Easter Cantata with wonderful tunes that lived with us TEXT OF THE long after the event. Alan Gillon, as was expected, provided a John W Peterson stirring accompaniment on both the organ and piano (though not both at once) MONTH and Martin Bennie conducted the choir with an enthusiasm that led to an accurate rendition, with only a few minor blips in what was an outstanding And it shall come performance. Morag Steven’s narrative was beautifully modulated, setting the scene for each choral piece and the soloists, Carol Cochran and Ian Ritchie to pass, that whosoever shall call provided a lovely contrast to the singing of the massed choir. The ‘extras’ who on the name of the Lord shall be were persuaded to join the ‘regulars’ deserve our grateful thanks and it is hoped saved. that they will sing with the choir again. We hear that this composer has produced more than this one work and we look forward with eager anticipation Acts 2:21 AV to hearing more of his compositions in the future. Page 4 GOLF OUTINGS The Guild LADIES By the time church members read this Our Annual Ladies’ Golf outing will be at article, the AGM will be over and we can Whitecraigs Golf Club on Thursday 28th look forward to another interesting August at 2pm.