At 4pm on Christmas Eve, we will be presenting a Crib Service and hope that the church will be packed full of children and their families.  The service will be based on the book “Jesus’ Christmas Party” and will have some familiar carols thrown in for good measure!  Please spread the news and invite as many children and families as you know. (Special thanks to Nigel and Lynne for their enthusiasm in all of the arrangements).

Stewardship Campaign

The Congregational Board wishes to express its thanks to members of the congregation who have responded to our campaign.  Approx. 25 members have pledged to increase their offerings.  This increase ought to realise an extra £2,000 per year. More fundraising will have to take place in 2013 if the congregation is to find the extra £20,000 needed to start repaying our loan to the Church of Scotland General Trustees … so please help if you possibly can.

Church Service Tape recordings…

We are now recording the service on DVD and most of the people who previously received the tape now view the DVD. We are also sending the DVD to some new people as well. The DVD plays on a television and it shows a video recording of the front of the church as well as playing the sound recording.

Used Stamps

Please continue to collect your used stamps and also spectacles which you no longer require.  These should be given to Sarah Chapman or to Winnie McCulloch

Our local coordinator will send the money raised from the sale of stamps in this area to World Mission at 121 George Street.

Dear Friends,

Because of what I’ve read and heard, I believe that the vast majority of people of different faiths have respect for one another and their respective festivals. I believe this is true because the vast majority of people with faith are tolerant and peace-loving. Thankfully, extremists in all religions are in the minority!

Writing in the Radio Times in December 2010, the outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr.Rowan Williams said: “The weary annual attempts by right-thinking people in Britain to ban or discourage Nativity plays or public carol-singing out of sensitivity to the supposed tender consciences of other religions fail to notice that most people of other religions and cultures both love the story and respect the message.”

On a similar theme, recently I read an enlightening newspaper interview with Baroness Warsi, who is a Cabinet Minister, (Minister for Faith and Communities). Baroness Warsi is a practising Muslim, and in her newspaper interview she encouraged Muslims and other ethnic minorities to celebrate Christmas in traditional style with nativity plays and cards. She insisted that, for her, there was no contradiction between being a devout Muslim and celebrating Christmas.

In her first Christmas as Conservative Party chairman, Baroness Warsi had been upset to discover that the proposed official chairman’s card had no mention of Christianity – so she binned it and replaced it with a ‘proper traditional card, with Merry Christmas on it’.

She added defiantly: “It took the confidence of a British Muslim to do that.”

So, as we approach Christmas, don’t be tempted to think that people of other faiths are trying to “water down” the truth of the season – certainly not! It’s far more likely to be people of no faith who are flying the flag for political correctness! Besides, we seem to spend too much of our time and energy lamenting the “politically correct” brigade instead of focusing on our own spiritual preparations for the season. In the words of the old song, we need to “accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative.”

Every peace-loving Christian and congregation could do with talking less and showing more unconditional love. Instead of judging others and condemning others, we need to get alongside others, and seek to understand them and love them, and promise never to leave them. After all, that is what our God did when he came as a vulnerable babe into our dark and sinful world, one cold winter’s night in Bethlehem. What he did for me and for you, we need to do for others or else we lose all credibility in the eyes of the world.

Yvonne, Chloe and I wish you and yours a peaceful and hopeful Christmas.

Sincerely,

Brian

Christmas Eve – Crib Service

At 4pm on Christmas Eve, we will be presenting a Crib Service and hope that the church will be packed full of children and their families.  The service will be based on the book “Jesus’ Christmas Party” and will have some familiar carols thrown in for good measure!  Please spread the news and invite as many children and families as you know.

Maybole Council of Churches Calendar

UNITED SERVICE OF LESSONS AND CAROLS
Tuesday 11 December at 7pm in the Town Hall
With Carrick Academy School Band and the choirs of Cairn and St Cuthbert’s
Tea / coffee and mince pies served afterwards
ALL WELCOME

MAYBOLE PARISH CHURCH
Christmas Eve
Fun filled Crib Service – 4.00pm
Especially for children and families,
followed by refreshments.
Annual Watchnight Service – 11.30pm
Christmas Day
Family celebration – 10.30am

ST OSWALD’S
Christmas Eve Christingle – 6.00pm
Christmas Day Family Communion – 9.30am

OUR LADY & ST CUTHBERT’S MAYBOLE
Christmas Eve – 9.00pm
Christmas Day – 9.30am
Canon John McGee

MAYBOLE BAPTIST CHURCH
Sunday 23 December
Christmas Service – 11.30am
Carol Service – 6.30pm
Coffee & mince pies at end of service.

The evening was led by Mrs Isobel Johnson, Presbyterial Council Convener who opened the meeting then introduced the Rev Brian Hendrie who welcomed the company to a building in which he had great pride although it, like us, was a “work in progress”.

The main speaker of the evening was Mrs Lorna Paterson from Stirling.

At the end of the service the congregation moved to the main hall for tea. Many visitors pausing to “take in” the very user-friendly building while enjoying the spacious entry provided to the sanctuary by the café area.

The service continued with the Baptism of Hannah, baby daughter of Julie and Robin Briggs, putting the new font into immediate use.

Many of the congregation reflected over coffee after the service on how times had changed since the days when such a gesture of kinship between these “rival” churches would have been unthinkable.

Ayr Presbytery Moderator Bill Mackie conducted the service and the Rev Kenneth Elliot, Clerk of the Presbytery, delivered the Narrative of Proceedings.

He referred to the long history of the project and commended those who had charge of the process for their faith and determination.

The Rev Brian Hendrie, in welcoming the company, spoke of how happy the congregation were to be in their wonderful new home. He was pleased to point out that requests to use the facilities were to be directed to the Carrick Centre as the Church was not responsible for the day-to-day running of the building. Many groups have already chosen to site their activities in the Centre.

Rev Hendrie added, “For me, it’s a privilege and a challenge not just to be minister of this new church, but to be involved in a totally new concept … church and community under one roof!

“I, personally, have always felt that there shouldn’t be any separation between church and community and that’s why I hope this whole project will be the catalyst for similar projects all across Scotland.

“I hope people can see this place, dream dreams and then set about making the dream a reality.

“Indeed, we’ve already had a lot of interest from other churches who have seen the Carrick Centre as a catalyst for the future. I’m biased, of course, but this is the way ahead – the Church nationally has to “go for it” and probably bite some bullets in the process!”

Ministers are recent ministers from Maybole West and Maybole Old before and after uniting into Maybole Parish Church
Left to Right:
Rev Alistair Morrison, former locum Maybole Parish Church;
Rev Dave Whiteman, former minister, Maybole Old and Maybole Parish Church;
Rev Brian Hendrie, present minister Maybole Parish Church,
Rev Tom Bogle, former minister, Maybole West
Rev Douglas Moore, Former Auxiliary Minister at Maybole Parish Church

“And the team here – whether paid staff, or volunteers – make my work so much more enjoyable, because we’re all in this together – and it’s more than a place of work, it’s a place of purpose and a place of energy. We’re all part of a team who want to ensure that everyone who comes into this building finds it a very positive experience.

To be minister here is a great challenge, and I need to be more innovative than I have been so far, but, above all, I am thriving because I am part of a team that’s passionate about making this whole building flourish in the present and long into the future.”

After the service the company adjourned to the main hall where refreshments were provided and there was an opportunity to explore the whole building. The consensus was that this had been a very enjoyable and moving experience.

Officiating
Mr Bill Mackie, Moderator of the Presbytery of Ayr
Mr Allan Hutchison, Session Clerk at Maybole Parish Church
Rev Alistair H. Morrison BTH DipYCS, Former Locum at Maybole Parish Church 2008 – 2010
Mr James Skinner OBE FCIBS, Former Interim Moderator at Maybole Parish Church 2008 – 2010
The Reverend Douglas T. Moore, Former Auxiliary Minister at Maybole Parish Church 2003 – 2008
Mr John L. Duncan QPM, Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran
The Very Reverend David W. Lacy BA BD DLitt, Former Moderator of the General Assembly 2005
The Reverend Kenneth C. Elliott BA BD Cert Min, Clerk of the Presbytery of Ayr
The Reverend Brian Hendrie BD, Minister of Crosshill and Maybole Parish Church
Mrs Elizabeth Riome, Elder at Maybole Parish Church and Reader.
Mrs Kay Feldmann, Organist