St George's-Tillydrone Church of Scotland

Church Magazine - 164 - December 1997 - January 1998

Who Gets Paid For Your Shopping?
Dear Friends - Minister's Letter
Hayverings - think about it!
Church Roll
News of People
Snippets
Friendship Hour
Team Player or Solo?
Church Notices
Party time! - a modern parable
Open Door - Points for Prayer
Inner City Church Conference
Women's Guild
The Safety of Children - Policy Statement
The sign of the mustard seed - News from Romania

Who Gets Paid For Your Shopping?
Fiona Fairhurst reflects on the unseen impact of Christmas shopping.

The last three months of the year is, we're told, the time that retailers rely on for their profits. Toy shops are packed, craft fairs are abundant, supermarkets are open 24 hours, DIY shops, carpet and furniture shops all urge you to do up your house in time for Christmas. It's a frenzied time of year, everyone is trying to increase last year's takings. But have you ever stopped to think about why so many companies make such large profits? Of course it is to do with the increased spending power at this time of year, but all too often it is also because of the exploitation of the poor workers in developing countries who manufacture many of our goods. Traidcraft is a Christian organisation working for a fairer way of trading with groups in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Its business is based on co-operation, not exploitation; a commitment to respect the skills, traditions and hard work of 'third world' producers.

Their current catalogue is packed full of products which make original gift ideas as well as stationery, appealing clothing and jewellery and of course fairly traded food, teas and coffees. Orders for Christmas can be placed right up to 20th December so even the last minute shopper has ample opportunity. Why not give the Bon Accord centre crowds a miss and stay in to make your Christmas dumpling? Short of ingredients? Traidcraft has sultanas, raisins, sugar etc and, I can assure you, Grandma's recipe (or in my case Mum's) never tasted better. Can't be bothered to make your own this year? - No problem. Traidcraft sell ready made Christmas puddings and Christmas cakes as well as nibbles such as nuts and chocolate which Gorry thinks is the best around. Of course Traidcraft is better known for it's tea and coffee and we all get through plenty of that, not just at Christmas time.

Buying fair trade food regularly is one of the simplest, most effective ways of making a positive difference to communities in the developing world. Food producers are paid a fair price. They have the security of a long term trading relationship based on partnership and co-operation. They receive other benefits such as improved working conditions, community development and access to advance payments. Now that Café Direct and other fair trade foods are available on supermarket shelves (look for the "double F" sign on the label) you can buy them with your other shopping. Alternatively, you can do as we do and buy in bulk from the catalogue. It can be quite entertaining finding space for 40 toilet rolls (a handy 9 roll pack is also available) and Robert loves the excitement of helping unwrap and unpack the parcel!

Fiona Fairhurst

Dear Friends,

This letter is being written in November for the magazine which covers the Christmas and New Year period. I want then, to begin the Minister's Letter with the Ministers' good wishes. Willie Philip and I wish you all God's richest blessings for Christmas and our prayerful greetings for New year. Elsewhere in this issue you will see a note of our special services (page 6). Have you ever thought of inviting a family member, a neighbour or a friend to some of these services, using our specially prepared card? It can be easier at Christmas than at any other time of year.

For some, Christmas equals busyness. If so, then let's try to make time to be like Martha's sister, Mary, who sat at Jesus' feet, listening to Him teaching. "Mary has chosen the right thing", he told Martha (see Luke 10: 38-42). Another Mary, the mother of our Lord and Saviour, listened to the shepherds' report of the angelic message about Him and she "remembered all these things and thought deeply about them" (Luke 2:19). It's not always very easy to think deeply in all the Christmas rush, but if we do, we'll be able to receive the most precious gifts of all: the love, joy and peace from God Himself.

Yours with loving prayer,

Shirley A. Fraser

P.S. Some of you have heard that Aberdeen Presbytery asked me to serve as the Interim Moderator in Northfield Parish Church when its minister, Rev David Anderson, moved to Portsoy in October. It is a great help to me to know that their Deacon, Duncan Ross, can shoulder much pastoral and schools work, and in addition, I am delighted that one of our own associate members, Rev Dan Pochi from Nigeria, has been appointed as the part-time locum minister who will conduct most of the services. However, I do have to chair the Kirk Session meetings and oversee the vacancy procedure. I shall be at their morning service on December 14, after which the Vacancy Committee will be elected. I should like to be able to be able to assure the Northfield congregation of our prayerful interest in them at this time of change.

Hayverings

My name is Andy Hay, son of John and Lesley Hay, brother of Sarah Hay, grandson of ...... Well, you get the picture. Or do you? Is a name enough to give a picture of a person? Does my name tell you where I was born, how tall I am or what I like to eat?

I have just read today's "The Herald" and in it is a profile of a man called David White. Mr White is a very well respected actor, a man whom I admire in this roles as Derek "Del Boy" Trotter, Jack Frost and Pa Larkin which are but a few of his many. "What are you talking about?" I hear you say. "His name isn't White, it's David Jason". Mr White was born a twin 57 years ago and his twin named Jason died weeks later.

Maybe we don't carry our memories, worries, hopes and the rest of what's inside us around in our names but we do carry them in private. There are things we may feel we cannot air or wear on our sleeves but thank God we don't have to. Thank God there is somebody who has known us since before we were even given a name. Thank God that he knows us in a way that others will never know us and loves us in a way others will never love us. When you have a moment do look at Psalm 139 as it speaks clearer than I do.

My name is Andy - Just Exceeded The Word Limit And Feels Bad For Speculating About A Man Who Has Achieved More Than I Ever Will - Hay.

Church Roll

Raechel Smith, daughter of Robert and Alex, was baptised on Sunday, October 26th.

We welcome into membership of St George's, Rev Paul and Mrs Mary Mumo, Dawn Heasley and Mrs Jane (Jeannie) Peck.

We extend our sympathy to the husband and family of Mrs Isobel Skinner, who died very suddenly in October.

We were saddened to hear of the death of Mr Bill Arthur, a regular worshipper at St George's.

News of People

Markus Manjang in Nigeria (our former Care Force Worker) writes:

"It has been great going back to the Polytechnic. I started Accounting all over again and I am completing next year. The time that I was in the UK, I didn't much like reading. I thank God because I discovered that I was suffering from a kind of eye problem called chronic glaucoma. I was operated upon in May this year, and I thank God because the operation was successful. Now through the grace of God over me, I don't have problems with my eyes and with my reading.

"My Dad will be retiring from active service as a pastor by the end of this year. My Mum is very well. I would please like you to pray for them as they are retiring. My regards to the Church in Tillydrone, and to the Evans"

It was a beautifully mild day for Andrew Randall's and Kay Murray's wedding in Macduff on October 17. They thanked us for the card and gift - and dropped in to worship with us again on Nov 23rd, although they are now settling in to life in Edinburgh and New Restalrig Church.

A letter from Jane Fucella in Thailand gives news of Mike's Ordination in the Church of Christ. "It was a very special day and I was proud, not only of Mike, but of the way the church rallied round and worked together to make everything go smoothly .... Rachel is well. She loves school - but I need to be more disciplined and less distracted. Much of my time these days is spent 'wasting time' just sitting with people who need to release their feelings about being HIV positive or having AIDS. There is a 2-year old called May who is dying very painfully - please pray for her ..... please pass on our love to the folk at St George's, especially Julie".

Rhona Cruickshank writes regularly from "her country" and values our prayers as she battles on with demanding language study.

Jane Howitt in Riga, Latvia is so glad the S.U. Bible reading notes have been produced, but Scripture Union faces working on a reduced budget in the future. Jane will be home in Scotland for a wee break from mid-December.

It was good to welcome John and Lesley Hay to St George's on Nov 16th. Early in the New Year they will be returning to Japan to work with OMF International. If anyone would like to received their prayer letter, please speak to Andy Hay.

It was also great to have a visit from our Wycliffe Bible Translators partner, Cathie Aberdour, who spoke of the work amongst the Apurina in Brazil (and showed us a huge beetle). Cathie hopes to return to Brazil next year.

Snippets

Life and Work. Special Offer for 1998. Life and Work will cost 80p from January 1998. As we are allowed a 15% discount on our order, we can sell it at 70p per copy. Hence the annual subscription will remain at £8.40 and should be paid by the end of February 1998. If you wish to place an order for the brighter, new look magazine, please contact Kathleen Fraser (Tel 493652).

Church Flat 2c Alexander Terrace. There will be a vacancy in the flat again from the New Year. If any Christian male is interested, please speak to Shirley Fraser.

Blythswood Charity Shop (Rosemount Viaduct) are short of volunteers to serve in the shop and sort clothes. If anyone would be able to help on a regular basis please contact Mrs Isobel Tallach (645250).

Friendship Hour

15th January Story Time (video?)
22nd January Mrs Margaret Laing (elder at Woodside Church). Slides of Coastal Cruise from Norway to the Arctic Circle.
29th January Talk by Mr Willie Hunter (Gerrard Street Baptist Church)
5th February Margaret Ross of Crossroads: History of the Citadel.
12th February Ray Hepburn. Slides of Capenray Hall and the Isle of Wight.
19th February Reverend Willie Philip
26th February Talk by Mrs Mary Mumo.

"Are you a team player, or do you prefer to work solo?"

This is one of the standard questions asked in recruitment interviews. If I was being uncharitable, I might suggest that the organisation who pays my wages looks for people who (a) are happy to work for hours without supervision, without making any mistakes and without thanks, and (b) are also happy to work in a team, accepting any instructions we are given, willing to compromise, without making any mistakes and without any thanks! We use the term "Team Ministry" in the church today, but I am not at all sure we all mean the same thing by it. I certainly hope we are more enlightened than the fictional interviewer I have described above.

The Bible tells us that each Christian is given gifts by God, and that these gifts are for the equipping of us all, for the building up of the church (Eph 4:12). So what does this mean for us in Tillydrone today? The first thing is that we don't have to work without supervision. Jesus has promised that he will not leave us alone but that his Spirit will come and guide us into all truth (John 16:13). We have been looking at guidance at the Alpha group and we have discovered that God can guide us in many different ways. One thing we can be sure of is that if we listen, he will guide us.

Secondly, it is important to remember that God forgives sins - not just our past sins but also the mistakes we make today. Sometimes we are over cautious about doing or saying something. We must be careful that we do not mistake caution for fear or simple idleness. "Be bold, be strong, for the Lord your God is with you!" (Josh 1:9) It can be very discouraging to work hard and not get any thanks. Of course, our reward will be in heaven and neither moths nor rust can take that away, but a little thanks down here can go a long way! I suspect we all could do with saying 'thank you' a bit more often!

We do need to be able to work together, but I believe if we truly seek God's will for our own role in the church family then he will take away any fear and enable each of us to play our part. We didn't receive those gifts from God in order that we sit and watch other people doing their bit. Rather we must work out what 'membership of the team' means for us.

George McLeod

Church Notices

Thu 11 Dec 7.30 pm. The Alpha Supper. Anyone who would like to join the next course beginning in March is most welcome to come to this event. Please let Willie Philip know.
Sun 14 Dec 6.30 pm. Carols by Candlelight, followed by tea and mince pies.
Sun 21 Dec 11.15 am Christmas Sunday (all-age) service, with Children's drama.
3.00 pm Meadow Court Service.
6.30 pm. "Christ for the World". Celebration for everyone.
Wed 24 Dec 7.30 pm. "Outside Inn". Christmas Eve Service for everyone, followed by tea and mince pies.
Thu 25 Dec 11.15 am Christmas Day Service for everyone.
Sun 28 Dec 11.15 am All-age service.
No evening service.
Sun 4 Jan 98 11.15 am All-age service.
6.30 pm Joint Communion Service in St George's. Preacher: Rev Alistair Murray, Woodside Church.
Sun 11 Jan 11.15 am Dedication Service.
Sun 8 Feb There will be no evening service to allow those that wish, to attend a Presbytery Service at which the Moderator of the General Assembly will be preaching - venue to be announced.
Very advanced notice
Tue 10 Mar 7.30 pm Annual Stated Meeting. Guest speaker: Rev Peter Dickson, High Hilton Church.

Party time!

It was Laura's 21st birthday and her friends at Aberdeen University were looking forward to celebrating it. They wanted to make it a very special occasion and also a big surprise for Laura. They promised to keep their plans a secret from Laura. Secret meetings were held periodically to plan the programme. A band called "The 60's" was booked and there was a series of shopping trips to buy gifts for everyone (except Laura). People became so engrossed in their secret preparations that they forgot about Laura! Laura didn't get a gift and to rub salt into the wound they even forgot to include Laura's name on the list of participants for the party.

On the day of Laura's birthday, her friends were happy and excited. Laura was excited too and prepared her room in Dunbar Hall for her friends to come round and pick her up for the party. She waited and waited for the whole day but none of her friends appeared. Laura could not believe it. Her friends had left for the party and spent the whole night celebrating her 21st birthday without even inviting Laura. Some friends!

This is a bit like the way we treat Jesus at His birthday (CHRISTmas). We spend most of our time preparing for Christmas, working extra hours so as to be able to buy cards and/or gifts for friends, family members and relatives without a second of thought about Jesus Christ whom we celebrate. We exclude Him and become so tired that we cannot properly celebrate his coming among us at church on Christmas day. Let this Christmas be a different one for you. Open the door of your heart to Jesus. Invite Him into your life, your family, your home; let Him in today (Revelation 3:20) and you will experience joy and peace such as you have never even dreamt about, now and into 1998 and beyond. Let's remember Laura's experience and think about how we treat the One whose birthday we celebrate this Christmas.

Philip Dawuda

Open Door - Points for Prayer

Pray for the services in December, especially the Carols by Candlelight service on the 14th Dec and the Christmas Eve Service. Pray that people will come and share in our worship as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Remember those who will find it hard to cope at Christmas because of illness, the loss of a loved one, unemployment or loneliness. Pray for all those who are far from home and missing their family. Remember especially Rhona Cruickshank at this time.

Give thanks for the past year at St George's, for Shirley and Willie as they minister so faithfully to the needs of the parish and for all who do the many necessary jobs in the church.

Prayerfully consider your giving to the Church so that we will be able to meet our financial needs for next year.

Pray for the Church of Scotland Homes throughout the country, for residents who are finding it more difficult to cope with life, physically and mentally. Pray for the staff that they might have patience and understanding and be able to work together as a team to give the residents as good a quality of life as possible.

Muriel Collie

St George's Members attend Inner City Church Conference

Billy and Agnes Rae and Rae Hepburn attended an Urban Priority Area Consultation in Pollockshields, Glasgow during early November. The conference was held in the Mount Carmel Retreat Centre and the theme was "A time for planting and a time for pulling up". Rae, Billy and Agnes were the only representatives from the North East with all the other thirty or so delegates coming from Glasgow and Fife. There was a full programme including sessions on Change in our Own Communities and Congregations (Rev John Miller), Ways of Praying using Relaxation and Visualisation (Father Brian McClorry) and Change in Buildings (Rev. Russel McHarty). This last session was an interesting one showing beautiful Victorian Gothic Buildings so expensive now in upkeep and only used on Sundays. The changes made in some churches by the removal of permanent seats to create multi-purpose open spaces showed just how fortunate we are in already having a multi-purpose and practical building at St George's. Towards the end of the consultation, time was spent identifying the changes needed for the future. Two areas needing change emerged: firstly it was felt that elders needed to spend more time in their church community with so many currently living outside their church area. Secondly, ways of bringing younger folk and children into the church were needed. The conference highlighted some of the benefits of Tillydrone: despite problems with drink, drugs and violence we do have a Health Centre, a Family Centre, Nurseries and Crèches, two good schools, the Lads Club and the Community Centre. Our representatives enjoyed the experience.

Ray Hepburn and Alan Duncan

Women's Guild

The Guild recommenced on Monday 24th November with the showing of the video 'Sing a New Song' which featured an inspiring address by Mrs Fiona Castle.

The programme for the remainder of the session is:

8th Dec Mrs Catherine Evans: "Treasures on Earth and in Heaven".
15th Dec Christmas Party with Miss Elma McGrath.
19th Jan World Mission Videos.
9th Feb Speaker: Mrs Mary Mumo.
23rd Feb Theme Talk: "Rich in Love".
9th Mar Rev. Willie Philip: "Travels in Africa".
23rd Mar At Home Evening with Bring and Buy.
6th Apr AGM with Rev. Shirley Fraser.

Meetings are held fortnightly on a Monday and a warm invitation is extended to women of all ages.

Win Armstrong (President)

The Safety of Children and Young People in the Church

The following Policy Statement was approved by the General Assembly in May 1997: "The Church of Scotland has a deep concern for the wholeness and well-being of each individual. It seeks to safeguard the welfare of all people regardless of age, who come into contact with the Church and its organisations. It is the responsibility of each individual within the fellowship of the Church to prevent the physical, sexual or emotional abuse of children and young people".

A Code of Good Practice has been produced nationally and everyone working with young people in the church must be familiar with the Code, complete an appropriate form and attend a training session. A Register has to be compiled of everyone working with children and young people in the Church. The Kirk Session has appointed Kathleen Fraser as a Co-ordinator and she recently attended a full day's training on child safety issues.

Kathleen Fraser

The sign of the mustard seed

Catherine McDougall spent a month in Bucharest, Romania during the summer of 1996 working with the charity, Health Aid UK. She returned there for two weeks in July this year. She went to renew acquaintances with friends made last year and to contribute to Health Aid's ongoing work with, and for, HIV positive children in Romania. Here she describes her recent visit.

Part of my time this year was spent, as last year, in the pavilion for HIV positive children at the Colentina Hospital for Infectious Diseases. Very few of the children who were in the pavilion last year were still there. Some, who had not been totally abandoned, had returned to their families. Sadly, a number had died in the last year. Happily, two of the babies, who had turned out to be HIV negative, have been adopted by a Romanian couple. There were no babies or young toddlers in the pavilion this year and so all the children, except for a few who were too poorly, were able to run around outside and enjoy the sunshine. It may have been my imagination but I thought that this year they seemed better able to play together. There was certainly a more positive atmosphere in the pavilion. The doctor-in-charge had just taken early retirement and that was the single best thing that could have happened. She was uncaring, obstructive and, at times, positively destructive. She has been replaced by a much more caring and co-operative doctor who is willing to work more closely with Health Aid. Within days of taking up office, she had agreed that a room in the pavilion should be set aside and properly equipped for terminal care and that a small room would be make into a chapel of rest. On the final day of my stay this year, an evangelical group from Canada visited the hospital and entertained the children with songs and a puppet show and gave them balloons. The children clearly thoroughly enjoyed this and, hopefully, the group will return on a regular basis as this would be the only religious education these children would receive.

Although I visited the Colentina Hospital most days, most of my time this year was actually spent decorating in a house which Health Aid is preparing to open this autumn as a hostel for between 4 and 6 HIV positive mothers with babies, in the hope that this will discourage mums from abandoning their babies and provide then with a safe and supportive environment in which to live. So, several happy days were spent painting ceilings and stripping wall paper in the company of Sister Mareen, one of the Scottish nuns who is currently working with Health Aid. Her sense of fun was a tremendous tonic, as well as, I'm sure, being essential for her own survival in Romania.

At an informal service with Health Aid volunteers, Father Fergus gave us a message of encouragement. He read from Mark's Gospel, the parable of the mustard seed: "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like? ..... It is like a mustard seed which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants ...." (Mark 4: 30-32). There are hundreds of HIV positive children in Bucharest and thousands in Romania as a whole. Only a handful are being helped by Health Aid and other similar organisations and their work often seems to be just a drop in the bottom of a bucket. Fergus stressed that it is better to have a drop of water than nothing at all and that it is important to concentrate on doing our work as well as possible even when it seems insignificant. We must trust in the Lord - He can take the smallest deed and build it up into something much greater, just like the mustard seed. That is, I think, a message for us all. Nothing we do is too small to be significant or important.

Catherine McDougall

Church Telephone Directory
The church magazine in print includes a list of telephone numbers of contact persons within the church. We do not intend publishing this on our web site - however if you would like a copy, please e-mail George and we will gladly send you one.

From the editor...
Many of you submit articles which you have typed on computers. You then print them off and give them to me. I then type them in again. It would make my job much easier if you could give me the disks (in any pc format) and the paper. I'm quite happy to return disks later.

St George's-Tillydrone magazine is edited by Alan Duncan. The church web site is at http://www.ifb.co.uk/~tillybin/stgeorge. Submissions are welcome by email, on disk or on paper (in that order of preference). Contributions may be edited. Copy date for the next magazine is 25th January 1998. Thanks to Ray and Sandy Hepburn, Dorothy Irvine and Jackie, for regular help with photocopying, folding etc. Web site mastered by George McLeod at Tillybin.