Bridgeton St Francis-in-the-East
Church of Scotland
Parish Magazine
Church: 26 Queen Mary Street, Glasgow, G40 3BB,
Tel. 556 2830
Minister: Rev. Howard Hudson, Tel. 587 8667
Session Clerk: Mr James Gibson, Tel. 013552 41377
Church House: 22 Queen Mary Street, Bridgeton
www.bridgetonstfrancis.org.uk
www.facebook.com/bridgetonstfrancis
Scottish Charity SCO12535
WE HAVE A DREAM…
We have a dream of a church that is full of people of all ages including the young, from the district and beyond, enthusiastic, willing to play their part, keen to know the Lord, praising and thanking God from the very bottom of their hearts, willing to share their love, caring for others, both inside the church and outside it.
We have a dream of a church that is hungry to be led by God, to serve the Lord, study the Bible, grow in faith, communicate clearly, worship, spread the gospel in the community, pray, and live in fellowship with each other.
We have a dream of a church made up of tolerant people between whom there are no barriers of class, colour or creed, age, hatred, bitterness, jealousy, criticism, wealth or poverty, appearance, health, sex, status or position.
We have a dream of a church that is inclusive and open to everyone, no matter who they are or what they might have done, whether they are like us or not, and that is open to ways of working in the community.
We have a dream of a church that has a heart for the community, our neighbours, pleasing God, other people’s needs, friendship, mission here at home and abroad, and has the courage to take the flack for being Christians.
We have a dream of a church in which God’s Spirit is present, is really believed in, and is working in us to fulfil our commitment to Christ, leading us, always near, felt, transforming us more and more into the people God wants us to be.
We have a dream of a church that is excited and passionate about Jesus, the gospel, praising and worshipping God, prayer, evangelism, reading the Bible, full of hope for the present and the future.
This is our dream for Bridgeton, St. Francis-in-the-East Church. Will you share it with us? Will you help us make it a reality?
- Your Kirk Session
Message from the Manse
Dear Friends,
This autumn Church House celebrates 75 years – quite an achievement for something which began as a one year experiment! And time and time again during these 75 years Church House has survived against all the odds. Rev. Arthur Gray, who founded Church House while minister of our church, used to tell how one night in the autumn of 1942 he invited eleven boys from the area to meet him in the former London Road East Church in Boden Street to hear how they could make that derelict building into a place for the children and young people of the area. And he said that when he sent these boys home asking them to come back the following night with their friends to start making that building their own, he didn’t know whether they would. However, Arthur turned up the following night, and so did the boys. And the night after that they brought along some girls with mops and buckets. And Church House was born.
But there have been many, many times since when it has looked like Church House would close – due to lack of leaders or lack of money or pressures from Strathclyde Regional Council or the cost of maintaining a Victorian building, to give just a few examples. Yet against all the odds Church House continues, now in a brand new annexe (which didn’t cost Church House a penny) built onto our church building with numerous different activities taking place in it throughout the week. And yet, when you look at the 75 year history of Church House, humanly speaking it should have closed years ago.
So how has it kept going? Through the hard work of its staff and volunteers and the support of those who come to it and of the church? Yes, and we are very grateful to all these people who have made this possible. But that’s not the whole story. For time and time again Church House has been about to close due to lack of leaders and then at the last moment someone has appeared out of the blue and it has all changed, or due to a lack of money and then at the last moment suddenly out of the blue a donation, often anonymous, has arrived, just enough to keep Church House going. Those of us who have been closely involved in the running of Church House down through the years are convinced that it’s not just people who have kept Church House going, but God. In fact, Alex Mair, who was leader of Church House for over thirty years, kept talking about God’s Providence. For really there’s no other way to explain
how time and time again against all the odds Church House has kept going. God in His goodness has kept Church House going against all the odds. For, as Eric Liddell discovered at the 1924 Olympics, God is faithful to those who are faithful to Him. So come along to our special 75th anniversary People’s Communion at Church House on Tuesday 5th September at 7.30pm when our guest celebrant and preacher will be Bill Shackleton who first became involved in Church House in 1955 and let’s thank God for His goodness. And in all we do, let’s keep faithful to God, knowing that He is faithful to those who are faithful to Him, as the history of Church House proves.
Yours in His love,
Howard.
Minister’s Mentions
· I will be on holiday from Monday 16th October till Sunday 22nd October when Stewart Smith will be back to take our morning service. If you need the help of a minister while I am on holiday, please phone Rev. Peter Davidge at 07765 096599.
STOP THE ROT
At time of writing, we have £34,811.85 towards the £60,000 we need to re-slate the north-facing roof and stop the water penetration from around the tower and get rid of the wet rot above the balcony. (Don’t worry; it’s perfectly safe still to sit there!) Thanks to everyone who has already given a donation to the roof fund. All donations gratefully received.
Thanks also to everyone who have donated old badges, medals, coins, postcards, watches, and jewellery they no longer want, including odd earrings, broken chains, broken rings. There is still time for more donations to be made. One church in Lambhill raised over a thousand pounds for their roof fund through doing this.
Once we have raised the funds and completed this work, no further major fabric works are anticipated. Our church building should then only require ongoing routine maintenance.
HARVEST 2017
We will be holding a Harvest Supper for all of us in our church hall on Saturday 14th October at 7pm during which Gus McKay, Chaplain at the Lodging House Mission will be sharing about harvest and the LHM. Although this is free of charge, please put your name on the Harvest Supper sheet on the table opposite the front doors of the church if you’re coming so that we can have the right amount of food. Then our Harvest Thanksgiving Service will be on Sunday 15th October at 11am and there are two ways that you can give a harvest gift, either by putting a cash donation in a Lodging House Mission envelope which we will supply or by bringing something for the harvest display. The church will be open from 12noon till 1pm on Saturday 14th October to receive your harvest gifts and for setting up our harvest display.
After the Harvest Service we will need people to stay behind to help distribute the gifts, and it is hoped that many people, including all our members with cars, will stay behind to help. The Kirk Session has decided that the gifts will once again be distributed to those in our church who are housebound or in hospital or eventide homes and to the Lodging House Mission.
As each year we receive so much for our harvest display, including more perishables than we really need, it would be very much appreciated if gifts for the harvest display were either in tins or breakfast cereal, soup cereal, biscuits, dried fruit, rice, sugar, tea, coffee or fruit juice. That way what we don’t need for those in our church who are ill, housebound, in hospital, eventide homes, can go to the Lodging House Mission.
If you would like to help plan our Harvest Service, please let Howard know now!
Crèche Rota
Sep 3rd Margaret Miller May Cross
Sep 10th Betty Glassford Nancy Humphries
Sep 17th May Livingstone Jane Gartland
Sep 24th Margaret Miller May Cross
Oct 1st Betty Glassford Nancy Humphries
Oct 8th May Livingstone Jane Gartland
Oct 15th Margaret Miller May Cross
Oct 22nd Betty Glassford Nancy Humphries
Oct 29th May Livingstone Jane Gartland
Nov 5th Margaret Miller May Cross
Nov 12th Betty Glassford Nancy Humphries
Nov 19th May Livingstone Jane Gartland
Nov 26th Margaret Miller May Cross
Dec 3rd Betty Glassford Nancy Humphries
Dec 10th May Livingstone Jane Gartland
More helpers needed for the crèche rota. If you can help, please speak to Betty Glassford. Thank you.
CAN YOU HELP?
We currently need someone to be our Church and Society rep and someone to be our Mission and Discipleship Council liaison person. If you would be interested in finding out more about either of these opportunities, please talk to Howard Hudson.
ROLL KEEPERS REPORT
We have 75 members on the Church Roll.
At the June Communion 43 members communicated.
- Betty Glassford
(Roll Keeper)
FUNERALS
11/08/17 Mr John Sloan
FLOWERS
Many thanks to all who have contributed in any way to the church’s Flower Fund. Your donations are always appreciated. If there is anyone else who would like to put flowers in the church, perhaps in memory of someone or an anniversary, etc, please speak to either Rita McKenna or Sharon Miller. Donations are as follows:
JUNE
“For Mum & Dad” from Willie & Sandra
“In Memory of Dad” from Elaine
JULY
“For Tommy” from Elsie
“In Memory of Davie” from Betty
“In Memory of my Brother Robert” from Isabel
“In Memory of Dad” from Sandra
AUGUST
“For Margaret” from Margaret
“For David, forever in my thoughts” from Sadie & Family
“In Memory of John” from Jessie & Family
“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendorwas dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!”
Luke 12:27-28
YOUNG FRANKIES
The new session of Young Frankies will begin on Sunday, 1st October and run until 25th March. We hope that during this time the youngsters will be involved in Sunday worship occasionally in consultation with Howard.
As you all know, Olivia has returned home to America. She helped us greatly especially with any craftwork. Margaret Beaton also left at the end of the last session due to other commitments. We appreciated all Margaret’s enthusiastic and insightful imput week by week. It’s good to know that she will still be accessible when we need to pick her brains. Her experience gained over years of youth work in the parish has been a real blessing to Young Frankies during this past session and she will be much missed especially by the young folks. Another person we would like to thank is Michelle who is both supportive, practical and lends her artistic skills when needed.
We are therefore looking for more volunteers to come on board. Anyone volunteering need only be as involved as they wish. We try to work as a team working to each other’s strengths and weaknesses. For example I am hopeless when it comes to craftwork although I can manage the tidying up afterwards. We meet occasionally to discuss the broad outline of each block of lessons so if anyone is interested but not too sure about coming forward you might consider coming along to our discussion and see what we plan and find out if you feel you could help or have a word with Sandra, Moira or myself. We would be happy to give you more information.
We may not, as yet, have many young people coming to Young Frankies week by week but I hope that you would agree with me when I say that our Church would be a much poorer place without them. They deserve us to give them as much encouragement as we possibly can so please seriously consider helping even if you feel you could do one or two Sundays a session.
- Helen Knight
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children
are walking in the truth.”
3 John 1:4
CHURCH LIBRARY
The Church Library is open each Sunday, just next to the piano in the main hall, for everyone to use. A wide range of Christian books are available for borrowing, including books on Christian history, biographies, practical books to help you pray, or read your Bible, as well as theology books for anyone wanting to study that bit deeper. Don’t forget we also have some videos and tapes available, and that there’s something there for everyone including children. Just make a note in the book of anything you take, and enjoy your book. Remember the library is there for you.