MORE NEWS AT www.glasgow.anglican.org DIOCESAN NEWS – 1

GLASGOW & GALLOWAY

Diocesan News ISSUE 124: JUNE 2013

CHILDREN’S MUSIC CLUB SET TO HIT An idea for a children’s choir snowballed

within months into a music club for local

youngsters. Angela Watson explains how it is

all coming together. . .

A FEW months ago, Aidan (16), who sings in

our choir at St Margaret’s Newlands, expressed

an interest in starting a choir for children at

the church. We then put our heads together

with Maggie McTernan, our curate, who ad-

vised on child protection and other important

planning issues. Since Aidan was looking at a busy period with

impending Standard Grade exams, we agreed

that I should take the plunge over the Easter

break and attend a British Kodály Academy

course for singers and choir leaders at Coombe

Abbey,near Bath. Zoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer who

came across the sol-fa system of reading music (doh,

ray, me…etc) on a visit to Britain in the 1920s and

used it to help revive folk singing in his homeland.

The system of music education he went on to de-

velop is at the forefront of today’s early-years mu-

sic education and used in the National Youth choir

of Scotland’s training programme.

It was a wonderful course and I learned a lot in

five days, meeting many enthusiasts and experts. I

came back feeling more confident and with dozens

of child-friendly songs from one of the course ex-

perts, Sue Hollingworth. Sue runs the Scunthorpe

Co-operative children’s choir which numbers 200

souls! Its policy is non-audition and no child is ever

turned away.

With spadefuls of useful advice, loads of great

music and rector Scott Robertson’s blessing, we are

now moving forward with our own plan to have a

week-long children’s music club at St Margaret’s in

July (Monday 1st – Friday 5th) for two hours each

morning. During June we hope to arrange visits to

a few local primary schools to give them informa-

tion and hold workshops with fun warm-up tech-

niques, round-singing and games based on music

and rhythm.

We will include an email address in our handouts

for parents to register interest so we can estimate

numbers, which must be limited according to the

number of volunteer supervisors.

Members of St Margaret’s and sister churches

are welcome to bring children who are younger

than the suggested age range (Primary 4–7) as

long as carers can stay on to look after them.

In true St Margaret’s fashion, after a short an-

nouncement at the Sunday service on 28 April, we

soon had enough goodwill to cover the likelihood of

20–30 children rolling up, but it is tight and we

would be struggling if one or more of our team

were taken ill.

I can be contacted on 0141 585 7894 or

angela_wtsn@yahoo.com.

THE RIGHT NOTE

Also in this issue . . .

Opening a world of self-understanding

Feeding hungry neighbours

Peaceworker talks of Mid-East experience

Finding hidden talent after 50

Scots join pilgrimage walk in Sweden

Pilgrim site crisis TV celebrity Neil Oliver is backing a campaign to

save the visitor centre at the cradle of Christianity

in Scotland.

Student days saw the documentary presenter vol-

unteering in Wigtownshire at Whithorn’s famous

archaeology dig. A major pilgrimage destination for

centuries, Whithorn is where St Ninian built what

is believed to be Scotland’s first stone church.

But a funding shortfall threatens the visitor cen-

tre and museum run by the Whithorn Trust.

Closure would be a blow to the revival of long-

distance pilgrim routes to the area—including the

Ayrshire Pilgrims Trail.

The many Christians who go there include walk-

ers who have been making their way from Ren-

frewshire in instalments to mark the 850th anniver-

sary of Paisley Abbey. They will arrive on 29 June.

The Trust has now launched a public appeal and

online petition.

One of the signatories, Professor Gordon Maxwell,

said: “Whithorn is one of the most important places

in the early history of Scottish Christianity (on a

par with Iona and St Andrews) and, as recent exca-

vations have shown, a crucial piece of evidence in

the demonstration of the complexity of the origins of

the Scottish nation.”

Visit whithorntrust.blogspot.co.uk for updates and

links to the petition and appeal.

2 – DIOCESAN NEWS MORE NEWS AT www.glasgow.anglican.org

Piskies join food-bank outreach ALL Saints Jordanhill has

agreed to partner with a Vine-

yard church to support a food

bank serving north west Glasgow.

The Storehouse is located less

than a mile from All Saints in

Linden Street, Anniesland.

It’s open every Saturday morn-

ing to give packages of food and

toiletries to around 35 recipients

referred by churches, charities

and statutory agencies.

Many have had their benefits

cut – sometimes only temporarily,

but the family still needs to be

fed.

Some are asylum-seekers with

no income whatsoever. Others

simply can’t cope.

The service is an outreach by

Glasgow Westend Vineyard,

which meets in Notre Dame sec-

ondary school. Westend Vineyard

established Storehouse in 2011 as

part of its social ministry.

Peter Fowler, the compassion

pastor at Vineyard, told The Her-

ald last December:

“When we first started, we

weren’t entirely sure how great

the need was. When we did open,

we really realised there was a

huge need that was hidden be-

neath the surface.

“The aim is not to make people

dependent on us, but to help them

to break the cycle of poverty,

which has lots of different

causes.”

Peter met the All Saints Vestry

in February, impressing its mem-

bers greatly with his explanations

of the ministry’s Biblical founda-

tion and practical approach. He

has since paid two more visits to

the congregation.

Both Vestry and congregation

have welcomed the opportunity to

engage ecumenically in a local

social action outreach, and are

making weekly contributions of

food and toiletries. In addition,

there will be a retiring collection

in aid of Storehouse at a special

West End Festival Evensong at

All Saints on Sunday 2 June.

Storehouse can be found on the

web at tinyurl.com/ctxzt4r, and

the Herald feature at tinyurl.com/

b2oxcwz.

S TRUGGLING families in

Dunbartonshire are being

helped by a new food-bank collec-

tion point at St Augustine’s Dum-

barton.

Volunteers will keep the cen-

trally placed church open for a

trial six-month period for five

days a week for this purpose from

noon to 3pm.

It’s a way to support the work of

the new West Dunbartonshire

Community Foodshare (WDCF),

an initiative formed this year by

local charities at the prompting of

the Citizens’ Advice Bureau.

WDCF’s first public event saw

40 volunteers handing out leaflets

and packing bags at Sainsbury’s

in Drumchapel at the end of

March.

They raised £800, filled 11 trol-

leys with food donated by custom-

ers and staff, and received £250

in store vouchers.

T ROON Churches Together

will operate a food-bank hub

from Troon Old Parish Church

Halls.

At St Ninian’s, Piskies will col-

lect items for it on the first Sun-

day of every month. It is proposed

that the hub will be open Tues-

days and Fridays, 12noon– 3pm,

from 25 June. South Ayrshire

Foodbank is part of the Trussell

Trust’s UK-wide food-bank net-

work. Donated items go to a

warehouse in Prestwick to be

packed into emergency packs

which are then distributed to the

local hubs.

Opening a world of

self-understanding ST Cyprian’s Lenzie is hosting a Myers Briggs

Type Indicator (MBTI) basic workshop this

month for anyone who would like to come along.

The MBTI is a very simple personality indica-

tor which opens up a world of self-understanding

for those who take it.

It is probably the most widely used indicator in

both secular and Christian circles.

The day includes looking at what the MBTI

might say about us, how we live in and respond

to the world around us, and helping us to under-

stand more deeply our relationship with God.

The workshop is on Saturday 15 June, 10am–

3.30pm, and will cost £15.

Revd Les Ireland says: “If getting to Lenzie is

not practical, then we are willing to come and

run an MBTI workshop where you are.”

Call 0141 776 5866 for details or to book, or

email Les at rector@stcyprianslenzie.com.

Peaceworker speaks about

Middle-East experience PEACEWORKER Florence Germain will give a

talk at the Ayrshire Regional Council’s meeting

on Tuesday 11 June, 7.30pm.

Florence volunteered for three months last year

as a human-rights observer on the Ecumenical

Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and

Israel (EAPPI).

The programme brings internationals to the

West Bank to experience life under occupation.

Ecumenical Accompaniers (EAs) provide

protective presence to vulnerable communities,

monitor and report human-rights abuses, and

support Palestinians and Israelis working

together for peace. When they return home, EAs

campaign for a just and peaceful resolution to the

Israeli/Palestinian conflict through an end to the

occupation, respect for international law and

implementation of UN resolutions.

Wine and nibbles will be served.

MORE NEWS AT www.glasgow.anglican.org DIOCESAN NEWS – 3

Reviewing growth and action plans MISSION Action Plan Facilitators gathered in Holy Trinity Ayr re-

cently for their annual training session.

As ever, they began by sharing and collecting some of the ‘good news

stories’ of the past year. and found it heartening to hear about the in-

creased energy, hope and missional motivation on the part of both con-

gregations and Facilitators in this diocese.

Good, too, to hear how Regional Councils are being ‘revitalised’

through the sharing of MAP news.

There was agreement amongst those present that Mission Action

Planning can provide focus for a charge’s missional activity, encour-

agement when it has lain dormant and discernment when signs of

hope and new life have been hitherto unnoticed. Facilitators are there

to spot, name and highlight the positives and help charges build on

these signs of God at work in their midst, however small; helping a

charge do one thing and do it well can be immensely encouraging and

a springboard to bigger steps next time.

Our diocesan strategic intention for growth is an evolving process;

there is always more to be done and improvements to be made. Facili-

tators thus worked together in Ayr to help finesse the way a charge

moves from its first to its second MAP, and to think of ways in which

knowledge of what the Diocesan Development Teams have to offer

might be better integrated into the process.

As several charges prepare to review their first year’s MAP with the

Bishop and the Dean in the next few weeks, there is a sense of the

process becoming ever more securely rooted in the life of the diocese,

and of an increasing number of good fruits being grown on the vine.

Revd Canon Anne Tomlinson, Ministry Development Officer

Discovering hidden talents after 50 DISCOVERING new strengths and hidden talents is the aim of a

new club at the Pisky church in Monklands.

St Paul & St John the Evangelist now hosts Springwells Discovery

Group, part of the national Discovery Award Scheme.

The scheme offers challenges to individuals in the 50+ age range.

Participants are encouraged to make choices about their own lives

and to increase their contribution to life around them. The Award con-

sists of meeting a range of new personal challenges at three levels:

bronze, silver and gold. At each level, participants complete activities

in the areas of: service in the community; hobby or interest; recrea-

tional pursuit; and journey of discovery.

More and more people are accepting the Challenge, which offers an

exciting and rewarding adventure for anyone aged 50 or over, regard-

less of state of health or even disability. There is something for every-

one. Scotland’s oldest Discoverer is over 80.

The Springwells group meets on the third Wednesday of the month

at 2.30pm. You can find out more about the Discovery Award Scheme

at: discoveryawardscotland.co.uk.

Scots join Ascensiontide pilgrimage walk in Swedish countryside FOUR members of St Ninian’s

Troon have returned from a visit to

their linked parish in the Diocese of

Gothenburg.

They had been invited to take part

in an Ascension Day Pilgrimage, a

13km walk between the churches at

Ljungsarp and Ölsremma.

The walk through forests and open

farmland was punctuated with stops

for prayers and Bible readings and a

picnic breakfast in a barn, the first

part of the walk being undertaken in

silence.

At Ölsremma a delicious soup

lunch was served, followed by a ser-

vice of Holy Communion.

Throughout the weekend the visi-

tors enjoyed the hospitality of the

people of Dalstorp Pastorate.

Trips to other local attractions in-

cluded a moose park.

T his month Pastor Jösta Björling

is bringing a confirmation group

of 11 youngsters from Dalstorp to the

College of the Holy Spirit at the Ca-

thedral of the Isles in Millport. This

will be the third year the young peo-

ple have enjoyed a time of discussion

and fellowship together preparing for

their confirmation. During their stay

they will also observe the traditional

Swedish celebration of midsummer.

Focusing on marriage SCOTTISH Marriage Care, an

independent relationship support

charity, works to strengthen and

improve relationships and family

life across Scotland by means of

counselling services, relationship

workshops in schools, peer edu-

cation projects, a phone helpline

and relationship MOTs.

Among its developmental tools

is a marriage preparation course

entitled FOCCUS (Facilitating

Open Couple Communication,

Understanding and Study).

An inventory with 156 basic

questions about marriage helps

couples to learn more about

themselves and their unique re-

lationship before entering into a

committed partnership. The in-

ventory highlights areas that are

currently not being discussed.

As a discussion instrument, it

can improve communication and

conflict-management skills. The

couple is aided in this work by a

facilitator who offers them ap-

propriate and targeted discus-

sion and educational support.

During the first meeting with

the FOCCUS facilitator, the cou-

ple individually complete the

questionnaire. A week or so later

they return for individual feed-

back.

The inventory provides content

and process aims to tailor mar-

riage preparation to the needs of

an individual couple and those

working with them. It would be a

useful adjunct to the marriage

preparation offered by clergy.

If you would like to know more

about SMC, contact FOCCUS

manager Adam Pinner:

adamp@foccus.co.uk.

Revd Canon Anne Tomlinson,

Ministry Development Officer

4 – DIOCESAN NEWS MORE NEWS AT www.glasgow.anglican.org

Opportunities and news in brief . . .

NEXT DIOCESAN NEWS ITEMS for the July/August issue may be

submitted by Monday 17 June as ordi-

nary prose (not leaflets, adverts, post-

ers or PDFs, please) to the editor, Susi

Cormack Brown, c/o Diocesan Centre,

5 St Vincent Place, Glasgow G1 2DH, or

dns@episcopalglasgow.co.uk.

Diocesan News Service is published

10 times a year by the Scottish Episco-

pal Church, United Diocese of Glasgow

and Galloway (Scottish Charity Num-

ber: SC013925).

Views expressed are not necessarily

those of the editor or the Scottish Epis-

copal Church.

Contributed material may be edited at

the discretion of the editor.

B ISHOP Gregor will preach at a

special Sung Eucharist at All

Saints Jordanhill on Tuesday 11 June

at 7.30pm.

The service marks the 50th anni-

versary of ordination to the priest-

hood of Revd Donald Strachan.

Donald, who will preside at the

Eucharist, served as rector of St

John’s Coatbridge, chaplain to Bar-

linnie Prison and diocesan supernu-

merary in the 1970s and 1980s.

Bishop Gregor said:

“Donald would be glad to see people

who remember him from the diocese

on the 11th.”

A PERFORMANCE of baroque

music by the Telemann Ensem-

ble will take place at 3pm on Sunday

16 June as part of All Saints Jordan-

hill’s contribution to the West End

Festival.

T HERE will be a plant sale and

afternoon teas at St Ninian’s,

Bentinck Drive, Troon, on Saturday 8

June.

F REE coffee is on offer at the

Churches in Rural Scotland

stand at the Royal Highland Show,

Ingliston, Edinburgh, Thursday to

Sunday, 20-23 June.

S IGN up for free news updates

from the Scottish Episcopal

Church at www.inspires.org.uk/

subscribe.

U NDERSTANDING Rural Dep-

rivation is a new report on re-

search by geographers at the univer-

sities of Dundee and St Andrews.

Commissioned by the Kirk’s Rural

Strategy Team, it examines how so-

cial deprivation differs between rural

and urban congregational areas and

within rural areas.

Technical details of classification

criteria matched to government sta-

tistical ‘data zones’ come under a re-

lated technical report.

To do wn lo a d bo t h , v i s i t :

churchofscotland.org.uk/about_us/

c o u n c i l s _ c o m m i t t e e s _

a n d _ d e p a r t m e n t s / m i s s i o n _

and_discipleship_council.

G ETTING Your Kids through

Church Without them Ending

up Hating God is a evening presented

by Rob Parsons, member of Saltmine

Theatre Company and founder of

Care for the Family.

The event is at Central Hall,

Tollcross, Edinburgh, on Thurs-

day 6 June, 7.30–10pm. For details and to book tickets (£5)

visit careforthefamily.org.uk/gyktc.

A T St John’s Greenock they are

compiling a fundraising cook-

book and would appreciate tried-and-

tested recipes from the diocese. You

can email yours to June Campbell

(junec_1999@yahoo.com) or post it

to St John’s Episcopal Church,

Union Street, Greenock PA16

8JJ.

T HE congregation of St Paul & St

John the Evangelist Monklands

enjoyed a ‘Souper’ Sunday lunch of

soup and bread following the service

on 12 May. It raised just under £200

for Christian Aid.

S T Paul & St John the Evangelist

Monklands will hold a summer

fayre on Saturday 8 June. Stalls in-

clude books, toys, bric-a-brac, crafts

and home baking. There will also be a

grand raffle, tombola, teas and coffee.

Doors open at 11am.

A PLANT sale and coffee morning

at All Saints Jordanhill last

month raised more than £1,100.

T HE Development Team for Chil-

dren and Youth is hosting a

Godly Play ‘Making Materials Day’

on Saturday 1 June, 10am-4pm in

Holy Trinity and St Barnabas, St

James’ Place, Paisley.

The charge is £15 plus the cost

of any materials used; lunch is

included.

Contact Alex Mackenzie:

alex@godlyplayscotland.co.uk

S T Cuthbert’s, Brownside Road,

Cambuslang, hosts a cheese and

wine evening with a quiz on Friday

14 June at 7pm. Admission is £5; all

are welcome.

The church will also be hosting

a stall at the following day’s local

Summerfest gala day. The St Cuthbert’s magazine editor

is appealing for snippets or stories

from around the diocese that would

interest his readers. Contact John

Donnelly (johnatbull@yahoo.co.uk).

A RE you a prayer warrior or an

intercessor? Do you have a heart

for prayer? ‘Come, Let’s Pray’ is an

hour of intercessory prayers, and

praying for one another at the

Church of the Good Shepherd,

Hillington, Sunday 2 June, 6.30pm.

G LASGOW’S Ignatian Spiritual-

ity Centre is running the last

events of its 2012-13 session.

‘ B e i n g H u m a n , B e i n g

Dancer’ (Saturday 1 June,10.30am–

4.30pm) sees Melitta Bosworth and

Katie Low leading a contemplative

day to explore the inner landscape of

the soul using art / image making.

‘Just Call Me Lopez’ is on Saturday

22 June (10.30am–4.30pm) when

Margaret Silf will lead a journey into

the heart of the man we know as Ig-

natius Loyola.

Visit iscglasgow.co.uk or contact

Ignatian Spirituality Centre, 35 Scott

S t r e e t , G l a s g o w G 3 6 P E

(admin@iscglasgow.co.uk).

G LASGOW Churches Together

will be joined by the St Mungo

Singers in an ecumenical pilgrimage

to Culross, marking the 1450th anni-

versary of St Columba’s arrival on

Iona and David Livingstone’s 200th

birthday.

It’s on Saturday 22 June. Buses

leave at 10am and return to Glasgow

by 5pm. Contact Glasgow Churches

Together to book a place on the bus:

office@glasgowchurches.org.uk

A BAKE-OFF made for a popular

take on a traditional fundraiser

at St Margaret’s Newlands, bringing

in £650 for Christian Aid.

Judges Bishop Gregor Duncan and

Revd Paul Romano tasted all 25

home-baked entries before declaring

winners in the adult and junior sec-

tions. The exhibits then were raffled

or sliced up for sale to spectators.