NEWS
Change cometh on Sundays....
And not just our new Minister!.....
Please note that, as of 12th May 2024, our Service of Worship will commence at the slightly later time of 11.30am. However, a new service of tea and coffee will be available from 11am each Sunday, so why not come along then and enjoy fellowship before Kirk?
Ann Mitchell
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A message from our "retiring" Minister
Christine would like to "thank everyone for their service to the church, and kindness to her personally, over the last fifteen and a half years. Some have served on welcome teams, teas rotas, as beadles or relief organists. Others have selected and hung banners, done time (as so speak) on church groups, provided and arranged flowers, and cared for the church garden. There have been treasurers and financial experts, Guild conveners and committee members, and a Messy church crew. Various folk helped in a variety of ways with outreach, and others, often without anyone but the minister knowing, cared consistently for other church members and friends. Some undertook regular duty as part of a care home team, and some supported the prayer group or study groups. Mira Bache and Marlene Anderson, as Session Clerks, put up with the minister’s sometimes wayward ways, and, as elders came and went, many continued faithfully and quietly. There has been a “tech team”, recording services and keeping the website up to date, and a number of readers contributing on Sundays. If you did none of these things, perhaps you simply encouraged me and others and, by your love, made things possible. All of it mattered. You mattered! And I am very grateful."
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Christian Aid Week, 2024
Christian Aid Week this year is from Sunday 12 to Saturday 18 May. With our support this week more families can push back against poverty in Burundi and other developing countries.
As part of this support our church will hold a retiring offering in order to raise funds for Christian Aid. Envelopes will be available on Sunday 12 May which may be returned later. The envelopes include a gift aid declaration which may be completed by taxpayers to allow Christian Aid to increase donations by 25%.
This year there will not be a collection from house to house. However, a Just Giving facility has been established on behalf of the churches in Bearsden. This will be publicised by leaflets delivered to houses in each parish. Please help with the delivery of these leaflets. Bundles of leaflets for delivery will be available on Sunday 12 May or earlier by arrangement with Alan Stevens.
On Saturday 18 May a fundraising operatic concert will be hosted by Bearsden Cross church. The concert starts at 11:30 am with coffee and cake available from 10:45. The concert will be performed by vocal students from the Royal Conservatoire Scotland. Details are on the notice in the walkthrough. Admission is £12 payable in cash at the door. Thank you.
Alan Stevens
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Deferred Union with Killermont Parish Church
Many of you will already have heard the result of the vote for the deferred union which was held after worship last Sunday, namely that 48 people voted for the Union and 1 against: and in the vote to call the Reverend Alan Hamilton to be our Minister the result was the same, 48 for and 1 against.
Therefore, the deferred union will come into operation immediately after the retirement of our Minister on 8th May. Alan Hamilton will conduct his first service at Westerton on Sunday 12th May. As he will also be conducting worship at Killermont Church each Sunday at their usual time of 10am, our service will move to the new time of 11.30am from that date.
While the union will come into being on 8th May, it will be marked by a Service of Union and of Introduction on the evening of Wednesday 5th June here at Westerton. This service will be conducted by the Presbytery of Clyde and the exact time will be available soon. Please try to be present on this important milestone in the life of both congregations, which will also be attended by members of Killermont Church as both congregations join in the Union.
Marlene Anderson, Session Clerk
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Christian Aid : Updates
April : The international development charity, Christian Aid, is working with partners in Haiti to support people fleeing gang violence and is calling on the international community to scale up aid and work with all parties to guarantee humanitarian access. The following link provides more detail
April : Christian Aid vows to continue life-saving work in Gaza following aid worker deaths. The following link provides more detail
https://mediacentre.christianaid.org.uk/Christian-Aid-vows-to-continue-life-saving-work-in-Gaza-following-aid-worker-deaths/
April : Rt Rev Sarah Mullally, the Bishop of London, announced as Chair of Christian Aid. The following link provides more detail:
https://mediacentre.christianaid.org.uk/rt-rev-sarah-mullally-the-bishop-of-london-announced-as-chair-of-christian-aid/
Alan Stevens
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Church News : Westerton, Killermont and Beyond!
Westerton Church
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5th May : a very Special Lunch after Worship: .Thanks to all who have let us know that they are coming. However, if your plans change and you find you are available after all, please just come along - you will be very welcome!
- Church Magazine : The March edition is now out: if you have not already got one, please pick up a copy from the Church vestibule.
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Life and Work : The May issue is also now available for collection.
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Recycling : Clare Petrie is collecting unwanted spectacles and their cases, for recycling. Also, any unwanted postage stamps, but they must have sufficient paper surrounding the stamps, otherwise they are worthless. In other words, please do not trim the paper too close to the stamp. Thank you
Killermont Church
- Killermont Café : this Community Cafe is open the first Saturday of each new month 9am to 11:30am and also every Monday 9am to 11:30am and Friday 9am to 11:30am. All Welcome.
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De Cafe : For anyone living with, or concerned about, dementia or memory loss, this is a relaxed and informal setting where people and their carers, partners or family can meet and speak to each other. Provides information about dementia and local services for people affected by dementia. Meets 2-4 pm in the Café area of Killermont Church, on the fourth Tuesday of each month.
- Tea'n'Chat : Meets on Alternate Wednesdays from 2-3.30pm in the welcome area. There’s plenty of chat & tea … and coffee & home-baking too!
- "The Way Ahead Group": This is a stroke club for Bearsden which meets in Killermont Church on Thursday afternoons between 1.15pm and 3.45pm. It offers a warm welcome and friendship while assisting with physical and mental wellbeing and recovery. At present they need more volunteers to continue this valuable work. For more details,check out the Killermont Church website at
https://www.kpc.church/the-way-ahead-group-2/ -
3rd Bearsden Boys Brigade – Annual Plant Sale : this takes place on Saturday 11th May 2024 at Killermont Parish Church, Rannoch Drive, Bearsden from 10:00hrs to 13:00hrs all welcome.
Elsewhere
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Presbytery Roadshow. Members of our congregation are invited to attend a short meeting on Wednesday 8th May in Clydebank Waterfront Church at 7.00pm. This is to enable some of the local congregations in Clyde Presbytery to get to know one another better and to meet some of the Presbytery personnel. There will be short presentations by the Presbytery Clerk and others and a chance to ask questions. There is parking nearby, and Clydebank Waterfront is quite near Singer and Clydebank stations. There has been much talk about “Presbytery” lately, so please try to go along to meet some of the people involved.
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Drumchapel Foodbank
Foodbanks continue to struggle, any donations at all are greatly appreciated. – tinned vegetables, porridge, boxes of cereal. Teabags, coffee, sugar, instant noodles, long-life milk, tinned fruit and rice pudding/custard, tinned meatballs/hotdogs, pasta sauce, soup, tinned beans, tinned spaghetti, macaroni cheese, toilet rolls, shampoo/shower gel, and wet dog food.Leave in the box in the vestibule. Cash donations are preferred - see details on how to give on the weekly intimation sheet. Many thanks for your help!
Niall and Marjorie McCumesty (Bearsden West Communty Council)
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The Westerton Church Magazine – Published 4 times a year, we hope to provide in due course, an online, as well as, printed edition.