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A message from our Interim Moderator Rev Dr Anne Logan:
There are times when I feel my age, of even occasionally rather more than my age! Sometimes it’s occasioned by an incident or by my grandchildren’s use of language – who knew that GOAT is not a farm animal but, despite the lack of punctuation, stands for Greatest of All Time. I suspect though what makes most of us feel our age, or feel weary, is when there is quite a lot happening, when we are not just busy but over-busy. For many of us, there are times when our church duties can feel like that - as though there is too much to do, and we feel too old or too tired to do it.
I quite often find myself turning back to words from Isaiah 40
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint
and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted, but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
As we live through, what is a very busy time of transition in the life of the congregation, with much to think about, meetings to attend, votes to be cast. We give thanks for our God who is never exhausted by our demands and our needs, but who will, when we ask in faith, give us the energy and strength we require. We give thanks to our God who offers us the gift of new life in our weariness.
Blessings!
Anne
Worship This Sunday
Sunday 29th September. Currie Kirk at 10.30am. Worship led by Rev Susan Galloway, followed by an Informal Communion.
Intimations
The Basis of Linking: please read PDF attached
Harvest: we are collecting donations that will be going to the Community Foodbank.
Guild Meeting: 1st October at 10am. Talk on 'Operation Unicorn' about the Queen's Funeral.
Harvest Lunch: please note change of date due to a Congregational Meeting. NOW ON 20TH OCTOBER 12PM. cost £4.
Shoe Box Appeal: October we are collecting sweets (not chocolate). Thanks.
Joint Statement from the Interim Moderators:
Statement for Congregations: October 2024
As Interim Moderators, we are delighted that the locums, Rev Susan Galloway (Currie Kirk) and Rev Derek Munn (Balerno) are now in place, and we are sure the congregations are enjoying their respective ministries.
Discussions with Presbytery and within the Kirk Sessions are continuing. It has been acknowledged that, for a variety of reasons, both congregations would benefit from a little bit of building up before going forward into a full Union. The Presbytery is well aware of the future potential of Currie and Balerno and would like to make that Union as strong as possible. As was mentioned in the previous statement, it is thought that a temporary period of linking would help that process by allowing each congregation to move to a stronger place.
In addition, Presbytery hope to deploy the resources of the National Church by appointing an Interim Minister who would serve both congregations during that period of linking. Interim Ministers are experienced ministers with specialist training who are appointed, for a short period, to lead congregations to specific outcomes. In the case of Currie and Balerno, that would be to bring the two congregations and the two Kirk Sessions, which have quite different ways of working, together effectively. There are still agreements to be reached with the National Church, but we are hopeful that will happen shortly and the timetable for the process is set out below.
The Basis of Linking will appear on the Church websites once finalised. Copies will be made available on request.
Meantime, all the very excellent work on the Basis of Union which was carried out by the Water of Leith steering group will not be lost, as Union between the two congregations remains the overall goal, hopefully within a couple of years.
We are grateful to Presbytery for their care for the congregations as we move forward together.
Rev. Dr Anne Logan. Interim Moderator, Currie Kirk
annetlogan@sky.com
Rev. Douglas Nicol, Interim Moderator, Balerno Parish Church Douglas.Nicol@churchofscotland.org.uk
Tuesday 8th October, 7pm Gibson Craig Halls: Joint Kirk Session meeting to consider Basis of Linking: Kirk Sessions separately vote on Basis of Linking and Interim Ministry.
Sunday 13th October: Congregational Meetings at close of Worship to vote on Basis of Linking.
Thursday 17th October, 7pm Gibson Craig Halls: Presentation to both congregations on Interim Ministry. Congregations then vote separately on Interim Ministry.
Interim Moderator: Rev Dr Anne Logan -
annetlogan@sky.com
Locum Minister: Rev Susan Galloway - SGalloway@churchofscotland.org.uk
07881093480
If you want any information or need to speak to someone please call the Kirk office (451 5141) or contact one of the Session Clerks -
Louise Lamont (07910 594188) or Isobel Webber (07702784186).
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