www.mpnchurch.org.uk Scottish Charity Number SC004271

Summer 2015 Edition

In April this year I had the privilege of visiting Amman, Jordan. I was with a group of ministers from Scotland and Northern Ireland and the purpose was to find out a little about what it is like to live as a Christian in a Muslim country. It was a challenging and stimulating experience. I had not visited a Middle Eastern country other than Israel and there was an immediate sensory overload. The people we met were very friendly and we never felt in any danger—except in a taxi as the driving was interesting.

We visited churches and enjoyed meeting fellow believers, even although everything was in Arabic. What was striking was the depth of faith of these believers. They live in a situation where it is

absolutely forbidden to try to convert a Muslim person with prison (or deportation if you are a foreigner) as the consequence. So how can you be obedient to Jesus’ call to make disciples? How do you respond to the needs of 25% of the population who are refugees? How do you cope with the pressure of knowing that friends, neighbours or even church members may be reporting to the secret police? These are issues believers are grappling with and they need our prayers. It was also good to be able to see

sites which have biblical significance. It helps to be reminded that the salvation story was grounded on a family that became a nation which, on it’s journey to the Promised Land, passed through what we now call Jordan. The place shapes the story and the actions of the people and the same is still true today. To be able, as Moses did, to look from Mount Nebo over Jericho and the Plains of Moab

into what is now Israel is amazing. To stand on the banks of the Jordan and watch people being baptised is very moving but it also reminds us to ask some of the same questions that they are asking:

What do we do with the outcasts in our society? How do we make disciples in our secular materialistic country? What does it really mean to follow Jesus in Scotland in 2015? We are going to have the chance to talk about some of that to 21 American visitors who will be with us from 3rd-12th June. They are from Arizona and the congregations we visited last summer: Desert Hills Presbyterian Church and Leupp Presbyterian Church. They want to learn what it is like for us to be Christian in Scotland and to find out some of the things we do as a congregation. They will be visiting local schools and nursing homes etc and helping at the Prom Day but there are also events being o rganised for church members to spend time with the team:

Please join us for some of these events if you’re free and make some new friends. Most of our church organisations have stopped for the summer and many of us are looking forward to being away for a holiday so If that’s you I hope you have a great break, but if you’re not away remember you can celebrate with us every Sunday morning.

David

CRÈCHE - THANK YOU

As we near the end of the 2014/2015 Crèche session, I would like to thank everyone who has been on duty over the past year and I am sure I also speak for the parents in our Church family who use this facility. Thank you all once again. Pat Simpson

Thanks to Ina Donald for this article from the Glasgow Herald.

SIX CHARITIES TO BENEFIT FROM CHURCH.

A charity helping new parents having a baby is one of six organisations which will benefit from hundreds of thousands of pounds raised by the Church of Scotland’s Guild. Care for the Family Scotland has been announced as one of the Guild’s charities for the next three years. As the Church’s voluntary organisation, the Guild has more than 22,600 members in 890 groups across Scotland and has raised more than £670,000 for the projects it adopted during 2012—2015. Others who will benefit in Scotland include Street Pastors, and a project to make church-es welcoming for people with learning disabilities. Abroad, there’s support for tackling female genital mutilation in Kenya, an environmental project in Bolivia and a missionary project in Haiti. Each of the six projects can expect to raise around £100,000 during the 2015—2018 fundraising cycle.

A Church is not what the people inside says it is—A Church is what the actions of the

people inside is.

A Christian is a living sermon whether or not he preaches a word.

THE INVITATION.

All you who are thirsty, come and drink. Isaiah 55:1. To receive an invitation is to be honoured—to be held in high esteem. For that reason all invitations deserve a kind and thoughtful response. But the most incredible invitations are not found in envelopes or fortune cookies, they are found in the Bible. You can’t read about God without finding him issuing invitations. He invited Eve to marry Adam, the animals to enter the ark, David to be king, Israel to leave bondage, Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem. God is an inviting God. He invited Mary to birth his son, the disciples to fish for men, the adulterous woman to start over, and Thomas to touch his wounds. God is the King who prepares the palace, sets the table, and invites his subjects to come in. God is a God who opens the door and waves his hand pointing pilgrims to a full table. His invitation is not just for a meal, however, it is for life. An invitation to come into His kingdom .......... Who can come? Whoever wishes. From Max Lucado.

Church Fete

Our Annual Summer Fete will take place on Saturday 13th June. Teas etc will be served from 10.00am to 1.00pm and stalls 10.00am to 2.00pm. Tickets for tea/coffee and scones will go on sale shortly at the bargain price of £2. It is hoped to have all the usual stalls but we will need the support of all to provide items for sale and to help set up and run these. It is appreciated that June is a very busy month for the church but the fete is our major fund raising event of the year and the full support of all in the congregation is requested. If you can help in any way or have ideas for new stalls please contact Jim Riach or any member of the Pastoral Care Committee. Thanks Jim.

Thank God for what you have—Trust God for what you need.

Prayer is one thing everyone can afford to give.

Faith—it doesn’t make things easy. It makes them possible!

Life isn’t waiting for the storm to pass

It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.

Finance update

At the Congregational meeting held in March, we reported that our offerings

have reduced considerably mainly due to bereavements.

We said that if every member would give an extra £1 per week it would alleviate

the financial situation in our Congregation. Many of you have already

responded by increasing your offerings and on behalf of the Kirk Session I want

to thank you most sincerely.

Figures for the first three months of 2015 show that our offerings have reduced

from 2014 levels by £1169.16.

We have to, on a month-to-month basis, decide what bills to pay and which to

hold until the next month. A situation that is not ideal.

At this time, our Ministries & Mission contributions to The Church of Scotland

are up to date.

From January - April this year we have paid £5700 for gas/electricity. In July

we expect a gas bill based on 2014 of £1800.

In addition to our regular outgoings we have recently discovered that our photo-

copier needs to be replaced due to its age and lack of spare parts. We had

already restricted our budget expenses compared to last year so this unexpected

cost may mean that the outreach work of the church will have to be reduced.

We can only achieve financial stability by the grace of God, hard work by the finance team and the continuing support of YOU the Congregation. We thank

you for your ongoing support and would welcome any thoughts on stewardship

and fund raising. Your Brother in Christ

Robert Gibson Treasurer

SUMMER FAIR

Saturday 13th June 2015

Teas etc : 10.00 am to 1.00 pm

Stalls : 10.00 am to 2.00 pm

HELP WANTED

If you have a few hours to spare, why not volunteer to help with one of our varied stalls. We also need your baking skills to provide some goodies to sell at our baking stall. If you feel that you can help with either of the above, please fill in your details below and hand the form to one of our Door Duty Team, your Elder or to the Church Office of telephone the office 01292 678810.

STALLS: Name: _________________________________________________ Telephone No: ___________________________________________ HOME BAKING: Name: _________________________________________________ Telephone No: ___________________________________________

CAR OUTING Monday 8th JUNE 2015

It is a lovely sunny evening as I write this – just the kind of evening we usually get for the Car Outing. The evening will follow the usual format with drivers collecting their passengers about 6.45pm, taking them for a drive then back to the Hall for 8pm when a light supper will be served followed by some entertainment arranged by David Watson. Elders will give out invitations and then give me a note of those who can come. I will then match passengers to the car drivers who have volunteered for the evening. We may be joined by some of our American guests from Arizona. For the evening to be a success we need Car drivers, Caterers and lots of people to attend, so please come. If you do not wish to go for a drive you are very welcome to come to the hall at 8pm for the supper, entertainment and to meet some of our American visitors. To Volunteer to help with the supper –either preparing or serving please contact Pat Riach Tel 476458. Car drivers give names to Elder or contact Margaret Goodlad Tel 470903 or 07747864064. If you have not heard from your elder by the 1st of June and wish to come, please contact Margaret Goodlad. We look forward to seeing you on the 8th of June. Margaret Goodlad

FAIRTRADE

The Soup and Sandwich Lunch on the 22nd February was very successful and raised £380 for Small Producers who struggle to earn enough money to feed their own children. The Government matched this money so £760 was contributed to the fund. The money will be spent by Traidcraft helping farmers to grow more crops efficiently and so improve their standard of living. Thank you to those who helped prepare the food and to all who made a donation. Margaret Goodlad

Easyfundraising

Since Monkton & Prestwick North Church joined easyfundraising.org.uk, a free and easy way to generate donations whenever our supporters shop online. We have received free donations of £443.28 from 25 supporters making purchases through this web site, why not join them and raise more funds for our Church. Here's how you can help. Join easyfundraising for free at http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/monktonprestwicknorthchurch and every time you shop online at partner retailers like John Lewis, Argos M & S and Am-azon, they'll donate a percentage of what you spend straight to our cause for free. It couldn't be simpler, and over 400,000 people already use it to raise funds for causes close to their hearts.

ASHGROVE HOME IMPROVEMENTS.

Kitchens, Bathrooms, Bedrooms and Marble

Fireplaces, Stockists of Wall Panels and floor.

We also cater for the less abled.

Our specialist staff will tailor a design

to meet your needs, and help inspire you

to create the home of your dreams.

New showroom at

21 Mackintosh Place, South Newmoor Ind.

Estate, Irvine KA11 4JT.

Tel. 01294 211888.

Open 7 days.

www.ashgrovehomeimprovements.co.uk

STEWART & SONS

LOCKSMITHS 24 HOURS SERVICE

NO CALLOUT CHARGES

07876027812

01292678895

stewartnsons@gmail.com

www.locksmiths-prestwick.co.uk

FRIENDLY FAMILY RUN COMPANY

ALL OUR WORK IS GUARANTEED

Many thanks to the contributor of this verse which is from an article by the Rev.

Joyce Watson, Iona.

Look to this day;

Yesterday is already a dream

And tomorrow is only a vision

But today well lived

Makes every yesterday

A dream of happiness

And every tomorrow a vision of

H O P E !

I found this little story in a Friendship Book - Travelling by car towards the English Channel bound for France, young Oliver tried to practise his reading skills by calling out road signs. He fell asleep just before entering France and when he awoke he caught site of the French motorway signs. Sounding perplexed, he said, “I think I forgot how to read when I was asleep.”

(Made me think children say things as they see them and can make you laugh) Valerie.

Elaine’s Childminding Services

Registered Childminder

23 years experience in Early Year

Education

Open Days available on request

Contact:Elaine Wardrop

155 Adamton Road South

Prestwick

01292 670513

Mobile 07526128194

wardrop.elaine@gmail.com

HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN 100

MODERN OBJECTS

By Francesca Hornax.

S W I T C H S T I C K.

Every Thursday, Queenie, 90, goes to Zumba Gold in a chilly church hall in Huddersfield. To keep up, she uses a floral Switch Stick. It makes her feel like

Ginger Rogers. Queenie has been a widow for 30 years. She had put meeting someone else out of her mind, but there’s something about Ron at Zumba. He reminds her of her husband, the way he doesn’t mind making a fool of himself.

After class, Queenie always has a cup of tea and custard cream with Val and

Irene. One day, Ron stays too. He compliments Queenie’s Switch Stick, and they laugh comparing hearing aids. Then he says he must dash to watch his great-grandson play football. Queenie does like that.

Next week, Ron stands beside her, and jokes that his heart monitor is going “like the clappers”. Queenie isn’t sure if he means what she thinks he means,

but feels quite giddy. So giddy, in fact, that during a fast turn she accidentally bops Ron on the bum with her Switch Stick. They’re both in stitches. After the

class, Ron confiscates the stick, saying she can’t be trusted, and offers his elbow instead. Six months later, they’re married.

Thanks to Margaret Cranston who is a regular contributor to the magazine for this.

F L O W E R L I S T.

Flowers donated by Delivered by

7th June Nan Dagostino/Elspeth Manson Jim McLauchlan

14th June May Cumming Jan Armour

21st June Pat Riach Carrie Lamont

28th June Molly & John Paterson Tom & Lily Dougan

5th July Ann Shelton Morag Hamil

12th July Miss A. Brown Nan Dagostino

19th July Alice Crombie Susan Campbell

26th July Margaret & Colin Cranston Marion Balish

2nd August Morag Hamil Elizabeth Ewing

9th August Mrs. H. McGraw Jeanette Munro

16th August Jeanette Munro Katrina Carswell

23rd August Jennifer Bond Margaret Goodlad

30th August Elizabeth Ewing Linda Welsh

6th September Jim & Hazel-Ann McLauchlan Margaret Thomson

13th September Lynn Richmond Leslie McCarrell

20th September Mary Yuille Elaine Wardrop

27th September Ann Shelton Jim McLauchlan

LUNCH CLUBS 2015

The first half of this year has been passing with amazing speed and here we are almost at the end of the first session of 2015. We have had a successful few months and have expanded our menu a little, while retaining our old favourites, and this seems to have pleased most of our Lunch clubbers. We are a friendly bunch and are always pleased to welcome any new diners. The price for 2 courses with tea or coffee is £3.50 and the cheery company is free of charge! Our remaining lunches for this season are Wednesday 3rd June for Prestwick and Thursday 18th for Monkton. We will begin the Autumn Session on Wednesday 2nd September in Prestwick and Thursday 17th in Monkton. I hope everyone has a lovely summer and that the weather assists us to do so!

Jeanette Munro

Healthy Eating Classes

Planning is underway for our next session of Healthy Eating Classes in partnership

with Sutherland House. Last summer, 8 of our friends from Sutherland House were

presented with their certificates during morning worship for completing the

Beginners Course. This summer they hope to achieve their Advanced Certificate in

Healthy Eating, incorporating their Food Hygiene Certificate. The courses will run

simultaneously each Monday afternoon from June – September. Once again, Morag

will be running the Cookery Classes and we will be looking for people to help. If you

are able to help with one or two of the classes we would be delighted to hear from

you. The classes are very informal, we meet together for a short introduction, then

start preparation and cooking in the kitchen, to finish, we sit down and share the

meal together. It really is a privilege to work with our wonderful friends from

Sutherland House, if you have any free Monday afternoons from June – September,

I would strongly urge you to come along. I would like to say a huge thank you to

Morag for all her hard work and preparation.

Walking Group

Our Walking Group continues to meet monthly, usually the first Sunday of the

month. We share fellowship and a nice warm bowl of soup together after Morning

Worship before heading off for a gentle walk together. Our walk is suitable for all

ages and abilities and we would strongly recommend you come and join us for

friendship whilst keeping fit. We leave church around 1pm and return to church no

later than 2.15pm.

Our next walk will be Sunday 7th June when our American Friends will be joining us,

we hope to see you there, you will be made most welcome.

Thank you.

Thank you for your prayers and continued support. For more information on

Discovery please contact Elaine Wardrop (857153)

1st PRESTWICK BOYS’ BRIGADE - ANNUAL DISPLAY 2015

Our Annual Display was held on Friday 8 May with Rev. George Fiddes as our Inspecting Officer. It was well attended by parents, friends and members of our Church family. Lieutenant David Moore assisted by playing for our opening hymn. During the first half of the evening, the Inspection took place with Rev. Fiddes taking time to speak to the boys and officers. The boys then took part in Marching, Games and various other activities, all of which they performed with great enthusiasm. The second half of the evening was dedicated to the presentation of Awards, Badges, Prizes and Certificates that the boys had worked for throughout the session. Mrs Carol Fiddes presented the prizes to the boys and the main prize winners were:

Anchor Boys Green Achievements Aiden McCormack; Connor Black; Kyle Flannigan; Luca Cybulski; Luke Main; Matthew Campbell; Michael Gemmell; Rory Allan; Scott Goetz

Red Achievements Edan Munro; Zack Mowles Blue Achievements & Promotion Jonathan Gibson; Jude Smith; Tyler Bews Best Team Falcons Jonathan Gibson; Tyler Bews; Zack Mowles; Edan Munro; Connor Black; Scott Goetz; Aiden McCormack; Cameron Bell Battalion Competition – Colouring-in 1st. Luke Main’ 2nd Jonathan Gibson; Highly Commended Zack Mowles Best Attendance (incl. Sunday Parades) Luke Main; Michael Gemmell; Zack Mowles Good Behaviour Trophy Luke Main Junior Section Competitions: Winners Drama Physical Runners-up Junior Section Battalion Championship Best Crew (Games) Blackburn Kangaroos Best Crew (Inspection) S.M. Warriors Best Recruit Gregory Taylor Best Boy Nathan Percy

Company Section Queen’s Badge Jason McClymont Best Recruit Curtis McLean-Daly Best Boy Gordon Campbell Best NCO Matthew McClure Best Squad 1 Valerie Greig Trophy Callum Gaw We were delighted to be able to present one of our Company Section boys to receive his Queen’s Badges from the Lord Lieutenant at Ayr Battalion’s Annual Church Parade and Service held in Alloway Parish Church. The Queen’s Badge is the highest award that any boy in the Boys’ Brigade can receive and we congratulate Jason on obtaining this award through dedication and hard work. The Valerie Greig Trophy is presented each year to a Company Section boy who gets enjoy-ment from something he has done and passes that enjoyment on to others. Each year we have a special award in memory of one of our boys, Steven Muir. This award can be presented to a boy from any section of the Company and this year the Steven Muir Memorial Award was presented to Callum Gaw. In his closing remarks Rev. Fiddes praised the boys for their hard work and enthusiasm which he said had showed in all the events throughout the evening and he hoped it would continue into next session. He also paid a fitting tribute to the officers. Tea, coffee, juice and biscuits were served to all those who managed to stay a little while longer. Our thanks to all who helped make our evening such a success. We meet in the Church Halls on a Friday evening and our new session commences on Friday 4 September 2015 at the following times: Anchor Boys (5 – 8 years old/Primary 1 - 3) 6.00 p.m. – 7.00 p.m. Junior Section (8 – 11 years old/Primary 4 - 7) 6.30 p.m. – 8.30 p.m. Company Section (11 – 18 years old/ Secondary School) 7.15 p.m. – 9.45 p.m. Please note that boys aged 5 years and upwards can enrol and we would invite any boy who thinks he might be interested to come along and join us for a night of fun, games and fellowship. Sgd. Sam Gilmour, Captain

C.I.A. Visit to St Ninians Primary School Prestwick—April 2015

In March 2015 Christ In Action (C.I.A.) were invited By the Head Mistress, Mrs McGhee to visit the children at St Ninians Primary School here in Prestwick and talk to them about the Christ In Action Foodbank. The children in both Nursery and Primary 1 - 7, have been collecting and bringing non perishable food to school every week for several months. The food collection is relayed by Mrs McGhee directly from the school to their local parish church (St. Quivox). The food is then brought from St. Quivox Parish Church to the C.I.A. Food bank at Monkton & Prestwick North, on a Sunday.

The children at St. Ninians have chosen to support the C.I.A Food bank as part of the Pope Francis Faith Award. The Award is to recognise young people in Primary 6/7 who put their faith into action in ways which are pleasing to God. Some of the ways they can do this is by showing their love and compassion for others through home, school or community.

We were delighted to visit the children during their Assembly and any concerns we might have had about discussing the topic with the youngest children quickly disappeared when we were met with such enthusiasm and obvious knowledge. They asked and answered lots of tough questions. We were very

impressed by their confident, softly spoken responses and non-judgemental attitude to the problems faced by so many in our community each day. It was a privilege to visit them and we give gracious thanks for all the children and Teaching staff involved in this amazing project.

Food Collection Bin—Sainsbury’s

You may have noticed that Sainsbury's in Prestwick have a large Food bank Collection Bin situated opposite he Checkout Aisles. Customers are invited, if they so wish, to add an item to the Bin. The Sainsbury store Charity Colleagues decided that Christ In Action (C.I.A.) would be one of the recipients of the 'Bin Contents'. The C.I.A. will alternate with the South Ayrshire Food bank on a month by month basis. The Bin will be emptied as soon as it is full by C.I.A. volunteers. During the months of May, July, September and November 2015, Christ In Action will receive the donated bin contents. Sainsbury's work within the local community is very well known and greatly appreciated by many Charities. In particular, their support of the Food bank initiative at Monkton and Prestwick North Parish Church has been wonderful and we cannot thank them enough.

Christ in Action Food Bank is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation: SC045322

Newton Primary School. C.I.A Family Resource The C.I.A. were asked a couple of months ago to look at the possibility of setting up a small food bank resource for crisis hit families within Newton Primary school. A small group of CIA volunteers met with the Head Mistress, some parents and community builders to see if we could help in any way. The matter was reported and discussed with C.I.A. Members at their monthly meeting. The Members agreed that we were in a position to help and that a small Food bank resource should run for a period of three months and thereafter, be reviewed.

The C.I.A. resource will be set up in the music room for 3 hours on a Monday. It will be manned by two CIA volunteers. It will be open from 11 am to 2 pm Referrals will come via the Head Mistress, Small cards enabling the family member who is in crisis will be issued by Head Mistress. The card will allow them entry to the Food bank. Food will be signed for as normal. Entry and Exit will be discrete. A small budget has been set aside for this resource and storage has been found within the school.

This is an entirely new concept for the Christ In Action Team. We have no pre conceived ideas about how the project will develop, diversify or stop. We do however know that this is undoubtedly the direction in which we are being led and we have been supplied with everything we need (including extra food!) to begin the work. We would ask for the Church family support and prayers in this project.

1st Monkton & Prestwick Girls Brigade May 2015.

The 1st Monkton & Prestwick Girls Brigade presented the Christ In Action Food bank with a cheque for £100 at their annual display on Monday 11 May 2015. This was a fantastic sum raised by the girls. The C.I.A. team say a huge thank you for this donation and can confirm that it will be used to help the poorest people in our community. We give grateful thanks and pray Gods blessings and safety on the Leaders and the girls as G.B closes its doors for the summer holiday break.

More Volunteers Needed.

The C.I.A. team really needs some more volunteers. Would you be able to offer an afternoon a week to help with the increasing demands of the team? If you are interested in finding out more, please contact Liz on 01292 471288 or 0300 999 01 09.

The C.I.A. team give gracious thanks and pray Gods richest blessings on the Church

family for their continued and generous support of the C.I.A. Project.

C.I.A. Team

Christ in Action Food Bank is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation: SC045322

Our Friendsheep Knitting Group is up

and running and has been well attend-

ed. We meet from 2.30 – 4.00pm each

Wednesday afternoon in the Session

House, we have a wee cuppa and share

friendship and fellowship whilst knit-

ting and sharing our skills. We have

experienced knitters and beginners,

it really is for everyone. A warm, re-

laxed, friendly atmosphere where

everyone is made most welcome.

We are currently knitting squares for a

blanket, however, equally, you could just

bring knitting of your own to work on whilst

enjoying the company of others. If you

haven’t been yet and aren’t sure if it’s for

you, please just pop in and try it, we are

relaxed and flexible and it’s also fine to just

pop in and out if you are able, we’d

be delighted to see you.

We’d like to take this opportunity

to say a huge thank you to

everyone who helped and

supported us, thanks for your

prayers and for all the very

generous donations of wool, needles,

patterns etc, we were overwhelmed

by the response and very grateful.

For more information please contact

Elaine Wardrop on 857153.

Thank you

Through our Discovery programme, we recently met with GE Volunteers from

GE Caledonian. As a company, GE Caledonian are very passionate about the work

they do in the local community. They have committed to partnering with us for an

indefinite period with a new project which we hope to be launching soon. Our “We

Can Help Project” is a new venture for us, we hope to provide a service to people in

our church and community who require practical help. The idea is for us to provide

a postbox and sealable envelopes, anyone needing help with anything will be

encouraged to use the envelope to write down ANY needs they have and to post

them in the box. For confidentiality reasons, the only person authorized to open

these envelopes will be the minister (probably weekly) He will them look at the

requests, and act on them.

So where does GE Caledonian come in? Well, they are going to provide the people,

time and resources required for any practical needs placed in the box They have

many employees with different trades and skills and volunteer time, enabling them

to do the jobs required. They have many resources and tools and are covered by

their company insurance to do their community work. They were very interested to

hear about the wonderful work and dedication of the team at Sutherland House, and

are very keen to get involved in our partnership with Sutherland House. There is

funding available, therefore there hopefully would be no initial cost to the church.

This project is in the early planning stages, but has the potential to show God’s love

in a practical way to those in need, whilst building relationships and working

together.

We have more meetings and planning to do before the project can start, as soon as

we have more information we will let you know. In the meantime, we would really

appreciate your prayers for God’s guidance as we move forward .

Remember, together with our awesome God, we really can make a difference!

C H R I S T I A N A I D 2015.

Every year in May we have Christian Aid Week which focuses on raising funds for a variety of good causes at home and abroad. Christian Aid is a charity which works tirelessly all year round supporting the most vulnerable people. So it is important for churches to give up a little time throughout Christian Aid Week to help raise some much needed money to support this fabulous Charity. The Christian Aid Committee in Prestwick is a committee representing various churches in Prestwick, the committee all work well together and get on with the work in hand each taking on board their tasks, not just this week, but also for other activities that the Prestwick Christian Aid Committee organise throughout the year. This is now my 3rd year as part of the committee and I feel really blessed to be able to play a small part in supporting this wonderful charity who provide help for causes throughout our world. Here is a list of money raised so far: Fun Day which raised just under 1000.00 Penny Jars 237.29 Door To Door Collection 1,677.07 Christian Aid Quiz approx. 200.00 I’m sure you will agree, this is a wonderful total. As always, at this stage, there are still a few envelopes to come in, so the total is likely to rise slightly. May I take this opportunity to thank everyone who gave up their time and helped in any way, it really is a team effort, we just simply couldn’t do it without the commitment of you all, our very willing volunteers. Thank you, Scott Wardrop

A PERSONAL THOUGHT. When I was about seven or eight my Dad encouraged me to try crossword puzzles and word puzzles—the Daily Express was a favourite and I am now a ‘puzzle fanatic’. I often think when I am ‘puzzling’ and trying to work out the answers to the clues how this is similar to reading the Bible. One answer written in the crossword usually leads to finding another answer and if I get stuck I have a word app on the ‘phone which helps, the dictionary or the answers are all at the back of the puzzle book. Reading the Bible - one verse usually leads to understanding another verse and if I get stuck there are books, friends or our Minister who can help.

Valerie.

BIBLE STUDY Wednesday 10.30 am Margaret Thomson

Telephone : 01292 477045

BOYS’ BRIGADE Friday pm (Various)

Pat Simpson Telephone : 01292 477289

GIRLS’ BRIGADE Monday 6.00 pm

Sue Christie Telephone : 07751219601

GUILD

Thursday 2.00 pm Margaret Goodlad

Telephone : 01292 470903

MONKTON BROWNIES Thursday 6.30 pm

Monkton Community Church Irene Boyle

Telephone : 01292 478376

KIDDIEWINKLES Monday 10.00 am

Elaine Gilbert Telephone : 07734806812

TOTS-TOWN

Wednesday 10.00 am Monkton Community Church

Leigh Flanagan Telephone : 07545050190

THE YOUNG CHURCH

Sunday 11.00 am Lesley McCarrell

Telephone : 01292 477779 Duncan Campbell

Telephone : 01292 435020

MINISTER Rev. David Clarkson

Telephone : 01292 471379 Email : minister@mpnchurch.org.uk

SESSION CLERK

James U Riach Telephone : 01292 476458

Email : james@jriach2.fsnet.co.uk

TREASURER/HALL BOOKINGS Robert Gibson

Telephone : 01292 479248 Email : property@mpnchurch.org.uk

ORGANIST

David Watson Telephone : 01292 314867

CHURCH OFFICE

Telephone : 01292 678810 Email : office@mpnchurch.org.uk

KIRK SESSION

COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES

Discipleship Sam Gilmour

Telephone : 01292 470614

Fabric & Finance Robert Gibson

Telephone : 01292 479248

Outreach

Pastoral Care Jim Riach

Telephone : 01292 476458

Worship Scott Wardrop

Telephone : 01292 670513