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Convener's Report to Presbytery
April 2007THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND GUILD
REPORT to PRESBYTERY 2007
Moderator, as Convener of the Presbyterial Council of Aberdeen, I bring
the report of the Guild and the greetings of the members.
This Session has been the first one in the Guild’s new three year strategy
under the overall title "Let’s Live: body, mind and soul".
The annual theme for 2006-7 is "Honouring the Body", and this was launched
at the Annual Meeting, "Let’s Live 2006", in the Royal Concert Hall,
Glasgow last September. Several representatives from this presbytery were
among the 2000 or so members who heard inspiring talks on the theme from
writer Adrian Plass, May Nicholson of the Preshal Trust and the Moderator,
Rt Rev Alan McDonald. Indeed, so inspiring was this event that we here in
Aberdeen have invited May Nicholson to be our speaker at our Spring Rally
on 14th March at Craigiebuckler Church. Any one who would like to hear
May’s amazing life story, before and since she became a totally committed
Christian, is very welcome.
Many Guilds have focused on the Discussion Topic for the session which has
been "Let’s Talk About Body Image" – This challenging subject was
addressed with the help of resource material which included starters for
discussion, prayers and meditations. A subject that can sadly come to
dominate so many people’s lives, the aim was to explore self-image and to
re-affirm the uniqueness of each person, made in the image of God.
The issue of violence continues to be on the Guild’s agenda and this
session we again contributed to the 16 days of Action on Violence Against
Women beginning on 25 November. A resource leaflet was produced which
invited members to “pray for a change” at the 16th hour on each of the 16
days. This is pretty powerful when on the sixteenth hour for sixteen days
many Guild members from all over the country prayed at the same time for
the same changes.
Along with the Theme and Discussion Topic, Guilds have supported a range
of new Projects under the "Let’s Live" theme.
They are:
- Supporting Homeless Scots in London - Borderline – They are
supporting homeless and insecurely housed Scots in London and helping
those who wish to return to Scotland
- Action for the Adivasi, Bangladesh – Christian Aid –They support
some of the poorest people in the world through initiatives in
sanitation, nutrition and education
- Beyond the Blues, Bluebell Project – CrossReach, Social Care Council
– They deliver support to women, who at a time they expect to be happy,
suffer from debilitating post-natal depression
- Walking in the Light, Nigeria – The Leprosy Mission Scotland – They
are improving the quality of life for people affected by leprosy through
the provision of protective footwear and other orthopaedic appliances
- Miriam: Changing the World Together, Eastern Europe – the Lydia
Project – They are empowering women to help the most vulnerable people
in 16 East European countries through a variety of community projects,
and
- Touching the Untouchables, India – Scottish Love in Action – This is
about caring for destitute, orphaned Dalit children in Tuni, Andhra
Pradesh, by feeding, clothing, housing and educating them.
Guilds within this presbytery have been using the resource material
provided to plan events in support of these projects. Each and every one
of the Projects is deserving of our time and talents, and as I keep saying
we are the best group within the Church of Scotland to be given the
challenge because we will work hard to inspire others to give generously.
We may, from time to time, have a little moan about what is happening in
our own country but honestly we have little to complain about when you
read some of the stories attached to the people we are trying to help.
Presbytery will be interested to learn that the total donations for the
“Let’s Live” projects, has already risen to over £75,000 in this first
year.
Several Guilds chose to highlight the projects during Guild Week, which
ran from 19 to 26 November. This initiative to raise the profile of the
Guild in our communities has proved very successful and is set to continue
in 2007. During Guild Week in Aberdeen, we held at Ferryhill Parish Church
a Flower Festival for Advent for three days culminating on the Sunday
afternoon with a Songs of Praise. Both these events were very well
attended and enjoyed by all. Not only did we have all these beautiful
floral tributes created by members of each Church Guild adorning the
sanctuary, we had fun and fellowship, plenty chatting and plenty laughing.
It was wonderful. Our Songs of Praise was very enjoyable supported by our
own Moderator, Mr. Jim Davis, our Lord Provost, Mr. John Reynolds, and
quite a few Ministers from Presbytery. In fact, Ferryhill’s own Minister,
Ian Dick, played the organ for us. I would suggest that this is an event
well worth putting in your diary – it’s not to be missed and much better
than reading your Sunday newspapers which just distress you anyway. We
raised £1,300 and this was shared among our six projects, B.B.H.Q’S
Refurbishment programme, and Guild Office.
The Guild continues to participate in the Scottish Women’s Convention,
which has been set up by the Scottish Executive as its main means of
communicating with women throughout Scotland and the Guild has had the
opportunity to contribute to consultations on issues like street
prostitution and equality in the work place. The Guild is also a member
organisation of the Women’s National Commission, which is an advisory body
to the Westminster government on women’s issues.
It is also part of the Network of Ecumenical Women in Scotland, and the
Ecumenical Forum of European Christian Women, through which it works with
other Christian organisations on issues like Trade Justice and the
campaign to end trafficking in people. Membership of wider bodies, both
within and beyond the church, enriches the life of the Guild and offers
many opportunities to contribute a distinctively Christian voice to
debate.
In this Presbyterial Council we have enjoyed fellowship together through
training sessions, Theme Day, our Spring, Summer and Autumn Rallies, and
our Guild Walk which last May took us to Cruickshank Gardens and
roundabout Old Aberdeen, returning to St. George’s Church, rather tired,
but ready for our cup of tea. This year we are not having the Guild Walk
but instead an afternoon of celebrating the Guild’s 120th birthday at
Craigiebuckler Church where the Minister, Kenneth Petrie, and
schoolchildren from Hazelhead Academy will entertain us. We are also
having a birthday cake! As the session comes to an end we look forward to
our summer activities and to the beginning of a whole new programme in
September. I would like to thank all the Ministers who promote and support
the Guild in our work which, contrary to the beliefs of some, is not
sitting around having cups of tea, fine “pieces” and chit-chat. We are a
working organisation striving to help the needy and under-privileged of
this world. We are never afraid to take on a challenge and deliver the
goods. In fact, as well as the six projects we are raising money for, we
here in Aberdeen have also collected almost six hundred new towels for the
Malawi Container Group to send to a Children’s Orthopaedic Hospital. I
have to say, we did get a very good response from members of our Churches
as well as the Guild members. In fact, one Church even gave us part of
their Christmas collection to buy towels, and what fun that was in Marks &
Spencer when they told us they would not deliver them!! Need I say in true
Guild spirit, after deliberation with the Manager, the towels were
delivered the next day We also supported the Scalp Cooling Machine appeal
to help cancer patients with hair loss. The response to this appeal from
the general public was so rapid it was closed within a few weeks but our
members who had missed giving to it sent their donations to the Anchor
Unit. Our members all have big hearts when it comes to giving.
At the Dedication Service of Ferryhill Guild, our Minister, Ian Dick, said
the Guild were the first to have the X-factor (our logo) long before the
recent television talent show. This, I feel, was a real compliment to our
members.
May I ask that all Ministers continue to support and encourage the Guild
in their work.
Moderator, I am grateful to you for inviting me to speak and I now present
this report to the Presbytery.
WHOM WE ARE AND WHOM WE SERVE.
Mrs Mary Notman
Convener
Presbyterial Council of Aberdeen
Church of Scotland Guild
Reports from Other years
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