Dear friends,
 The celebration of my twenty fifth anniversary on Sunday 3rd June was memorable and most enjoyable. I was grateful to Rev. Ian Watson for preaching and to all involved in organizing the magnificent buffet lunch afterwards. I express my warmest thanks for the gift of £500 from the congregation and gift tokens from the Kirk Session and also from the Bible study group, the engraved picture frame from the youth organizations and the arrangement of flowers for Sharon. I was touched too by many individual expressions of good wishes either in the form of cards or gifts or just personal comments. I think it would be appropriate to allude here to something I said in my reply at the service. My being in Dalserf for twenty five years reflects positively on the congregation of Dalserf. The reason for this is that during my time in the ministry I have witnessed a number of ministers in a few cases personal friends, compelled to leave their charges, some having become ill, due to the way they have been treated by their congregations. That is not to say that there were no faults whatsoever on the part of the ministers concerned, Dalserf certainly has to live with many faults on the part of their minister, but whatever the faults and failings on both sides - minister and congregation, overall the relationship has been and is a good one and my time in Dalserf congenial. For that I am very grateful.
You may remember that following my attendance at the Church Without Walls conference at Aviemore in April 2006 along with Arthur and Joan Harvey, a prayer partnership was established between our congregation and that of Auchtergaven and Moneydie in Bankfoot Perthshire. Some prayer requests were exchanged between us for a while but the communication began to tail off and then cease. Just after the General Assembly I spoke to the minister - former forces chaplain Rev. Ian McFadzean about the future of the partnership and it was enthusiastically agreed that it should be revived rather than ended. Auchtergaven and Moneydie is at an exciting stage in their life as a congregation. Like us they have been and are dominated by a major building project indeed somewhat more major than both of ours in Dalserf put together. Several years ago their church was burned down and it was discovered that the building was seriously under insured. After much hand wringing it was suggested that since the building had been somewhat inaccessible (it is on the top of a steep hill) and limited in facilities, a new building able to accommodate some community needs be built in the centre of the village. Some were unhappy with this and opposed it but it has gone ahead and last Monday the turf was cut to signal the start of the work. The cost of the building is £1.8m but permission to proceed involved the condition that the original church tower which is a landmark be restored. This is to cost another £700,000 bringing the total to £2.5m. They have already received just over £1m from Church of Scotland insurance and are awaiting payment of a third party insurance claim. They expect the rest to be covered by other grants donations and fund raising and will avail themselves of a bridging loan from the General Trustees of the Church of Scotland to allow the work to proceed without further delay.
I hope to visit this congregation sometime and hopefully groups from each congregation might visit the other.
Have a good summer holiday and remember the Devil doesn't take a holiday - neither does God!
Yours sincerely,
D. Cameron McPherson
1st Dalserf Girls Brigade
Well done to the 16 ladies who represented 1st Dalserf Girls Brigade and took part in the Glasgow women's 10k road race on the 13th of May.
From the Dalserf team Lesley Blackwood was first back, in a very fast 49 minutes followed closely by mum Gail. The rest of us managed to cross the finish line in between 1.5 and 2 hours.
A big thank you to all who sponsored us with approximately £900 being pledged, the money raised is being divided between Cancer Research and The Girls Brigade National appeal.
Crossover 2007
On Friday the 16th of June we went to Crossover with Eilidh, Mrs. Budgell, Mrs. Hoey and Mrs. Price. Crossover is Scotland’s biggest Christian youth festival for people aged 12 to 18 and their leaders. We were going to Crossover for the whole weekend and were booked in to one of the luxurious dorms!!!
When we set off on Friday the weather wasn’t on our side. Mrs. Budgell came prepared however as she had her wellies. Despite the bad weather, over the weekend we took part in various activities i.e. fencing, the flying fox, circus skills and crafts. There was a talent show (Ruth told a joke and she even got a few laughs), a ceilidh and a disco. We made two new friends, two other girls from our dorm who were from a Girls Brigade company in Linlithgow.
We went to worship sessions on Friday evening, Saturday morning and evening and Sunday afternoon. The music was great and it was provided by a praise band and we really enjoyed the singing, talks and videos. It was all especially aimed at young people.
We would like to thank Mrs. Budgell, Mrs. Hoey and Mrs. Price for taking us and looking after us and for making sure we were tucked up in bed by 7pm sharp! We will definitely be going back next year. Sarah and Ruth Manson
Congratulations
Congratulations to Sarah-Jane Rodger who received a Gold Millennium Volunteer Awards from Scotland's First Minister, Mr. Jack McConnell on Friday 16th March 2007, for 250 hours voluntary work within the community and through the Girls' Brigade Scotland.
Children’s Holiday Club
Run by Faith Mission
August 2007
Netherburn Community Hall
10.30 -12.00
Monday 13th to Wednesday 15th
Rorison Memorial Church
2-3.30pm
Monday 13th to Wednesday 15th
Dalserf School
3-4pm.
Thursday 16th and Friday 17th
Dalserf Recipe Book
Our thanks to Maureen Henderson for her recipes. Now we need more of you to contribute. Please get your recipes to us ASAP.
Andrew and Sheena Paul
Flower Rota
July
01 Mrs. Kennedy, Blackwood
08 Mrs. Fairley, Dalserf
15 Miss Letham, Tinto View
22 Mrs. Anne Brown, Overtown
29
August
05 Mrs. Blair, Ashgill
12 Mrs. Budgell, Netherburn
19 Mrs. Clarkson, Cherrybank
26 Mrs. Pollok, Crossford
September
02 Mrs. McPhee, Larkhall
Coffee/Tea Rota
July
01 Mrs. Hoey & Mrs. Scott
08 Mr. McPhee & Mrs. McPhee
15 Miss Letham, Mrs. Yuille & Mrs. Kennedy
22 Mr. Harvey & Mrs. Harvey
29 Mrs. Blair & Mrs. Budgell
August
05 Mrs. McPherson & Mrs. Jones
12 Mr. & Mrs. Archibald
19 Mrs. Clarkson & Mrs. Watt
26 Mrs. Hoey & Mrs. Scott
September
02 Mr. McPhee & Mrs. McPhee
Creche Rota
July
01 Mrs. Eathorne & Mrs. Hoey
08 Mrs. Manson & Mrs. McCallum
15 Mr. Hume & Mrs. Hume
22 Mrs. Price & Miss Rodger
29 Mrs. Gilchrist & Mrs. Pollok
August
05 Mrs. Marshall & Mrs. Hunter
12 Mrs. Budgell & Mrs. Blair
19 Mrs. Eathorne & Mrs. Hoey
26 Mrs. Manson & Mrs. McCallum
September
02 Mr. Hume & Mrs. Hume
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