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Newsflash
Gallery UpdateThe Gallery has now been updated with a selection of pictures of gravestones in Dalserf Church graveyard. Many of these headstones date back to the early 1800's.
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Church service recordings
The Church services are now recorded every Sunday with a digital video camera and put on to a full size DVD disc which can then be watched on a TV set with any DVD player or on a PC or laptop.
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Read more...
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Dear friends,
At the Guild last night I showed a DVD of video clips of Dalserf Church Events mostly from 1990-1992. The experience generated a variety of emotions. Inevitably there was wistfulness as we saw those who have since passed on, in some cases spouses. There was hilarity as we viewed styles of dress and hair which we had forgotten about (and no bad thing in some cases!). There was deep regret as we saw ourselves with far fewer wrinkles and different coloured hair (and also more of it in my case). One thing that was evident was the decline in numbers attending certain events. One was the children's holiday club. I seem to recall that in the early days of summer holiday clubs (which we used to run ourselves) we could have over 100 children between Ashgill and Netherburn. This year the maximum we had was around 30. Another such event is Focus. In viewing the tapes in the process of compiling the DVD I came across an event in Rorison and at first glance assumed it must be some kind of special service since it is so uncommon to see a large congregation in Rorison. Then I realised it was one of the first meetings of Focus. When Focus first started we had around 60 attending. Another event we watched in part was a Christmas Eve service. Although this is still a well attended service, Dalserf church was certainly "bursting at the seams" on that occasion.
One danger in all of this reminiscing which we must avoid is that of hankering after "the good old days". To do that is to live in the past which is a sterile if not counter-productive exercise. Learning from the past however is different. We need as a congregation to consider what message is conveyed by these statistics. It is true that some reasons for decline are not ones that necessarily need give rise for concern. For example there are fewer children in the parish than there were in 1990 and so the decline in numbers attending the Holiday Club seen in the light of this is not quite as acute as it might appear. I can think of no corresponding reason to mitigate concern for the decline in Focus. The conclusion would seem to be that spiritual refreshment is just not the highest priority with an increasing number of people. Unless we the people of God are wholehearted in our devotion for God and desire to live and witness for Jesus Christ we cannot expect to see people finding faith and the church being built up. I would urge you to grasp every opportunity to develop your spiritual life and also as a Christian grasp every God given opportunity to commend the Christian faith to others.
With Christmas approaching I don't think there can be any time of the year more conducive to speaking about spiritual things to those outside the family of the church. For this reason this year we are going to combine the distribution of Christmas leaflets with a door to door visitation of the parish in early December. Please pray about this and if you are willing to participate speak to Rita Fairley who is coordinating the names of the visitors.
Have a happy and blessed Christmas.
D. Cameron McPherson
Ordination Service For Maxine
Maxine Buck who is a member of Dalserf church has now completed her training as an auxiliary minister of the Church of Scotland and will be ordained at Chapleton church near Strathaven on Wednesday 12th December at 7pm. Dalserf members are welcome to attend.
Sunday Pathfinders
Sunday 16th December will be the Children's Gift Service when the children of the Sunday Pathfinders and the teenagers of the Big Bible Breakfast will be performing in Dalserf Church at 12 noon.
This is a very significant Sunday for me as I will be retiring from Sunday Pathfinders on that day. I have been teaching Sunday School for 44 years 25 of which I have spent very happily in Dalserf, becoming Superintendent in 1994.
Working with young people is a very worthwhile job and I have thoroughly enjoyed the years that I have spent doing this, but it is not done by one person alone. There has to be a team and if you get, as I did, a great team of people who work well together, care about each other and care especially for the children, then you are indeed blessed. So to all of the teachers that I have had the pleasure to work with over the years, I say a very sincere thank you to each and every one and God Bless you for your kindness and unselfish hard work.
To Cameron our Minister, I say thank you for the love and kindness shown to the Sunday Pathfinders and also for his patience with myself and the teachers when we sometimes wanted to tackle something different. Like the donkey in the Church.
To you the congregation, I also say a huge thank you for your love and support and for your kindness and generosity.
Lastly but by no means least I wish to express my gratitude and sincere thanks to all of the Children I have had the honour and privilege to teach about our Lord Jesus Christ. This is one of the most important jobs that God can call upon us to do, and I truly believe that I have in many ways learnt from the Children as much as I hope they have learnt from me.
My heartfelt thanks to all of you and Gods Blessing.
Joan Pollok
Girls Brigade
Thanks to all who supported our chocolate evening and helped us to raise a fantastic £203.
So far Girls Brigade Scotland have raised £4,400 half of which will be sent to ‘Children in Need’ and the remainder to the Girls Brigade National Appeal.
Some of our Brigaders had the good fortune to be in the live audience at the BBC studios in Glasgow on Friday night at the ‘Children in Need’ show and yes we were on television - Wendy Manson has the photos. We had great fun singing Loch Lomond live on TV with Runrig and the tartan army, cheering, dancing, singing and soaking up the atmosphere.
Autographs are available for a donation.
Sandra Hoey
YOU ASK WHY I FOLLOW THIS JESUS?
You ask why I follow this Jesus?
Why I love Him the way I do?
When the world's turned away from His teachings
And the people who serve Him are few.
It's not the rewards I'm after
Or gifts that I hope to receive
It's the Presence that calls for commitment
It's the Spirit I trust and believe.
The Lord doesn't shelter His faithful
Or spare them all suffering and pain,
Like everyone else I have burdens,
And walk through my share of rain.
Yet He gives me a plan and a purpose,
And that joy only Christians have known,
I never know what comes tomorrow,
But I do know I'm never alone.
It's the love always there when you need it;
It's the words that redeem and inspire,
It's the longing to ever be with Him
That burns in my heart like a fire.
So you ask why I love my Lord Jesus?
Well, friend, that's so easy to see,
But the one thing that fills me with wonder is
Why Jesus loves someone like me.
-- Author Unknown
Boys Brigade and Girls Brigade
Re-Dedication Service
Kids Colouring Page
Click on picture for full size image that can be printed and coloured in.
 The Friendly Beasts
Jesus, our brother, kind and good,
Was humbly born in a stable rude,
And the friendly beasts around Him stood;
Jesus, our brother, kind and good.
"I", said the donkey, shaggy and brown
I carried His mother up hill and down;
I carried her safely to Bethlehem town;
“I", said the donkey, shaggy and brown.
"I", said the cow, all white and red,
I gave Him my manger for His bed;
I gave Him my hay to pillow His head;
“I", said the cow, all white and red.
"I", said the sheep with curly horn,
I gave Him my wool for His blanket warm.
He wore my coat on Christmas morn.
“I", said the sheep with curly horn.
"I", said the dove from the rafters high,
Cooed Him to sleep, that He should not cry,
We cooed Him to sleep, my mate and I.
“I", said the dove from the rafters high.
Thus every beast by some good spell,
In the stable dark was glad to tell
Of the gift he gave Emmanuel,
The gift he gave Emmanuel.
Deaths
August
6th James Marr
24th John Murray
September
12th Matthew Kerr
November
4th Mabel Muir
Weddings
April 11th
Elizabeth Barker to Thomas Cardwell (Conducted by D. McMaster)
August 25th
Angela Miller to John Russell
September 29th
Christine Downie to Alexander Knox
(Conducted by Rev. F. Maxwell)
Church Flowers
We would like to thank most sincerely all who have put flowers in the church. These flowers are not only a wonderful adornment to our church but also give great pleasure to those who receive them afterwards. There are a few Sundays still available for anyone who wishes to provide flowers, just contact Helen Knox (883770) or Rose-May Clarkson (882451). We also greatly appreciate hearing of anyone in need of flowers.
Helen Knox and Rose-May Clarkson
Stall at Rosebank Coffee Shop
Once again we are privileged to have a stall at The Rosebank Coffee Shop courtesy of Thomson and Alice Forrest and family, on Saturday 1st December from 9am.
There will be a great selection of items for sale including, Books, Soft Goods, Toiletries, and many more unusual and useful items. So, please come along and support this effort for Church Funds.
Coffee Rota
December
02 Mr. & Mrs. Archibald
09 Mrs. Clarkson & Mrs. Watt
16 Mrs. Hoey & Mrs. Scott
23 Mr. & Mrs. McPhee
30 Miss Letham, Mrs. Yuille & Mrs. Kennedy
January
06 Mr. & Mrs. Harvey
Creche Rota
December
02 Mrs. Budgell & Mrs. Blair
09 Mrs. Eathorne & Mrs. Hoey
16 Mrs. Manson & Mrs. McCallum
23 Mr. & Mrs. Hume
30 Mrs. Price & Miss Rodger
January
06 Mrs. Gilchrist & Mrs. Pollok
Flower Rota
December
02 Mrs. Budgell, Netherburn
09 Mrs. Knox, Dalserf
16 Mrs. Hunter, Dalserf
23 Mrs. Blair, Ashgill
30 Miss Kerr, Larkhall
January
06 Mrs. Callan, Larkhall
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