PASTORAL LETTER

Dear friends,

Just in case anyone does not yet know, the new hall in Dalserf village is now completed and has aleady been used for the Saturday Open Day. Everyone seems delighted with it, it looks great outside and inside and has excellent toilet and kitchen facilities. It will be a great asset in Dalserf. If you have not seen it yet you must you will not be disappointed, you may be persuaded to wait for tea on Sundays after the service even if you have not been in the habit of doing so thus far. As yet no final decision has been taken on a name. The name used so far - "The New Meeting Place" is not considered to be particularly acceptable. I wonder if as appeared on one doocument  "Dalserf Village Church Hall"  might not be as good as any as an official formal appelation, abbreviated to simply "The village Hall" for local usage.  Please pass on any further suggestions on a name for the Kirk Session's consideration. It is also good to have the car park considerably extended. With sensible parking it should be sufficient for almost all services and events.  We are now at the very last stages of correcting minor faults at Rorison. We should be able any time now to ask for he remaining grants which have been promised for phase One. I am glad to be able to say that the Presbytery have agreed to allow us to retain for the Rorison Project a further £10,000 (we were given £10,000 previously) which would otherwise be sent to The Church of Scotland as part of our allocation to central funds. With the remaining £17,666 promised in grants for the first phase and still to be received we should have enough to finish the whole project. The only limitation I can see on the progress of the work on phase two is that the organizations have resumed making it necessary for at least one hall to be in use. We are of course  deeply saddened  by the sudden death of John Murray who as convenor of the Rorison Renovation Committee has laboured so hard and long for the Rorison Project. His name will be added to that of his mother Janet on the memorial window (almost finished) in the sanctuary.

Three cars took Dalserf members to Bankfoot on Sunday 16 September. We arrived  at the manse just after 5 o'clock and were greeted by the minister Iain McFadzean his wife Joy and a number of the congregation of Auchtergaven and Moneydie.  Iain took us immediately to the site of the new Community Church where the foundations indicate the shape and size of the building to be. The project is an awesome one, the complex will comprise a sanctuary for worship a minister's room, a cafeteria a day care centre a two sports halls and several other smaller rooms including one room which will be reserved only for prayer, no other activity will be permitted in that room.   It is hoped that the project will be complete by July 2008.
We were taken to the church hall and treated to a buffet tea before an evening service at which I was asked to preach.  On 18 November a reciprocal visit to Dalserf from the minister and some of the congregation from Bankfoot will take place. Every effort will be made to exchange prayer requests between the two congregations and of course pray for each other.
 

Yours sincerely,
Cameron McPherson