 Dear friends,
The ground on which the new hall at Dalserf is being built was dedicated immediately after the service on Sunday 29th April. The building is taking shape before our eyes. The first phase of the Rorison Project having been completed we are awaiting a final inspection of the work in order to sign it off. As soon as that is done we can apply for grants for the second phase of the work which includes a new heating system and repair of the windows in the church and hall.
It can be difficult at times to keep in mind that the church is about people rather than buildings given the amount of time energy and money which the church puts into buildings, our own being no exception. Perhaps the Open Days can help a little in this respect. In spite of unusually cool weather there was a reasonable turnout for the Open Days which raised £1500 mostly of course on the Saturday. Once again we had the pleasure of meeting and conversing with an interesting selection of visitors which is without doubt the most endearing characteristic of the Open Days. I wish we had been able to keep some kind of log of visitors to the Open Days from the beginning. Some sign the visitors book, most do not but beyond the names and addresses are many fascinating details and stories. For example, a number of years ago one visitor was a daughter of Rev. Louis Watson minister of Dalserf during the Second World War. There was the gentleman from Lanark whose father had repaired the belfry clock as a gift to the congregation at the time of the Tercentenary (1955), and the man who had re-slated Dalserf Church roof in the mid 70's. On Saturday there was a lady from Australia, originally from Overtown, whose grandfather had sometimes played the organ at Dalserf in the 1930's. On Sunday there were folk from Belarus including a young girl who had played the violin at a concert in the SSEC the evening before. There have been scores of folk who were baptised or married in Dalserf or had parents or other family members who were, or had some interesting connection with the congregation or the parish or the building. We have had visitors from all over the world, and even if they have not come specifically for the Open Days we are very happy to welcome them, and by all accounts, I know that somewhere deep in the recesses of my memory and no doubt that of other members there are many other notable encounters which occurred through the Open Days.
On 2nd June I will have been minister of Dalserf for 25 years. The communion service on Sunday 3rd June, followed by a congregational lunch, will mark the occasion. The guest preacher at the service will be Rev. Ian Watson minister of Kirkmuirhill Parish Church. There will be no communion service at Rorison on that day.
Yours sincerely,
D. Cameron McPherson
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next > End >>
|
| Results 13 - 16 of 17 |
