ST. LEONARD’S-IN-THE-FIELDS CHURCH
PERTH
Minister—Rev. James K. Wallace M.A.,B.D.,S.T.M.
[Manse Tel: 621709]
Church Secretary—Wendy Lindsay
Church Office:
Open Tuesday and Thursday mornings 9.00 a.m.- NOON
[Office Tel: 632238]
[e-mail: office@stleonardsinthefields.co.uk]
The glorious autumn colours are all around us - and the leaves are beginning to fall; days are shorter, and memories of the sheer futility of war and its awful consequences are not far from our minds - and in a way, the falling leaves remind me of the poppy leaves we see fluttering down at the Remembrance service in the Royal Albert Hall. The poem by Kenny Martin paints a powerful "word picture" of war - and I really understand the message, having been to all of these places with my uncle, who was in the Dutch Air Force during World War 2. I will never forget the impact that the immaculate cemeteries had on me - nor will I forget the sacrifice made by all who gave their lives so that we can enjoy the freedom so many take for granted.
DALENE RADIN, EDITOR.
DEADLINE FOR DECEMBER/JANUARY EDITION IS 26TH NOVEMBER
Church Family
Wedding
3 October Kim Black and Paul Swan
Baptism
18 October Ellis Isabel Carle
Letter from the Manse
5 Strathearn Terrace
Perth
Dear Friends,
“November chill blaws loud wi’angry sugh;
The short’ning winter-day is near a close...”
...so Burns sets the scene as the cotter prepares to make his way home at the end of a hard day’s work in the fields. For some reason, when I realised I had to write for the November magazine, I was reminded of those words. We hope the month won’t bring us too much chill or angry sugh. But we know the feeling. The clocks change. The colours of autumn start to give way to the fallow months of winter. November may start with fireworks but it can also carry a certain foreboding of dark, damp days to come.
Look to the last Sunday of the month, however. The season of Advent begins on Sunday 29th. Advent starts by counting back four Sundays from Christmas Day. It is a season of growing light. A season of hope.
This year we are also making that date “All Present Sunday” – a day to be sure you are in church whether you are there regularly or whether you have not been there for a while. Please come and join your fellow christians in worship. A church well-filled with song, prayer, the Word; a church well-filled with God’s people – wouldn’t that be a fine response with which to counter November chill?
Sincerely,
Jim
St. Leonard’s-in-the-Field’s Church-Finance Article
Accounts for the Half Year to June
The treasurer presented the Receipts and Payments Account for the 6 months to 30 June 2009 to the Board on 20th October and an abbreviated version is set out below:
The 6 months accounts show that income was up by approx. 5% on the same period in the previous year and the Finance Committee was particularly encouraged by the increase in congregational income. On the other hand expenditure was also up but the treasurer pointed out that part of the reason for this was an adjustment to the figure for heat & light in the previous year’s figures which led to an “artificial” reduction in costs under that heading in 2008.
The accounts reveal a deficit for the 6 months of £1,143 which the Finance Committee feel is manageable within the overall Budget for the whole year. Indeed the Forecast for 2009 anticipates a roughly break-even result for the full 12 months.
Church of Scotland Finances
The Church of Scotland’s Stewardship and Finance committee faced a serious financial challenge this year when setting the church wide budgets. Offerings from members had increased by less than 1% last year and investment income suffered in the general financial decline. The Committee is concerned that 2009/10 will be a very difficult year financially if we are to continue to share the gospel through the wider work of the Church. They appeal to all who are able, especially all who still have secure jobs or secure incomes, to give as generously as they can, to support the Church.
Stewardship
Our Minister’s recent sermons based on Christian Stewardship and the need for increased commitment from all members, fits well into this theme. Our congregation is rightly proud of their record in meeting commitments over the years. This year will be more of a challenge and we encourage everyone who possibly can, to respond generously to the Church’s appeal.
New Gift Aid Convener
Jim Granger has kindly agreed to take over from David Armstrong as our Gift Aid Convener. Our thanks go to David Armstrong for all his work in his 9 year term as Convener. Jim’s contact details are at the back of this magazine.
For all taxpayers, Gift Aid is still Good News
Despite taxation changes, the Gift Aid process still enables the Church to reclaim 28p for every £1 given. The process is very simple with a single form to sign off and can operate through single payments by cheque, through the bank or through weekly Freewill offering envelopes. You do not need to promise to give a particular amount each week and you can vary your offering at any time to suit your circumstances.
Please have a word with Jim Granger, or any member of the Finance Team, if you have any queries on the Gift Aid process.
IWM/6Oct.2009
The Friendship Club
September 7th 2009
We were pleased to welcome members of The Salvation Army to entertain us at our meeting. We joined together in praise and singing and greatly enjoyed the afternoon. The large group of ladies and gents who attended left with spirits uplifted.
21st September 2009
Members were given the opportunity to discover their creative talents at our meeting today. Betty Gruar, our club secretary, shared her expert skills and showed us how to make gift boxes. At the end of the session many members had successfully created. a beautiful box and although some members created more ‘unusal’ designs they still had great fun making them. The laughter was infectious! Many thanks to Betty for sharing her talents.
Next Meeting
November 4th 2009
We are delighted to welcome The Dunkeld Bell Ringers to our meeting and extend a warm invitation to all to join us and enjoy a musical afternoon.
Christian Aid
Harvest Thanksgiving:
The retiring collection at the Harvest Thanksgiving Service raised £494 for Christian Aid. Gift Aid donations have increased this figure to £610. Thank you to all for such generous contributions.
Soup and Bread Lunch for Christain aid:
Sunday 29th November after Morning worship.
If you are unable to stay for lunch, there will be an opportunity to make a contribution as you leave the Church. Please support this event.
Evelyn Robertson
Bicentenary of the Scottish Bible Society
Ronnie MacMillan of the Methodist Philatelic Society and I have teamed up to produce an attractive souvenir cover to mark the bicentenary of the Scottish Bible Society. The Stamps used are the St Andrew’s Cross second class definitive and an orange 9p value to make up the required first class rate. The envelope is cancelled on 4th August, the actual date of the bicentenary. Covers, donation £1, can be obtained at the church or from me at 628818 or broonbuchan@supanet.com
Stanley Broon
Life and Work
Payment of ‘Life and Work’ is due in January 2010. Please give your annual subscription to your Church Magazine Visitor. (£19.20)
If you do not wish to continue with your ‘Life and Work’ please let me know before 8th November. This allows me to cancel any magazines. If this is not done, I shall continue to order the same number of magazines for 2010. May I recommend this church magazine to anyone who does not subscribe to it. It would be refreshing if our order could be increased this year.
Evelyn Robertson - 625312
CHURCH COFFEE MORNING
On a very blustery Saturday morning at the beginning of October, the Social Committee held their welcoming Coffee Morning for Jim, Catherine and Ruth. Many thanks to everyone who attended, giving you all the opportunity to meet the Wallace Family. The Hall was filled with happy conversation throughout the morning.
We must thank everyone who baked, and those who served on the morning – it was quite an innovation having so many willing gentlemen helping. The success of the plant stall was amazing, and our thanks for this idea must go to Sandy Baxter.
During the morning, £365.00 was raised – a most creditable total.
Linzee Lindsay
STARTER PACKS PERTH
‘Starter Packs’ is a local charity providing basic household items and bedding to needy families who have been given tenancies of flats or houses.
Recently, we have been asked to supply bedding for several large families e.g adults with 5 children or more. As a result, we are badly in need of bedding, in particular, cot bedding and duvet covers.
If anyone in the congregation has such items they no longer require
could they please contact:
Sheila Ramsay on 626603 or Barbara Cunningham on 626135
PERTH CHORAL SOCIETY WINTER CONCERT
Gabriel Faure's well known and much loved Requiem was last performed by Perth Choral Society in 1995 and that performance was dedicated to the children who were killed in Dunblane in March of that year; this achingly beautiful and evocative work, written in 1888, has a spiritual depth which has the power to touch the listener with the quietly confident Christian faith from which it grew. The prevailing mood is one of peacefulness and serenity; Faure himself said of it, " My Requiem is said not to express any sense of terror in the face of death. Someone called it a lullaby of death; but that's how I feel about death - a happy deliverance, a yearning for the joys of the afterlife, rather than a painful passing away."
Charles Gounod's Messe Solennelle de Sainte Cecilia, written in honour of St. Cecilia in 1855, is the second work in our concert; Gounod, it is said, "took certain liberties with the liturgy in this work" but his aim was to render its spirit in a manner that did honour to the patron saint of music, St. Cecilia.The first performance in November 1855, according to the composer Saint-Saens, " caused a sort of stupor. This simplicity, this grandeur, this serene light which rose upon the musical world like a dawn troubled people greatly; one felt the approach of a genius and as everyone knows this is usually badly received.......The luminous rays streamed forth from this Mass; at first one was dazzled, then charmed, then conquered."
We are very much looking forward to presenting these two works; our soloists are Libby Crabtree, Soprano; Shaun Dixon, Tenor and Jonathan May, Bass-Baritone, we are accompanied by the Angus Chamber Orchestra and our Director of Music, Peter Rutterford, conducts.
When can you hear this wonderful music? On Sunday 6th December in Perth Concert Hall. Tickets cost £12 (£10 concessions) with accompanied children admitted free. Please note: seating for this concert is reserved, so book early. Contact me for further information on 01738 620005.
Dalene Radin
DIARY FOR NOVEMBER 2009
November
Sunday 1st Morning Worship at 11.15 am – Rev. James Wallace Church Duties (1) Bert McDonald
Church Officer – Graeme Giles. Reader – Pat Giles
Wed 4th Friendship Club — Dunkeld Bell Ringers at 2.30 pm
Sun 8th Remembrance Service at 10.50 am – Very Rev Dr James Simpson
Church Duties (2) Alastair Smith
Church Officer – Keith Sievwright. Readers – Willie Coupar and Bob Sutherland
John Scrimger Singers in Concert in St Leonards in the Fields at 7.30pm.
Fri 13th Parish Grouping Ceilidh in Salutation Hotel at 7.30pm Tickets from Mary Wright and at coffee after Church.
Sun 15th Morning Worship at 11.15 am with Rev. James Wallace
Church Duties Les Buick. (3)
Church Officer – Willie Coupar. Reader – Dorothy Moir
Tues 17th Session Meeting 7.30 pm.
Wed 18th Friendship Club – Rannoch Day Centre Talk at 2.30pm.
Sun 22nd Morning Worship at 11.15 am Church duties (4) Jackson Robb. Church Officer – John Pringle. Reader – Lindsay Adamson
Sun 29th First Sunday in Advent
“All Present Sunday”
Morning Worship at 11.15 am – Rev. James Wallace.
Soup and Bread Lunch for Christain Aid afterwards in the Hall
Church Duties (5) Mrs Lorraine Russell.
Church Officer – David Combe. Reader – Rosemary Combe
December
Tues 1st Congegational Board Meeting at 7.30pm
Wed 2nd Friendship Club - U3A Choir at 2.30 pm
Sun 6th Second Sunday in Advent
Morning Worship at 11.15 am – Rev. James Wallace
Church Duties (6) Mrs Wyn Craig
Church Officer - Alastair Smith. Reader – Ian McMillan.
Sat 12th Jambouree Concert in St Leonards in the Fields at 7.30 pm
Sun 13th Third Sunday in Advent
Morning Worship at 11.15 am – Rev. James Wallace
Church Duties (7) Iain Grant
Church Officer – David Wright. Reader – Iain Grant
I DO NOT KNOW YOUR NAME
I do not know your name, but I know you died
I do not know from where you came, but I know you died.
Your uniform, branch of service, it matters not to me
whether Volunteer or Conscript, or how it came to be
that politicians failures, or some power mad ambition
brought you too soon to your death, in the name of any nation.
You saw, you felt, you knew full well, as friend and foe were taken
by bloody death, that your life too, was forfeit and forsaken
yet on you went and fought and died, in your close and private hell
for mate or pal or regiment and memories never to tell.
It was for each other, through shot and shell, the madness you endured
side by side, through wound and pain and comradeship assured
no family ties or bloodline link could match that bond of friend
who shared the horror and kept on going, at last until the end.
We cannot know, we were not there, it's beyond our comprehension
to know the toll that battle brings, of resolute intention
to carry on, day by day, for all you loved and hoped for
to live in peace a happy life, away from bloody war.
For far too many, no long life ahead, free of struggle and pain and gun
and we must remember the price that was paid by each and every one.
Regardless of views, opinions aside, no matter how each of us sees it,
they were there and I cannot forget, even though I did not see it.
I do not know your name, but I know you died;
I do not know from where you came, but I know you died.
This moving poem was written by Kenny Martin after visiting the Commonwealth War Graves at Arnhem, Oosterbeek and Nijmegen, in Holland.
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Summary Financial Statement
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6 Months to 30 June 2009
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6 Months
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6 Months
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to June 2009
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to June 2008
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Income
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£
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£
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Congregational Giving
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34,072
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32,120
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Gift Aid Tax Recovered
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4,355
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5,483
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Other Income
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12,606
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10,888
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51,033
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48,491
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Expenditure
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Stipend, Assoc Funds & Pulpit Supply
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31,636
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30,751
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Salaries
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5,799
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4,559
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Repairs & Maintenance
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1,228
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2,861
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Rates & Insurances
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4,271
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4,063
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Heat & Light
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4,545
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1,200
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Other costs
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4,697
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2,757
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52,176
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46,191
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(DEFICIT)/SURPLUS for the 6 Months
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(1,143)
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2,300
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Notes
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(a)
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Capital expenditure on a new dishwasher and on chairs amounting to £2,758 is not included above.
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(b)
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The costs of refurbishing the Manse are not included above as they will be met from the Fabric Reserve Fund
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