Sunday 20th December 2009
On a snowy morning, the congregation was treated to the annual Nativity Play at the 11.00am Family Eucharist. This year members of the Sunday School were joined by some of the Little Fishes group to perform ‘The Star’.
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At 7.00pm there was an uplifting Service of Nine Lessons and Carols at which the readers were the Rector, Alison Bayne and Andrew Bayne, Lowena and Cameron Lindsay and Canon David Main. The organist was Maurice Till. In addition to the traditional lessons, there were additional readings of seasonal material from the writings of John Clare, H W Longfellow, Dylan Thomas, Edwin Muir, Alexander Gray, Margaret Deland, Dorothy Paulin and T S Eliot, all of which contributed greatly to the anticipation of Christmas. Afterwards the congregation retired to the Hall for mince pies and mulled wine before braving the cold, winter’s night!
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The King’s Arms, Castle Douglas was the venue on Thursday 10th December for the Thursday Club’s Christmas Lunch – see photos on Thursday Club page (via ‘Activities’).
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Sunday 29th November 2009
The church was well filled for a beautiful candle-lit ecumenical evening service of Readings and Hymns for Advent. Canon David Bayne welcomed everyone, including Father William McFadden and many members of the Roman Catholic Church, and several from other denominations in the area. The readings were shared between members of St Ninian’s and the Roman Catholics.
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Sunday 15th November 2009
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Sunday 1st November 2009: Annual Meeting of the Congregation. There was one celebration of the Eucharist at 10.00am with the meeting at 11.30am after coffee. The Traidcraft Stall was open before the service, from 9.15am.
At the meeting it was agreed that a record of the congregation’s annual charitable giving should be displayed. It was the policy of the church to give donations to a mixture of international, national and local charities. In the year 2008-09 this was as follows and is in addition to special appeals for donations e.g. Bishop’s Lent Appeal; appeals for money following disasters/famines.
£300 was allocated to each of the following charities: Hope Africa; ZANE; Biblelands; Mercy Ships; Kudziidza Orphanage, Zimbabwe; St Luke’s Hospital for the Clergy; ORBIS; Loch Arthur Community; Mission to Seafarers; Castle Douglas Day Centre for the Elderly.
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Sunday 4th October 2009: Harvest Thanksgiving
The Church was beautifully decorated throughout – thanks to all those who helped.
The Sunday School children took part in the service, distributing ‘Peace cards’ to each member of the congregation, telling us what ‘peace’ meant to each of them and then singing ‘Make me a channel of thy peace’, with Katie playing her clarinet.
- The East Window and Altar
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Sunday 20th September 2009
Today we celebrated our Patronal Festival of St Ninian at which Revd Dr Anne Tomlinson, Ministry Development Officer preached the sermon. The service was followed by a delicious buffet lunch in the Hall and then Anne led us in a Congregational Consultation, ‘Journeying in the Footsteps of St Ninian’ . (See congregationalconsultation )
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Welcome back!
Welcome back to Leslie, who has been visiting family in East Anglia for the past four months. We’ve missed you!
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Farewell to Janet and Peter
On 2nd August 2009, Janet and Peter attended their last service at St Ninian’s before their move to Yorkshire. The Rector thanked them for all they had done during their eight years here and for their many acts of kindness – they will be greatly missed.
Congregational Supper
On 20th June, a lovely summer evening, a Bring and Share Supper was held in the Hall to raise funds for Revd Jane Shaw, our Mission Partner in Pakistan.
Jane is extending her stay in Lahore by a further two years and St Ninian’s has agreed to continue funding her. The event raised just over £400.
Ascension Day 2009
A new stained glass window, situated in the north wall of the church, near the lectern, was dedicated on 31st May 2009 by Bishop John Taylor.
It is the gift of Mr and Mrs Lynden Thompson, in memory of their son, also Lynden.
The window was designed by Freda Blackwood and built by Nicky Sinclair, and it may be said to represent the Dove of the Holy Spirit drawing new life and peace, in the form of an olive branch, out of the inorganic chaos and destruction of the modern world.
Licensing of Douglas Allison as Lay Reader
Lay Readers, Worship Leaders, Pastoral Assistants, Eucharistic Assistants, friends and family came from across the Diocese to St John’s, Dumfries, for the annual Celebration of Authorised Ministries on 30th May 2009.
During the service, Douglas Allison from St Ninian’s, Castle Douglas, was licensed as a Reader in the Diocese.
This was the first time in recent years that the service had been held in Galloway. It was timed to allow people to travel by car and by train, and lunch was served before the service.
It was led by Revd Shelley Marsh, with Bishop Idris presiding at the Eucharist. The preacher was Revd Dr Anne Tomlinson, Ministry Development Officer.
Canon David Main’s 80th birthday
In October 2008, Canon David Main celebrated his birthday in the Hall after the morning service.
