Issue 25 April 2008 £1.00

St Augustine's Dumbarton

The New Look

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From time to time, one finds oneself thinking about how one would vote in the House of Commons if one were there. Now, this is idle daydreaming, to be sure, but remember that I was actually a candidate at the last General Elec-tion. I set myself up for that daydreaming in the most public way possi-ble.

Anyhow, there has been much about the Embry-ology bill uttered by church people. More heat than light from most voices I think.

So, how about the three supposedly most conten-tious elements to the bill, the ones that Gor-don Brown is now giv-ing a qualified free vote on. According to the BBC, these are:

Preventing fertility clinics from refusing treatment to single women and lesbians - un-der current legislation clinics must take ac-count of the welfare of the unborn child including “the need for a father”. This will be replaced by the “need for supportive parenting”. Creating a child with the correct tissue match to save a sick brother or sister.

Creating so-called hybrid animal/human em-bryos to aid stem cell research.

I find two of these fairly easy to decide on ethically. It is the middle one that I find re-ally hard to call.

The first should just go through. It is a hu-man rights issue - and no, it is not because I believe that anyone has the right to have a

child, they don’t. I do be-lieve that everyone should be treated with dignity and equity. The consequence of being against this provi-sion seems to me to be that one would advocate taking children away from any same-sex couples that have them. Children don’t need a father if the father beats them, abuses them or harms them. Children do need loving, supportive parenting. Fathers can do that too.

The stem cell issue I also find quite easy to call - I’d vote in favour of this one too. I’ve read about what is being proposed and it does not seem to me to be monstrous at all.

It is the creation of a child with the right tis-sue match for a sick brother or sister that I really struggle with. I can see the desperation that would mean that I could understand par-ents wanting to do this. I just struggle with the ethical implications of creating a child for this purpose and in the face of the possibility that the treatment for the sibling might ulti-mately not work.

Faced with a bill with all these provisions in it, I’d vote for it. Given the freedom to vote for each bit, I’d certainly vote for one and three but find the middle one very, very hard to support on its own.

That’s how I’d vote. How about you?

Very Revd Canon Kelvin HoldsworthProvost of St Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow

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FROM KENNY.......Defining Moments

Did you ever play the game "Mouchie Freeze" as a child?

The group is running and play-ing as though everything were normal and then the one who is "het" yells, " Mouchie Freeze!"

Everyone had to freeze exactly as they were when they heard the word. The first person to stumble or move from their "frozen position" was usually given a good kicking from the others in the group. At least that’s the way we played it in Drumchapel. You may know of a slightly less violent interpretation. The ba-sics of the game are, I’m sure, played by kids all over the world.

There are moments in all of our lives that are frozen in time and frozen in our memories. They can be good moments, or bad moments. Moments of utter joy and moments of profound grief. Whatever else they may be, these are moments that are locked in our hearts and minds because of the power they hold for our lives.

You can almost relive them now.

Remember?

That first kiss. The time she said, "Yes." A look on the doctor's face. The day a child was born. The day you walked into your first house which was going to be your home as an adult. The time you lost the person you loved most.

All of these are moments which are locked in place, and in some sense time stops when these frozen mo-ments are called to mind. The most dramatic of them all are those moments of life and death that make up the greatest, most wonderful and the worst, most devastating events of our living."Defining Moments“ some people might call them.

As we celebrate Easter, the single most important defining moment of our Christian faith - the resurrec-tion of our Lord Jesus Christ, we celebrate a defining

moment which is just as wonderful as anything you will ever experience. Without this moment, none of the other defining moments of our lives would ever make sense.

Mary, as she wept by the tomb, asked the person she assumed was the gardener, “Where have they taken my Lord?”

“Mary”, he answered. “Mary”. And suddenly she rec-ognised him and time froze.

Many of us will identify with this moment. In her deep-est grief and desolation. In the greatest pain and emptiness of her being, time stopped, as Mary heard Jesus speaking her name, and realised that it was Him. That He was not dead but alive, there with her, speaking her name.

It was a defining moment in her life.

On Easter Day we talked about Good Fridays and Easter Mornings, and how they run side by side as we progress through our lives. We will experience both. The desolation and hopelessness of Good Fri-day. The joy of Easter Morning. Both are interwoven into the depths of our being.

I cannot think of anyone who has not visited Good Friday. I know of nobody who has been untouched by either fear, desolation, hopelessness, grief, loneli-ness, helplessness, darkness or sorrow.

However, few of them have failed to recover. Few have failed to have that defining moment when God has called their name and suddenly they know they are not alone. That God is indeed with them, and that there will be always hope.

Many of us have had to reach the darkest depths of our lives before we realise this. Some of us have had to reach the depths of ultimate despair before we met Jesus. The Defining Moment comes when we realise He is there, and has been simply waiting for us, often waiting for a long time before we were prepared to recognise Him.

My prayer for you all this Easter-tide is that you will be touched by the Risen Jesus in some way. That He will call you by your name, and your life and faith will reach another defining moment.

If this is not to be the case, then I hope you will dig deep into your memories for your last “defining mo-ment”, and take great comfort from that. We are a Good Friday people, but we are also an Easter peo-ple, and Alleluia is our song!

Kenny

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The Fag End!

This giving up smoking is not as easy as I had hoped. The cravings and desires to smoke are in-

credibly strong, and quite worse than I ever imagined. Coming from 60 per day down to zero has been a very great struggle, and I did succumb to a fag or two, (literally), during March, before I met hypnothera-py! Hypnotherapy has helped me greatly, both with the cravings and also with the fact that I tend to cope a little better in times of stress.

As a result, those who sponsored me are actually off the hook! However with three weeks now behind me, I’m still determined to make it work, and if those who sponsored with a pay-up date in September or even October, would still like to back me, or continue to encourage me, then I’d be grateful. I’m proud of the days and days, and it has had to be a day at a time, that I have gone without a cigarette, and I know that most of you are willing me, and praying for me as I continue this “dark struggle”!

CriticismThere are two kinds of criticism:

(1) Unjustified criticism. One day Henry Ward Beecher went to his church to preach. As the great orator placed his Bible on the pulpit he noticed a blank sheet of paper with the word "fool" written on it.

Beecher's keen sense of humour seized the moment. He lifted the paper for all to see, then his booming voice filled the church as he announced, "Generally I receive letters from people who write and forget to sign their name. This letter is different. The person has signed his name but forgotten to write the letter."

Jesus said, "Offences will come" (Luke 17:1). So ex-pect them. And remember, attack is a sign of respect. You're getting noticed. You're making a difference. So when you are criticised unjustly, forget it and move on. Jesus did!

(2) Justified criticism. Criticism that's justified has a measure of truth in it. An old Arab proverb states, "If one person calls you a donkey, forget it. But if five people call you a donkey, buy a saddle." Dr. James G. Kerr, a management psychologist, points out that a major deterrent to gaining information about our-selves lies in our natural reluctance to discover any-thing about ourselves that isn't flattering. When we

erect defences against our own inadequacies and try to hide our faults from ourselves and others, we close the door to a vital source of self-knowledge and therefore deny ourselves the joy of Spiritual growth. Stop hiding from the truth. Every one of us can im-prove what we're doing and the way in which it's be-ing done. As they say, "The largest room in the world - is room for improvement!"

Have an ear to hear …..Revelation 2:7"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches."

When God is up to something, it is remarkable how the Spirit of God seems to be saying the same thing across the world. It is amazing how many prophetic people are hearing similar things. The prophets' ears are beginning to hear as one in unity of the Spirit.

In the letters written by John to the seven churches, the messenger ends his letters with the same words: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." God would again and again speak these words regarding what he was wanting to show the Body of Christ at large.

This is a time to ask the Lord to give us ears to hear. Listening for his Spirit to speak his instructions is vital prior to the whole Church advancing forward. We need to be careful to let the Lord initiate all that we do. Our good ideas and human strength will not hit the mark.

In the Old Testament, Zechariah wrote that when God does great things among us, it is "not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit."

Kathi Pelton is a modern-day writer based in Canada with a prophetic ministry. When praying for the younger generation, she tells how: "I saw young peo-ple with an anointing to lead in their schools, in their youth groups, in their workplaces, and in their spheres of influence as they begin to let their light shine, moving forward as leaders amongst their peers. Then one by one, young people began to fol-low."

There are young people in our churches worldwide. Think what could happen if they let their light shine - wherever they are. Young people, do you have ears to hear what his Spirit is saying to you?

There are older people in our churches worldwide. Think what could happen if they prayed for ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to them.

Happily, the Scottish Episcopal Church still retains some singular parish clergy. Take the parish of St James-the-Least in an un-named Diocese, for example. Here the elderly Anglo-Catholic Rector, Eustace, continues his correspondence to Darren, his nephew, a low-church curate recently ordained...

The RectorySt. James the Least

My dear Nephew DarrenWhen guitars and amplifiers meet Choral Mattins

It was kind of you to send your music group to us last Sunday morning while our choir had a Sunday off for its celebratory lunch. Miss Timmins' ninety-fourth birthday brought the combined choir's age to 1,000; which is quite a distinction for twelve peo-ple. Clearly a Sunday commitment to 'Hymns Ancient and Modern', consumption of industrial quantities of peppermints and pleasant naps during sermons has a positive effect on longevity.

I had rather looked forward - naively in retrospect - to hearing some Bach motets from your group, but now have learned that guitars, clarinets, clavinovas and drums and Choral Mattins is not a marriage made in heaven. All your group lacked was a drum majorette leading the procession up the aisle.

It was quite obvious the music was going to be a lit-tle different when I arrived to see that the lectern, Lady Tadcaster's flower arrangement and the Ver-ger had all disappeared behind amplifiers. The only person not disconcerted by this was the Verger, who realised it presented an excellent opportunity to do the crossword unobserved during Divine Worship.

That would not have been too bad if he had not wan-dered over to me during the Bible reading to ask if I knew the answer to 12 down.

Your display of the hymns on a screen was impres-sive, (but did it have to be in front of the pulpit? I had to balance on several kneelers to be seen over it and throughout the sermon could only think of how to look dignified should the whole pile collapse mid-sentence) leaving the congregation paralysed in fear.For the first time in their lives they had nothing to hold and hadn't a clue what to do with their hands.

You could see them experimentally stuffing them in pockets, holding on to the pew, searching for hand-kerchiefs, totally at a loss with this unwanted free-dom of limbs. Perhaps even worse, they were obliged to look up rather than stare at the floor. I fear some may be traumatised for life.

But the worst moment was when the group gave its “solo number” - couldn't it have been called an “Anthem”? Half way through, dear Mrs Ffitch, who has always been somewhat excitable, felt called to contribute with a spontaneous religious dance in the aisle.

The congregation froze in horror and we all found varying devices for not catching her eye after the Service. But the greatest social problem is how we react when we see her in the village tomorrow morn-ing. I have advised those who asked my opinion that we all stay indoors for a few days.

Perhaps your music group could visit us again when our choir holds its two-thousandth anniversary - when I suspect it will still consist of the same peo-ple, as they are all tenacious of note, opinion and age.

Eustace

DUMBARTON PEOPLE’S THEATRE, (DPT) TO

STAGE THE FEMALE ODD COUPLE

Those who are familiar with the Neil Simon play, The Odd Couple, are looking forward to the fe-male version which will be presented in the Denny Civic Theatre on 30th April to 3rd May. The antics of the New York flat sharers - one a slob and one a perfectionist - make great comedy.And what a hilarious collection of characters ar-rive to keep the action going - laughs are guaran-teed! Make sure of your ticket now , only £3.00, from Janette, Maggie or Sandra.

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St James the Least of All...March 2008

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Rotas for April

Sunday April 6th. 11am Eucharist.Readers: Margaret Hardie & B. Barnes.Intercessions: Colleen Bell.Chalice: Fran Walker & Janette Barnes. Sidespersons: R. McWhinnie & R.Mailley.

Sunday April 13th.11am Eucharist.Readers: Tim Rhead & Vernon Perrin.Intercessions: Ghislaine Kennedy.Chalice: Colleen Bell & Robin Nelson. Sidespersons: M. Swan & J. Kilpatrick.

Sunday April 20th.11am Eucharist.Readers: M. Wallace & G. Kennedy. Intercessions: Linda Macaulay.Chalice: M Hardie & Vernon Perrin. Sidespersons: L.Jenkinson & M. Rhead.

Sunday April 27th.11am Eucharist.Readers: L. Macaulay & Margot Rhead.Intercessions: Fran Walker.Chalice: Tim Rhead & Barbara Barnes.Sidespersons: C. Ashman & David Dyer..

FLOWER ROTAW/E April 5th. M.Wallace & M. Hardie, “ 12th. Dee Perrin & B. Barnes. “ “ 19th. L Macaulay & S McMartin. “ “ 26th. M.Wallace & R. McLeay.

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Memories of Betty Henderson RIP

My mother was a widow for 24 years after the death of my father Jack, living on her own and faithfully attending St Augustine’s Episcopal Church with her friend Georgie Duncan. Due to my having to work in Glasgow at that time 2 to 3 days a week , I usually stayed with her in Dumbarton giving her some company for at least part of each week.She was renowned for her manners as the kids have com-mented “She even puts out cutlery and the good napkins when we have a MacDonald’s”. When we lived in Bishop-ton we used to visit Mum on a Sunday. Every week we’d all go for a walk round Levengrove Park - or Squirrel Park as it became known. A happy time for all concerned and still remembered by Jill even yet.

I remember when staying in Dumbarton she was quite upset on hearing that Margaret Bain, the lady in her 80s who stayed in the same close, suggested that Mum was having difficulty managing the stairs (as in climbing them). Mum replied indignantly “I keep them as clean as the next one!”I noticed she was suffering memory loss when after phon-ing her from Perth to remind her I was on the way; on arriv-ing I was informed “you should have told me you were coming and I would have had some tea ready for you!” I renewed my acquaintance with Silverton Chippy most weeks - my mum always liked a fish supper from Silverton.It was nearly 4 years ago when Georgie phoned to tell us that my mother had collapsed and been taken to Vale of Leven hospital. After a few weeks the doctors agreed she could get out of the ‘Vale’ provided she was moved to somewhere she would receive nursing care. Fortunately there was a room available at St Olaf’s Nursing Home in Nairn, where due to the care she received her life was extended by an additional 3½ years. At first this wasn’t so easy for her as she was settling in and then required to have one of her legs amputated but it quickly became a time of much joy and laughter with her family, with her Grand-children (James, Jen, Jilly & John) and new found friends. Who’ll ever forget Maisey as she and Mum sat enthralled with Daniel O’Donnell videos while demolishing their for-bidden chocolates. Karen was taking her to Broadley Garden Centre for coffee & cake, something Mum always enjoyed. She had put on one shoe, when Mum asked where’s the other one. Karen said “you don’t need it since you’ve lost your leg”. My mother seemed quite surprised and said “Oh so I have - will it grow back on?” She just accepted it & was not concerned at all! On another occasion she asked Karen “if she knew Iain?” Karen replied that we were married. Quick as a flash her comment was “sure he’ll like that.” How right she was!Many times we were both told “Thank you” and “I love you” - she really appreciated the level of care and kindness she received and having her family near her.At the start of this last illness even though Mum seemed to be more withdrawn, she was visited by our GP , a young male doctor and she perked up considerably at his bedside manner. My mother looked at him and smiled saying “You’re nice!” She always had a liking for the medical pro-fession and handsome young doctors in particular.That’s the way I hope her Grandchildren remember their Gran - full of laughs and love. She’s with my Dad now and after 24 years they will certainly have a lot to talk about.Although I’m sure she’ll miss you all; don’t be sad, for Mum had a happy fulfilling life and her ashes have been interred in Dumbarton, alongside Meg & Pimmy (her mum and dad) and her beloved Jack.This was her wish. My father’s ashes are scattered on the ‘Crags’ where he used to be Game-keeper but at least they will be close, both in Dumbarton. As you will remember my mother was never happy in the country but preferred shops etc.Her favourite place in Nairn was Broadley Garden Centre Coffee Shop where she had coffee and a piece of million-aires shortbread. She never ever thought she would finish it and always said we would have to help her - but the biscuit always vanished without any assistance from any of us. So many memories of a wonderful lady - she will be missed. Iain Henderson (Son)

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Janette reviews the busy, busy month of March.

March this year ‘came in like a lion’ so happily on Monday it should ‘go out like a lamb’. It brought the first official day of Spring on the 20th, the changing of the clocks for British Summertime on the 30th, and, for a large part of the country, a white Easter. Yes, as the old adage goes - ‘March has many weathers.’

NOT AN EASTER BONNET IN SIGHTAt St. Augs on Easter Sunday this was Tony’s one complaint, but with the coldest Easter for 44 years what could one expect? The Eucharist was hot enough, though, with a larger than average congre-gation and a very lively Praise Band. The enthusi-astic response from the surrounding tambourines and other rattling objects kept everyone on their toes right to the end. In fact, one’s heid wis ferr nip-pin’. Maundy Thursday had been lively too, when we welcomed members of other Churches and their Clergy to our Passover Supper. Indeed an extra table had to be hastily assembled to cater for the numbers. We looked anxiously at the herb en-crusted lamb, roasted by five disciples of Delia Smith, and wondered if there would be enough to go round. Miraculously there was with even a little to spare. The most astonishing feat of the evening was performed by Margaret Hardie who, by herself, cooked potatoes for all - boiled or au gratin! Whit a wumman! Oh no, we did not run out of food - more than could be said for M&S who had to pull down their shutters on some counters on Easter Sunday. Our Passover Supper went very well indeed and everyone left saying -‘see you next year’. MAD AS A MAD MARCH HAREYou may not have noticed many in Dumbarton this year. This was due to the ransom of £30 being of-fered by Scottish Power Renewable for each mad March hare captured and sent to a Power Station that was having trouble keeping a pair of eagles away from their wind turbines. No, I haven’t lost the plot. This story featured in a good Scottish News-paper and it resulted in the majority of hares be-having sensibly this March and pretending to be Easter bunnies!

However, there was no shortage of madness around in our human kingdom. Our cash -strapped council is spending £10,000 on a feasibility study to help them decide on whether or not cars should be allowed in the High Street. Our Council Leader is enthusing about building a canal through Dumbar-ton and the Vale and a new Cultural Sub Commit-tee is planning a Hogmanay During the Day Party for all the family in Balloch Park. Aye, January is perfect for taking the weans for an outing to Balloch

Park! With plans like these who need hares?SPOTTED AT THE BALLET.During an afternoon expedition to the Nutcracker with a happy band from the concession club I spot-ted our Margot down in the stalls with a young, dark, attractive, interesting looking man. Oh, yes she was! You can’t escape the gossip columnist, Margot! Still, it could have been worse - you could have been spotted at the Bingo!

WHAT’S IN A NAME?‘A rose by any other name would smell as sweet’. Shakespeare’s famous mis-quote was challenged this month in a study on names conducted by a university professor. Is this really what they do at Uni these days? Anyway, this learned eedyit says if you want your child to get on in life you name it from the success list which includes names like Elizabeth , James and Helen. If you want luck for your offspring you are directed to a list which is topped by Lucy and Jack with Heather also well in evidence - was that before or after her 24 million windfall? For parents who want a good-looking ad-dition to their pram another list is available contain-ing names like Sophie, Katie, Olivia and Ryan. There is no sign on any prestigious list of a Janette, a Maggie, a Kenny, a Linda, a Sandra or a Fran - obviously St. Auggie’s names are not in favour!

I’D DO ANYTHINGOk - who’s been glued to the telly on a Saturday Night watching the desperate struggling to impress Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and his cronies and not be chucked out of Nancy School? Tea Bag won’t miss it and has put her social life on hold until the outcome is revealed. She is not alone since this wee gem was heard at the checkout ‘See that reali(t)y televishun - it’s no’ real so it’s no’!

GETTING IT WRONGMarch was certainly a month for getting things wrong. It must be something to do with the infa-mous Ides of March which sent Julius Caesar to his doom. Bear Stearns got it wrong and sent the whole financial world into a crisis. The Chancellor got it wrong when his budget tax on alcohol, de-signed to curb our excessive drinking, resulted in queues at the supermarkets as the offending liquor was stockpiled in advance of the price increase.

And who’s wrong in the Embryo Research Debate - the Cardinal or the Scientists? And is the Prime Minister wrong to allow a free vote? All will be re-vealed! Jeremy Paxman got it badly wrong with his complaint about M&S underpants - a survey has shown that M&S are top for male bottoms - so there! But don’t worry, Jeremy, you may be wrong but you’re in the right company! (Continued over)

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Wait till I tell you...... (continued)

STRICTLY FOR THE BIRDS‘I expect that woman will be the last thing civilised by man’ This was written by a man called George Meredith, a novelist, poet and cheeky so and so! How wrong can he be? At our Friends’ Ladies Only Pyjama Party scheduled for 16th April a very civi-lised evening is being planned.

The girls will lie around on sumptuous cushions, bathed in soft lighting and candles with the air per-fumed by sensuous aromas and fragrances. There will be wine for sipping and chocolate fountains for dipping while a really romantic movie transports them to realms of pure delight. For exercise we may indulge in a quick computer game with MissBimbo.com as we wait to have things done for our bodily welfare. Oh, and there will be just a soup-con of juicy gossip……And, to think Freud struggled with the all important question ‘What does a woman want?’ See you there.

Janette

News from TimChurch Walk: The next walk is on Saturday 12th April. We are trekking the Milngavie - Allander Way, with a refreshment stop at the Tickled Trout If you want to come, meet at 1.30 at Milngavie Station car-park. contact Tim or Rosemary for details, lifts can be arranged. Christian Aid:

Lent Lunches Thanks to all who helped on our day. The total raised will be announced next month

Inter-Church Quiz. This will be held on held at 7.30 on Friday May 9th at St Patrick's Hall . This is a new ven-ture. Churches can bring as many teams as they want, four in a team, and only £1 each. Christian Aid pro-vides the questions. Mike Taylor( ex Dumbarton Librarian ) will compere this.

See Tim for more details on all these things, and to arrange lots of teams from St. Aug’s for the Quiz, or beat the Baptists as it has been known)

Christian Aid Service. This will be held in the Baptist Church at 3 pm on Sunday May 11th. Christian Aid Week is from May 11 - 17th. Help is always wanted! See Tim if you wish to contribute some time. If nobody posts a Christian Aid envelope through your door, then Tim has loads left over!

SUPPORT DUMBARTON

AMNESTYThe Dumbarton & Lomond Amnesty Group was founded in 1971 by veteran human rights activist Mrs Elizabeth Burnett. We cover Helensburgh, Dumbarton and the Vale of Leven.

The Group has supported several Prisoners of Con-science, the most recent being Ngwang Sangdrol, a Tibetan nun, Khamtanh Phousy, from Laos, both released from prison.

Amnesty is concerned about China as attention turns to the Olympics.

Action taken by us includes letters, petitions, con-certs, work with teachers – and cooperation with THE SONS (I think this is Dumbarto Nil FC - Ed) at a match in 2006 to support Ma Khin Khin Leh, a teacher in Burma who is serving a life sentence be-cause of the peaceful political activities of her hus-band.

The Group produced the first Amnesty flag, an Am-nesty tartan, and has active support from West Dunbartonshire Council. There are two sub-groups, one at Bonhill Parish Church, and the other for WDC employees.

We hold monthly meetings. We welcome both new members and those who can help occasion-ally. Email dandlamnesty@googlemail.com or visithttp://www.amnesty.org.uk/DUMBARTON/home.html

Christ the PriestChrist is the Priest above us to reign,Him did the Being of life ordainFor all alive salvation to gain;Christ is the Priest of rising again,.......... Christ is the Priest above........... .......... .......... ........ ..A Celtic prayer from South Uist

Richmond ArchitectsSupporting

The Friends of St. Augustine’s

Castle Terrace, Dumbarton

Tel: 01389 765578

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Friends in AprilSt. Aug’s Pyjama Party

Wednesday 16th April, 2008in the hall at 7pm till 9pm

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Come along for an evening of relaxation,pampering and pure indulgence with

chocolaty food, chocolate fountain, sparkling wine,

Bailey’s Irish Cream, Indian head massage, manicure

and a chance to watch Doris Day and Rock Hudson in the ultimate ‘feel- good’ movie!

Come dressed in pyjamas or comfortable casual clothes and relax for the evening

£5 (£4) for Friends

Get your name up on the list in the hall or contact me by phone or email (see back page).The Friends AGM will be held this year on Sunday the 18th May in the church hall at 4pm. This will be followed by cheese and wine so please come along and have a say in the sort of events which we will be offering in the future.

May is the end of the Friends year and subscription notices will be coming out after the AGM.

If you are not a member, why not join this year. You get the church magazine free each month and a discount on most of the Friends events. You also are helping the church to continue and to grow as the Friend’s funds are an important part of the church finances with around £4000 handed over each year.Fill in your details in the form below and send it to me at the given address. Linda

Becoming A Friend

To : The Membership Secretary Friends of St Augustine’s St Augustine’s Episcopal Church 2 High Street Dumbarton G82 1LL

I wish to join Friends of St Augustine’sIndividual Membership £15 p.a.Family Membership £25 p.a.Business Membership £50I enclose a cheque/P.O. for £……….Please delete as appropriate.

Name………………………………….Address……………………………….………………………………………..Tel ……………………………..

E-mail:…………………………………

Bill Kean has passed on a big “Thank You” for the won-derful response he has had to his request for parts for his model hobby. He is quite astounded by the amount he has, and cannot express his gratitude enough!

A whole summer of tinkering looms!

Prayer Group: This will kick off sometime in April, meeting at Shirley Currie’s home. The general consensus is that Thursday afternoons at 2pm is the most suita-ble day and time. We’ll spend some time in medita-tion, and find space to pray for the parish development, and for those who are sick. Kenny will lead the first few sessions.

Study Group:This Group meets at 7.30pm every Tuesday in the Rectory. Every week has a separate topic, and you can dip in and out of it as you please. There’s noth-ing too difficult, and indeed it can be used to ask those “stupid questions” you were always frightened to ask! All are welcome to this Group which lasts only one hour!

Vestry Meeting:The next Vestry Meeting is on Thursday 17th April at 7.30pm in The Upper Room.

A Big Thank You

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Lively Stories of Church IN SocietyTHE Church in Society Action Network has been busy producing a lively news-sheet over the past few months, writes convenor IAN BARCROFT. In the com-ing year we embark on raising the profile of this Net-work on the web: www.churchinsociety.net.

Our seven regional representatives have been collecting stories and experiences; celebrating some of the many projects churches and members are involved in across the diocese.

Every church in the diocese has been given copies of the news-sheet to distribute to church members. It is an attrac-tive addition to a local church bulletin. Please use it in your welcome material and use it as a tool to explain that the church and its members are a key local resource. This kind of activity often connects with people’s needs and crosses the boundary between church and society and makes our church a key component of local community life.

The challenge of the Church IN Society Action Net-work, and the encouragement and celebration such dedi-cated service brings, as seen in the stories of the news-sheet, allow all of us and our local community (village, suburb, town or city) to reflect on how we might integrate the idea of our weekly worship and the offering of our lives; communicating the idea that both are insepa-rable.

The lay theologian Ida Görres speaks of Holy Week and Easter as something that rushes past us. We look in awe and wonder, and that is about all we can do. The enormity of the events can overwhelm like a raging waterfall.

‘… Like the Niagara Falls thundering down right beside me, and there I stand, with a thimble in my hand, and I’m supposed to dip in and collect something, catch it up, assimilate it reacting properly, goodness knows how. But if you hold a cup under a waterfall, it’s not only knocked right out of your hand, but empty too. … But maybe this helpless state of just standing aside, this overpowering sense of not being able to do anything about it, is the sort of adoration I’m allowed just now.’

It is the same with the events of our society, as they impinge upon us. We can be overwhelmed. But to be the ‘Church’ in ‘Society’ we must have the same respect, our ears and eyed open to the grace of God which is active in the most unexpected places: a torrent of love available and there to refresh us.

Let’s not hide in our churches, or make them a safe refuge. Let’s go and experience the love of Christ that rages before us and tell each other, giving thanks for what we have seen. Happy Easter!

The Bible in 50 Words!God madeAdam bit

Noah arkedAbraham splitJoseph ruledJacob fooledBush talked

Moses balkedPharaoh plagued

People walkedSea divided

Tablets guidedPromise landed

Saul freakedDavid peeked

Prophets warnedJesus bornGod walkedLove talked

Anger crucifiedHope diedLove rose

Spirit flamedWord spread

God remained.

Smile LinesThe Good SamaritanA young minister was telling his church the story of the Good Samaritan, in which a man was beaten, robbed and left for dead. He got carried away and described the situation in vivid detail, wanting his congregation to catch the drama of it all. Then he asked rhetorically: 'If you saw a person lying on the roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?' A thoughtful little girl broke the hushed si-lence, 'I think I'd throw up.'

Philosophical cynic: "Anarchy is better than no government at all."

Too illFirst student: First, I got tonsillitis, followed by ap-pendicitis and pneumonia. After that I got erysipelas with hemachromatosis. Following that I got poliomy-elitis and finally ended up with neuritis. Then they gave me hypodermics and inoculations.

Second student: Goodness, you had quite a time!

First student: Yes, to be honest, I thought I'd never survive that spelling test.

10

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Airline Engineers:Remember, it takes a college degree to fly a plane but only a College Diploma to fix one. After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a "gripe sheet," which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems; document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight. Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humour. Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas' pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers.

By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never had an accident. P: Left inside main tyre almost needs replacement.S: Almost replaced left inside main tyre. P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft. P: Something loose in cockpit.S: Something tightened in cockpit. P: Dead bugs on windshield.S: Live bugs on back-order. P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground. P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.S: Evidence removed. P: DME volume unbelievably loud.S: DME volume set to more believable level. P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.S: That's what they're for. P: IFF inoperative.S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode. P: Suspected crack in windshield.S: Suspect you're right. P: Number 3 engine missing.S: Engine found on right wing after brief search. P: Aircraft handles funny.S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious. P: Target radar hums.S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics. P: Mouse in cockpit.S: Cat installed. And the last one..................

P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer. S: Took hammer away from midget.

Shopping TherapyA woman was working in her garden with her strim-mer, when she accidentally cut off the tail of her cat. She ran screaming into the house for help. Her hus-band grabbed the car-keys. "Get the cat, and the tail, and we'll take them to Wal-Mart. NOW" he said ur-gently.

His wife was incredulous. "How could that possibly help?" she asked. "Well," he replied, "they're the world's largest retailer."

Size and Shape

I went to the surgery for my yearly physical examina-tion. The nurse started with the basics. "How much do you weigh?" she asked. "Nine stone," I said. The nurse weighed me, and it said 12 stone."How tall are you?" she asked. "Five foot, seven inches," I said. The nurse measured me, and it said five feet."How's your blood pressure?" she asked. "Fine," I said. She took it, and it was very high."No wonder!" I screamed. "Five minutes ago I was tall and thin. Now I'm short and fat!"

11

Stewardship Report from the Diocesan Stewardship Committee:(Kenny is a member of this)

It’s over. I think. The Year of Stewardship, that is. You didn’t really notice? Funny, that. Rather like a Chinese meal - you quickly felt full, left more than you expected, and feel hungry again an hour later .

But.,.. As we explained at Synod, Stewardship is not just for Christmas (or ‘Years of Stewardship’): Stew-ardship is for LIFE! Stewardship is what we are all about if we want to live Christian lives. Jesus exhorts us to be Good Stewards of God’s creation and of the gifts that we are given – and not just now and then, but Always, Always, Always.

Would you have confidence in someone who just serviced the car when something fell off it? And so, at Synod, we suggested that a Stewardship Committee was a daft idea, akin, I suppose, to having a Eucha-rist Committee to ensure that the Eucharist was cele-brated week-in-week-out. Stewardship is, in reality, everything we do, everything we think.

There is no thought, no conversation, no action, no contribution, no gift, no decision, no choice, no prayer that we make or offer that should not reflect our stew-ardship of God’s gifts. So what can we, as a commit-tee do, if we are all involved in stewardship already, up to our oxters?

Our PROPOSAL at Synod – perhaps a MOTION to Synod in 2009 – was “That the Agendas of every Vestry and every Regional Council - and even every Diocesan Council - meeting include STEW-ARDSHIP as the penultimate item (above AOCB), so that all business can be reviewed by all partici-pants at the end of the meeting in the light of our responsibility for and our stewardship of God’s Creation and the gifts and the mission that He has given us.”

The Stewardship Committee is a humble gathering of Regional Council Stewardship Reps, who meet to discuss what is going on and how we can stimulate congregations to take Stewardship seriously. I, in turn, go to a Provincial Stewardship Committee where there are Reps from every Diocese doing the same thing.

More relevant, it seems, would be to have a gather-ing of Congregational Stewardship Reps in every Re-gion, where local stewardship activity can be discussed and stimulated and encouraged and evalu-ated. And, if you don’t like the word Stewardship, if that just means MONEY to you, then think of another word – and let us know your suggestions! Jamie_hill@madasafish.com

A baby’s conversation with God

A baby asked God, 'They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?' God said, 'Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you.'

The child further inquired, 'But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy.' God said, 'Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy.'

Again the child asked, 'And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?' God said, 'Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.'?

'And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?' God said, 'Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray.'

“Who will protect me?” God said, 'Your angel will defend you even if it means risking its life.'

'But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore.' God said, 'Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you.'

At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, 'God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name.'

God said, 'You will simply call her, 'Mum

12

Leading Your Church Into Growth:

The Secret Diary of a Pisckie Conference Goer

Day 1: Arrive, register. See timetable, with mentions of coffee, lunch, dinner jumping out. Ah well, Leading the Congregation into Growth will be easy then. Take ‘em all to the Glynhill Hotel for a week and their waist lines will double in size. Oh, it’s not that type of growth? Oops! A closer perusal of the timetable indi-cates 10 sessions on different topics, daily services and 2 workshops – though in the best traditions of conferences we are told the timetable will be amend-ed.

Session 1:Seats taken, and course material given out, water glasses filled, Foxes Glacier Mints at the ready and we’re off. A session entitled “Life/Vision in the Wilder-ness”. Clearly our course organisers have visited Dumbarton High Street on a wet afternoon, where wil-derness could easily be combined with “bleak” and “empty”. Actually this session was about the place of the church in contemporary society and your own per-sonal vision for what you’d like your church to be do-ing in 5 years.

Session 2:“Introducing church growth”; well didn’t I already ex-plain that? Seriously though, here we covered the con-cept of Mission as being the whole of God’s act of saving love to the world and helping that love flow into the world, the values for a Mission-Shaped church (worship central to everything, calling people to faith, being a servant to the local community, relating to the local culture and so on) and the advantages and dis-advantages of small and large churches. Workshop 1: “Planting a church”: take one industrial sized grow-bag (tomato type will do), add a few bricks, water frequently and lo you will have a new church or hall within 9 months. If only it were that simple, if only that was what it was about. But actually it’s about in-troducing worship in new and exotic places, such as the local pub or the café at Asda (both of which really happened elsewhere), and the ups and downs of try-ing such an experiment. Session 3:On the topic of “Establishing positive leadership”. Now we’re onto stuff about the importance of practicing the positive, learning how to deal with your own and oth-ers’ negative feelings and realising you can’t do it all on your own. Talk about finding a “Cockpit crew”. I know we’re near the airport so guess that shouldn’t be too difficult. Turns out though the cockpit crew are people in the church who will be positive, support ideas and help implement them, not the first batch of BA pilots you can find.

Day 2 Sessions 4-6:Covering various aspects of “Becoming a Mission Church: The Big Attitude Change; Basic Mission Strat-egy; Useful Evangelistic Strategies”. (For those who have just read the E word and gone white as a sheet, like most at the conference did, please don’t give up now!) First we decide where our church stands in the maintenance (never planning for the future and never changing anything because Mrs McGillicuddy’s pet hamster might not like it if we do) versus mission (willing to look forward and consider the future of the church and try out new ideas relating to worship and social activities to attract people) structure. Then we go on to consider intuitive (reacting to cir-cumstances as they occur) and strategic (pro-active, working towards a future goal) working patterns in the church and the 4 P strategy of Prayer, Presence, Proclamation, Persuasion as a means of making the church known and engaged in the local community and in the lives of people (church and non-church members alike). And finally the Evangelistic strategies thing is about developing a culture where people are invited in and welcomed, planning events that fit the people you want to attract rather than just doing the same thing because “we know how to run that easily”, deciding whether it should be purely social or have some kind of religious content and working out the best way to make all content relevant and interesting to the people attending. Workshop 2: Should have been “How to lead a Suc-cessful Mission” but became an open discussion on various aspects of running any kind of church-based event, how to cope with problems in a church and good experiences in the church ie a general “church-related” Q and A cum “surgery” type event. Session 7: Headed “Becoming a Mission Church – It’s your call; The Priest/Leader as Evangelist”. Evan-gelism again! What do they mean by that? Don’t they know we don’t do that, we save that for the ROCK and the Baptists and the Lennox. But then when the ses-sion unfolds turns out it’s not so scary after all. No need to go out and buy a large black, floppy cover bi-ble and go tramping round the doors if that’s not your scene. It’s simply about identifying the main points (highs and lows) of your own faith journey and being willing to share them with others, as and when it is ap-propriate. And so to bed, after some “time of fellowship with bev-erages” – or as they also call it a drink or two at the bar.

Day 3 Session 8:“Missionary Worship”. Having heard various discus-sions from people looking through folders, am antici-pating prayer books at dawn as the “Gunfight at the General Synod Corral” is re-enacted with Most Mod-ern Liturgy we can possibly find fans at one end of the room and Oldest Prayer Book in History fans at the other. However, it didn’t quite work out that way as we concentrated on the importance of our worship being as high quality as possible, down to practical details

13

Leading Your Church Into Growth: The Secret Diary of a Pisckie Conference Goer (continued)

like having a tidy and clean church building and ensur-ing your sound system works properly. We also con-sidered different aspects of creating worship that helps people grow spiritually and the possibility of adapting parts of Sunday service from time to time or introduc-ing a different type of worship experience out-with Sunday morning eg evening meditations, healing serv-ices, toddler services.

Session 9:“The Church as a Loving Community”. Presentation on turning your church into a place of welcome, care and acceptance to all, considering things like: establishing a family culture (where God is the shared father and anyone can find a place); creating a good welcoming experience to all who come through the doors and maintaining effective pastoral care, particularly of church members. The kind of thing you’d hope most churches would be aiming for already. Session 10:Entitled “What next?” Well apart from the obvious piti-ful plea of let us go home and sleep after almost 3 very full but enjoyable days, we had a short discussion in our church groups about ideas for short-, medium-, and long-term growth and development of our church. This is something that’s going to be thrashed out fully and implemented over the coming weeks, with sug-gestions, input, support and participation from the con-gregation. Yes that means YOU! So as they say, watch this space for updates, announcements and your chance to get involved.

True Stories from British Newspapers

Commenting on a complaint from a Mr. Arthur Pur-dey about a large gas bill, a spokesman for North West Gas said, "We agree it was rather high for the time of year. It's possible Mr. Purdey has been charged for the gas used up during the explosion that destroyed his house." (The Daily Telegraph)

Irish police are being handicapped in a search for a stolen van, because they cannot issue a descrip-tion. It's a Special Branch vehicle and they don't want the public to know what it looks like.(The Guardian)

A young girl who was blown out to sea on a set of inflatable teeth was rescued by a man on an inflata-ble lobster. A coast guard spokesman commented, "This sort of thing is all too common". (The Times)

At the height of the gale, the harbour-master radi-oed a coast guard and asked him to estimate the wind speed. He replied he was sorry, but he didn't have a gauge. However, if it was any help, the wind had just blown his Land Rover off the cliff. (Aberdeen Evening Express)

Irene Graham of Thorpe Avenue, Boscombe, de-lighted the audience with her reminiscence of the German prisoner of war who was sent each week to do her garden. He was repatriated at the end of 1945, she recalled -"He'd always seemed a nice friendly chap, but when the crocuses came up in the middle of our lawn in February 1946, they spelt out 'Heil Hitler.'" (Bournemouth Evening Echo)

Heard on the London Underground....A list of actual announcements that London Tube train drivers have made to their passengers...

1) "Ladies and Gentlemen, I do apologize for the delay to your service. I know you're all dying to get home, unless, of course, you happen to be married to my ex-wife, in which case you'll want to cross over to the Westbound and go in the opposite direc-tion."

2) "Your delay this evening is caused by the line controller suffering from E & B syndrome: not know-ing his elbow from his backside. I'll let you know any further information as soon as I'm given any."

3) "Do you want the good news first or the bad news? The good news is that last Friday was my birthday and I hit the town and had a great time. The bad news is that there is a points failure some-where between Stratford and East Ham, which means we probably won't reach our destination."

4) "We are now travelling through Baker Street... As you can see, Baker Street is closed. It would have been nice if they had actually told me, so I could tell you earlier, but no, they don't think about things like that".

5) "Beggars are operating on this train. Please do NOT encourage these professional beggars. If you have any spare change, please give it to me."

14

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Please support the supporters of The Friends of St Augustine's

Galatians 6:4

You can only pray, plan and prepare for so long, then you must step out in faith and act. The Chi-nese say, "He who deliberates too long before tak-ing a step, will spend his whole life on one leg." The reason we never get started is because we focus on tomorrow instead of today. The only time over which you have any control is the present.

James writes: "Look here, you people who say, 'tomorrow we are going to a certain town… We will do business there and make profit.' How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog - it's here a little while, then it's gone" (James 4:13-14 NLT).

Edgar Guest wrote: "The greatest of workers this man would have been - tomorrow. The world would have known him, had he ever seen - tomorrow. But the fact is he died and he faded from view, and all that he left here when living was through, was a mountain of things he intended to do - tomorrow." The idea of tomorrow can be very seductive, but the promise it holds is often false. It's starting that stops us! Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators, observed, "The greatest time wasted is the time get-ting started." The hardest part of writing a letter is penning the first line. The hardest part of making a tough phone call is picking up the receiver and dial-ling the number. So how do you overcome this diffi-culty? Schedule a specific time for doing what you don't like to do or fear to do, and each time you fol-low through and do it, it will get easier and you'll get better at it!

Have you Walked in the Garden?(Mk 14:33-34,42, Jn 20:16)

Have you walked in the garden of desolation,Do you know what it's like to fall down?Have you trusted and shared and been rejected,Has the broken heart within you turned to stone?Have you known the pain of misinterpretation,Of betrayal by the ones you knew as friends?Have you pleaded that your nightmare might be lifted,Just to waken to a night that never ends?Have you walked in the garden of desolation?

Jesus walked in your garden.

Let him lead you from the garden of your suffering,Let him show you to the place beyond the night.He has overcome the darkness by his death upon the cross,He has won for you his glorious Easter light.There is life and joy within his resurrection,There is freedom and forgiveness for the past,

Let him lead you in the garden of his triumphAs he calls your name and offers peace at last.Let him lead you from the garden of your suffering........... .......... .......... .......... ..........Daphne Kitching

Miscellaneous Musings on life:

Why is it, when a door is open it's ajar, but when a jar is open, it's not a door?

Why is yawning contagious? Why isn't the number 11 pronounced onety one?

Worry is like a treadmill - it wears you out and gets you nowhere.

You are not yourself today. I noticed the improvement immediately!

You know that distant cousin of mine? The more dis-tant the better.

You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a little note on the wind-shield that said 'Parking Fine'. That was so nice.

You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive.

You never learn to pray until your kids learn to drive.

15

Dumbarton/London Corner Nursery School

This is an extract of the report which I have sent out to all sponsors and supporters of Dumbarton Gambia Ed-ucation Association which is the Scottish Charity set up to fund and run Dumbarton/London Corner Commu-nity Nursery School in Serrekunda, The Gambia.

Aunty Caroline Lusack has been in situ as the Headmis-tress of our nursery since October 2007 and in January we were looking forward to seeing the school to establish whether there were any changes. We were delighted. Not only the buildings but also the environment within the school premises were completely revitalised.

All necessary repairs have been carried out, the lighting and electricity has been extended and all the walls are painted with an oil-based paint which can be wiped down when the little fingers have left their marks behind them. Thanks to a special donation we were able to send out 6 boxes of educational equipment requested by Aunty Car and when we visited, this was in place and being fully utilised.

We took Aunty into Banjul to purchase a television and audio centre so that the video player and the DVD player from the boxes could be used along with the many tapes and CDs. So now we have the school looking as we had always envisioned and the equipment and the staff that we need to ensure the children are getting the best availa-ble education.

Aunty herself says that her next priority is to look at the school curriculum and teaching methods and bring these up to her exacting standards. Aunty ensures there is always clean water for the chil-dren to wash their hands after going to the toilet and be-fore and after eating their dinner. The school toilets are now spotless and to a standard not often seen in schools in The Gambia. The outside walls, including those out-side the gate have been decorated with information about the school, instructions and educational facts and figures.Two memorable events from our trip in January were the Presentation of Prizes and the school trip. I wrote about the school trip in last months magazine. The Presentation Day was made possible for the third year running by the cash prize donated once again by Pat Soufi of The Edrington Group where I work. This year there were the following prizes, Best Progress Boy: Best Progress Girl: Spelling Prize and Maths prize: For the first time we also added a progress prize for the Adult Education class as they are very much a part of the school and most are parents of our children. More about them later.

Aunty has taken over total responsibility for meeting out the rice each day according to how many children are in school. This means that wastage (and the amount of food which disappeared into the family compounds) has been drastically reduced. She also defines the quality of rice and food which is bought for the meals. One thing that

we refused Aunty was the freezer that she insists would let her buy better quality fish and meat when it was avail-able and buy in bulk. Given the erratic electricity supply to the area, we believe the risk of food defrosting and be-ing refrozen was too high to risk the children getting bad tummies. The library is now up and running and the books which we sent, and which were purchased last year are easy accessible for the teachers and pupils to use and read. We have a school of which we can be proud.

Adult Education: These classes have become a very im-portant part of what we are achieving at London Corner. The classes are made up almost entirely of the parents and families of the pupils, and learning to read and write their own language has had a huge impact on many of their lives. Several of them have now got jobs, and the mothers are better able to carry out day to day tasks, be-cause they can read notices and letters and the names on official documents. As well as this they are learning new skills. I reported before how they were learning to tye dye materials and this term they are learning to make soap. Again, they will be able to sell their produce to fund further ingredients and this part of the adult educa-tion becomes self-funding. There is one special benefit from these newly learned skills. Aunty Car was unhappy with the quality and colour variance in the children’s uni-forms and Mariama, the Adult education teacher, came up with a good idea. The class would be supplied with good quality material, and dyeing ingredients and would produce the materials needed to supply each child with a uniform. The families would pay a manageable amount towards the cost of the uniforms so that it didn’t take too much away from school funds. And so Kenny and I spent a very interesting afternoon at Mariama’s home, or rather the garden, and watched the process of turning white cot-ton fabric into bright yellow, ready to be tye-dyed with the black and then turned into clothes for the children. While we were there the first part of the process sur-prised us as the material went completely black, then hung out on the fence and within 15 minutes of Gambian sun, turned yellow before our eyes.

During the Presentation day a large number of parents and members of the community turned up at the school and many wanted to get their turn at the microphone to sing the praises of the new Headmistress and to ask us to give their thanks to all the sponsors who so generously donate cash to these children and poor families who live so far away. They are truly grateful for your help and it is my pleasure to pass on this appreciation to all of you.2007: So it has been a year of change and of learning. Largely forgotten among the other events was the new arrangement with a local community care resource, put in place with the help of Faye Suso, our Charity Vice-chair-man who is a Gambian currently studying at University in Glasgow. Our children get free medical checks at this centre and we pay for any treatment and medicines which are required. Aunty keeps a cash float for this purpose and it a credit to the good feeding and care that our chil-dren now receive, that we have hardly needed to use any of the float as the children are so healthy. Thanks for your support. Linda

Rector:- Revd Kenneth Macaulay (frkenny@btinternet.com)

Tel: 01389 602261 Mobile: 07734 187250

Treasurer: David Rowatt (dsrowatt@blueyonder.co.uk) Tel :- 01389 732341

Secretary to the Vestry: Vernon Perrin (vernonanddee@dulnain.wanadoo.co.uk)

Tel: 01436 831909

Lay Representative: Margaret Wallace (maggiewallace@blueyonder.co.uk)

Tel:- 01389 757200

Fabric Convener: Robin Nelson (hrafen@blueyonder.co.uk) Tel:- 01389 602773

Project Development: Fran Walker (fran_walker@hotmail.com) Tel:- 01389 761403

Trustees: The Rector, Margaret Wallace, Barbara Barnes

Other Vestry Members: Barbara Barnes (barbarabarnes78@yahoo.co.uk) (01389 755984), Marga-ret Hardie (mghardie@blueyonder.co.uk) (01389 767983), Janette Barnes (01389 761398), (Janette.Barnes@btinternet.com), Tim Rhead (01389 761676), Roberta Mailley (01389 731863), Colleen Bell (07954 406837), Robin Nelson, Linda Jenkinson (01389 761693)

Regional Council Representative: Roberta Mailley (01389 731863)

Child Protection Officer: Barbara Barnes

Friends of St Augustine’s: Linda Macaulay (01389 602261) (lindamacaulay@btinternet.com)

St Augustine’s Scottish Episcopal ChurchHigh Street, Dumbarton G82 1LL

01389 734514www.staugustinesdumbarton.co.ukEmail: staugsdumbarton@aol.com

DCT - Don’t Forget the Festival!

Tickets are now available for the Dumbarton Churches Together Ceilidh to be held on 12th April. in St. Patrick’s Church Hall at 7.30pm. You can dance all night with VoiceBox or simply enjoy a glass of wine from the bar while listening to the excellent Scottish music. And the supper is included - great value at £5.00 a ticket - availa-ble from Janette now!

The very popular Salvation Army Band will play again at St. Augustine’s on Friday 11th April and this is always an excellent concert with a great variety of music on offer. Our acoustics really enhance the Band’s performance and the atmosphere in the Church is simply wonderful. Don’t miss it!

If you like to sing you’ll love the DCT Big Praise Night, again at St. Augustine’s, on Sunday 13th April. This event is always very well attended by people from all the Churches in the town. So come along and help to raise the roof! We want to put out extra seats! Janette

For Your Good Old Fashioned Scottish Music...