News
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30th May 2011 - Birse and Feughside Church Featured in 'Life and Work'
Press Release Immediate Contact: Pauline Rumbles 013398 86841
Inspirational Christian Leader Jack Holt leaves Birse & Feughside
Rev. Jack Holt is leaving the Parish of Birse & Feughside after 17 years as minister. Jack will preach for the last time on Easter Sunday as he moves on to become Minister of Polworth church in Edinburgh.
As minister, he helped the congregations of Strachan, Finzean and Birse merge to become one strong and sustainable rural congregation. Jack successfully guided the church to apply for funding to develop a central building which now provides the community and congregation with a modern multipurpose facility.
Over the years Jack has been involved in many community activities outwith the church. He was involved in setting up Birse Community Trust, has been a member in the Deeside Musical Society and frequently entertained community groups with his clarinet.
Jack is especially known for his inspirational preaching which has drawn people from far and wide and this has built the churches reputation as open, friendly and welcoming. The congregation are planning to say farewell in a variety of ways and a fund has been set up to mark the occasion. Anyone wishing to make a donation should sent it to the church treasurer- Dorothy Dinnie, Marywell Farm Ballogie Aboyne
ENDS
Note to Editor
Birse & Feughside church is a rural church centred in Finzean and covers the communities of Strachan, Glen Dye, Finzean, Ballogie and Birse.
Press Release - 21st March 2010
Aberdeenshire three to cement relationship with Rural Kenya
Three members of Birse and Feughside Church are to travel to rural Kenya to cement links with a rural parish 30 miles from Nairobi. The group are building on the relationship to twin the two parishes. The area is thought to be mainly agricultural with most people living in small holdings which are not yet served with water or electricity. Travel costs are being met by the Church of Scotland faithshare programme with additional costs being met through fundraising.
Pauline Rumbles who is co coordinating the visit said “ we have been working over the year to raise funds so that the group can cover additional costs of food and accommodation, we don’t want to be a financial burden to our hosts and hope to have some money to leave behind which will fund the development of our partnership ”.
The church Twinning group have arranged a Spring Fair at Banchory Town Hall on Saturday 9thApril 11am-2pm followed by an evening on 13thMay with African style entertainment and a Silent auction. Donation of plants, books bric a brac and good quality clothes would be welcomed before 9thApril, to arrange collection or drop off, please contact Pauline ( 013398 86841) Stall holders, who would like to add to the day, will also be welcome.
Note to Editor
Birse & FeughsideChurchis a rural church centred in Finzean and covers the communities of Strachan, Finzean Glendye, Ballogie and Birse. The church formally became twinned with the Icaciri Church in Kenya in December 2008. The first meeting of partner representatives took place in September 2009 with two visitors from Kenya. This will be our first visit to see the Icaciri Church and is planned for July this year.
Rev Jack Holt Announces his move to Edinburgh - 27th February 2011
Last Sunday at the end of the service I finally shared with the congregation the news that I had carried for some weeks: that I had accepted an invitation to preach as sole nominee for the vacant charge of Polwarth Parish Church in the City of Edinburgh the following Sunday.
The vacancy procedure of the Church of Scotland requires a high degree of secrecy. Though I had entered a process that will ultimately require me to leave this congregation; at each stage – the interview, seeing the buildings, being observed conducting worship, the decision to be invited to be sole nominee and accepting it - are all stages at which either the church or I could register we no longer wished to continue. And if that happens I would be glad that this congregation was oblivious to what had been happening and life could continue on as normal. However, it means that when the process does goes all the way, the final decision comes out-of-the-blue for an unsuspecting congregation. This has weighed heavily upon me because over the course of my ministry my intention has always been to act for your good and not to hurt. So it was not a moment to which I was looking forward. The reasons for making this decision are many and varied. I have 12 years left before retirement and so did I intend to stay here until then? If I didn’t move about now that would likely become my choice. But at that stage I would have spent almost 30 years in Finzean and sadly then I would have to leave. Sandra and I remain dependant upon the Church of Scotland for the provision of a home in our retirement. There are none in this area and anyway I would not be allowed to live in the parish after I retired. So going now and getting used to moving again seemed sensible. Then there are family considerations: Sandra’s parents and my mother are not getting any younger, and Sandra now finds the distance between here and Greenock an increasing barrier to her contributing regularly to her parents’ care. All our family members still reside in the South West of Scotland while our own children presently live in Edinburgh or wish to do so. Another consideration: if I was to move then I would prefer the next ministry to be very different from what has gone before. I have been in a wealthy suburb, a deprived housing estate and a large, rural parish but I have no history or experience of city living and church. But for me there is a still more important and personal reason; I seek to follow God’s particular calling for my life. I have carried since my days in Kilmarnock a sense of purpose which has, as yet, never materialised. But I remain open and committed to letting God fulfil it in me. In prayer God’s guidance made me realise some time ago that I would not see out my ministry days in this place. As ever where I seem to be going is not what I had in mind (just as I never thought I would live here when ministering in Kilmarnock!) but I have felt the hand of God in the process, speaking in signs and words that have particular significance to me and so I move on in faith to see if God’s purpose will be fulfilled. Just as I could never have foreseen what would actually take place through my ministry in this place, I have no idea what will actually happen at Polwarth. What I do know is this; I am taking up a 5-year reviewable appointment. The planning decisions affecting the whole church as it seeks to reduce its full-time ministers down to 1000 will require a significant reduction of ministers in Edinburgh Presbytery, so I go there knowing I might be instructed to move on again before I finally retire. I share this with you to demonstrate that what has not motivated this call is dissatisfaction with the congregation or the life we have lived here which has in all things been good for all of us. I go not to get away but to follow; and I hope that everyone will come to see that in God’s providence this is not only right for me but also for you. I believe I have played out my part in shaping the future God has planned for this church. I leave while you are in bud, but I am confidence that you will see the flowering and flourishing of all that has been envisioned and worked out. Because I know this to be so I can go knowing my departure shall not be detrimental to your future. However, I will not be moving away immediately. By God’s grace I will be with you until Easter. I look forward to making that journey with you one last time. Until next week…The Lord Bless You and Keep You.
Sunday Morning Prayers in Church - 29th Jan 2011
Commencing Sunday 6th Feb there will be a team of 2/3 people praying in the Vestry 10.15 - 10.45, There will be a Prayer Request Book in the Entrance Hallway to write prayer request for others & indeed for yourself - we will not need full details if that is difficult - simply a name is enough. It will be appreciated if you can follow it up with comments on results of prayer. It is hoped that we can also have a "rapid response" to prayer by giving a couple of phone numbers & e mail addresses so that you can call in a crisis & the request will be cascaded down to as many people as possible to make it very effective. Many churches are using this system with excellent results. Please talk to me or call if you can help with this addition to our Church life - confidentiality will be respected in all matters
Heather Morrison. 850625 Covieheather@aol.com
Review of 'I've had another idea - The POOT musical' 29th - 31st January 2010 'I've had another idea' was a play written by local artist Mel Shand which sets takes from the Birse and Feughside area set against a backdrop of music, dancing, poetry and sketches. The show had a moral message very relevant to the age of global warming and care for the environment, but was humorous and entertaining (but then again I would say that - I was in it). BBC Radio Scotland featured the show on its morning program. There were 4 sellout performances to a total of 600 people and money was raised for local schools and the relief effort for the disaster in Haiti. Below is a photo of the cast at one of the rehearsals. For more information on POOT go to the POOT site www.portrait-of-our-time.co.uk
3 mountain bikes were stolen on 12th or 13th November, from Morningside Road, Mannofield. If you see them riding around Birse and Feughside - call the Police! See this link for photos.www.birseandfeughside.org.uk/content/pages/documents/1254150204.doc
Eco 'Create 4 Make' morning On Saturday 26th September 2009 an Eco 'Make 4 Create' morning was held at Finzean Church, and attended by approximately 40 children from the local community as well as several volunteer helpers. The age of the children was nursery to S1. The day was a huge success and will be repeated! For further details contact Anne Pickfall pickfall@aol.com and for more photos go to the photo album Activities included: World map with non recyclable bottle tops
Music with bottles of water and improvised drums Making Eco Posters
Bulb planting
Free junk models
We all had great fun and no-one asked when it was time to go home!
28th September 2009 - Visit from Iciciri
Last Saturday evening at about 10.30pm the Rev Joseph Njoroge, Minister,and Mr Daniel Gaturu, Chairman, of Iciciri Church, Kenya, arrived at Aberdeen Airport. They had flown from Nairobi to Amsterdam and then to Aberdeen. Neither gentleman had ever set foot outside of Kenya before. They were met by our Global Twinning Co-ordinator, Pauline Rumbles and her husband, Mike, with whom they spent their first evening.
The next day they came to the church where they were introduced to the congregation and shared in the act of worship. After the service they had their first conversations with members before John and Catherine Stephen drove them to the house of John and Rosemary Forbes where they all had lunch together. Then it was back to the church in the late afternoon to join the many visitors enjoying the last session of the incredibly successful Portrait of our Time Exhibition. Then they came to settle into the manse which was to be their home for the next two weeks.
Even after only 24 hours there were many common things to us that had struck our visitors as strange. The first was we had been mispronouncing the name of their church. The ‘c’ was not hard has in ‘cat’ but soft as in ‘chair’. Icaciri is pronounced i-ch-a-ch-iri! They discovered that we ate at set times and not when we are hungry. We ate different courses and separated our food items out on a plate, eating not with the fingers but with a knife and fork. We used doors in our homes and kept them closed for privacy.
The first week’s itinerary began by giving them the chance to gauge the geography of the parish guided by Bill Glendinning. They were photographed for an article that appeared in the Press & Journal. A copy was purchased for them both to take home to Kenya. They watched Alex Coutts in his work as a ghillie on the River Dee. They consider the Dee a large river but very shallow and slow moving. What rivers they have in Kenya are more like streams, but are deep and fast flowing. What amazed them the most was that, after an 11lb salmon was caught it had to be returned to the river and not taken home for supper! They then had supper with the Global Twinning Group in Church. By now they had noticed that there were not many men associated with the group.
In Kenya Daniel with his wife owns three cows and sells the milk locally. So on Tuesday he was keen to meet Andrew Farquharson and find out about farming practises here in Scotland. He was most anxious to learn about bulls and Andrew duly let him meet his. After lunch with Alistair and Elizabeth Rose, the former letting them hear the skirl of the pipes, they came to the Living the Story lecture and then retired early in the evening tired from their excursions.
On Wednesday, they visited both primary schools and even saw the children of Ballogie Nursery at Finzean School. They are to return to Finzean School next week. But as this was the only time they would be at Strachan School they engaged in a question and answer session and the children – and the teachers – found it fascinating. They children were told that Joseph and Daniel can speak in three languages: kikuyu (local dialect), Swahili (national tongue) and English. So the children were taught to say the greeting of both African tongues.
A major difference about education is that most schools in Kenya are church-sponsored and fees are paid. Therefore, most children are encouraged to be part of the church through the school. I had to explain that such encouragement was forbidden in this country. While they sat with the 27 children at Strachan School they mentioned that one of their local schools had 600 pupils and 27 would be the number in the very smallest class.
They then had lunch with Esther and Daniel Gooch and their children before being taken by Norman Taylor to see Dunnottar Castle and finishing the day as the guests of the Guild.
Thursday was a day they were looking forward to: going by train to Edinburgh where Mike Rumbles had kindly arranged lunch at the Scottish Parliament. As I write this on Wednesday I can’t say yet what they made of the capital city.
By the time you read this, they will have met more people, and shared in more events.
Visit of representatives of the Icaciri Parish, Kenya
Rev. Joseph Njoroge and Daniel Gaturu Chairman of the Icaciri Parish in Kenya are arriving in our Parish on Saturday 19th September. Thanks to a grant from the Church of Scotland's Board of World Mission, Faithshare programme, we are able to meet and share with one another our way of life, both spiritual and cultural.
Albert Littlejohn
On Tuesday, 15 September, at
£1600 raised at Finzean House Open Day
Finzean School Present a Cheque to Forget Me Not Club
Portrait Of Our Time competition launched, 19th June 2009 A competition for local poetry, photography and drawing is being launched. The closing date is 31st July and the details can be obtained here.
Finzean School, 15th June 2009
A new head teacher has been appointed and will take up her post in August. Her name is Mrs Julie Hughson and she is currently deputy head at Crombie school. Pupils and staff are all looking forward to meeting and working with her.
Forget Me Not Coffee Afternoon
Strachan resident wins top Scottish Art Prize - click here for details - 25th Feb 2009
Letter from Icaciri - click here for details (22nd Feb 2009)
Press Release -Community News (Kincardine and Deeside ) Forget -Me- Not Club is not Forgotten
A special launch during Dementia Awareness Week marked the beginning of a unique partnership between a parish community and a well known local charity. The Community of Birse & Feughside Parish has offered its help to the Deeside Forget Me Not Club for the duration of the year. A special service at 1100am on Sunday 8th June launched the initative at Finzean. The Forget Me Not Club are delighted with this initiative and Heather Morrison Carer Support worker from Aberdeenshire Council speaking before the service said “ We look forward to a year of friendship and development alongside raising funds and the profile of those who struggle to cope with Dementia” The whole community of Birse and Feughside will support the charity in a variety of ways using the talents and time of members to provide help with befriending, fundraising, helping with training and assistance with Forget-Me-Not committee duties. Dorothy Dinnie, the group leader said “ The community of Birse and Feughside has a wealth of experience and talent that we feel can be used by the Forget Me Not Club. We want to make a commitment to support an often forgotten part of our local community. The Forget Me Not Club already has a very successful record of achievement and an ambitious programme of development for the future. We are very happy indeed to play a supporting role in a spiritual and practical way to offer the use of our time, talents and buildings and equipment”. ENDS Contact: Pauline Rumbles ( 01339886841)
Press Release: Community News 7th April 2009
Sender: Birse & Feughside Parish
Contact:013398 86841(Pauline Rumbles)
World-class art comes to Finzean
Norwegian born artist Ingeborg Badzioch opened her exhibition Pieta 11 in rural Finzean church yesterday. Ingeborg who has previously held exhibitions of her work around the world from Rhode Island, Beijing and St Petersburg. The Conceptual art exhibition is a first for the Birse and Feughside community.
ENDS.
World Mission Newsletter March 31st 2009 Kenya PM defends power-sharing government
Kenyan Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, has defended his power-sharing government and blamed the judiciary and police for continued corruption. Many Kenyans are losing faith in the unity administration set up a year ago but Mr Odinga said it was impossible to "undo the ills of 45 years" so quickly. Mr Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki agreed to share power to end violent unrest after disputed 2007 elections. Both men have pledged to fight the corruption which has plagued Kenya for many years but their administration has recently been beset by allegations of graft. Meanwhile, Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai said four human rights activists had fled the country and others were in hiding because they feared for their safety. Earlier this month, two activists who had accused the police of extra-judicial killings were shot dead in the capital, Nairobi. They had testified to a UN enquiry into the police and Ms Maathai said all those who had helped with the report were now being silenced.
source/BBC news
25th March 2009
The Fisherman's Mission led a service at Birse and Feughside Church on 22nd March. A Photo is below however it can also be viewed in the photo gallery.
Congratulations! - 25th March 2009
Albert littlejohn
On Tuesday, 15 September, at Aboyne Hospital, Mr Albert Littlejohn, of Braehead, Finzean, passed away at the age of 92. He wished his funeral to be from the Historic Birse Kirk where he would be buried with his late wife, and also requested the chaplain to Aboyne Hospital, the Rev Douglas Campbell to officiate. Ab, as he was known, had for much of his long life been a very fit and youthful looking man. Possessed of a quiet disposition, a good sense of humour, he was at home in the landscape of Finzean where he spent his working life. He will be sadly missed by his large extended family.
Daffodil Tea, 18th April 2009
 Finzean School presented Heather Morrison of the Forget-Me-Not Club with £229 at their end of term school assembly on fri 3rd July. The money was raised as donations at their two performances of " Dragons" held in the church on the Tues and Wed. |
Collages using wool, cloth and newspaper
£1600 was raised at the Finzean House Open Garden Day and this was dontated to the Forget Me Not Club
The Coffee afternoon held at the Banchory Scout Hut raised £812 for the Forget Me Not Club. Thanks for all those who attended or helped out! More images are in the photo section of this site.
The Daffodil Tea raised £1,146. Thanks to all those who attended or helped. To see photos click
Having won the Best Traditional Business Award in the Scottish Countryside Alliance's 2008 Awards, Tom and Doreen Ironside of Finzean represented Scotland at the National Awards in the House of Lords on Wednesday of this week. The awards acknowledge the impact a business has on the local community eg training of apprentices and offering restoration classes.