Welcome to WWW.MONIKIE.ORG.UK, from Scotland

February 2001 Newsletter of
Monikie and Newbigging Church.

NEWS FLASH ! ! !
Sunday Services at Monikie Kirk are temporarily suspended due to the national Foot & Mouth outbreak.  Sunday services will be held at Newbigging Church.  Ask Church Officials for latest position.  This notice posted on 12th March 2001 and will be amended or removed as soon as the Webmaster is advised.

(In connection with the above subject. - 'The Monikie Website' is so named as, in general, it takes as its 'base' for 'Local and Historical Interest' the 'Monikie Parish'.  The term 'parish' has various interpretations, particularly over the centuries.  In some cases there became, over time, a difference in the Church Parish and what was known in Statutory terms as a Civil Parish.  The boundary of the latter for Monikie is generally taken by the Webmaster to be the principle area of interest of the website, however, such places as The Laws, nearly all of Drumsturdy Road, etc. to the south west, and most of the Panmure Estate, to the east, were not situated in the former Civil Parish of Monikie.  The former Hillock Church in Drumsturdy Road was not situated in the Monikie Civil Parish but in Monifieth North Civil Parish.  The Local Government (Scotland) Act of 1973 'disposed of' such legal entities, along with counties, burghs, and several similar type of descriptions, many of which terms we still use today. - Webmaster )

SERVICES (at 10.30 a.m. unless otherwise)

FEBRUARY 2001
25th - Monikie - Thinking Day Service & Baptism

MARCH
4th - Newbigging - Stated Annual Meeting after Service
11th - Monikie
18th - Newbigging
25th - Monikie Mothering Sunday

APRIL 2001
1st - Newbigging
8th - Monikie Palm Sunday
15th - Newbigging Easter Sunday
22nd - Monikie
29th - Newbigging

Accounts for Year Ended 31st December 2000

The Annual Accounts will be presented to the Congregation immediately after the service on Sunday, 4th March 2001.
Unfortunately, despite increased contributions we have failed to "balance the books" with regard to the amounts due in respect of the Congregational Contributions.  In this respect we have fallen short of the target by £10,156.49 and together with the deficits from 1998 and 1999 we are now in debt to an amount of £18,772.34.  From this can be taken the Tax Relief in respect of Covenants and Gift Aid. Lodged in November, which amounts to £3,128.00 - this was only received by Edinburgh from the Inland Revenue on 24 January 2001, too late for inclusion in last year's accounts; leaving us £15,644.34 in the red!

So where do we go from here?

I have produced a Budget for 2001 and I will make this the focus of my report at the A.G.M. - the past is past goes the saying, we cannot change the figures, equally we cannot go on as we are at present, somehow, by increased levels of giving, additional fund raising, or other means we must increase our General Fund Income by a minimum of £5,600.00 which will see us "pay our way" for 2001.

As a Congregation we fall far short of the average annual giving by members in Scotland, by £30.00 in fact!

It would be simplistic for me to say that everyone should increase their contribution by that amount, but already many members already give much in excess of this, some are unable to give more but there must be many Communicants who can support their church in its hour of need!

So I appeal to those members who currently make no contribution - will you give the small amount of £3.00 each month?  It is estimated that such new income, including Gift Aid Tax Reclaim, would result in an extra £8784.00 - more than enough to meet our budget for 2001.  Also, to those who can afford to give more please take the appropriate action immediately, please don't be put off by the bother of having to increase your Banker's Order or Direct Debit, assistance will be given by your Elder or any member of the Board.

The new Gift Aid Scheme announced by the Government last year makes it a simple matter for the church to reclaim tax through the Weekly Freewill Offering or by Direct Debit, the forms are straightforward and by completing the enclosed or asking your elder for a W.F.O. envelope you will play an important role in ensuring that your church remains self-supporting.

We also need assistance from those who can provide ideas, take part in discussions or help in any way in raising funds during 2001 and future years so I would appeal to you to come along to church on 5th March, listen to the report and maybe take part in any debate.
Further assistance may be obtained from :-

Gift Aid Scheme & Direct Debit Procedure : Sandy McKay (01241) 853 030

Weekly Freewill Offering : J. Sim (01382) 370 263

Charles J. Pilditch
Treasurer


CHRISTIAN YOUTH FESTIVAL 15th - 17th JUNE Are you interested?

So what exactly is Crossover
Crossover is an inter-agency Christian Youth Festival for young people aged between12 and 25 (and their leaders) and is run by several different Christian Organisations.  The Boys’ Brigade, The Girls’ Brigade, The Church of Scotland’s Boards of Parish Education, National Mission and Social Responsibility and Christian Aid are all partner agencies in Crossover.

So when did it all begin?

The Boys? Brigade, in 1998, realised that there was a growing gap between members coming along to their companies and also coming along to their local churches.  In a move to try and change this trend, the Boys’ Brigade thought of having a youth event that young people could come along to and realise that faith and indeed church was something that they could be a part of. Parish Education, The Girls’ Brigade and Christian Aid, all became involved at an early stage with Social Responsibility and National Mission joining later.  Each of the agencies involved recognised that young people were not coming to faith or attending church and that this was a growing problem - they joined forces to try and tackle the problem.

The first event took place in June 1999 where over 400 people (young people and their leaders) attended. This was held in Fordell Firs, near Dunfermline.  In 2000, Crossover moved to its present home in the Broomlee Centre, West Linton, near Edinburgh where 600 people came together to experience Crossover.

So what happens at Crossover?

There are many different things to explore when you arrive at Crossover.  There is the Main Venue, which, amongst other things, houses a massive sound system and lighting rig and several bands and artistes who attend Crossover to entertain the festival goers.  This venue also plays host to the main worship sessions.  Worship is central to Crossover and a variety of different styles are offered.

There are smaller marquees and classrooms around the site, which offer refuge, refreshments and resourcing. Throughout the weekend, interactive workshops are held for both young people and youth leaders exploring many issues from homelessness to the debt crisis, clowning skills to craft sessions, films discussions to theological discussions.  As well as thinking about themselves, we encourage the young people to think about others who don’t have the same quality of life that they do.  There are lots of different workshops aimed at lots of different people and we are certain that everyone will find some to attend!

Activities also play a huge part in Crossover.  Over the years there have been a great number of activities, both old and new.  These have included - Grass Sledges, Abseiling, Crate Climbing, Giant Inflatables, Pole Climbing, Fencing, Team Sports - the list goes on and on!  The activities that are on offer, appeal to a wide range of ages and people just like the workshops there is something for everyone!

Contact Sheila Mackenzie if you want to find out more or are interested in going!!

CHRISTIAN YOUTH FESTIVAL 15th - 17th JUNE Are you interested?

GUILD NEWS

At our January meeting we had a most interesting talk on aspects of the work of Macmillan nursing in the field of cancer relief. Mr. J. Orr spoke about the progress being made with Roxburgh House day care centre, a new venture for the organisation, which is scheduled to open this Spring in Dundee.  Mr. Orr placed particular emphasis on the need for volunteers to enhance and develop the new care services the Roxburgh project hopes to provide.  He made a plea for those who may be able act as drivers to get in touch.

On March 2nd, members will be marking the World Day of Prayer with friends at a meeting in Monifieth. We will join in prayer with groups small and large across the globe.

On Wednesday, April 4th, we will hold our Annual General Meeting in Newbigging Church at 7.30pm. Tea and biscuits will be served.

May is traditionally the month for blossom and at Newbigging we look forward to welcoming Dr. and Mrs. A. Forrester who will bring tales of some exotic blooms for us to enjoy. In a talk entitled "Japanese Blossom Time", the couple will tell of their experiences of oriental culture.  All welcome on Wednesday, May 2nd at Newbigging, 7.30pm.

J. Young (01382) 370269

SPRING

Helen Steiner Rice

PARISH REGISTER

BAPTISM (Acts 2:39)

December 24th - Greg Robert Charles, son of Mr. and Mrs. Brian Binnie, Cairndale Cottage, Denfind.

THANKSGIVING (Psalm 107: 1)

December 13th - Lucy Roberts, formerly of ‘Kildare', Newbigging

FUNERAL (John 1 2:24)

January 24th - Helen McHardy, 17 Pitairlie Road, Newbigging

IN MEMORIAM

Lucy Roberts

Peggy was a generous, selfless lady.  She was a keen Church member and served on the Congregational Board.  Mrs. Roberts was skilled with her hands and enjoyed gardening and crosswords.

Helen McHardy

Mrs. McHardy was much involved in the Guild, Rural, Horticultural Society and Playing Fields Committee.  She was renowned for her baking, jam-making and other skills.  We miss her kind-hearted intelligence.


WHAT IS A FRIEND
A smile when you’re glad,
A help when you’re weary,
A hope when you’re sad,
A hand when you need it,
A laugh when you’re blue,
A guide while you’re searching,
A joy all life through.
A talk when you’re lonely,
Anon

EDITING

The magazine editor took delivery last week of a new computer.  I am now compatible with most of you, as I have gone PC with Windows.  Now for a MAC person this is a very big change!  I’m getting better, it does help that one of my classroom computers is also on Windows, so I am getting more familiar with the desktop but the Help button is being used quite a lot at present.
The reason for change was not for easier editing of the Church Newsletter - but because my husband (who knows zilch about computers) was fed up of being offered software from the bank or businesses that we deal with and it was not compatible with a Mac.  When we were at the Smithfield Show in November, a person at one stand spent about 15 minutes extolling the virtues of a farm-mapping program, only for me to say, “Is it compatible with a Mac?”  With his reply of no, he saw the prospect of £500 sale gone.  I think that was one time when Gavin was delighted with my Mac.  Also my Mac was needing a bit of a clean up - the hard disk that is - not the dust, and the nearest service engineer is in Aberdeen.
Permission having been granted, Chris & I composed our wish list, contacted a local computer wiz (who will be on hand to solve problems quickly), and here I am typing away whilst listening to Verdi!
I am still using my old layout, but as I explore the DTP there may be some variety in future.  I am missing some of my usual fonts but no doubt there are others even better.
I still require articles for the newsletter - I only rearrange the copy I am given, to fit.  Articles can be sent by email or given typed as my new scanner works wonders.  My only real request is that you do not format it too much, as my page set up and fonts will probably be different and I then have to spend a while eliminating spaces and cutting & pasting [now you know how I feel for the webpage version too, webmaster :^)  ].  Labour saving devices are only useful if they actually save labour!  If you know of shortcuts I should be using - all help is gratefully received.
For the non typists - your input is also needed - handwritten articles are also welcome.  In fact ANY ARTICLES, POEMS etc. WOULD BE WELCOME.


MAGAZINE ONLINE

One aspect of our Church Newsletter being displayed on the WEB, thanks to the efforts of Colin Clevely is that I receive emails from a variety of sources.  Some are highlighting Christian Websites and some are just asking for information about this area.  I even had a 'phone enquiry from someone who wanted to advertise in our ‘parish magazine’.  Perhaps the treasurer would view that as a good source of income!  You may have noticed that I have listed  www.monikie.org.uk as the website on the cover and not the specific page on Colin’s Website.  This is because it is a simple matter to move from his home page to the Church Newsletter, plus you can also easily view the other interesting pages he has on offer.
Can I also remind you that the Church of Scotland website is at www.churchofscotland.org.uk - some of the search engines still send you to old site - leaving one baffled and confused.

EXCERPTS from EKWENDENI NEWS November 2000
News from our Missionary Partner Lesley and her husband Nelu Balaj
CCAP Hospital, PO Box 19, Ekwendeni, Malawi. Balaj@malawi.net

Building Mayhem
Building at the School of Nursing has now finished.  In less than a year we have built 2 classrooms and a big hall.  The classrooms hold from 20-24 students.  This means that we can now increase our class size, which is exactly what we did in April, and now we have 16 in our 1st year class. (More work for me).  The hall is an income generating initiative.  We hope to hire it out and make a little money for the School. Both of these ventures have come to fruition because of our partner churches.  You raised all the money.  Thanks to you we have also placed a large equipment order.  There are lots of teaching aids we need for the School, such as a Mr. Black doll to compliment our Mrs. Brown.  Along with Mr. Black we have ordered a baby doll, a resuscitation doll, some midwifery teaching aids along with many others.  Don’t think for one minute that building is over as we are in the middle of building a house for a tutor.  As the classes grow so does our need for tutors and without adequate housing we are unable to entice people to work for us.  We hope next year to build a second house.

Annie’s African Adventure.

I would like to share with you something about some children that we & I know. Their names are Daniel & Sangwani who are 8-year-old twins, Lusungu who is their younger brother (5 yrs) and Hanah their little sister (9 months).
Daniel & Sangwani’s bay.

At 6 O'clock we get up to go to school. Sometimes we have porridge for breakfast; sometimes there is no food so we go without.  We leave the house at 6.15 am with our brother Lusungu.  We walk to school with our friends (the adults don't come with us we go alone).  It takes almost 45 minutes to get to school and we only just arrive in time.  School's okay we learn to read and write; we learn 3 languages, English, Chichewa & our own language Chitumbuka.  We learn arithmetic, agriculture, geography, bible knowledge and science.  There are a lot of children at our school and there aren't many
teachers and the classrooms are small.  So we are only at school for 3 hours a day.  When we are finished with our class, another class comes.  Sometimes we sit outside in the shade of a tree with the teacher.  We learn to count with bottle tops that the teacher has saved up and sometimes we do our sums in the dust.  There is no tarmac or pavement our roads and paths are made of hard mud.  When it rains they become very slippery, we think it is like trying to walk on ice, but we have never seen snow or ice so we are not sure.  Sometimes we have a snack at school, not sweets or chocolate, but sweet potatoes or boiled pumpkin or maybe some bananas or mangoes.  They are very good.  At 11am we pack our bags and head home and arrive just in time for lunch.  Mum does the cooking, and dad is at work.  We eat Nsima, which is a thick porridge a bit like mashed potatoes.  We usually eat it with green vegetables.  They are very good.  We don't eat with forks and knives we eat with our fingers.  We wash our hands very well before we start and the food tastes great.  After we have eaten Sangwani helps mum to wash up the dishes because she is a girl. Then we go.  And collect some water.  We don't have running water in the house; we take our buckets and collect water from the river.  Lusungu comes with us but he is too small to help much but he likes to come because all our friends go and we have a laugh.  We play games on the way and tell stories.  Once we have filled our buckets we balance them on our heads.  They are quite heavy but we have practised for years. Lusungu has a small bowl and he fills it with water and puts it on his head.  Sometimes we splash the water and it runs down our backs, it doesn't matter too much in the hot weather as we dry off quickly but in June when it is cold it is not fun.  Sometimes we watch Hanah. Usually Sangwani takes care of her.  She ties her on her back and balances the bucket of water on her head.  She needs to be really careful because Hanah doesn't like to be splashed with water.  Daniel sometimes looks after Hanah but not too often, in a year or two he won't help collecting water he will be busy digging in the field and chopping firewood because he is a boy.  But just now we are both young and we still do the same work.  After we have collected the water sometimes we go into the bush to collect firewood. We don't have electricity at home so we cook on wood.  We go into the bush with our friends we have such fun climbing the trees and jumping out on each other.  When we have collected the wood we tie it into bundles and balance it on our head and take it home.  We have contests to see who can carry the biggest bundle.  Lusungu never wins he can only mange to carry 4 small sticks.  After we have finished our chores we spend the rest of the day playing.  We save up plastic bags and tie them together to make a ball; we play games like donkey and piggy in the middle.  Sometimes we tear up the bags and make them into a long rope like elastics.  That's our favourite game.  We like to dress up in our parent's clothes and make up games.  At night we eat nsima again and we sit outside and talk.  We go to bed at 7.30pm.  Our house has only one room.  The kitchen and toilet are little houses outside.  We all sleep together in the one room.  We put out some mats and blankets and curl up together and go to sleep.  Sometimes mum & dad stay up talking a while, but it gets dark at 6pm here and we don't have any light.  We have a paraffin lamp but paraffin is expensive so we can't burn it the whole night.  Good night.

Annie's Competition
Write about a day in your life.
Annie's Joke
Q. What question can never be answered 'yes'?
A. Are you asleep yet?

EKWENDENI NEWS continues…

NEW RECRUITS
Our newest recruit to the teaching staff at the School of Nursing is Violet Banda.  Violet has worked at the hospital for many years and in fact she did her general training at Ekwendeni.  Violet has come to us as a clinical teacher.  My job now is to train her to be a clinical teacher.  As the student numbers grow so does the need for teachers.  Violet is keen to learn and is a very hard worker.  She is definitely an asset to the team.  We also welcome back Desiree Mhango our Principal.

THE RESULTS
Sadly the good news doesn’t go on forever.  3 of our students failed their final exams.  This is the first time in many years that anyone we have trained has failed.  The students will need to wait until March to resit.  Keep them in your prayers.

LTC TEACHING
The lay teaching programme at Lay Training Centre has almost come to an end.  They have visited most of the Presbyteries and are now writing a new larger programme that will cover the next 3 years.

LIBRARY
LTC are ready to open a library.  There is no library facility here in Ekwendeni.  But that will soon be remedied. LTC have collected over 900 books that they will be loaning to whoever have a desire to read.  All the books have been donated either from people around the station or from containers.

  Information and copies of Life and Work are available from M. Riddick, (01382) 370482.

Happy Easter Everyone Jesus, help me to realise that I am a seed planted in my master’s garden but I can grow and blossom and become a flower worthy to be picked and placed in His bouquet.

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