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

Spring 2008 Newsletter of
Monikie and Newbigging Church

    This version of the Church Magazine was supplied to the webmaster in a different format, but the contents remain substantially unchanged.

Silent Auction
Our annual Silent Auction will take place in Monikie Memorial Hall on Friday 23rd May in Monikie Memorial Hall. Doors will open at 7.00pm and the auction will last until 8.30pm.
Tickets are £3.00 and include a glass of wine. Tickets can be bought by contacting the telephone numbers below, or by paying at the door.
If you have any items which you wish to donate for the auction, they can be uplifted from you , and you can arrange this by calling any of the following telephone numbers:-
370756
370263
370209
731357

How to contact us -
We realise that there are people who welcome a visit or a phone call from the Minister or somebody from the church, but we are also aware that some people might not wish an uninvited approach. The church is here for you the people of our community, so don’t hesitate to contact us. Details of names and contact arrangements appear HERE.
Our church services all start at 10.30am in Monikie Kirk every Sunday, and everybody young and old will be made welcome.

MONIKIE AND NEWBIGGING CHURCH
NEWS
The plans to upgrade the Monikie Church are well in hand, and a number of contractors have been invited to quote for the work. The proceeds of the sale of Newbigging Church will be used to fund the costs of the work.
A small group has been formed to prepare a draft business plan for the church, and this was discussed at the Board and Session meeting on 29th April at 7.15 pm. This is the first draft of a plan of action, and if anybody would like to see a copy of it  you see an online copy HERE or for a printed version they should telephone 370286 and arrangements can be made to get a copy to you. We would welcome your opinions. Nobody has a monopoly on wisdom. (A copy of the plans for Monikie Kirk appears HERE.)


Iona Community
The Iona Community was founded in Glasgow and Iona in 1938 by George MacLeod, minister, visionary and prophetic witness for peace, in the context of the poverty and despair of the Depression. From a dockland parish in Govan, Glasgow, he took unemployed skilled craftsmen and young trainee clergy to Iona to rebuild both the monastic quarters of the mediaeval abbey and the common life by working and living together, sharing skills and effort as well as joys and achievement. That original task became a sign of hopeful rebuilding of community in Scotland and beyond. The experience shaped – and continues to shape – the practice and principles of the Iona Community.

Iona is a tiny and beautiful Hebridean island off the west coast of Scotland, cradle of Christianity in Scotland, where in 563AD the Irish monk Columba (Columkille) established a monastic settlement that evangelised large parts of Scotland and the north of England and became an important centre of European Christianity. In the Middle Ages it became the site of a Benedictine abbey, and over the centuries it has attracted many thousands of people on their own pilgrim journeys. 

Iona remains a centre for pilgrimage and tourism; the daily services of the Iona Community in the Abbey church and worship elsewhere on the island are open to all; many visitors come again and again. There is a year-round population of over 100; long-established island families as well as more recent arrivals, including those who work for the Iona Community in its centres as staff or volunteers. The abbey is now managed by Historic Scotland; the Iona Community remains in residence as a living, worshipping presence. The islanders, the Iona Community and Historic Scotland work together to maintain Iona as a place of welcome. (The Monikie Webmaster has some photographs taken on a trip to Iona which may interest readers.)


Sunday School
The Sunday School has now increased to weekly sessions beginning with the church service every Sunday in Monikie Church. The Sunday School meets in the vestry which has recently been refurbished. It makes it a lovely environment for the activities.
We regularly participate in the Family Services which occur approximately every 6-8 weeks, and all the children thoroughly enjoy taking part in these services
With the future development of the church buildings, we will include extra rooms so that we can develop a youth group for the older children in the community. This is desperately needed because the current age range is 5-14 years We would warmly welcome any new children who would want to join us. Why not come along with your parents to the Sunday morning service at 10.39am, and then join in our activities in Sunday School.

(This webpage is subject to alterations by the Webmaster for publishing purposes .)