1 Constitution
At Linlithgow and within the Kirk Hall of St Michael's Parish Church on Tuesday 21st December 2010, which date and place Kirk Session of St Michael's Parish Church Linlithgow met and was constituted with prayer and a reading from Scripture -
Luke 1.
The Moderator informed Kirk Session that Mary Murray's daughter Michelle had a baby boy, Murray George. Suzi Farrant has just returned from Harrow following her grandma's funeral. Mamie Bone's husband, Ramsay, died this morning and his funeral is Friday 24th December at Falkirk Crematorium at 12 noon. Our thoughts are with all the families.
The Moderator has received a Christmas card from Will and Susan Jones.
The Moderator has received word that Samuel Barhoum is now The Venerable Archdeacon of Israel and Palestine; he will still be based in Raineh.
2 Sederunt and Apologies
As detailed on the attached sheets.
3 Minutes of previous meetings (16th & 21st November 2010)
The minutes were proposed by Derek Henderson and seconded by Sheila Musgrave. Kirk Session agreed.
4 Matters arising
There were no matters arising from the Minutes.
5 Agreeing of other business to form item 10
Anne Bennie - Christingle
Fiona Duke - Guild
6 Team Reports
6.1 Fellowship Team - No report. The Welcome Lunch, which was held on Sunday 21 November, was very successful. There was a good turn out, this was helped by the encouragement from the District Elders. Christmas gifts have been uplifted and are with the distributors.
6.2 Worship Team - No Report
6.3 Business Team - The income and expenditure for eleven months to November 2010 were issued. Tom Chadwick explained that there was work carried out in the Adam Room on the plasterwork and the room was
re-decorated. The road up to the Manse was also fixed. There were no questions. The totals are fairly close to the forecast set last year.
Tim Brown confirmed the Bells appeal total stands at £7,100. This includes recent donations from the Choir and St Peters.
6.4 Education Team - No report.
6.5 Evangelism Team - No report.
6.6 Pastoral Care - No report. There are Christmas poinsettias available. There are 3 available tonight in the Servery and ten in the church, anyone who would like one can collect one.
6.7 Safeguarding - Child Protection training will be taking place on Monday 17 January 2011 for new volunteers only.
Anne Bennie had received an email regarding the new PVG scheme and wanted to advise Kirk Session of a few points. At the moment the Church discloses people "Working with Children", this will now be known as "Regulated Working with Children".
There is also a new scheme "Working with Protected Adults". Protected Adults can have pastoral care from a Church, this could cover transporting adults to Church - these adults would be treated as a targeted group. The new PVG scheme only affects new volunteers for the first year, so therefore it won't affect anyone in the Pastoral Care Group or people that transport adults to Church. Existing volunteers will need to go through the new checks from February 2012.
Child Protection list is produced annually and this will be available in January.
6.8 Stewardship Campaign
Stephen Blake advised Kirk Session there have been two meetings held, the preliminary meeting on 24th November with 2 Ministers, a small number of volunteers and the Session Clerk present. A proposed timetable has been agreed and the names of individuals to lead different facets of the campaign
It is proposed to run the campaign on 19th-21st May 2011. There will be a series of planning meetings with Margot Robertson, Church of Scotland Stewardship Consultant, who will help and guide the team through the campaign. We plan to meet three representatives from Churches that have recently completed Stewardship campaigns.
Stephen advised there will be 6 teams and gave a brief explanation of what each team will look at, who will lead and who will help, these are
Admin - led by Anne Law and Peter Drylie and helped by the Roll keepers and Jim Hogg.
Publicity - led by Derek Henderson and helped by Bob Ross and Suzi Farrant.
Visiting - led by Margaret Henderson and helped by Anne Bennie and June Adam.
Presentation - led by Peter Russell, Elma Birrell and Ian Lambie.
Follow Up - led by John Reid and helped by Bruce Yeaman and Tim Brown.
Catering - led by Alison Millar and helped by Maureen Blake, Gillian MacPherson, Jean and Stuart Meldrum, Agnes Aitken and Elizabeth Leitch
7 Report from Presbytery
Derek Henderson spoke to his report of the Meeting of Presbytery on 14 December 2010.
It was agreed that the Clerk would advise all Kirk Sessions of a decision of the Ministries Council that stipends be frozen for a further year.
8 Session Clerk's Report
Elders Yearbook 2011 - Anne would like to give grateful thanks to Jim Hogg for the preparation of these. There are slight changes in the yearbook to door teams etc and everyone should look through the yearbook note their dates on duty for Communion and arrive by 10.45am. If you cannot make your date please find a reserve.
Christmas Eve midnight service, Craig Smith is the December Leader. More helpers are needed for this service. Helpers will need to arrive by 10.30pm-10.45pm and will need to be there by 12.20am as chairs will need to be moved back for the Christmas Day service. Anyone willing to volunteer should pass his or her name to Anne Law.
Stewardship Campaign - Visitors will be requested from the congregation. Elders may be approached, although Elders will not visit their own Districts.
Annual return of statistics - Duncan Shaw has been in touch to say the returns are due in by 15th January 2011.
Sheila Musgrave will now lead the Communion Linen and Marion Duncan the Communion Elements teams.
Anne would like to pay thanks to Suzi Farrant and all the Junior Church leaders for an excellent Nativity Service on 19th December 2010.
Elders Photo - a reminder that photos need to be ordered and paid by 31st December 2010.
District Team Leaders meeting with Roll keepers was planned but due to the adverse weather will be re-arranged in January.
St Michael's has received a bequest from a late member, which will go to the Fabric Fund. Anne will write to the lawyers to acknowledge receipt of the money.
Anne thanked everyone for their faithfulness in their work carried out throughout the year and wished everyone a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
The Moderator thanked Anne Law, Session Clerk, and Peter Drylie, Assistant Session Clerk, for all their work throughout the year.
10 Any other items as agreed at item 5
Christingle - Anne Bennie reminded Duty Elders they are not required.
Guild - Fiona Duke wanted to give an invitation to all Elders to the Guild Meeting on 17th January 2011 to hear about a project "A Place for Hope" which is a Church of Scotland Ministries Council project. The Moderator of the General Assembly is supporting this project this year.
11 Date of Next Meeting
Tuesday 18th January 2011
There being no further business Kirk Session closed by singing the carol 'We wish you a merry Christmas' and with the saying together of the Grace.
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