Notices

Talents auction

As part of this year's focus on Stewardship of Money, we invite everyone to participate in our Talent Auction on Sunday 8th October. After the service, there will be a soup lunch and then an auction of 'talents' offered by members of the congregation. This might be the fruit of talents (e.g. knitted or sewn goods; paintings; home-grown vegetables, fruit of flowers), or offering a skill (e.g. grass cutting; drive to the country; a guided walk round someone's special area; a game of golf) or even a valuable item. Any proceeds will be divided between church funds and a worthwhile charity. If you have produce/a skill or item you can offer, please either sign up on the list in the Session room or let the minister know (phone/email - see Contacts and useful websites page

Church launches a short walking booklet

We have produced a 16-page booklet entitled 'A reflective walk around Berwick Town'. This small, pocket-sized, publication gives residents and visitors an opportunity to slow down, for an hour or so, while it guides them round 10 key features within easy walking distance of the church. They are first told a little about each location’s history and are then invited to reflect on a story from the Gospels, which the author felt was represented. Many people have been involved in this creation including the Thursday Walking Group (a few of whom are pictured with the new publication) who tested and timed the route before we finally sent the work to press. Copies can be picked up at the Tourist Centre and other outlets, as well as from the church itself, or can be downloaded from the Kirk News page of this website. 

After-church event: 21 May 2017

After the morning service there was a soup and sandwich lunch followed by The St Andrew's Dramatic Society (SADS) presentation of "A World Premier" -  performed in their own inimitable style and as you've probably never seen them before!  Here they are in the dressing room, just before the performance - last chance to get it right (they did!). Each picture holds for about 7 seconds.

New Horizons!

[Was provisionally known as 'The Tuesday Group' but now has a name. With thanks to Evelyn Mavin for her suggestion which was agreed by all.]

The last event for this season was the day trip to Beamish. Around 20 people went down and had a thoroughly good day (fortunate with the weather too!). 

Hopefully we can see a new programme for the next session and it will be posted here as soon as it is available. To whet your appetite, see the completed programme. If you wish to come, perhaps bring a friend along too?

Soup, Social and Communion:

The planned Tuesday afternoon 30th May 2017 is postponed until after the summer

Another opportunity to meet together and for those who would like to a short communion service at the end. Do make a note in your diaries now and keep the afternoon free. If anyone needs a lift, let us know (see Contacts page) and we will do our best to arrange something.

Walking Group 

The Walking Group have returned to their evening walks , meeting at the church at 6pm every Thursday unti 31st August. Although we won’t be walking barefoot, we will try and become a little more mindful of seasonal changes as we walk our favourite routes. Every week we each put aside £1.00 and periodically will donate the proceeds to a local charity.  At the end of the walk we enjoy a cuppa and biscuit (occasionally cake!). The walks aren’t too challenging we hope and would be glad if others would like to join us. 

Serving with the Church: From ministry to volunteering

Next vocations conference is 17th June 2017 at Carnegie Conference Centre, Dunfermline

For options to serve (Tomorrow's Calling) please follow THIS LINK to the Church of Scotland's Vocations page to see all the opportunites.

OLDER NOTICES

2017 Chalmers Lectures: Reforming the Kirk – the Future of the Church of Scotland (February 2017)

In this series of three lectures, Glasgow-based Practical Theologian and Kirk Minister, Dr Doug Gay offered a candid, forthright and bold analysis of the state of the Church of Scotland and the choices facing it.

He explored what it means to be 'presbyterian' in today’s Scotland, in which even kirk members are ambivalent about their identity. Recognising the significant challenges facing the church in the coming decade, he offered a manifesto for enacting structural reform, including key economic reforms, within the Kirk and argued that change is essential to address deep seated problems of decline and dysfunction.

All lectures were broadcast live from St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh from 6.30pm on each occasion and can be viewed by clicking on THIS LINK.

Alternatively you can download the PDF transcripts by clicking on the following:

Lecture 1 (Walls without Church: Glory without power) The first lecture explores ‘what just happened?’ tracing the decline of the Kirk as a national institution since the 1960s.

Lecture 2 (Call and Response) The second lecture explores the relationship between the church’s understanding of its own calling and its response.

Lecture 3 The final lecture makes the case for radical structural reform of the Church of Scotland over the next decade.

Christmas Card Delivery Service (2016)

This every popular service that receives cards, with a donation, to be delivered around Berwick and villages as well as a few outlying villages raised £951.01 towards church funds.

With many thanks to the customers, organisers, sorters and delivery persons. Without all of you this wouldn't be possible. We apologise for the small hiccups at the beginning and hope to see you all contributing however you can at the end of 2017!

An Owl brings the ring

Please see the full story on the Church of Scotland website HERE and more photos on Moments of note in 2016

Christmas Fayre & Christmas Card Competition winners!

A very successful Fayre was held on Saturday 26th November, people just kept coming. The helpers and stall holders were kept very busy and huge thanks go to them all for their untiring contribution.

The provisional figure of funds raised for the church is an incredible £1257.01.

The winners of the competition were (drum roll!):

William Hall (under 18) and Rena Telfer (over 18).

Their cards, along with a few other entries, will be available for sale at the congregational Christmas Fayre on Saturday 26th November and in the church thereafter. All proceeds from the sale of cards will go towards church funds.

UPDATE! UPDATE! Let's Build a House: Exciting news!

Just before noon on Saturday 25 April, 2015, was when the first earthquake struck Nepal. Lasting just 45 seconds; causing devastation, changing lives forever. 45 seconds that caused over 8000 people to lose their lives and over 6 million families to lose their homes. 

45 Seconds is the time it would take to sing a verse of the Hymn, 'Let us build a House'.

(Watch a short [4:32] video HERE)

The World Mission Council is challenging Presbyteries and congregations to raise £500 to build a house in Nepal, as part of a three year project in partnership with the United Mission to Nepal. 

Take a Pew: It's good to talk

Did you wonder what had happened to our pews - the ones taken from the front of the church? Well now you know! Take a Pew and join this vital conversation about the future of the Church.

This summer our pews are visiting Scotland’s iconic places where invited guests and the public will ‘take a pew’ with a Church minister to talk about how the Church needs to change and the big life and spiritual issues facing us all. 

By signing up, you'll be alerted when each new Take a Pew film is released and you’ll be able to submit your own discussion topic and suggest a location for the pews to visit.

To see the introduction CLICK HERE and sign up for notification of future conversations  at https://www.tomorrowscalling.org/take...

And to watch the first ever conversation CLICK HERE

Both links are on  YouTube and will open in a separate window. If the links don't work search YouTube for Church of Scotland Take a Pew.

One of our members, Rev Bob Higham, is walking the Border Line (the Scotland/England border) in aid of the Nepal Leprosy Trust. Please follow THIS LINK for more information about the charity 

Lowick services

We remain comitted to Lowick but, after consulting with members there, have taken the difficult decision to only hold one service a month on the second Sunday at 9.45am. There will also be a monthly sing-along at 1.30pm on the fourth Thursday. Everyone is very welcome to come along. Please check the calendar.

Retiring Collections

On communion Sundays, and sometimes on other occasions, there is a retiring collection where money is raised for a specific charity. Please see RETIRING COLLECTIONS page for information going back to 2011.

Evening Service Sunday 25th October 2015 at 6.00pm

This informal service again took the form of a panel discussion of questions relating to faith and submitted by members of the congregation. The panel included Rev Dane Sherrard (Presbytery Clerk), Rev Fritha Middlemiss (Berwick Parish Church) and Major Steven Turner (Salvation Army). 

As before, we summarised the reactions for everyone so everyone can see what was asked and answered. This summary can now be found on the Documents page of this website.

Harvest Thanksgiving Service: Sunday 11th October 2015 

This  year the Kirk Session have decided that we wouldn't collect goods for the local Food Bank because they are currently well stocked (see below). Instead we invited money donations towards the Christian Aid Harvest Appeal. Please follow THIS LINK for more information.

Foodbank donations

From Susan and Neil Jordan. "Many thanks for all your contributions to the Foodbank. At the moment they have a surplus of food; however, they would accept cash donations so that they can buy items they run short of. These donations should be put in a sealed envelope labelled FOODBANK and given to Neil or Susan."

Coffee Bar

Elsie Greenaway writes; "The Sunday Coffee Bar plays an important role in our being a friendly church. Thaks to all who help to produce this without fail however, if others joined the rota, this could help to lessen the load for current helpers. Men have been 'tried and tested' and couples are also welcome." For futher information please contact us (see Contacts page) and we will put you in touch with Elsie.

Life & Work (THE magazine of the Church of Scotland)

Please ask in the church if you are interested or look at the magazine's own website LIFE AND WORK

Mission Partners in Nepal

Our mission partners, Malcolm and Cati Ramsay are part of the United Mission to Nepal (UMN) and have first-hand experience of the earthquakes. They regularly send us updates. If you would like to see how they are doing please visit the UMN website. If you would like to receive regular updates to your email, please use the Contact us Form.

Video documentary about our church

To watch a short documentary about St Andrew's Wallace Green and Lowick Church of Scotland, Berwick upon Tweed please see the Video Documentaries page  where you can choose to watch with or without subtitles and even in 3D!

(Photo courtesy of Robin Cheer)

Moments in Time: Flower Festival

To find out what the displays represent, see the Flower Festival 2015 page or if you would just like to watch a short film, please click on the photograph on the right.