NEWS
Christmas Appeal – Faifley's Upcycling Project
This year we in Westerton will have the opportunity to support one of our local Churches in their Christmas Appeal for their Upcycling Project. This provides household goods and clothes to those in the community who are in need of them.
This Christmas they are collecting new pyjamas to give out to the children of their client families. We would propose to collect them over the next few Sundays, and will arrange transport to Faifley. Please help by bringing along new pyjamas, for school or nursery age children, suitable to be given for Christmas. Thank you in advance!
Marlene
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Union of Westerton and Killermont Churches
As everyone will know, we are working towards a union with our neighbours and friends in Killermont as part of the Mission Plan for our Presbytery. Many of us have never had the opportunity to worship together with the congregation there, for the very good reason that we are at worship in Westerton each Sunday! To help us move forward in this, the Kirk Session decided at their last meeting that, on Sunday 17th December, instead of worshipping together in Westerton we should all visit Killermont to join them in their morning service. As a result, there will be no service here at Westerton that day: instead, transport will be arranged for us to go there, where we will have an opportunity to get to know our future fellow members. To help with the transport, please sign the sheet which will be in the vestibule every Sunday from now on. Please do so as soon as possible so that we will be able to book mini-buses and arrange pick-up points. If you have any questions, or wish to have your name added to the sheet, please contact the church office by phone or email. Please note that the service at Killermont Church starts at 10am. We on the Kirk Session are looking forward very much to this visit!
Marlene Anderson, Session Clerk
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Faith Impact Forum - Reaction to the Situation in Palestine and Israel
We are all shocked with what we see in media and hear from our partners in Palestine and Israel. The Church of Scotland has issued a number of statements:
- David Cameron, Convener of the Assembly Trustees has urged Church Members to pray for peace.
- Sally Foster Fulton, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland wrote following the outbreak of violence.
- On behalf of the Church of Scotland the Moderator has also signed a Christian Aid statement, alongside other church leaders and Christian organisations, calling for a ceasefire, and asking all governments with influence to bring an immediate end to the violence in Israel and Palestine. Please take time to read and sign this if you wish
- Christian Aid invites us to back its Emergency Appeal.
- The Archbishop of Canterbury, supported by CofS, has announced an appeal for Al Ahli Hospital. Al Ahli Hospital is committed to providing medical services for all those in need of health care but is in urgent need of medicines and other resources.
- Our Mission Partners Rev Stewart Gillan and Rev Muriel Pearson are home in Scotland and beginning to plan for the immediate future. We hope to arrange opportunities for them to share with congregations and presbyteries in the weeks ahead.
Links to all the above, plus much more information, has been added to a new page on the Church of Scotland Website at
www.churchofscotland.org.uk/about-us/our-views/church-of-scotland-in-israel-and-palestine
Caroline Thompson
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Christian Aid : Updates
November : As casualties and destruction mounts in Gaza, Christian Aid reports the humanitarian efforts of local partners are being restricted by the violence. Some volunteers working with local partners have been killed and some have been seriously injured.
The following link provides more detail:
Christian Aid Scotland - Christmas appeal: This year the Christmas appeal will focus on the way in which Christian Aid is supporting women in Kurigram in Bangladesh. Kurigram is one of the most disaster-prone areas in Bangladesh, situated very close to the two big rivers of Dharla and Brahmaputra which means that Kurigram is one of the most severely flood affected areas in the country. The following link provides more detail:
https://www.christianaid.org.uk/appeals/key-appeals/christmas-appeal
November : Pakistan’s threat to expel more than a million Afghans could lead to a new humanitarian tragedy. Christian Aid, fears Pakistan’s threat to force Afghans seeking refuge to return across its border has the potential to make things even worse for a country mired in poverty and hunger. The following link provides more detail:
November : Senior leaders from four UK-based humanitarian agencies, including Christian Aid’s Chief Executive Patrick Watt, have met with King Charles to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. Christian Aid has been working with local partners in the Middle East since the early 1950s. Since the current crisis began, these organisations have been responding as best they can with emergency first aid; food, from local suppliers and farmers; and other essential supplies, including water and sanitation kits. The following link provides more detail:
October : With thousands feared dead in western Afghanistan, Christian Aid is co-ordinating with the UN to provide a life-saving response in villages flattened by the recent devastating earthquakes. The following link provides more detail:
Alan Stevens
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Church News
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Church Magazine : The December issue is now available for pick-up in the church vestibule.
- Life and Work : The December issue is now available and can be uplifted from the vestibule. For those continuing to subscribe, an envelope accompanies your magazine with instructions for payment of next year’s subscription of £42, which is payable in January 2024.
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De Cafe : For anyone living with, or concerned about, dementia or memory loss, this is a relaxed and informal setting where people and their carers, partners or family can meet and speak to each other. Provides information about dementia and local services for people affected by dementia. Meets 2-4 pm in the Café area of Killermont Church. Next meetings are on 28 Nov, 12 Dec.
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Killermont Café : this Community Cafe is open the first Saturday of each new month 9am to 11:30am and also every Monday 9am to 11:30am and Friday 9am to 11:30am. All Welcome.
- Recycling : Clare Petrie is collecting unwanted spectacles and their cases, for recycling. Also, any unwanted postage stamps, but they must have sufficient paper surrounding the stamps, otherwise they are worthless. In other words, please do not trim the paper too close to the stamp. Thank you.
- "The Way Ahead Group": This is a stroke club for Bearsden which meets in Killermont Church on Thursday afternoons between 1.15pm and 3.45pm. It offers a warm welcome and friendship while assisting with physical and mental wellbeing and recovery. At present they need more volunteers to continue this valuable work. For more details, please contact for more information.
- Tea / Coffee Rota - Volunteers required: The after-Church tea/coffee continues in the Church Hall. The Staff rota for Sep-Dec is now available, but should anyone like to join this merry band of helpers just speak to Ann Mitchell .
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Drumchapel Foodbank
The Foodbank is always in need of the following items – tinned vegetables, porridge, boxes of cereal. Teabags, coffee, sugar, instant noodles, long-life milk, tinned fruit and rice pudding/custard, tinned meatballs/hotdogs, pasta sauce, soup, tinned beans, tinned spaghetti, macaroni cheese, toilet rolls, shampoo/shower gel, and wet dog food. If you can help please place your donations in the box in the walk-through or at the usual designated collection points in the village. Unfortunately we cannot accept any fresh produce. Many thanks for your help!
Niall and Marjorie McCumesty (Bearsden West Communty Council)
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Prayer Requests
A lovely wooden box has now been provided by a member of the congregation for your prayer requests. If you would like prayer for yourself or others, please write this down and put it in the box. You need not give your own or anyone else’s name. God will know. Members of the prayer group undertake to pray daily for whatever is asked.
Christine Goldie
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The Westerton Church Magazine – Published 4 times a year, we hope to provide in due course, an online, as well as, printed edition.