Here are a selection of images from the various services at St John’s over Christmas.
Christingle Service
On Christmas Eve we invited children and grown-ups for a celebration of the Christmas story. There was great excitement in the Threshold as small people (and some big ones) dressed up as angels, shepherds, and kings. Mary and Joseph came and we had a most energetic donkey!
As well as the presentation of the Christmas story we also celebrated with Christingles. Some of the older children helped explain the meaning of the Christingle and passed out the different parts to members of the congregation. As we built our Christingles we sang verses of a Christingle song. Then it was time to light our candles (or break our glowsticks). The church was darkened and we passed the flame to each other around the church, showing the light of God coming into a dark world.
Midnight Eucharist, Christmas Eve
The church was lit by candles for the midnight Eucharist with favourite carols and anthems by the choir, including Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium.
Santa’s Visit
Santa visited the Buggy Club!
Epiphany
To finish off Christmas, we celebrated the feast of the Epiphany, remembering the wise men who came so far to see Jesus.
On Sunday we bade a fond farewell to our Lay Reader, Lis Burke. From the new year onward she’ll be working with the Alyth, Blairgowrie and Coupar Angus group ministry.
Toward the end of the service, Graham presented Lis with a gift from the congregation:
Alison also presented her with a gift from the choir.
Of course, there was also chocolate cake in the Threshold afterwards to celebrate Lis’s many years with us, in the congregation, in the choir and latterly as Lay Reader.
In celebration of Lis’s many years in the congregation, latterly as Lay Reader, there was cake in the Threshold afterwards 🙂
Members of the choir and congregation turned out on the church steps on Saturday lunchtime to sing carols to passers-by and ply them with warm mince-pies.
We received ÂŁ50 in donations for PKAVS, a charity supporting adults with mental illness, young and adult unpaid carers and minority communities including refugees around Perth and Kinross.
We held our 2015 AGM on Sunday 29 November after the service. Detailed information about the activities of the past year are available in the Annual Reports (PDF), but aside from financial matters, a few additional things were singled out for special attention at the meeting.
An anonymous donation has allowed us to set up a fabric fund, giving us a reserve to set aside for any future urgent repairs required to the church building.
Lis Burke, our lay reader, is moving on, joining the Dean in a team working with churches in Alyth, Blairgowrie and Coupar Angus. We are sorry to see Lis Burke go and wish her all the best in her new ministry.
Concerning membership of the Vestry, Graham confirmed that Alan MacPherson would continue as Rector’s Warden. David Willington continues as People’s Warden. Tom Axford and Christine Bracewell have served their time on the Vestry, and Jean Hendry stepped down after years of service as Lay Rep. We elected Jim Carcary to the Vestry as an ordinary member and Lilian Fleming to replace Jean as Lay Representative.
Graham, our Rector, and Judy, Vestry Secretary, chair the AGM after the service.
We were joined in November by Revd Nerys Ann Brown, who will serve as our curate under our rector Graham. Nerys was ordained deacon in St Ninian’s Cathedral, Perth on Sunday 15th November; her ordination service was attended by many from St John’s.
Revd Graham Taylor and Alan McPherson presented Nerys for ordination
Nerys with the bishop and Revd Margaret Dineley
On her first Sunday with us Nerys was presented with a hand-made ‘Welcome’ card signed by members of the congregation. We hope she will have a very happy time with us.
Celebrating Graham’s first year as our rector – with cake of course
There was much to celebrate at All Saints’ tide this year. It marked the first anniversary of Graham’s arrival as our rector, and we also welcomed as a special visitor Nerys Brown, who will be ordained later this month and will serve as our curate.
Nerys Brown with Graham Taylor
Setting Up – chairs set out for the Sung Evensong service with Glenalmond
In the evening we held a service of Choral Evensong in which our choir was augmented by choral scholars from Glenalmond College; together we made a joyful and very splendid noise, supported by a large congregation.
The time in between the two services was busy with rehearsals, a meal for the singers and some last-minute printing of additional service sheets…
Over seventy people participated in the evening service; you may like to listen to the recording below.
This year was the Silver Jubilee of Doors Open Day in Perth and Kinross, and St John’s was featured as one of only four buildings open this year which was also open for the first Doors Open Day in 1991. On Saturday over a hundred visitors came into the church, which was beautifully decorated for Harvest Thanksgiving. There were live musical performances during the day, as well as refreshments, children’s activities and a display of church activities.
On Sunday morning at our Sung Eucharist we gave thanks for all God’s good gifts. Our joyful thanksgiving spilled over into practical action as we offered donations of food and toiletries needed by the Perth and Kinross Foodbank and prayed for the refugee crisis.
Following the eucharist we all joined in a bring and share lunch in the Threshold.
More pictures of the weekend can be seen on our Facebook page.
Today marked Fergus & Ruth Harris’s Golden Wedding anniversary.
Graham and Christine presented them with a gift from the congregation at the end of the service.
Afterwards in the Threshold, Bishop Bruce spoke of his time knowing Ruth & Fergus since his own very early married life in Edinburgh and proposed a toast.
