Welcome to the Carnwadric Church of Scotland website

It is with great sadness that we intimate the death of Mr. Tommy Stevenson, former Session Clerk.

His funeral will be in the church on Wednesday 23rd September at 1.30pm.

The church family remember in their thoughts and prayers Jenny, (pictured above with Tommy) his wife, and family circle at this difficult and sad time.

During the summer the walking group visited Queens Park. Thank you to Gary for the photos!

The new Wednesday J-Team comes to the end of its first term on Wednesday. 27th May. It�s been a busy few weeks, with between 15 to 18 P7's coming along. We also had our first High School pupil attend last week! Here are some photos which were taken by one of the group.

Martin was inducted to the charge of Kilcalmonell linked with Killean and Kilchenzie in early January. A party from Carnwadric made the journey to Kintyre to support Martin and Nelleke on this special occasion. June made a cake for the celebratory tea after the service.

As you can see above, one of Martin's new churches (Chleit) is in a very picturesque spot, and there was a decent turn out from the locals (below).

Lewis and Derrick Adams recently joined the Carnwadric church family through baptism. They are pictured above with proud mum Kate.

My apologies for the lack of updates over the last couple of months, the webmaster has been very busy.

As some of you already know, Martin Grashoff will be ordained as minister of Kilcalmonnell linked with Killean and Kilchenzie (Presbytery of Argyll) later this month.

His induction service takes place on Saturday 24th January 2009 at Chleit Church near Muasdale. We are hoping to take a minibus up.

Martin, who had his familiarisation placement with us for a year, preached as sole nominee at the end of last year, and was voted in by 99 to 1.

Christmas is a busy time for most churches, and Carnwadric was certainly no exception.

There were various parties for different organisations, and also the Old Folk's Christmas Party on Saturday 20th December. A big thank you to all the volunteers who pitched in, below are a selection of photos from the day.

The J-Team did their nativity service, there was also the usual carol singing around the parish, with a record number attending the Watchnight service. Aside from the front few rows, the church was packed - and they were treated to the Watchnight nativity video drama (which you can watch on the Videos section).

June also very kindly made another one of her delicious cakes for the Christmas morning worship, as we celebrated Jesus' birthday.

A warm welcome to Andy Hemphill who has joined us as an Enquirer to the ministry. Andy comes to us from Glasgow Cathedral, and will be at Carnwadric until the latter part of 2009.

As part of essential maintenance work, the church has now been fitted with a proper fire alarm system and emergency lighting. So we won't have to rely on the old air horn in cases of emergency - the next fire drill is sure to be interesting !

The church is sad to say last Sunday was Martin and Nelleke's last service with us. Martin was undergoing a "familiarisation" placement with us and is now looking for a full time charge. (Between you, me and the gatepost, we think he's going to be locum at Eastwood) To thank Martin for his service, June baked a special farewell cake, and Betty presented him with a Scottish quiach.

Congratulations to Alan and Claudette Bentley on the birth of their baby boy Alexander. This is a double celebration as Alan's mum Betty is our session clerk - so congratulations to granny Bentley as well !

Willie Hutton recently stepped down after 25 years of faithful and dedicated service as church officer. As a thank you, the church presented Willie with a special engraved gold watch, and June whipped up one of her special cakes to mark the occasion too. Willie will still be down on Sunday mornings, and we are glad he will still remain part of the church family.

The church had very special visitors on Sunday 24th August, as a group had came over from Sweden. During morning worship, Johannes (pictured above in the green top) read the two Bible readings in Swedish. Afterwards, he presented the church with the "Pearls of Life" bracelet. We were delighted that they shared in our service, and also a time fellowship afterwards too.

Hot on the heels of Rev. Bell's 25th anniversary of being ordained at Carnwadric Church is Rev. Bell's silver wedding anniversary ! Last Tuesday (5th August) was the big day, but to mark the special occasion June whipped another of her fantastic cakes, and the Sunday J-Team presented Sandra with a lovely bunch of flowers.

Last Sunday baby Reece David Peacock was baptised at Carnwadric. We wish him and his family a warm welcome into the church. Reece is pictured above with parents John and Laura Jane, and godparents David and Evelyn.

We received great news that the Gul family have been granted bail from Yarlswood detention centre in Bedfordshire. Rev. Bell travelled down to give evidence at the hearing which took place at Birmingham immigration court yesterday afternoon.

There are very strict conditions attached to the bail, Asad must put up �100 as surety, Gullrukh's sister must provide them with accomodation and put up �1,000 as surety, a family friend must put up �2,000 as surety, and finally the family must sign on every Monday and Thursday at their nearest immigration centre.

Despite these conditions, we are delighted that the family, especially the three young children, are out of detention. They await a date for their judicial review.

Last week a party of twenty volunteers helped to clear up the church grounds. As well as cleaning up the grounds, Londi and Farhad painted crosses on the building, as many people pass Carnwadric and do not realise it is a church.

After the tidy-up/painting session, Elaine Snell used her Girl-Guiding expertise to light the wood that had been collected and the work party was treated to toasted marshmallows.

Among the stranger objects found during the clear-up was a complete bus stop ! The writer is unsure as to the route, however.

(Many thanks to James McGrouther for the report and the snaps !)

The church had a stall at the community event in the neighbouring King James V Park last Thursday.

With it being the start of the school holidays it was well supported, unfortunately there was a rather heavy downpour at about 1pm.

Unfortunately with the heavy rain, the toilets were flooded during the week. Thanks to Jack for sorting out the debris !

At Sunday morning's service baby Cory was welcomed into the church family through the sacrament of baptism. He is pictured above with parents Robert and Natalie, and godparents Sharon and Larbie.

The celebrations continued from the previous Tuesday, as Carnwadric hosted a special service commemorating Graeme's 25 years of ministry at the church. Thanks again to June for making yet another cake !

Many of the children from the Sunday J-Team took part in the morning worship, including puppets, a prayer, and a performance on the trumbone !

And some cheeky person even managed to tie balloons on Rev. Bell's car ! He did not receive any funny looks from the neighbours...

At 4pm today we received news that the Gul family will not be deported back to Pakistan tonight.

As reported on Scotland Today and Reporting Scotland, the Home Office had previously ordered their removal, but now a judicial review has been granted for the family.

The Guls were being held at London Heathrow airport when the family lawyer phoned with the news. They were due to travel on the Pakistani International Airways flight to Lahore at 9pm.

The family are regulars at Carnwadric Church in Glasgow, and were also active members of the city�s Asian Christian Fellowship.

Campaigners now hope the family can be bailed from Yarl�s Wood detention centre, and returned to their home in Scotland.

The latest development in the campaign to prevent the deportation of the Gul family was a protest rally held outside the immigration office at Brand Street in Ibrox. About 60 people attended this rally.

There were several members from Carnwadric Church, the New Mercy Asian Church, the local primary school, the local community and asylum support groups. STV attended the event and they interviewed Rev. Bell, Rev. Peter Gill and Pastor Frederick D'Costa.

Petitions were presented to Home Office representatives at Brand Street and a decision on the fresh claim is still awaited, and we hope to hear tonight. Unless there is a change of heart from the Home Office the deportation is scheduled to go ahead at 9pm tomorrow evening from Heathrow Airport.

Political leaders (Jacqui Smith, Liam Byrne, Alex Salmond and Fiona Hyslop) have been faxed a copy of Carnwadric Church petition along with an accompanying letter urging them to act to stop the deportation.

On Tuesday evening the church held a special dinner to mark the 25th anniversary of Rev. Bell's ordination to Carnwadric.

To mark the occasion, friends from all over the country came to join in the the celebrations. Guests included ministers who trained with Graeme, including Kathleen Millar and Peter Gill. Also in attendance was close friend Rev. Howard Hudson, who made one of the speeches.

Graeme was overwhelmed by the number of people there, and also with his very generous gifts. These included a delicious cake, a return ticket for a seaplane to Tobermory, a special memory book made up by the congregation and a brand new laptop !

On behalf of the family I'd like to thank everyone for the hard work and months of planning that went into making the night so special. It deeply touched us all, and we feel privileged to share in the love and support of the Carnwadric Church family. We are very much looking forward to Sunday's service !

Here is a brief summary of what's been happening in the church in the past few weeks.

Yesterday (22/06) Kenneth received a cake to congratulate him on finishing his Masters degree with Honours. He completed a five year degree in Czech and Polish language at Glasgow University. Unfortunately, the cake had already been scoffed by the time our cameraman was on the scene, so we're having to make do with a photo of Kenneth and June. His graduation ceremony is this Thursday (26/06). Well done Kenneth !

No - not Kenneth's degree - but the Church's walking group went on its first outing last week. Thankfully the weather held out as they went around Rouken Glen Park. Keep your eyes peeled for further walks over the summer ! (Many thanks to Jack Gray for the photo).

Recently two of our members celebrated their birthdays. First up was our Deaconess Mary Gargrave, who, to the surprise of many, turned 50 ! Mary leads the J-Team on Sunday mornings, and also the Tuesday and Thursday youth clubs during the week.

It seemed only too fitting that we marked our regular cakemaker's birthday too. June McPhie works tirelessly baking delicious cakes for other people's birthdays, so she was presented with flowers and a chocolate cake from the church. Sadly our baking skills aren't quite up to scratch, so we had to make do with something out of Sainsburys !

My apologies folks for not keeping the site as up to date as I would have liked, it's simply due to work commitments. However, here are a few photos of life in the church over the last six months, and you can expect to see snaps from next Saturday's trip to Ayr in a week's time !

First of all we have our latest visual arts photos below, which feature the verse "Come Holy Spirit" in all the different languages of members of the congregations.

Languages represented around the church include Dutch, Russian, Farsi and Tamil !

May also saw the baptisms and admission of three Iranians. Susan Ilchi became an adult member through public profession of faith, and her sons Danial and Arya were baptised. The family are pictured below, and they also laid on a small feast after the service for everyone ! The church family is delighted to welcome them.

In April some members of the church went to lead to worship at our twinned parish Cupar St. John's and Dairsie. Again we received a very warm welcome, and look forward to continuing our link with the folk there. Below is a photo of Dairsie Church.

At the end of March we were visited by the "Biblebus" - a Bible themed coach with plenty of fun on board !

Young people the area came along to have a go at the various games. Our thanks go to East Renfrewshire Council for letting the bus "set up" in their depot !

As usual, we had our annual Sunrise service on Easter morning. Thanks to Reverend Douglas Nicol for providing the music for us again with his guitar !

On the same morning we had Famey and Jokey's baby Oluwaferanmi baptised, and afterwards the church presented them with a special cloth, as well as a cake from June. The church is over the moon that they feel so at home at Carnwadric.

The visual arts team were also hard at work at Easter, displaying a huge "He Is Risen" banner outside of the church hall, and also decorating the sanctuary.

Back in December the Rainbow Care Centre staff put on a production called "O'er The Rainbow" - which was enjoyed by all.

The festive season at the church is normally quite busy, and this year was no exception.

On Christmas Eve a group from the church went round the Arden part of the parish carol singing. There are various photos of the singers getting their half time break at Lilias Thomson's house, including Mary's dog Archie ! We managed to raise over �120 for charity, which was pretty good going !

On Christmas morning itself the church had a special birthday cake for Jesus, made by June. On the way out our Session Clerk Betty Bentley had also prepared little gift bags for everyone - mainly comprising of Roses and Quality Street ! Wherever you come from, the church hopes you had a great Christmas !

A big well done to all of the Sunday J-Team for this year's nativity yesterday morning. The young people had been practicing since the end of November, and the rehearsals did no harm as everyone was excellent ! Above is a cast photo !

Many thanks to all who helped put up Christmas decorations throughout the church. The eagle eyed amongst you will notice we have a new tree in the vestibule ! A special thanks to Sadie Douglas for putting the bobbles and tinsel on the trees, and also preparing the advent wreath. Check back here on Sunday for photos from the Christmas Party !

On Sunday we received the excellent news that Morgan and his family have been given leave to remain in the UK. They made a special thank you cake, as well as a card and box of chocolates to thank the church family for our support during this difficult time for them.

On Wednesday (28th) eleven women from the church went on an advent retreat down to Loch Lomond.

The session was organised and led by Mary, and although it was raining for most of the day, the ladies were still able to have a walk along the banks in the afternoon.

It was thoroughly enjoyed by all who went, and the church is looking at the possibility of using this venue for other groups in years to come.

Many of you will remember Elizabeth Philip who spent twelve months in training with us a few years ago.

Elizabeth has sinced moved onto Garthamlock, and at the beginning of this month was officially introduced to her new church in Dunfermline. We wish her and her family the best of luck !

The Women's Guild on the evening of Monday 15th October nearly did not have a speaker. Just as Guild convener, Linda McGrouther got home at 6.20 pm, she received a text from the lady who was supposed to be giving a presentation on "Glitz & Glamour", to say that she could not make it.

As luck would have it, James and Linda's niece, Elspeth was visiting from Wales. Elspeth is a member of the Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA). SARA carries out search & rescue on land, sea and underground for those who find themselves in difficulty.

At less than one hour's notice, Elspeth gave a presentation of what she does and why and also how her Christian faith helps both her and her colleagues carry out sometimes very harrowing rescues. Elspeth and her mainly male team were very busy recently during the flooding down in England.

Elspeth's speciality is water borne rescue, which fitted in really well for the topic that evening, which was water. The presentation, which was well received, was followed by a short question and answer session.

On Sunday morning, Martin was presented with a welcome cake from the congregation made by June. He is a Dutch minister who is training to be a minister in the Church of Scotland. Martin and his wife Nelleke will be with us for a year. He wrote the following introduction about himself:

"Last Sunday we felt very warmly welcomed in the Carnwadric church family. Thank you very much for that! Here we will tell a bit more about ourselves.

We both come from The Netherlands, a country where altitude is measured in decimeters and is something you do not mention anyway. The Low Countries is another appropriate name. Three times as many people as Scots live on just half the territory of Scotland. We have lived in several places across the country. Three years ago we came to Iona where we have lived and worked on behalf of The Iona Community. When we left The Netherlands we lived in the very southwest, in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, just 40 miles north of the �Flanders fields� where so many Scots fought in the First World War.

Now our contract has ended we have decided to stay in Scotland. We have come to like this country and its people. For us it feels like a new start in our lives while we are already fifty.

In The Netherlands Martin has worked as a parish minister in the Protestant Church in The Netherlands (PKN) for a decade. Before training for ministry he was a nurse, ultimately working on the maternity ward. Previous to that he has also been a primary school teacher (for just a year). Nelleke has been a voluntary worker in several FairTrade shops, with a special interest in the computerisation side. Before our children were born she has worked in a home for elderly people and before that in a bus company�s office. On Iona she was the shop manager.

It took a long time for us to make the decision to stay in Scotland. Our three children live on their own and they fully support our choice. They have their own jobs and places. You may meet them when they visit us. Next summer our daughter will marry.

Right now we look forward to meet with the Carnwadric people and engage in the life of its church."

Our warmest congratulations to Alan and Claudette who got married at Seamill Hydro on Sunday.

Rev. Bell conducted the service, and he also managed to get us a few snaps for the website !

Alan records the service each week onto cassettes for our housebound members, and he is also the son of our beloved Session Clerk Betty Bentley, pictured second from the right with her husband John.

A week after David celebrated his 18th, it was time for another church member to reach a remarkable age milestone. Margaret Aitken, who has been a member at Carnwadric for many, many years, turned 90 today.

At worship on Sunday morning she was presented with a special cake to mark the occasion, with regular cake maker June McPhie on top form again !

But, to make the day even more special, Margaret had a special party at the church with all her friends.

As many of you know, David Bonthrone will be celebrating his 18th birthday this week, and the church got him a nice cake for the occasion.

David is having a party on Friday evening to mark his special day. He is pictured above with his friends in the Sunday J-Team - have a good one David !

I don't particularly like writing in the first person, but here goes... As most of you know, I graduated with First class honours in journalism at Glasgow Caledonian University. The graduation ceremony was held on Thursday at the Royal Concert Hall where I was 'capped' by Vice-Chancellor Pamela Gillies.

I was very fortunate to have my mum, dad, and brother Kenneth with me, but also to be joined by my nana and papa who flew over from Belfast specially to be with me on the day.

To top a great week off, June put the icing on the cake (literally !) with a very special cake for me. I also received a nice card from the church family.

The support I have received from the church, especially through prayer, has been tremendous, and it has made all the difference to my studies. A big thank you to everyone for their kind words of praise, and thoughts throughout the last four years. It is very much appreciated !

Here are a small selection of the latest pictures from the Visual Arts group, which are now being displayed prominently throughout the sanctuary.

This time the group were looking at the book of Jeremiah, and once again we are ever grateful to Londi for his drawings.

As you can see below we have the 'Golden Phone' - something which I hope to expand upon in the videos section of the site very soon !

This morning marked the end of an era for the 46th Boys Brigade company with their final parade service. Due to problems recruiting officers and helpers to help run the organisation, it was felt that it was best to disband.

That's not to take any of the shine off of the prize giving though ! There was a good turnout of boys and parents, where Captain Willie Douglas, who has served faithfully for over twenty years, and leading Anchor Boys officer Margaret Park awarded recruits prizes for different achievements during the year.

Picking up top prize for Best Boy in the Anchor Boys was Duncan McGrouther, who of course comes every Sunday as part of our J-Team, and to help mum and dad with the tea and coffee !

Whilst it is sad to lose the BB, the church is planning to start a P4-7 youth group on Thursday evenings in September, for boys and girls. In addition, it is hoped there may be a group for secondary school aged folk on a Friday night.

Thursday evening saw Mary officially welcomed at Carnwadric. Rev. Alistair Cherry led the service, with Joyce Mitchell (pictured right above) taking part too, and of course our very own Rev. Bell conducting the sermon with a Deal Or No Deal themed talk.

It was great to see such a large number through from both of the Edinburgh churches Mary was serving (always nice to see more Jambos in the church !). After the service our bakery extraordinaire June McPhie (literally !) put the icing on the cake with a lovely gift for Mary. We all look forward to a very exciting and prosperous time for Carnwadric with Mary's arrival, especially with her talents in children's work.

Today was the church's annual Christian Aid coffee morning to mark Christian Aid week, but there was an unusual twist to our normal sponsored walk !

Margo Stobbart and June McPhie (pictured above leading the pack !) decided to have a sponsored "Scoot-athon" in their electric scooters, and completed the six lap circuit around the parish with children from the J-Team doing the sponsored walk too.

The coffee morning was well attended (particularly the bakery stall !), and we hope to bring you a final total very soon. The "Scoot-athon" was declared a photo-finish, but as you can see above, we couldn't separate them at the line !

At long last here they are ! First up is an early morning snap from the Sunrise service over in the park. The sun even came out for us as we made our way back to the church afterwards.

We also had delicious cooking from regular cook June McPhie (this time trying her hand at chocolate Easter cakes !) and Miriam, who made a nan-bread like pastry for us all to have. I can confirm that both were scrumptious !

Last Sunday was Kathleen's last official day with us as a Reader in training, and she is now awaiting the green light to move onto her next placement.

As always, our excellent cook June McPhie baked a farewell cake to mark the occasion, and there was a gift and card presented to Kathleen which had been signed by the whole church family. She certainly will be missed by all, and we wish her the best of luck at her next placement.

Last Sunday saw another new face in the Carnwadric family with the baptism of Christopher McCarthy. Pictured above is Christopher with mum Phamie and dad Paul, brother Daniel and sister Shannon, and godparents Sam and Gemma.

Last Sunday saw another addition to the Carnwadric church family with the baptism of Rebecca Mutrie. She is pictured above with parents Ian and Elizabeth, and godparents Stuart and Emma. Mum Elizabeth has been coming to Carnwadric for over six months now (with gran ), and we are delighted to have them with us every Sunday.

As many of you know Matthew and Luke have been coming to J-Team for quite a while now, and are always very keen and enthusiastic. Matthew (on the right) recently decided to have his first Communion at the church, and celebrated it with his family last Sunday morning. Matthew feels his faith is growing, and both he and Luke are now trying to learn all the books of the Bible in time for Easter !

Over the course of last weekend a brand new kitchen was fitted into the church. This will be of huge benefit to both the church and also the Rainbow Care Centre. Sadly not everything went to plan, and it took a day extra to install as there was trouble with the gas pipes. This meant we had to forgo our tea and coffee after last week's service.

As you can see the photos were taken when it was almost complete, with the finishing touches still to be added. Among the new features are a dishwasher, and also a new cooker. We hope the dishwasher will help with the washing up rota !!!

Last Sunday morning saw a brand new keyboard being dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Thomson, who passed away recently. She was our eldest member at 98, and also a regular visitor to Canada where she would visit family. After our regular organist David Alexander took unwell (he is currently in Mearnskirk Nursing Home) John Young has been leading our music for worship, and doing a great job too. With his keyboard lessons, his tutor advised him to have a second keyboard, so he has one for the church and one for his home. Previously John had to carry his keyboard back and forth, which understandably can be a bit of a burden !

Today we had our usual Christmas morning celebration, which involved regular festivities such as carol singing, pass the parcel, and even getting a slice of birthday cake. Our regular cakemaker June McPhie again worked her socks off to produce a lovely sponge based cake. If you were at the watchnight service, you'll know that the snowman is a topical figure at the moment !

Here are a few photos from tonight's (or yesterday's) carol singing. The group enjoyed a dry, but rather cold night out around Arden (in case you were wondering they were all taken on a camera phone - it was hard enough carrying a carol sheet without fingers falling off !).

Many thanks to Lillias Thomson who prepared a small banquet for us halfway round the parish. Sausage rolls, chicken legs, fresh rolls... only a small part of what was on offer. We even got a Christmas cake with candles - which you can see below everyone was highly enthused about (really we were !). It was certainly great to get a heat, as well as fill our tummies.

We don't quite know what the final total is, but we'd hope that it is somewhere in the region of �100, all of which will be going to Christian Aid. A big well done to those who sang their hearts out, and to all who gave so generously.

Now, you'd be forgiven for thinking we'd only have the one nativity at the church this year, but we've actually managed to have three in the space of three days ! First up on Sunday morning was our special holiday club/J-Team nativity cast, who performed to all of the church. They were so good they were clapped out of the church ! The group is pictured above and below in their positions.

On Tuesday morning Rev. Bell spoke at Arden Primary's nativity, he was so busy he was even able to take a couple of snapshots for the site (cheers dad !).

Later on the same morning, the church was packed to the rafters with a visit from Carnwadric Primary. As an exclusive to the website, we are able to host their special video nativity, which I filmed, edited and produced myself ! (Don't I sound great ?!) I'd like to thank P5 for all their help, and of course their teacher and Rev. Bell for all their hard work scripting and coaxing people into parts.

Here are a couple of photo's from today's Christmas Party. There was an array of entertainment on show, including the J-Team carol singing, and a magician doing table tricks ! As usual there was a fantastic feast put on by our kitchen helpers and table staff.

But it looks like a fair few folk from across the community enjoyed themselves, including Santa !

The event was organised by asylum seekers in the area, and as well as dancing there was the chance to try out a variety of continental dishes.

The church's visual arts group have been very busy again, and you can now see the church is decorated for advent. Many thanks to Sadie for getting all of the Christmas trees up (sanctuary, big hall and vestibule !), in between working five nights in the Southern !

As well as the manger scene, the group were able to hang and electrify Christmas lights across the sanctuary. We plan to have only these lights on for the watchnight service - as well as using the data projector for words of the carols - will you be there ?!

Last night saw the official launch of 'Doors Open', a book which explores origins, integration, and beliefs where five Glaswegians and five 'new' Glasgwegians are in conversation with local teenagers. Carnwadric members Londi Luyeye-Beketch and Eleanor Wood have their own chapter to share their past experiences. (Londi also designed the cover !)

Sunday Herald columnist Tom Shields, who grew up in Pollok, was the guest speaker at the event, and contributors from local high schools Ross Hall and St. Paul's were present too.

A copy of the book is being sent to every high school in Scotland, and you can obtain your own personal copy from The Village Storytelling Centre, priced �2.50. I'm sure Londi and Eleanor will sign your copy too !

Last Thursday (30th November), our very own Anchor Boys' leader Margaret Park received a Tomorrow's People award in London. Husband Ronnie travelled all the way down with her, to see Margaret pick up the prize at the prestigious annual ceremony.

She was delighted and surprised to win, and her award was presented by the Countess of Wessex - Sophie the wife of Prince Edward ! The Anchor Boys were very proud of their leader, as you can see above - well done Margaret !

Last Sunday (19th) Carnwadric welcome Hollie into the church family. Grandparent Tommy is an elder at the church, and Caroline has been coming for many years too. Pictured above are proud parents Gordon and Fiona, with godfather Dale and godmother Andrea.

Last Saturday's Guild Christmas Fayre raised over �900 - up on last year's total. The final figure will be announced soon.

The Women's Guild were paid a visit by the Renfrewshire Ladies Choir last Monday at the church.

The audience was thoroughly entertained as the choir went through a number of well known favourites.

As you know, we at Carnwadric always like to be the first to innovate, and thanks to Mr. James McGrouther (who also took the excellent snaps) we are able to offer you a video of the ladies in action ! Enjoy !

Last week (16-20 October) the church hosted its October holiday club Grand Prix Winners. On average, we had over thirty school children from the surrounding area attending. They took part in a variety of fun activities, including crafts, games and activities. The week finished with a special service at church on Sunday, where no less than twenty of the children attended to receive their special certificates.

Now, you're probably wondering where all the photos are, but rather than post fifty odd photos up on the net, I've put a video online instead ! If you click on the link below, you will be able to watch the Grand Prix Winners video ! I can personally assure you it will bring a huge smile to your face !

Last Sunday (the 15th) saw the church introduce a new amplification system. Already members of the congregation have commented about how crisp and clear it is, and some elderly members have even said they don't have to use the hearing loop now !

It was made possible through two very generous donations. The first was from Duncan McIntosh, in loving memory of his son Alistair. The second was from Tommy and Jenny Stevenson, to commemorate their diamond (60th !) wedding anniversary. The church would also like to thank David Rees for his help in finding the system (on the cheap !) and setting the whole thing up.

As you can see from the photos, the visual arts group have been very busy again ! The paintings were following on from the theme of people who Jesus touched.

Londi's drawings have been hung around the church, after being painted by other members of the group. Below you can see them hard at work.

I have been reliably informed that the group are planning something 'a little bit different' for their next service later in Autumn. So watch this space !

Yesterday morning we had our harvest service, and members of the J-Team brought gifts of food in during the opening hymn. There was quite a lot of things there, but sadly most of the gifts were already on their way to the Lodging House Mission before I could get my hands on a camera ! A big thank you to everyone who contributed.

Ok, we jumped the gun a little on this one, as it's officially on Thursday... but congratulations to Tommy and Jenny Stevenson on their 60th wedding anniversary ! The happy couple have been coming to Carnwadric for years (and years !), and Tommy of course is a long serving official of Pollok Juniors, and leads us in our preparation for worship every Sunday.

They received a special cake, bouquet and a card signed by everyone from the church. Many of their friends from other churches came to celebrate with them too. Thanks to Session Clerk Betty Bentley for organising the cake and bouquet, as our regular cake maker June McPhie is still recovering from her fall, but we hope she will be back with us very soon !

Last Sunday we had a double baptism as we welcomed two new members to the church family. It was a very special service and the church was packed ! Pictured above is Josh McNicol, with proud parents Ian (first left) and Christine (second from right). Below is Kacey McMillan, with mum and dad Sharon and Scott (middle).

Yes, it's that time of year again where myself and Kenneth are hoisted up to the front of the church and go all red faced as everyone sings happy birthday to us !

However, we both expected nothing of the sort we received today. During the children's talk the Session Clerk Betty Bentley presented with a super cake, and then after the service the J Team gave us another rendition of happy birthday, as well as presenting us with specially made balloons with their own messages on them. I've actually hung them up in the living room in the manse, so if you're up during the week don't be alarmed !

A special mention must go to June McPhie and her daughter Helen. As you can see, June has been very busy with her cakes recently (see below !), but unfortunately she took a bad fall during the week and suffered very bad bruising to her leg and arm, as well as a couple of broken bones. We both went up to combine a visit and a thank you after the service ! She is still in the Victoria Infirmary, but she expects to get out sometime this week.

June had already had the base of the cake made prior to her accident, so it was left to her daughter Helen to ice it ! She did a great job, I think June now has competition !

We'd both like to thank everyone for the cards, balloons and gifts - not to mention the cake ! We were both greatly touched by everyone's kindness.

This Sunday marked David Alexander's 25th year with Carnwadric playing the organ. In that time Mr. Alexander has only missed a handful of services, and has also entertained at various church organisation parties, such as the Guild.

We all greatly appreciate his playing (in fact many of us are still amazed how well he does !) and as well as receiving a gift and card signed by the church family, our chef supremo June McPhie baked a special cake, pictured above.

Best wishes to Isobel Dillon who recently celebrated a special birthday ! We promised we wouldn't say, but as you can work out for yourself she's 21 ! She is pictured above with Session Clerk Betty Bentley.

Margo and Nessie took charge of our stall down at Pollokshaws, which was very well attended !

Apologies for the delay in getting photos up, I was away in Poland and my dad's just back from Ireland, so we missed each other. Here are the photos from the big day back in July down at Pollokshaws Hall.

I don't really have a scooby what is going on, but is looks very colourful and interesting !

Something I never thought we'd ever be able to do - but all things are possible through God ! From today on we are able to host videos of the church for free online.

This is obviously very exciting from a web perspective, as now people all over the world can share God's word through Carnwadric. Be warned the videos can take a minute to load, and longer if you have a dial up connection.

p.s. Sorry the videos have to be hosted on YouTube.com, but as tacky as it is, it's the only way we can do this for nothing ! Thank you for understanding !

This year's gift day raised a fantastic �1397.10, beating last year's on the day total. The lunch was thoroughly enjoyed by all, and quite a few lucky people went away with doggy bags too (myself included). A big thanks to all who helped out with baking, dishes and of course counting the money !

The final total will be announced in due course, but it is expected to rise again with gift aid. (Apologies for the poor photo, I was too busy eating and forgot to take some photos when people were still there !)

Congratulations to Agnes Carmichael who recently celebrated her 80th birthday ! (Surely not a day over 21 !) Many happy returns from all the church family.

Carnwadric Church made its first ever appearance at the Arden fun day yesterday afternoon. The event, organised by Glenoaks Housing Association, took place at Arden Primary and was designed to bring the community together in a friendly manner.

The afternoon was scorching, and there was a wide range of activities on offer. These included climbing, Polish food, remote control cars and also the infamous velcro wall ! MSP Johann Lamont and Councillor Michael Kernaghan were present, along with other public figures from Strathclyde Police and Fire and Rescue services.

Channel 5 house experts Colin and Justin were in appearance, filming part of their programme about making a difference in the community. They were handing out plants to locals, and plan to create some sort of outdoor garden in the future. The show is due to be shown in four hour long episodes in the autumn.

We felt we received a positive response from our stall with the video projector, which showed video clips from worship as well as last week's outing to Ayr. Some members of the church also handed out flyers, and said it was a good way to regain a presence in the Arden part of the parish.

Here are the photos from the church outing to Ayr. I think it's fair to say we all had a cracking day, as you'll be able to tell from the photos !

Church elder James McGrouther (second from left) completed the first of two sponsored cycles for charity last Sunday, riding a circuit of almost 20 miles in aid of CLIC Sargent Cancer Care. The total raised is now over �6,250 which is very impressive indeed.

James, who also prints the order of service as well as preparing the tea and biscuits on Sunday mornings, is doing another cycle later this month in aid of the Lodging House Mission.

The following article (along with the photo above) appeared in the local newspaper, the Eastwood Extra, this week, well done to all concerned !

The BB held its closing parade service on Sunday morning, and after the service there was a short prizegiving for awards gained in the Anchor Boys and Junior Section during the year. Pictured above is Captain Willie Douglas during the ceremony.

Just as John McLeod had his acceptance last month, we now have a new reader in Mrs. Kathleen Millar. She is no stranger to Carnwadric, being a member at nearby Queens Park. Below Kathleen has written a little bit about herself:

"I am delighted to have been given the opportunity of coming to Carnwadric Church to work towards my assessment for Readership.

Being brought up in a Christian family has meant that involvement in Church worship, organisations and activities have always been an important part of my life. I was ordained as an elder in 1977.

My professional life has always been in Primary Education from which I retired as an Advisor in 2004 after 38 years of unbroken service for Glasgow.

I still enjoy working part-time as a consultant with Jenny Mosley Consultancies helping schools to develop more effective communication and support systems for adults and young people alike.

I enjoy singing, theatre, reading, walking, driving, holidays and being with friends and family. The latest beautiful addition to our family, born in December 2005, is Seth who has made me a great-grandmother!

I became a member of Queens Park Church in 1989 when my husband, the late Rev. James Millar, retired from Shawlands Old Church. I am currently a member of the choir and the Christian Education Committee there.

I am looking forward to being with you and getting to know you for the next six months, which I know will be a rewarding experience for me."

(L-R) Rev. Ian Reid, Rev. Angus Kerr, John, Rev. David Lunan, Cathie McLaughlin, and Rev. Bell

Olivia Lisa was baptised on Sunday morning, and above you see her with proud parents Gordon and Suzanne, and godparents Lisa and Scott. Many of you will already know Olivia's gran Christine Gibson who is a regular member at Carnwadric, and this made the service even more special.

Carnwadric always likes to celebrate in Easter in style, and what better way to do it than at the Easter sunrise service. Despite the early rise (worship started at 6am !) everyone had the satisfaction of seeing the sun shining brightly above the trees... just after John McLeod had concluded his talk - now that was impressive timing ! We were also joined by our friends at Darnley and Thornliebank.

The visual arts group were busy again, and you can see some of their work in the photos below too.

The sanctuary even had Easter eggs, along with Londi's terrific drawings ! (Which were used as part of Rev. Bell's talk on Sunday)

As you can see from above and below, the Visual Arts Group have been very busy yet again !

This is the latest design for Easter, - a big thanks to Londi for the smashing drawings !

The church family welcomed its newest member with the baptism of Lara on Sunday morning. Proud parents Alan and Mary, and big brother Euan have been coming to Carnwadric for many years, and are pictured above with the godparents.

We are pleased to announce that the wheelchair ramp has finally been completed ! It has already been put to good use on its first Sunday - as it has enabled wheelchair users to join us in the big hall for tea and coffee after the service, where previously it had to be brought to them down in the vestibule.

Come rain or shine (or snow as was the case) we always worship every Sunday at Carnwadric ! Because of the heavy overnight snow, it made it a lot harder for the congregation to get down (especially as the bus wasn't on !) but a fair amount still managed.

As you can see from above, the snow didn't stop anyone from having fun either ! Our Session Clerk was more than happy to pick a snowball fight with Elias and Rajini ! (Guess who won !) Lastly a special thanks to James and Duncan McGrouther for clearing the paths.

Rev. Bell and John Young attended the annual UPA conference at Carberry last week. Here are a couple of photos from the event which was spearheaded by Martin Johnstone. Last year we led the conference in worship with visual arts through Carol Marples. (Apologies I can't tell you much more, haven't spoken to them about it yet !)

As last Sunday was Communion, we never had a proper chance to celebrate Anne's birthday ! So, June McPhie made another of her delicious cakes to celebrate the occasion. I can personally confirm it was scrumptious, and there was barely any left for Anne to take home !

J Team leaders Sandra and Margo took a creative arts session with the Guild on Monday evening. Sandra gave a brief reflection on spring time and Margo showed the ladies how to make pasta tree pictures. Everyone had a go, and Alec Campbell from the Men's Fellowship judged the "entries", and prizes were given to the best three. For more details of the current Guild schedule, go to Coming Up.

As you can see from above, there has been some considerable progress on the wheelchair ramp this week. We are hoping that the ramp will be fully completed for this coming Sunday (05/03), although that is only if the weather holds out. And yes I am dying for a test run down it !

Happy birthday to Anne O'Hare who celebrated her 21st birthday today ! As many of you know, Ann makes cards on request for many of the congregation, with all proceeds going to help Cancer Research. We tried our best to make our own home made card for Ann... even if it wasn't quite up to standard ! Many happy returns !

And the below photo shows that workmen don't just cause diversions and read the Sun !

Rev. Bell was invited along to the grand opening of the houses in Arden today. Top housing celebs Justin Ryan and Colin McAllister (I have no idea who they are, but apparently they have a housing show on Channel 5) were on hand to cut the ribbon. Believe it or not, but both guys are actually from Arden !

The houses are situated on Kilmuir Road, Kilvaxter Drive and Kyleakin Road, about ten minutes walking from the church. Also present at the star studded line up was MSP Johann Lamont, local councillor Michael Kernaghan and a Channel 5 TV crew ! Watch out, Arden could be on the box !. Rev. Bell would like to add the sandwiches were very nice.

As you can see from the photo above, work has now (finally !) started on the disabled access ramp, which will link the main path to the main hall. Although we currently have portable wheelchair ramps, it does not support motorised scooters. With the work expected to be complete by the end of February we'll hopefully have photos up of the new ramp in all its glory !