Strathkinness Parish Church

Strathkirk Blogspot

2010-11-04T10:59:00.000Z

This blogspot is out of date but cannot be taken down
Please go to www.strathkirk.com

Strathkinness Church Web Site

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The web site for Strathkinness Church is:

www.strathkirk.com

Please note that this blogspot is obsolete and out of date.

We are unable to reach the original author to get it taken down.

2007-12-31T22:13:00.000Z

Welcome

Strathkinness Parish Church is to be found in the very centre of the village of Strathkinness. Being a parish church it exists to serve not just its own members but the whole community. This openness reflects the very nature of our congregational life as its worship and mid-week activities are open to all. Even our monthly church magazine is called Kirk and Community.

Central to our congregational life is our Sunday worship at 11.30 am. This enables all who wish to come together to praise God, through Jesus Christ, to find encouragement for their faith and strength for the days ahead. A warm Christian fellowship surrounds all we do.

Our congregation is part of the Church of Scotland and the local Presbytery of St Andrews. Currently, Strathkinness is linked with Hope Park Church in St Andrews and it enjoys good relations with it.

The congregation exists to bear witness to the love and the power of the Risen Christ in our world and in our lives. You are welcome to join us. You are guaranteed a warm welcome.

Photo Gallery

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Kirk & Community

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If you have not got your copy of Kirk & Community you can now download it as a pdf file. You can print it out if you want using both sides of the paper (select Print Odd Pages. then turn the stack over and put it through again to Print Even Pages) You can also click on the links that are there.

To download the current issue click here

To download last month's issue click here

What's On:

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Strathkinness Church Notices
November 2009

Welcome! We warmly welcome everyone to our service on Sundays at 11.30 am, especially any who are visitors.

Boxes of toys for Blythswood Care may be brought to the family service on 22nd November.

Hope Park Church Challenge. We are looking for at least eight of the various organisations and groups in the Church to enter a team for this lighthearted event. A team of six is required. Although this is a Hope Park event, it would be nice if a team from ~Strathkinness was entered. Details available from Derek Gray (474668)

'An Audience with...' Hope Park's Building Faith & Fellowship Group very warmly invites you to attend a series of events being held in The Scores Hotel, St Andrfews. The first of these will be held on Tuesday 3rd November 7.30 to 9.30 pm, when The Very Rev Andrew McLellan, a former Moderator of the Church of Scotland and recently retired Her Majesty's Inspector of Scottish Prisons, will speak about his work, his life and his faith for about 20 minutes. A chair person will question for about 20 minutes and after tea and coffee the meeting will be thrown open for questions or comments from the floor. These events are open to all, so do bring along friends as well.

Alastair McDonald in Concert. Tickets are available for the Concert in Hope Park on Friday 27th November at 7.30 pm. This will be advertised throughout the area and a large audience is expected for this well known Folksinger, Entertainer and Broadcaster. Tickets cost £5 which also covers the cost of a glass of wine, soft drinks and nibbles.

Befriending and Hospitality. Would you be willing to offer a meal to a couple of international students some time between now and Christmas? The Chaplaincy has received an extra batch of requests from students keen to meet local people and experience British culture. This is a lovely way of showing Christ's care very practically and is hugely appreciated. If you can help, please contact Audrey Salters - tel: 473198.

World Mission are collecting used stamps to raise money to help the Roma people of the Czech Republic. Please put any that you have in the box in the vestibule. Please leave a border on them.

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History:

The church was involved in the first written mention of Strathkinness when in 1144 Bishop Robert gave “Lands of Strathkinness” to the St. Andrews Priory and later when Archbishop Sharp was murdered at nearby Magus Muir. Eventually the Protestant cause dominated with Strathkinness part of the parish of St. Andrews and St. Leonard’s. Though attempts were made to establish a church in Strathkinness, most foundered through lack of money or support. Following the Disruption of 1843 the Free Church established itself and the parishioners built their church on Main Street.

In 1860 the parish was finally separated from St. Andrews and the present Strathkinness Parish Church was built. Two churches survived until national union took place in 1929 though the canny free kirkers waited until the parish minister retired in 1935 before they gave up their separate worship.

Strathkinness church has recently shared its minister with Dairsie and Kemback but in 2005 became linked only with Hope Park Church, St. Andrews. Our new hall, completed in 1995 at a cost of £100,000 and more recent refurbishments, indicate our confidence to go forward under the leadership of Rev. David Arnott and continue to serve the spiritual needs of Strathkinness.

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Activities

Strathkinness Guild
The final meeting of the Guild was held in April 2009. The decision to close was regretfully taken due to lack of support.

Friendship Club
The Friendship club is not a church organisation and its participants need not be church members. The church provides the use of its hall so that senior villagers can meet for recreation and tea. It has been found that the club appeals to ladies but all are welcome on Tuesday afternoons from 2 till 4pm.
Phone Ethel Mudie at 01334 850295 or Elizabeth Lawson at 01334 850553.

Kirk and Community
The church publishes a monthly news sheet which is distributed to all houses in the village and some beyond. Its aim, as the title suggests is to provide information and news of all village activities and contributions of material are invited. The news sheet is prepared by S & E Lawson, 15 Bonfield Road, Strathkinness. 01334 850553.

Youth Club
The Church hall basement room have been set aside for the exclusive use of Strathkinness Youth Club who operate with support from Fife Council under their own management committee. For information about the Youth Club and other activities you can consult the community web site at
http://www.strathkinnesscommunity.co.uk/

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Contact Details

Minister
Rev David Arnott MA BD
01334 472912
adka@arnotts.wanadoo.co.uk

Session Clerk
Mr Sandy Lawson
01334 850553
postmaster@sandylove.plus.com

Hall Lets
Mrs Elizabeth Lawson
01334 850533
postmaster@sandylove.plus.com

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Contact Directions

The roads from Cupar (A91) and Dundee(A919) join in Guardbridge. Head for St Andrews and take the first road on the right up the hill. Once in the village, the church is situated in Church Road, second left as you go down Main Street. The War Memorial is to be found at the corner of Church Road

Alternatively take the (B940) from Cupar and follow the signs for the village and St Andrews

From St Andrews take the Strathkinness 'Low Road' (B939).

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Services

Sundays at 11.30 am. Worship at Strathkinness is characterised by a dignified informality. Using the full range of the Church of Scotland hymnary, (CH4), and visual aids as appropriate, the service usually last about 45 minutes, children and young people are especially welcome.

The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is celebrated during the service on the first Sunday of February and October, during Advent, Holy Week and at Easter.

Enquiries for weddings or baptisms should be directed to the minister.

The Jesus Prayer

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The Jesus prayer is a very short, very simple prayer. Yet it can be a key to unlocking a spiritual doorway that leads us to pray from the heart, rather than from the mind.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

The words of the Jesus prayer fall into two halves. The first half expresses the core truth of our faith in Jesus Christ, that he is the incarnate Son of the Creator God, and that we ascribe to Him Lordship of ourselves. The second half sums up the wonder of God's love, that though we are sinners, yet He has mercy upon us and forgives us. The twelve words the prayer leads us into a balanced expression of both praise and thanksgiving to our Lord, yet also into penitence and confession, seeking his forgiveness and mercy.

Prayer for Peace

2006-01-01T13:04:00.000Z

The world prayer for peace comes from the Vancouver Assembly of the World Council of Churches :

For peace in your country
For the victims of violence everywhere
For those struggling for peace and justice
For churches in conflict situations
For a world without war and violence
Lead me from death to life, from falsehood to truth,
Lead me from despair to hope,from fear to trust.
Lead me from hate to love, from war to peace,
Let peace fill our beings, our world and our universe.
Amen

Prayers for Children

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Below are some prayers for children. However, you might like to mix these with encouraging children to pray themselves - since they may feel less self-conscious than adults when praying aloud. This also enables them to pray for what they want to pray, rather than reciting a list of prayers. Some books of childrens' prayers use complex language, and some even rhyme! The prayers below are deliberately uncomplicated. This gives children a better pattern for their own prayers.

Dear God,
We are sorry for doing wrong things.
Please forgive us.
Help us to forgive those who are unkind to us.
Amen.

Father God,
As I turn off the light, please be with me.
Help me to get to sleep,
and please give me good dreams.
Amen.

Lord Jesus,
Thank you for my friends,
and for the games and fun that we share.
Please help me to be a good friend to them.
Amen.

Father God,
Thank you for my family :
and not only for those I live with,
but grandparents, uncles, aunties and cousins.
Please be with them today.
Amen.

Lord, Help me to notice people who need my help.
Children who are alone without friends,
My parents or teachers, when they need a hand.
Amen.

Lord Jesus,
I know that I am your special child,
and that you love me.
Other children don't know you.
Please may they come to know your love.
I particularly pray for _____ and _____. Amen.

God, you are great.
You made the world and it's good.
Thank you for making it so beautiful,
and we are sorry that we have spoiled it.
Amen.

Dear Jesus,
Please help me at school.
Sometimes I find it hard,
and it's at those times I specially need your help.
I know you are with us always.
Amen.

You might also want to encourage them to use the Lord's Prayer, to join with Christians from all over the world in praying the prayer that Jesus taught us. There are also a number of mealtime prayers, or graces which are great fun for kids to join in.

Prayers at Mealtime

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Just as we pray in the Lord's Prayer "Give us today our daily bread," it is good to give thanks to God for His provision to us. Whilst this may often happen at family meals on more formal occasions, such as Christmas, perhaps we need to remember to say grace, or mealtime prayers, on a daily basis. This can be an easy way for the whole family to join in, and for those as young as four or so to lead a very simple prayer. Below there are a number of simple dinner prayers you might like to use.

For food in a world where many walk in hunger
For friends in a world where many walk alone
For faith in a world where many walk in fear
We give you thanks, O Lord. Amen.
(Anglican Church of Canada,)

Thank you for the world so sweet,
Thank you for the food we eat,
Thank you for the birds that sing,
Thank you God for everything. Amen.

God our Father,
God our Father,
Who gives all,
who gives all,
Thank you for this dinner,
Thank you for this dinner,
Amen. Amen.
(to the tune of Frere Jacques)

Dear Jesus:
Thank you for this food.
Bless us all and keep us from harm.
Guide and direct us, through all our days.
Amen!

Loving Father, we thank you for this food,
And for all your blessings to us.
Lord Jesus, come and be our guest,
And take your place at this table.
Holy Spirit, as this food feeds our bodies,
So we pray you would nourish our souls.
Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ,
As you blessed many with the five loaves and the two fishes,
may we too, know your blessing as we share this food,
your peace in our hearts, and your love in our lives.
Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ,
Friend of sinners,
we thank you for friendship,
Prince of peace, we ask you that we may be peacemakers.
Lord of all, we thank you for this food.
Bless it to our bodies, we pray.
Amen.

Bless, O Lord, this food for thy use,
and make us ever mindful of the wants and needs of others.
Amen

Lord,
Bless this bunch,
while we much our lunch. Amen.

The Serenity Prayer

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No-one is totally sure who wrote the serenity prayer, although Reinhold Niebuhr is often credited with it. However, some link it with Friedrich Oetinger, an 18th century theologian, whilst others attribute the serenity prayer to the Roman philosopher Boethius, living in the early part of the sixth century.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
Amen.

The Prayer of St Francis

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Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

St. Francis was born at Assisi in 1182. After a care free youth, he turned his back on inherited wealth and committed himself to God. Like many early saints, he lived a very simple life of poverty, and in so doing, gained a reputation of being the friend of animals. He established the rule of St Francis, which exists today as the Order of St. Francis, or the Franciscans. He died in 1226, aged 44.

The Lord's Prayer

2006-01-01T12:47:00.000Z

The Lord's Prayer is the model of prayer that Jesus taught us, as recorded in the gospels of Matthew and Luke

It is presented here in modern language:

Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name.
Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours.
Now and for ever.
Amen

and in traditional language:

Our Father, who art in heaven,hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. for ever and ever.
Amen.

The Lords prayer, or the "our Father prayer" is prayed daily by thousands of Christians, and can be seen both as a model for prayer, and as to be repeated as part of our daily prayer.It starts by addressing God as our Father in heaven, that although His name is honoured, and above all other names, we are His children. As such, we occupy a place of privilege, and He wants us to spend time in prayer with Him. The Lords prayer then moves on to pray that God's Kingdom, or rule, will become the norm on earth, replacing human rules and governments, which too often are driven by greed and power. Only then do we turn to our own needs, and ask our Father for our basic human needs to be satisfied, and that He would forgive the wrong things that we have done. We ask for God's guidance and protection as we journey through life. Finally we turn back to God, and acknowledge His supremacy and position as the Almighty ruler.

Prayer

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Prayers to Pray:

The Lords Prayer
The Jesus Prayer
The Prayer of St.Francis
The Serenity Prayer
Prayers at mealtimes
Prayers for children
Prayer for Peace

Make a prayer request

What is Prayer?

Prayer is communication between a Father and His children. In one sense, that is all there is to it. When prayer seems difficult, and we feel unworthy of asking the Almighty Creator God to answer our seemingly mundane requests, we would do well to remember that Fathers want to talk with their children; and most parents will tell you that the communication is much more important than the topic.

With God, however, prayer is not limited by words, but it is a touching of our spirit, with the Holy Spirit of God, that leads us into relationship with the Father. This means that we don't need to put into words, but can simply open our heartfelt thoughts and emotions to our Father God. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. We need not fear Him, but can know that God loves us with a greater depth and intensity than any human being is capable of.

Why should we pray? Prayer brings the power of God to bear on the situations that we are concerned about. Prayer is one of the ways that God is able to work in our lives and in the lives of others, and it opens new possibilities.