Divide and plant
February is one of my favourite months, the last of the winter, and a month of promise. The vision of snowdrops in my back garden reminds me that despite new life struggling to get established, spring is imminent.
Snowdrops vary greatly in size, colour and shape, but if too many propagate in one place, the overcrowding causes numbers to reduce. Divide and plant is the best way to secure an increase – a bit like the Christian church (which has sometimes been better at one than the other).
The best way to spread the Good News of Jesus and to flourish is by replanting, spreading out into new places with new ideas. For that we need patience as bedding-in takes time for plants as well as for people.
We pray this year that we’ll have the courage to progress the work of growth where God is calling us to serve.
“God will meet you where you are in order to take you where He wants you to go" — Tony Evans
Rae Lind
National Vice Convener - South Area
Peace
This month we are launching a series of worship resources that have been compiled by Guild members and friends. These focus on a particular issue and we begin with peace. This also allows us to walk alongside our Moderator, the Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, who has been taking part in an ecumenical pilgrimage of peace to South Sudan. Please pray for the situation in South Sudan, asking for God's healing presence to be in that situation.
We are grateful to our National Convener, Helen Eckford, for writing the peace resource which we hope you find thought provoking and helpful and you can keep to use both now and in the future. This new resource complements the 'Help I'm Leading Worship' resource that is available on the Guild website.
You can download the worship resource below or get a paper copy by emailing the Guild office: guild@churchofscotland.org.uk
Download the peace worship resource
Chocolate Heaven
If you are anything like our General Secretary then this is great news! The chocolate from our partner Chocolate Heaven has arrived and is available for purchase. It costs £2.50 per bar or £10 for a mixed pack of four plus postage and packaging. We don't yet have any raisin flavour but all of the others are available. You can order yours by following the link below. Not only does it taste good but the money goes directly to those who make it.
Order your chocolate, email the guild office: guild@churchofscotland.org.uk
Birthday celebrations
We are delighted to share these wonderful photos from Houston and Killellan Kirk Guild. Both Marion (110) and Marjorie (100) celebrated their birthdays in style with letters from the King and a party at the nursing home they now share. We are very proud of our two very special ladies who have given so much of their time and talents to the Church and the Guild over the years.
New Wine, New Wineskins theme and discussion guide
We are excited that our new Theme and Discussion Guide is now available and a paper copy has been sent out to each Guild. This is an invaluable resource if you are helping to lead a Guild meeting or are looking for new ideas. We hope that you enjoy using it.
Young Adults Guild
It was great to have 20 young people take part in the launch meeting of the Young Adults Guild. It was so encouraging to have so many folk at the first meeting and they are hoping even more will join them on 1 March when a speaker from our Guild partner Starchild will join them.
Please do promote the Young Adult Guild locally, Why not download the poster and pop it up on your church's notice board?
Download and print the YAG poster
Ness Bank Church Guild - 1932-2022
Pictured above is Ness Bank Church Guild celebrating their 90th anniversary celebrations on 20 September last year.
Congratulations to all!
Sanitiser in the Saharah
Margaret Boe from Craiglockhart Guild in Edinburgh shared this great photo of her Australian companions appreciating the use of her Guild hand sanitiser and hearing the Guild's story as they stopped for lunch in the home of an Amazigh local while on tour in the Moroccan Sahara Desert. How far has your sanitiser travelled, we wonder?
Celebrating service at Tranent Parish Church
Tranent Parish Church Guild recently held their Dedication Service and celebrated the long service of their members. Many congratulations to these ladies who have between them 432 years' service .
Hymn for the month
Our hymn for this month is 'Make Me A Channel Of Your Peace'. It links with our new monthly worship as well as helping us to focus on the pilgrimage for peace to South Sudan.
We hope you enjoy this version by Susan Boyle.
Monday memory
Today's Monday memory image takes us back to one of our Guild events in Orkney in 2016.
We hope there will be an upcoming Guild event you can visit near you:
Ayrshire, Wednesday 12 April, 10.30am – 3.30pm, Howard Centre, Kilmarnock
South of Scotland, Thursday 13 April, 11am – 3.30pm, Castle Douglas Parish Church
West of Scotland, Saturday 22 April, 12.30pm – 4pm, Springburn Parish Church
Moray Firth, Wednesday 26 April, 2-30pm – 4pm, St Ninian’s Church, Nairn
Western Isles, Saturday 28 April, 10am – 12.30pm, St Columba’s Hall, Stornoway
Fife, Monday 12 June, 11am – 3pm, Linktown Church, Kirkcaldy
Perth /Stirling, Tuesday 13 June, 12.30pm – 4pm, Auchterarder Church Centre
Angus, Wednesday 14 June, 11am – 3pm, East and Old Church, Forfar
North East, Thursday 15 June, 10.30am – 3.30pm, Acorn Centre, Inverurie
Pray this month
Week beginning 6 February: for peace in areas of conflict, for peace in our communities and for peace in our hearts.
Week beginning 13 February: for love, remembering those who feel unloved or marginalised, for children struggling to find loving family, for those who are lonely and for love shared between Guild members.
Week beginning 20 February: for joy to permeate every fibre of our being, deep lasting joy that comes from God.
Week beginning 27 February: for strength when we are feeling weak, for strength to stand up for what is right, for strength to change even it terrifies us.
AIM AND PURPOSE
The Guild at Fetteresso is a movement within the Church of Scotland nationally which invites and encourages both women and men to commit their lives to Jesus Christ and enables them to express their faith in worship, prayer and action.
Our Guild has a leadership team who coordinate the various aspects of the Guild.
Every three years a strategy with three annual themes is decided by the Guild. The Guild also decides on a discussion topic every year. See below for the current theme, topic and strategy.
Annual themes were introduced to encourage Guilds to plan their programmes more effectively. These resources were introduced in the 1950s to give a focus for Guilds but are sufficiently broad to allow for imaginative planning.
Topics offer a chance to explore a particular issue of current concern, possibly leading to some local action.