St Serf's News and Events

Rector’s Letter

Dear Friends,
It was a joy to bring something as positive as the ideas flowing from the Casting the Net programme to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity services at Aberdour and Inverkeithing. The shift in the management of the Diocese so that the focus is on the local churches to enable mission initiatives appropriate to their culture and setting is going to make a huge difference. That is if we in the local churches are ready to think about what those initiatives might be and what we might need from the Diocese in the way of resources and support.
In preparation for the work we will be doing in the ABI Group by Easter each of the churches will have used the ‘Mission Shaped Spirituality’ book either as a course of study or for private reading. I hope that it will be possible to work with the Diocesan facilitators soon after that to look at our mission opportunities and support needs. We have two Casting the Net Liaison Officers for the ABI Group, Marjorie Smith at St Peter’s and Sarah MacMillan for St Serf’s and St Columba’s. They are the channel for information from the CTN Action Group. Sarah has just joined me as a member of the CTN Action Group, taking over from Ian Harper who was in at the beginning of it. In addition Sarah and I will be part of the team of Diocesan Facilitators and I am currently involved in two of the pilot consultations, at Forfar and Kinross. By the time we roll out the full programme after Easter we should have ironed out most of the glitches.
As we enter the season of Lent then, we should be thinking about what it means for us to obey Christ’s command to go with him and be fishers of people.

Yours in Christ
Val Nellist

Rector’s Letter

Dear Friends,
Those of you who have seen us since we returned from Nepal will know that we are still feeling overwhelmed by the experience of visiting Ghunsa school and health post. The two of us were visitors there on the day the men of the community began the construction of their new health post and we were welcomed as VIPs with garlands and khata scarves. As trekkers linked with Community Action Nepal whose project it is, Robert and I had the privilege of representing the charity; something we had certainly not expected to be doing.
So Christmas came early for us and I am not being flippant in saying that. We were part of the joy of a whole community at receiving something they had longed and worked for over many years. There were excited and expectant children as well as their parents and grandparents, there were decorations and speeches but most of all it was the culmination of a series of acts of love and care for that community. Tej Tamang our guide throughout the trek and a local director of Community Action Nepal had a lifelong ambition to bring education and healthcare to the hill villages. Now he is seeing that ambition realised in places across the country. Fund raisers in Britain with a love for the Nepali people are seeing the amazing results of their efforts; much improved health among people where tuberculosis was endemic and excellent results in the field of education which have recently carried some of the young people through into further and higher education. This is indeed good news in a land so recently subject to the violence of Maoist insurgency and military retaliation. I ask your prayers for continuing stability and peace in Nepal, and for the small Christian church in Ghunsa.
Yours in Christ
Val Nellist

Preparing the ground for the new health post.

The old health post in part of the school with the two nurses and their helper.

Ghunsa with the blue roof of the school building.

Rector’s Letter

Dear Friends,

Because I have not been booking church meeting dates for late October and early November a good number of you will know that I shall be away in Nepal then. Indeed people have started chanting back to me, “I shall be in Kathmandu”; it’s getting embarrassing! However, there it is, our son and his wife have been travelling around the world all year and they were keen that we should meet up with them at some point so Kathmandu it is. They are making a major twenty five day trek through the Everest region including, if the conditions are right, the ascent of Lobuche East and Imja Tse (Island Peak). We will be trekking too but for twelve days at a lower level in the Solu region. I am sure it will be no less interesting as we will be off the main tourist trail and will visit the monastery at Thubten Choling, the Dudh Kund glacier lake holy to Hindus and Buddhists; then descend to visit village schools and health posts at Ghunsa and Lapcha. These last were instituted and are supported by Community Action Nepal, an organisation based in Kathmandu but formed when the mountaineer Doug Scott and friends saw the poverty of the people from the middle hill regions of Nepal. Whilst the Sherpas of the high Himalaya have gained much from their prominent role in high level expedition work, the men and women who do most of the vital load carrying at lower levels have little recognition. The two schools we will be visiting have been very successful, so much so that the next stage of development is beginning; vocational training so that youngsters can set up in local trades and small businesses and not be lost to the community through the attractions of life in Kathmandu. We will be able to tell you more about it when we return.

Meanwhile the services in the ABI Group and the pastoral care will be covered for the period I am away: 15th October till 14th November. The Revd Malcolm Richardson will be joining the Revd Jean Cook and the lay worship leaders to provide Sunday cover whilst Jean and the Revd Tim Bennison will do two each of the Tuesday services.

Yours in Christ

Val Nellist

Glenalmond Youth Week 09

The SEC Provincial Youth Network’s youth week for youngsters from all over Scotland is hosted at Glenalmond College where the delegates stay in the accommodation for a week and do various activities.  There are morning workshops, afternoon activities and evening entertainment which includes a Ceilidh, a disco, a quiz, a murder mystery. In house-groups we talk about different readings from the bible and issues concerning the world. The food was this year, as ever, very good. There is a good mix of different types so there is something to suit everyone. This week would not be possible without the leaders who dedicate a lot of time before and during the camp to organise these great activities. A special big thanks to the vestry and congregation for sponsoring me to get away and have such a great time with like minded youngsters.
Stuart Baynham