The Guild

The Guild of St Mary's-Greyfriars' Church is open to men and women who want to join in the fellowship of sharing God's word within a warm and friendly group. The theme for our 2007-08 session is "Let's Live: Body, Mind and Soul".

More details about the Guild can be found here.

St Mary's-Greyfriars' Guild met on February 3 and the meeting was opened with "Man has a soul, a human spirit and a physical body. God has a divine soul, a holy spirit and a physical body through Jesus Christ". "Will you come and follow me" was sung followed by Rosalind Fraser reading 1 Peter 1:3-9, a living hope. Prayer followed.

Business concluded, the evening took the form of the members being involved in the entertainment. "Round Robin" stories involved the convener giving a one-line introduction and the members took turns to add to the stories through humour and any other means that suited the topic. There were a lot of happy interludes when "I remember" was involved in the story telling. The inhouse entertainment provided an interesting if different kind of Guild meeting. Closing hymn was 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty', followed by a Blessing including the words, 'Just as the seasons need the element of change, we need you in our ever changing lives. Lord for this we are truly blessed.

The Guild met on February 17, with 'Help us to know your love deep in our hearts and enable that love to flow from us to those with whom we are in contact'. 'Let us build a house where prophets speak' was sung and Lorna White read from 'Luke 10 vs 38 - 41, Jesus visits Martha. Prayer followed.

Five members had visited St George's Guild on February 3 and had reported having a great evening. The topic was the twinning of a Presbyterian Congregation in Zambia with the Congregations of Dunscore, Moniaive and Glencairn. Between 2007-2008 there has been visits to Zambia and a visit from the Zambians to these parishes. The groups are learning how to work together. The wealth of the local Congregations in the aforementioned churches allows them to give practical help to the congregation of 500 in Zambia. 200 children attend Sunday School. The fundraising has enabled a bore-hole to be created giving clean water, a school to be built, computers bought, a mini bus bought, instruments for their own band. The Zambian Army are giving tuition to the band. The locals dug trenches, made bricks and constructed the school themselves within their own community. Street children come to the school and are given food and fellowship wherever there is the greatest need. If families have money to buy a bag of rice they share what they have with their neighbours. Local ladies give help to those who are suffering from HIV/Aids.

All money raised within our local Congregations is put into the World Mission Fund at 121 George Street in Edinburgh. The full amount raised is transferred to the Zambian Congregation's bank account which allows those involved in running the Church there full autonomy over any income they are fortunate enough to receive. Anyone wishing to donate to this wonderful twinning should contact the Rev Christine Sime.

Nine members visited Mouswald Guild on February 11 and had a lovely time singing along with the Village Singers from Eaglesfield. Fellowship and supper at both meetings was superb as always. Members were asked to help out at the Guild Coffee Morning on March 7 in whatever way they could. This is the annual fund raising event for the Guild.

The Presbyterial Council will hold the Annual Spring Rally in Maxwelltown West Church on March 11 at 7.30pm. Members were encouraged to attend this meeting and support their Guild. A proposed theatre trip and supper for May 5 was agreed on with names being taken.

The annual Guild summer outing was discussed and suggestions sought for the next meeting. The speaker for the evening was Colin Powell from The Eden House which is the children's wing of The Eden Valley Hospice in Carlisle. He gave a powerpoint presentation on the Hospice accompanied by an informative talk. Rosalind Fraser gave the vote of thanks. Closing hymn was 'Think of a world without any flowers' which was followed by a Blessing.

Our meeting on November 4 was superb with more than 100 people in attendance from other Guilds and members of the public who wanted to hear our speaker. We shared the meeting with Troqueer Church Guild and Helen Teenan co-hosted with me. Helen knew the speaker personally and so it was appropriate that she introduced May Nicholson, who had travelled from Paisley to speak.

May founded the Preshal Trust in Govan, Glasgow, and told stories of her own troubles in life and how she has overcame them. She was brought up in Ferguslie Park in Paisley, in a family of 13 in a tenement building. At 15, she started to drink cheap wine with her friends and before long she was an alcoholic. May was often in trouble with the police, ending up in a mental hospital. When she was released the first thing she did was to go and get a bottle of cheap wine and get drunk.

Her mother gave her money to go and stay in the Channel Islands in the hope that would help her to recover her life, but she became involved in crime there. She settled in Blackpool and was sleeping rough when she phoned her mother asking for help. Her mother sent her money to get home to Paisley and greeted her with a roast dinner in the oven. May told the group that she felt like the Prodigal Son. Her mother told her she hated her sins but loved the sinner. However, May fell back into her old ways, until she attended a church meeting and a man prayed for her, saying: “Lord, we can all see she is filthy, touch her and clean her.”

Twenty-six years later, May has never touched another drop of alcohol and has devoted her life to working to help others in desperate need. She founded the trust, which is devoted to helping people in poverty, drug and alcohol addiction, low literacy and numeracy levels, depression and low self-esteem. May gave a wonderful account of her life story and brought with her many things for sale made by prisoners in Cornton Vale plus a book on her life, Miracles from Mayhem. A retiral collection of £222 was donated to May for her work.

On November 18, we were again thrilled to have more than 100 people in attendance. I co-hosted this meeting with Mary McLeod, convener at Maxwelltown West Guild. I held aloft a blue rose as I read: “There is so much beauty in this wondrous blue rose, if only we could capture it within our very souls. If we could take its beauty and apply the glow within, search a little deeper in the soul beneath our skin. Take what it stands for and shed its love abroad, don’t hide the glow within you, but share the love of God. You know you can’t touch beauty without it rubbing off on you, and spreading it to others in the kindness that you do. There lies within each one of us, the beauty like this rose, when it’s used in touching others, then its beauty overflows.”

Mary McLeod announced our entertainment for our social evening. The Annan Singers are well known for the wonderful entertainment they provide and they did not disappoint.

Christmas dinner is in the Woodlands Hotel on December 16 – 7pm for dining at 7.30pm. Donations in an envelope will be collected in aid of Guild charities.

Catherine Nicholson, convener

St Mary’s-Greyfriars’ Guild opening meeting was held on October 7. Part of the Guild theme, Body, Soul and Spirit, was explored in Reflections on the Soul. Members contributed in song, poetry, music and shared experiences, much to the enjoyment of all present. Guild members are a resourceful group and it was no surprise to see how much talent we have amongst us. On October 21, guest speaker was Brian McBride, area rep for Mission Aviation Fellowship, or MAF. It is a Christian charity that uses light planes to take aid to some of the world’s most remote places. While of course they need money to function, they also need prayerful support. Please remember them in your prayers. Our Guild meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 7.30pm in the church hall, and everyone is welcome to come along.

The Guild are delighted to welcome May Nicholson from the Preshal Trust on November 4. May’s story was recently featured in Life and Work. We are co-hosting that evening with Troqueer Guild who have invited all Guilds in the Presbytery to come along and hear this wonderful lady speaking. All are welcome to come and join us. A buffet supper will be served and donations will be welcome for the Preshal Trust and Guild charities. Kings Bookshop will also be in attendance.

On November 18 we are having our social evening in Guild week. The entertainment will be The Annan Singers who are regulars at making an evening go with a swing. They are a large group whose music appeals to all ages and we welcome any visitors to come along and enjoy the evening with us. That evening will be co-hosted with Maxwelltown West Guild. All Guilds in the Presbytery have been invited to come along and join us and a buffet supper will be served. Donations will be welcome in support of Guild charities. Kings will be in attendance again and the Guild will also have a sales table – please bring something to sell.

Catherine Nicholson, convener