Linklines 26.06.09

Fun with flour

A successful night was held at a unique “church” evening when three guest chefs were invited to do a cookery demonstration at Emmanuel Christian Fellowship. It was an enjoyable evening where approximately 40 ladies were shown how to make wonderful bannocks by Gemma Ball, delicious meringues by Cathy Cowie and very tasty meatballs by Christine Tonge (who kindly stood in when one of the guest chefs was taken unwell that afternoon).

Each dish was tasted and then voted on by the ladies holding a choice of three signs in the air, “absolutely love it”, “Yes” or a smiling Garfield. Everyone enjoyed the fun and fellowship and exchanging recipes.

Lay training

Three people from the Episcopal Churches in Shetland are embarking upon an intensive period of study which will culminate in their being commissioned by the Bishop as lay readers within the diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney. Rodney Jamieson of St Magnus Church in Lerwick and Alma Lewis and Bill Underwood of St Colman’s Church in Burravoe, Yell, are looking forward to their studies and practical training which commences in September. This is the first time within the Episcopal community that the combination of distance learning, video-conferencing and residential courses will be used as part of the formation of lay leaders of worship. All three are excited by the prospect of building relationships with fellow students.

Alma Lewis said: “Within our church there are broad differences in churchmanship and worship styles. We tend to only experience these differences when we go away on holiday, but part of our training will encourage us to step out of our ‘comfort zones’ and be open to all manner of different worship experiences.”

Yell praise

The praise evening (an ever-popular sankey night) held in the West Yell Church on June 7th was a time of thanksgiving, though also tinged with sadness. It was the last such event to be held there as the church is about to close. The local congregation intend to hold a closing service before the building is sold.

Praise evenings commenced in Yell in July 1998 following an Alpha Course. Taking place on the first Sunday of the month, they have been well supported. Informal in nature, they have drawn people from many areas on the isle, irrespective of denomination.

During the past 11 years most of the meetings have taken place in the West Yell Church where the first one was held, but occasionally they have been planned for the various community halls in Yell from Cullivoe to Ulsta.

Charitable organisations have benefited from the generous freewill offerings taken at the meetings. Donations have been made to Shetland Aid, British Heart Foundation and Mission Aviation Fellowship and many others, both local and international. Altogether, a total of over £5,000 has been given.

Now much prayer will be needed for the future of the praise evenings in Yell.

Work to begin

Sunday 28th June will mark the last service in the church building at St Magnus Episcopal Church while the repairs to the roof, tower and windows are carried out.

After many years of striving to raise the required £550,000+ for the wide-ranging works needed to make the building rainproof and safe and to clean, remount and protect the priceless stained-glass windows, the end is in sight. From Sunday 5th July the congregation will be meeting in the church hall next door to the church on Greenfield Place and the Sunday School will meet in the rectory.

The works are expected to take about six months. Members of the church would like to thank all who have worked so hard to support them and raise the monies needed to keep this peerie kirk open.

Methodist conference

Shetland’s representatives to this year’s Methodist conference in Wolverhampton in early July will be Rev Jeremy Dare, chairman of the district, and Louis Johnson, lay member.

John McNeil, well known in Shetland, will be ordained on conference Sunday. John first came to Shetland with the Faith Mission, then returned some years later as a youth worker with the Methodist Church before training for the ministry.

The new president and vice-president of conference, Rev David Gamble and Dr Richard Vautrey, respectively, will be visiting the churches here in Shetland at the end of August.

Thank you

The Linklines committee wishes to thank Ryan Taylor for his service as compiler of this monthly column for the past two years. All his efforts on our behalf are very much appreciated.

Linklines was compiled by the Rev’d Keith Henshall.