Lighthouse

Just had a really fun day at the Lighthouse. I received a phone call from our chairman at 7.30am to let me know that we only had one staff member for the day. Brian Gunn came in to help, and we also had a new volunteer from Tasmania called Lisa Peters. Stuart Wallace came in, as well as Brian and Drew from Youth Inclusive. We also had the invaluable help of Barry and Doda at lunchtime. All in all, the volunteer team coped brilliantly and had a lot of fun in the process. We were able to offer hospitality, friendship and a listening ear to many people thoughout the day which made it all worth while. Tonight we have a church planting conference beginning in the Lighthouse, and we are catering for 15 at 5.30pm. Another good day in the life of the Lighthouse.

loft clearance

Last night we cleared out the church loft as additional insulation is being put in today. We had a little mishap during the evening with a foot going through the loft floor. The picture is of our safety officer Laurence peering through the hole. Mike also discovered funding programme graph from long ago. We think it may be for the building of the Large Hall which opened in 1973. We also found some very fine pine chairs which we think may well have a place in the Lighthouse. I noticed a while ago that the Dores Inn have the same kind of chairs. They are much better quality than the ones we currently have.

LIGHTHOUSE EVENT FOR MEN

Jonathon Fraser

We are absolutely thrilled to make it known that tonight Inverness Presbytery agreed to ordain Jonathon to the post of associate minister at Hilton Church. While retaining a particular focus on ministry to youth, he will now also be able to baptise and do communions. At some point during the next few months, there will be a special service at Hilton Church when Presbytery will come to ordain Jonathon. We look forward to celebrating this significant milestone in Jonathon's life on that date.

Laura

What an amazing cake Laura Robertson baked for Norma's 90th on Sunday. She even had the Guild motif on the cup! Laura is a woman of many talents. As well as baking cakes and looking after our Board chairman and their 3 children, she also designed all the accesses that are currently being constructed at the Church. Thank you Laura for all you are doing as part of Hilton Church.

SOS

We need some help as a matter of urgency from 6.30pm onwards tomorrow night (Wednesday). We have a company installing additional insulation in the church loft on Thursday. Before they begin, we require to remove the chairs and other bits and pieces which are currently stored up there. If you can help, it would be great to see you there. We think it should take amaximum of 2 hours, and possibly less if we have plenty of help.

access ramps

The access ramps and steps have now been more or less completed. The steel work is on going and the doors are due to be installed by the end of the month.

messy church

Over the past year, Mairi Crawford has been researching Messy Church with a view to exploring the possibility of launching one in Hilton. A planning group is meeting later this week, and an event is scheduled for Sunday 29th April, 4-6pm.

Is Christ divided?

Hector Morrison, Principal of Highland Theological College has just begun a 4 week series on Sunday evenings. His first sermon was based on the text from I Corinthians 1 v13. " Is Christ divided?" It was a fascinating talk and touched on many of the issues of division and strife that we are currently facing in the Nnational Church. Well worth a listen, and you can access it here.

NORMA'S 90TH BIRTHDAY

We had a wonderful time celebrating Norma's 90th birthday on Sunday. The Sunday Club sang her a specially commissioned song, Mike Robertson presented her with a certificate on behalf of the Congregational Board and we then had lunch together. The cake which Laura Robertson made for the ocassion was spectacular. A special thank you to Caroline, Ruth and Margaret for co-ordinating the lunch. A great day, and it would be good to try and share in these kind of lunches more regularly.

take a step for fairtrade

BOARD MATTERS

The Board also discussed the future shape of support for the various ministries in the congregation. At the moment, we don't have an administrator or a cleaner or a caretaker! In the interim we are going to seek to find volunteers to help clean the church, while we try and work out some kind of a long term strategy. Hilton Church had a caretaker for 37 years, but since Murdo's retiral we have had four, who have all only done the job for a relatively short time. The other thing we also felt we needed to do as a Board was to emphasise to the congregation at large that we all have a responsibility in terms of seeking to keep the buildings tidy and clean. If everyone is mindful of that, and tidies up after them, then the situation is much easier to manage. Alan Brown has volunteered to speak to the congregation about this on Sunday, and it will be interesting to see the response In general terms at Hilton, a few people do a great deal in terms of helping and tidying, while most people do very little or nothing. Hopefully, Alan's encouragement will widen the pool of those willing to help.

SOLAR PANELS

After several quiet years on the building front, suddenly we have 2 major projects. The disabled accesses are going in and all the doors are being renewed. This project is due to be completed by the end of March. We also have another project now which also requires to be completed by the end of March, and that's the installation of solar panels on the Lighthouse. At the Board meeting last night, we also agreed to install solar panels on the church building before 1st July. If all goes to plan, we should make huge savings on our energy bills over the next 25 years. When the possibility of putting solars panels on the buildings was mooted several months ago, the Board was generally sceptical about the viability financially of such a project. Last night the Board was unanimous in expressing gratitude to Anne Thomas for the remarkable amount of work she has done on this project. She was able to answer every concern that the Board had, and in the process change the ultimate decision.

new access ramps

The progress on the access ramps continues at a very fast pace. The front one is completed and the railings have also been attached (although not completed). The 2 ramps at the rear are also well advanced with the railings soon to go up as well. When the ramps and railings are completed, we are fitting new doors to all the entrance points. We hope that all the work will be completed within the next 3 weeks.

60 plus

60 PLUS enjoyed another good afternoon together on Wednesday. A major highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of a 90th birthday cake to Norma. The big day is next Monday. As a congregation, we are going to celebrate her birthday with a special lunch on Sunday 4th March.

leunig

A clip which reflects the frantic liives we often lead.

LENT 2012

It's hard to believe that we are at the beginning of Lent again. Here's a link which has given me a few ideas for what I would like to do over the 40 days.

EL GRUER

El Gruer shared this poem this morning as part of our worship. We are really looking forward to having El with us nexT Sunday at 6.30pm. Come along and bring a friend. It will be a cafe style evening and we are hoping that folk will bake cakes and bring along some other tasty biscuits.

MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES

Life as a Christian is a journey and over the years different emphases and insights arise. Alpha has probably been one of the most significant, as we discovered the age old truth that it's good to sit down to talk and share food together. This practice had largely disappeared in the Church at large where folk in churches generally only met for worship services or other meetings. This was certainly my experience of Hilton when I first arrived. Over the past few years, one of the most promising insights for mission has centred around the experiences and the fruits of missional communities in Sheffield and then far beyond. Personally, I think this "newly discovered" insight is one of the most important developments in recent years. There is a lot of literature about it on the web, but I see that Mike Breen has just posted a summary on his blog. It's an amazing story. I spent a week seeing it in action in Sheffield several years ago, and last May several us spent 2 days with Mike Breen at a CLAN event in Stirling. Barry and Doda Dennis are now seeking to develop a new missional community in the Lighthouse, and we look forward to seeing how that emerges in the time ahead. If this interests you, Mike Breen is also going to be at CLAN this July, and will be teaching each day during the week.

LIGHTHOUSE DEEP CLEAN

Next Tuesday from 6pm onwards, we will be aiming to do a deep clean of the entire Lighthouse building. If you can help, your presence would be much appreciated. We have cleaning materials, but if you are able to bring along a bucket (if you have one) and a cloth/s that would be great (just in case we run out!)

CHURCH WORKS

The works began at the Church on Wednesday morning, and the level of progress since then has been quite extraordinary. Malcolm Urquart who is the main contractor was part of our team in Peru in 2005, and most of us had never experienced a work rate like that in our lives! He had us up working before 6am some mornings. To be fair, it was so hot on the Amazon by the middle of the day that it was impossible to work. Malcolm is aiming to have the front steps ready for Sunday morning.

National Prayer Breakfast

It's been a torrid 3 years for Obama at the Whitehouse. It must be pretty tough when your Presidency coincides with the biggest recession in living memory. I have just read his recent address to the National Prayer Breakfast, and found the insights he gives into his own Christain faith very illuminating. While Blair didn't "do God" in office, Obama clearly does, and not in a way that makes you cringe as many other US politicians in the past have done.

alive festival

Alive Festival – The Hudson Taylors in Concert.
This concert will be held on Friday 24 February at 7.30pm in the Culduthel Christian Centre.
Tickets are priced £9 for adults and £5 for Concessions and can be obtained from the CLC bookshop, Inverness, or online at www.alivefestival.co.uk

ISLAND CONVERSION - new book event

Myles Campbell (who has been called one of the most acclaimed and talented Gaelic poets of his generation) and his wife Margaret will be talking about their new book which is entitled Island Conversion, their spiritual journeys, their ‘glimpses of the glory of the Being behind all things’. This event will take place on Friday 10 February at 7.30pm at Inshes Church of Scotland. All welcome, admission free.

BUILDINGS

There are many positives to a congregation having its own buildings, but there are also a significant number of downsides too, especially as a buildings gets older. Many congregations can end up spending the majority of their money on simply keeping the buildings wind and water tight. Hilton Church was opened in 1958, and over the past couple of years we have spent significant sums of money in bringing it up to standard in relation to its electrical systems and fire safety. Next week, we are embarking on a further series of improvements providing disabled access at 3 major entry points to the buildings as well as installing new doors. These are much needed improvements and we look forward to having them done as soon as possible.

LIGHTHOUSE MANAGER

Adrienne Dempster began her new job as the manager of the Lighthouse yesterday. She will be in our prayers, as she takes on this significant role within the life of our community.

CONGREGATIONAL LUNCH

We are having a congregational lunch on Sunday 4th March to celebrate the 90th birthday of Norma Fraser. The lunch will be pot luck. There are sign up sheets in the church foyer. Norma retired from co-ordinating teas & coffees after the service last week! We look forward to celebrating this special birthday with her.

LIFE STREAMS

We had a really good evening reflecting on the benefits of LIFE STREAMS with Philip & Ros Noble on Sunday evening. The presentation can be found on the church website, if you would like to have a listen. There will be a follow up evening at 6.30pm on Sunday 19th February.

kiwi news

Eilidh got out of hospital today. Shona has booked flights and is going out to visit her next week.

el gruer

We are looking forward to hosting El Gruer. It will be a cafe style evening suitable for all ages.

eagles soaring

I have been doing some research today around the text above for Sunday, and in the process discovered the clip on sea eagles. The film brings back many happy memories as I spent my childhood and youth exploring these hills and cliffs. It is extraordinarily beautiful. The only challenge with the west coast is that you have to visit several times in order to get a dry day!

LIFE STREAMS

LENT 2012 -LIFE STREAMS

“What will help me to grow spiritually?

Life Streams provides practical ways to transform your life from the inside out.

During Lent there will be teaching on how to key into Life Streams, and the encouragement to find a friend or two to share in it with you.

SUNDAY 5th Feb @ 6.30pm An outline of what LIFE STREAMS is all about with Philip & Ros Noble.

SUNDAY 19th Feb @ 6.30pm A chance to experience a LIFE STREAMS group.

Our Lent Book for 2012 is called LIFE STREAMS and is available to purchase at the discount price of £5. We have 20 copies for sale, and after that you can purchase copies on line for £6-99.

news from nz

Eilidh had a lengthy operation yesterday and we were able to speak to her last night. From all accounts, the surgery went well - much better than expected. We begin a new day with a mixture of relief and gratitude. Thank you to all who have prayed and supported us through this difficult week. Eilidh's prayer request is that she remains free of any infection which might jeapordise the postive outcomes of the surgery.

your kingdom come.....

65% of the work in the world is done by women;
12% of the paid salaries in the world go to women;
2% of properties in the world are on the hands of women;
1 in each 6 women in the world is a victim of incest;
1 in each 4 women will experience some form of sexual violence in life;
75% of people that die of hunger are women and children;
In all the world, women do not earn the same salary as men;
In all the world, the education level of women is lower than that of men;
In countries where women have more diplomas than men, the tendency is for less educated men to hold higher positions, changing, therefore, the criterion of promotion;
98% of structural decisions are made by men;
In all the world, women are more dependent on the land than men;
In many places of the world, the majority of abortions is of girls.
Given that, the lesson the Feminist Theology teaches us is that before worrying about explaining reality, theologies must pay attention to an unjust reality that needs transformation.
This situation must be taken as a theological challenge that requires an urgent answer seeking changes.
Felipe Fanuel Xavier Rodrigues
Towards a daily theology: listening to the unheard voices
from "Teologias com Sabor de Mangostão".
Isabel Aparecida Felix Translation from Portuguese by Gustavo Frederico

accident

We have had an anxious 48 hours following news on Sunday that Eilidh was in an accident while at a Camp in South Island, New Zealand. She was flown to hospital with a badly broken left arm and has had two operations so far. She is being transferred tomorrow to a specialist hospital in Wellington where she will have more surgery. We managed to speak with her this morning, and she was sounding very positive despite the circumstances. The care and support that she has received from her friends in New Zealand has been wonderful. We are also extremley grateful to the health service in New Zealand. It looks like this will be a significant blip in her gap year, but hopefully she will be able to continue once the surgery is completed. At this point, we are praying that no infection will set in and so far the signs are positive.

IT'S A BOY

Congratulations to Scott and Heather McRoberts on the birth of Daniel Joshua last night.

BLOGGING BREAK

I have not been blogging since Christmas. I felt as if I needed a break, and I'm not sure when or whether normal service will be be resumed. I am currently working on some plans to revamp the church website, and hopefully we will make some significant progress in that regard over the next few months. Belated good wishes for 2012.

Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve and almost all the preparations for Christmas are done. We are going to have a candlelit watchnight service at 11.15am. I'll need to go down to the church in the late afternoon to sort out the lighting for the band, so there is enough light for reading music! It's already Christmas day in New Zealand, so heard from Eilidh who is later going to enjoy a bbq and a day outside on the beach! I'm now taking a break from blogging until the beginning of 2012. This blog is written mainly to keep folk linked to Hilton Church in the loop as to what is happening and what we are doing. It remains for me simply to thank you for your company on the journey through 2011. I am very privileged to share in the life of such a vibrant church with so many good people. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.Wishing you a joy filled Christmas and a 2012 full of peace and grace.

Duncan.

volunteer Friday

After a very slow start at the Lighthouse, the cafe took off and was very busy up until 3pm. The cafe now closes until Monday 9th January. Next year, we may well look at opening over the Christmas holidays with a mix of staff and volunteers.

Christmas Services

WATCHNIGHT SERVICE @ 11.15PM ON 24TH December.

CHRISTMAS DAY ALL AGE WORSHIP @ 10.30AM

Bon Voyage

Wendy Budge, our most recent Lighthouse manager returns to New Zealand on Monday. She has been such a blessing to us all over the 6 months she has been with us, and we wish her well as she returns home with her family. The picture was taken of Sarah and Wendy at the recent staff and volunteers Christmas party. We hope to confirm the appointment of a new manager in January.

Volunteer Friday

This Friday will be a Friday with a difference at the Lighthouse! Annie will have a band of faithful volunteers - Eilidh, Shona, Brian, Barry, Doda and myself - to help her. Why not come along and see us all in action!

photos of 2011

Here a fantatsic photo of Lorne from "Are you in the picture?" A few more emails arrived yesterday with photos of 2011. I would love to have some of yours too, if you haven't sent me any yet. duncan@hiltonchurch.org.uk

photos for 2011

The photos of 2011 started coming in today. If you have a moment, please have a look and email me some of your favourites. duncan@hiltonchurch.org.uk

2011 photos

I want take a look back at 2011 at the service on 1st January. I have taken lots of pictures during the year of many different events and experiences linked to Hilton Church. If you would like your memories reflected in the presentation, I would love it if you could email me some of your pictures. duncan@hiltonchurch.org.uk

carol singing

A group of around 20 went out carol singing around the local area tonight. It was good to get out of the building and onto the streets, but it was also good to have some mulled wine and mince pies to warm up with afterwards. I'm especially struck these days by the fact that there are such diverse tastes within any one congregation in relation to what people are drawn towards and want to do. As far as I could make out, none of the folk who turned up tonight came to any of the recent Storylines evenings or would regularly be at an ordinary evening service, but they were keen to get out onto the streets and do something public to celebrate advent. I received this note from Peter Neilson last night, which I thought about when I saw the turn out tonight.

‘Sacred Pathways’
Find your spiritual temperament.

If our spiritual need is not being met in our congregation, we grow dull and disillusioned and may even move on to another church – or none – thinking that we no longer believe. More people leave church because of the method of their worship than because of their theology.

Each of us has been created to find God and to worship in different ways, but so often we expect everyone to be just like us. Based on two books, "What's Your God Language?" by Myra Perrine, and "Sacred Pathways" by Gary Thomas, this retreat will be a day to explore how God has uniquely wired each of us to pay attention to Him, to worship Him, and to come alongside others.

Our goal for the day is that it will expand our view of ourselves, of others, and of God, and will invite us to appreciate the ways that God has been calling to us.

So what is your spiritual temperament?

The day will be facilitated by Dorothy and Peter Neilson
A booking form to be filled in and returned to Ann at annvt@btinternet.com

Saturday 11th February 2012
10am – 4pm.
Cost £40.

I'm wondering whether it's largely a matter of spiritual temperament as to why there is such a striking difference between who wants to go out onto the streets to carol sing and who wants to go to a more indepth bible study group. Perhaps I'm reading too much into it. Maybe folk just didn't fancy the cold! Anyway, it's inspired me to read further and I'm going to order copies of the books in the advert above. Watch this space.

christmas all age worship

I'm just back from the all age service this morning which was absolutely outstanding. Jonathon led it, and there were fantastic contributions from OUT OF THE BOX and the Sunday club (great singing!) with Nitelife sharing the readings and some more reflective spaces. . It was great to see so many different people involved in the service. What especially struck me today was the relative simplicity and excellence of everything that was shared. It felt like a morning when we were able to celebrate the heart of the Christmas message - Jesus born to save the world! Thank you to everyone who made the morning so special.

news from kiwi land

Eilidh isn't the most prolific blogger, but it sounds like she is having a good time in New Zealand.

Some of the things I have learnt in New Zealand:

You cannot call jandels flipflop, they are jandels

The weather is just like Inverness

I can navigate myself around a new city without getting too lost

Its easy to make friends when you have a Scottish accent

All New Zealands love the Scottish

Sport is very important and is better organised than in the UK

It snowed in July and everyone was very excited

Most public secondary schools are single sex

The rats tail hairstyle and the mullet is very much in with boys here

Everyone has a Scottish relation

I have made lots of friends that I know I will keep even when I leave NZ

New Zealand like Scotland is a very Patriotic country

I love New Zealand

x

christmas 1967

This is a short extract from Dr Martin Luther King's last Christmas Eve sermon:

"I've seen too much hate to want to hate, myself, and I've seen hate on the faces of too many sheriffs, too many white citizens' councilors, and too many Klansmen of the South to want to hate, myself; and every time I see it, I say to myself, hate is too great a burden to bear. Somehow we must be able to stand up before our most bitter opponents and say: "We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering. We will meet your physical force with soul force. Do to us what you will and we will still love you. We cannot in all good conscience obey your unjust laws and abide by the unjust system, because non-cooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good, and so throw us in jail and we will still love you. Bomb our homes and threaten our children, and, as difficult as it is, we will still love you. Send your hooded perpetrators of violence into our communities at the midnight hour and drag us out on some wayside road and leave us half-dead as you beat us, and we will still love you. Send your propaganda agents around the country, and make it appear that we are not fit, culturally and otherwise, for integration, and we'll still love you. But be assured that we'll wear you down by our capacity to suffer, and one day we will win our freedom. We will not only win freedom for ourselves; we will so appeal to your heart and conscience that we will win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory."

roses are red

I used this song in the Service last Sunday morning. It's a song which challenges us to reflect on the way our lead can shape the lives of others, especially those setting out on the journey.

TED TALK

During Advent we are reminded of the pivotal role which God gives to women at critical times in history. Naomi Klein has an important message for the world today.

fischlock update

This is the time of year when emails and letters arrive from afar with news of happenings over the past 12 months. Hilton (and Inverness in general) is a church that many people have passed through en route to some where else. It's great to receive news of how people have grown and developed in their faith, and that's certainly the case with Keri, who with his wife Angie are serving with YWAM near Denver. Here's their Christmas letter.

60 plus

Our pastoral care team have been running a monthly afternoon tea for the 60 plus age range. This event has drawn in a lot of people for a blether and some company. Many of those who come have been living in the Hilton area for 50 plus years. We have plenty capacity for more folk to come to these gatherings in 2012, so we will need to work out ways in which we can make folk more aware of this opportunity for friendship and company.

plain song

ht to Sally

carol singing

At the moment, the rain is pouring outside and the wind is howling! I'm praying that by 6pm on Sunday it will be a calm star lit night and you'll be able to join us on a carol singing tour of Hilton. Let's take the joy of Christmas out onto the streets! I will try and organise some warming beverages in the Lighthouse for afters!

mission shaped evangelism

I have just finished reading MISSION SHAPED EVANGELISM by Steve Hollinghurst. I wish I had read it 2 years ago when it was first published. It's a book I would strongly recommend to anyone involved in church leadership. Personally I think churches in general are experiencing a missional crisis in the West today insofar as we seem largely incapable of impacting with our good news beyond the boundaries of the church and its culture. If you were to have a show of hands in any average church today, there would be practically no one present who hasn't had some kind of church background. "The vast majority of those our curent evangelism reaches come from the dwindling minority who have church backgrounds."We appear to be fishing in an ever decreasing pool. This reality is one which really troubles me, and so I'm glad to have read a book that looks at this very issue and asks how we might look at our situation today in Scotland as if we were cross cultural missionaries.

Hollinghurst doesn't offer any quick fixes. Indeed he writes, "We will need long term projects in the new foreign mission fields of the once Christian nations of the West."

The strength of the book lies in the fact that it is the fruit of a life rooted in experience as an evangelist in a post Christian culture. For any Christian leader who is becoming increasingly disillusioned today by the churches seeming irrelevance, this is a must read. The review on Amazon sums it up well:

This book is essential reading for all church leaders who have a passion to engage with the local community they serve. As the iceberg of Christendom melts, many still see the task of evangelism as catching the drips and freezing them back on to the iceberg! Steve Hollinghurst addresses the need for a new approach, rooted in the truth of the gospel and suited to the post modern culture that is emerging around us. Earthed in practical experience and careful research, this book encourages churches to 'wake up to the cultural changes around us' and points the way to an programme of evangelism which reflects the radical inclusivity of the kingdom. A must read!

music for joy

The 5th anual Christmas concert took place last Saturday evening in the Church. This musical evening organised by Julie and Jeremy Keen is an advent highlight for me. The numbers attending this year were slighly down on last year, which was probably due to the poor weather and the number of people who were ill. The quality of the concert is such that it's a pity that the building isn't absolutely packed out! Perhaps we need to get a little film of the event, so we can show a trailer of it at Church to encourage more folk to come along.

cloth for the cradle

What are you hoping and waiting for: for yourself? for your church? for the community in which you live? for the world?

We invited the congregation to reflect on these questions over 2 weeks and to write/draw their responses on a piece of cloth. It would probably have worked better if we had all done the exercise together rather than have a gap of 2 weeks, but it's difficult to do arty things with such a large number. I loved the creativity of some of the responses, especially the one where the cloth is wrapped around a candle.