Season of Creation 2024 – Study Group

We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit … For in hope we were saved.” Romans 8:22-24

Our Study Group for the Season of Creation (the month of September) this year will be based around a selection of poetry and prose such as St Francis “Canticle of the Sun“, William Cowper’s “The Nightingale and the Glow Worm“, the Anglo-Saxon “Dream of the Rood” and extracts from Annie Proulx’s novel “Barskins“, Alexander Von Humbolt’s “Cosmos“, Helen Macdonald’s “H is for Hawk” and Jurgen Moltmann’s “God in Creation“.

There will be four sessions each lasting a little over an hour, to be held at James and Ann’a house at 11 Ferry Road Golspie on Wednesday afternoons starting at 1:30pm on:

  • 4th Sept – The Goodness of Creation 
  • 11th Sept – The Worship of all Creation
  • 18st Sept – Nature and Humanity 
  • 25th Sept – Renewal of Creation

The sessions will be semi-independent, so you are welcome even if you can’t manage all of them.  If you wish any more information, speak to or contact Canon James. Anyone who would like a copy of the materials ahead of time (probably a good idea for potential attendees but also those who would like to study the material on their own) also speak to Canon James to arrange it. It would be helpful (though not essential) to have some idea of numbers ahead of time. You can download the material from the Study Groups page.

KYIV Accordion Duo – are back in Concert!!

KYIV ACCORDION DUO are back

on Monday 19th August 7.30pm

St Finnbarr’s Church 

Schoolhill, Dornoch

(Scottish Charity No 009639)

Donations at the venue on the day in aid of
the victims of the war in Ukraine

About the Kyiv Classical Accordion Duo:

In 2006 Igor and Oleksiy finished studying in the National Music Academy of Ukraine in Kiev. However they began to perform professionally from 2002. Oleksiy plays in the Orchestra of the National Radio of Ukraine; Igor works in the National Philharmonic of Ukraine. They decided to give the name Kyiv Duo Classic to the duo. However this does not mean that Igor and Oleksiy perform only classical music; programmes of their concerts include music of Bach, Grieg, Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov as well as traditional Ukrainian and Russian music. Two contemporary button accordions make it possible to produce a sound like a small squeezebox and at the same time, like big church organ, a string quartet and even an orchestra. Here is a sample of the Duo in action playing: Dance of the Furies by Gluck.

About their charity – HIPPOKRAT:

One of the main purposes of the Kyiv Classic Accordion Duo’s 2009 UK tour was to raise money for the HIPPOKRAT Society of Mothers of Disabled Children who suffered as a result of the explosion in 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Energy Plant. This has remained the focus of fund-raising on each subsequent tour, as the need continues.  The Chernigiv region suffered most from the radiation fall out and since 1986 a large number of children have been born with mental and physical problems. Many of these children are now young adults.

As Oleksiy explains:

There are at least 1000 invalid children in Chernigiv which has a total population of around 320,000 and unfortunately, these children get no real support from the state. The mother of a disabled child usually needs to be with the child all the time, so she cannot earn money. That is why the Society of Mothers of Disabled Children, HIPPOKRAT, was founded more than 15 years ago”.

The task of HIPPOKRAT is to provide families with invalid children with food, medicine and money. HIPPOKRAT also organises different events and parties with presents for children. It is not a commercial organisation. It is run by 10 women led by Valentina Frol. They do not receive any money for their job and all of them have disabled children”.

They have been back on tour now every year since 2009 (except the COVID years) and now of course there is the war in Ukraine and the victims of that tragedy, the beneficiaries of this year’s tour:

Lord of all the earth,

be present with the people of Ukraine
at this time of danger, fear, and conflict.
Grant that wise and peaceable counsels may yet prevail,
and give to all suffering nations
the freedom they desire and deserve.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Songs of Praise in Tain

Come along and join with people from all the churches in Tain and beyond in a

Songs of Praise

It will be held on

Sunday 25th August at 3pm

in Tain Parish Church

There will be Hymns and Songs that are familiar and new ones too.

Refreshments will be served in the Hall afterwards,

Songs of Praise – Golspie Gala Week 2024

Calling all Singers!

GOLSPIE GALA WEEK – SONGS OF PRAISE

Sunday 28th July – 7pm
in the Gala Week Marquee

James and Simon are involved in leading Songs of Praise tomorrow evening. It would be great if you could come and support Golspie Gala week by raising your beautiful voices in song! We are singing good old favourites like ‘How Great Thou Art’ and ‘Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer’ – all the tunes will be familiar to you! How fantastic it would be to let Golspie hear that the message of the gospel is very much alive in our area!

THIS EVENING – D-Day 80th Anniversary Tributes in Dornoch

This evening we will join our friends from the community across East Sutherland to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Come and join us for some of the events below!!

D-Day Bells – 6th June 2024 at 6:30pm

St Finnbarr’s Bell Tower

At 6:30pm tomorrow evening, bells will be rung in St Finnbarr’s Dornoch, St Andrew’s Tain and St Columba’s Brora to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings during WWII. This timing it to coincide with ringing of bells in many other places both in the Highlands, the rest of Scotland and beyond.

All are welcome at any of these churches to witness to this marking of the courage all all those who were involved in this massive operation by Air, Sea and Land; just turn up.

The bells will be rung for 5-10 minutes at each location.

Service of Blessing for St Andrew’s Restored Tower

At 2:30pm on Friday afternoon this week (7th June) Canon James and one or two others will climb the St Andrew’s scaffolding to conduct a service of blessing of the tower, belfry and bell before the scaffolding is removed in the coming week or two and access will once again be impossible.

If anyone wishes to be present on the ground during the service, you are most welcome to join us.

The service will last about 15 minutes.

Almighty God,
we offer to you all the work that has been undertaken to restore this tower and belfry.
Bless, sanctify and hallow all that has been done in this tower,
all those who have used their skills to restore it and
all those who of their generosity contributed to making this work possible.
Bless all who look upon it and all who ring or hear its bell
and grant that the message of the bell may lift the hearts of all in our community.
Amen

Daffodil Day – Saturday 13th April 2024

You are invited to a

Daffodil Day

at

The Duthac Centre, Tain

on Saturday 13th April 2pm-4pm

Beautiful Daffodils,
Refreshments with Home Baking,

Homemade cakes to buy,
Guess the Sweeties in the Tin,
Craft Stalls,
Daffodils for Sale,
Raffle,
Lucky Squares,

Preserves Stall,
Plant Stall,
Book Stall.

Fun for all the family

Donations Welcome

Organised by the Tain and Dornoch Firth Fundraising Group
in aid of Marie Curie which provides care and support through terminal illness
.

For more information contact Pat on 01862 894020

Walk of Witness on Good Friday (29th March)

The walk will consist of Eight stops, with a variable amount of walking between them. There is room for at least a few cars at each stops and so it will be possible for those who cannot or do not wish to walk the whole route to participate by adjusting the amount of walking required to suit their needs.

The walk will start in the car park adjacent to Kincardine Church in Ardgay and will end at Creich Church in Bonar Bridge, where there will be Hot Cross buns and tea/coffee available. The walk itself will commence at 10:15am and we should arrive at Creich Church by about 11:50am.

At each stop, there will be a Reading from Scripture, a short Reflection and a Prayer As we leave heading towards the next stop, we’ll sing a hymn. We will carry a large rough wooden cross throughout the walk.

The stops are as follows (time are rather approximate):

  • Kincardine Church car park (@10:15)
  • Ardgay Hall car park (@10:35)
  • Drover’s stone near Ardgay Station (@10:45)
  • ‘Stonehenge’ just the Ardgay side of the Bridge(@11:10)
  • Garden adjacent to the Caley Cafe(@11:20)
  • Car Park behind the Bonar Health Centre(@11:30)
  • Grassy area just beyond the Bradbury Centre(@11:40)
  • Creich Church car park(@11:50)