Strathaven Rankin and Chapelton Parish Churches are both part of the Hamilton Presbytery of the Church of Scotland. The Vision of the Church of Scotland is to be a church which seeks to inspire the people of Scotland and beyond with the Good News of Jesus Christ through enthusiastic worshipping, witnessing and serving communities.
As congregations, we were linked in 1960 and have operated very successfully by co-operating together under a shared ministry. Both churches have active Sunday Schools, creche facilites and a range of organisations.
We would be especially pleased to see you in person in one of the congregations at Sunday worship (9.30am in Chapelton and, normally, 11am in Strathaven) whether you are visiting the town of Strathaven or the village of Chapelton or are new to the area. Pew Bibles are available and there is an Induction Loop System fitted in both churches. Please note that the Service of Remembrance at Rankin Church on Sunday 8 November will commence at 11.30am.
Mid-week services at both Chapelton and Rankin Churches have now recommenced. The arrangement is to have an informal lunchtime Service on alternate weeks along with an opportunity to enjoy fellowship. There will be two Services per month at each Church.
The Services last approximately half an hour and include some music, prayers and a short meditation. It is hoped that, in time, folks within the congregations will feel able to use their gifts and contribute to the Service by taking part and by contributing their ideas for the themes of the meditations.
'Time Out' on the first and third Wednesdays of the month in Rankin Hall is from 10.30am. Come along for a coffee + cake and, if you wish, you can stay for a short Service at 11.30am.
The Chapelton Services are on the second and fourth Tuesdays at 11.30am with an opportunity to go to the Lunch Club afterwards and enjoy good food and fellowship.
Holy Week Services
Evening Services
Sun 28 March East Church at 7.30pm by Outreach Community Church
Mon 29 March East Church at 7.30pm by Maxine Buck
Tuesday 30 March Evangelical Church at 7.30pm by Evangelical Church
Wednesday 31 March West Church at 7.30pm by Bill Stewart
Thurs 1 April Avendale Church at 7.30pm by Alan Telfer
Fri 2 April Rankin Church at 7.30pm by Shaw Paterson
Lunchtime Services
Wed 31 March West Church at 12.30pm by Bill Stewart
Thurs 1 April Avendale Church at 12.30pm by Alan Telfer
Fri 2 April Rankin Church at 12.30pm by Shaw Paterson
Easter Sunday 4 April
Service at Loudon Hill. Leaving Common Green car park at 6am.
Service in Allison Green at 8.30am
Hope Strathaven: Palm Sunday Walk
The HOPE Easter event for 2010 is to be a walk of Christian witness on Palm Sunday. Each of the Churches will be visited along the way where a short service, consisting of a reading, a prayer and a hymn will take place. Members from all the Churches in the town are invited to gather at the monument in the cemetery at 2.15pm to begin the walk at 2.30pm.
The route will take us either via Stonehouse Road to St Patrick’s Church or North Road onto Kirk Street to Avendale Church. We then proceed via Thomson Street to the West Kirk, across Townhead Street to Rankin and the Evangelical Church before going along Green Street to the East Church where the Palm Sunday Service will be conducted by the Outreach Community Church at approximately 4.30pm. There will be refreshments after that service.
If you feel unable to do the whole walk you can join in any of the acts of worship but please do come to the Palm Sunday Service at the East Church at 4.30pm.
It would be wonderful to have as many people as possible walking, witnessing to our faith, as we remember Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of His passion.
If anyone would like to volunteer to be a steward on the day, please let Maxine know.
Celebrating 50 years of linkage
This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the linkage between our two Parishes of Strathaven:Rankin and Chapelton. To celebrate this successful partnership, there are a number of events being planned throughout 2010 - details of some of these appear further down on this 'home' page and also within this month's 'Minister's Monthly Letter'. More details will follow throughout the year as they become available.
One of our plans is to gather unforgettable memories of the two churches as a record of the past 50 years and we are looking for everyone in both congregations to contribute to this project. If you have any memories you would loke to share, please pass them on to the Minister or use the contact form on this website. Just to help focus the mind, we propose the folloeing headings: Sunday School, Christmas, Easter, The Minister, Harvest, The Buildings, Special Events and 'Funnies' - or any others you can think of. Hopefuly this will trigger a story or two!
CHRISTIAN AID NEWS - FEBRUARY 2010
Christian Aid is responding to the devastating earthquake in Haiti by launching an emergency appeal and working with their partners to deliver aid.
The Organisation and its partners have already sent more than £330,000 for emergency relief to help those affected and they hope to send more. To begin with, the severity of the damage to Haiti’s already fragile infrastructure made it very challenging to get aid into the country and to distribute it on arrival.
They are now working on sourcing and distributing food, tents, hygiene kits, blankets, jerry cans for water and water purifiers for more than 16,500 people in 9 communities and are targeting areas that are getting little help from other agencies. Distributions are well underway. They are also funding medical supplies, both within Haiti and for the tent hospitals at the Haiti/Dominican Republic border.
Because of the nature of the disaster, Christian Aid staff and many colleagues from local partner organisations are having to deal with their own personal tragedies as well as coordinating the Organisation’s disaster assessments and response. A local office collapsed in the earthquake but the Haitian staff remain in the country and are working tirelessly to try to get support to those in greatest need.
A disaster of this scale poses exceptional challenges for aid agencies. Christian Aid and partners are drawing on lessons learned from their tsunami response. Please help the people of Haiti by calling 08080-004-004 (Monday to Friday 9am-5pm). If you are giving by cheque, Postal Order or CAF voucher, please make them payable to ‘Christian Aid’ and send to:
Haiti Earthquake Appeal,
Freepost RSCR-TCEX-ABAA Christian Aid,
Validata House,
2a Halifax Road,
Melksham,
SN12 6YY
For up-to-date news about what is going on in each of the churches, see the 'Notice Board' pages.
Latest Update: 10 March 2010
