New Toilet in St Andrews Church	News Added - 20/10/11
There is now a new toilet suitable for the less able, located in the old flower vestry at the south east end of the church. The funding for this project was raised by Congregational donations and grants from The Diocese of Brechin and Angus Council.
Church Fees	News Added - 29/07/10
it was agreed that the following table of fees be applied for weddings and funerals, and that these should be posted in the church porch and be made available to undertakers. It was agreed that there would be no charge for funerals for Communicant Members of the Congregation. The Rector would continue to have discretion to waive fees in circumstances he deemed appropriate.   Funeral Wedding Use of Church £100 £200 Ministers Fee £100 £100 Vergers Fee ( If required) £25 £25 Organist To be agreed with organist
Easter Blessings/Spring Shoots	News Added - 18/04/09
Thank you to Father David and the Clergy Team for all the work that they put into the programme of Easter Worship. By linking with Brechin Churches Together, there was in Brechin, a truly ecumenical Holy Week, offering a whole range of worship styles and opportunities which saw Christians from all denominations supporting each other during this special time. Two services in particular stand out, firstly, the Sunday morning Eucharist at St Andrews, where over Eighty worshippers filled the Church to celebrate the Resurrection, and the Evening Service and Informal Lords Supper at the tiny church at Lochlee, at the head of GlenEsk,where over forty worshippers took part in the service, filling the church. The Spring Shoots?? A common feature of both services was the presence of children of all ages together with their parents, not sent to the back of the church, or to a separate room,but welcomed into the body of each congregation.Eggs,to colour in,or to anticipate eating!, were a common feature in both churches during the service. These children are the spring shoots of our future congregations and we really need to ensure that when they come along to our church in future, they are nurtured and welcomed into the heart of our congregation.
Rectors Note January 2009	News Added - 08/02/09
An Attitude of Gratitude Even though the days are now lengthening, February can still be a dark and gloomy month. Maybe it takes until the clocks go forward an hour to be able to really appreciate that another winter is behind us. George Herbert,an early seventeenth century Anglican priest and poet,in his poem called Gratefulness, wrote, "Thou who hast giv'n so much to me, Give one thing more, a grateful heart." We all have a roof over our heads, warmth, clothing and more than enough to eat.Most of us have a very precious gift in our family and friends and, even if our health is not as good as it might be, we have doctors, hospitals and the National Health Service. And we have a faith in and a companionship with Jesus, who promised us in his parting words, "Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:20) So let us take the opportunity to look positively at our lives, to value the little things that increase the quality of our being and our relationships and to do all we can to show our gratitude to God and to each other. And,to put us on the right track,we could take a lead from George Herbert and make those two lines of his poem into a daily prayer. Father David
Candles and our Prayers	News Added - 08/02/09
A couple of weeks ago, at the feast of The Purification of the Blessed Virgin,or Candlemas as it is often known,we heard that Simeon,waiting at the Temple for the Messiah, called Jesus "a Light, to reveal God to the nations and to be the Glory of God's people". The feast is also known as Candlemas, as candles are blessed for liturgical use and distributed to the faithful. It also marks the end of the Christmas cycle and the candles emphasise the 'light' of the Christmas feasts.Candles are generally considered to represent the inner light of Christ,which he brought to share with the world. Indeed, you can say that the life of a Christian is lit by a candle,or rather a series of them.We are given a candle at baptism when we receive a share in the life of Christ. A candle is given to the newly baptized with the words;'the light of Christ scatter the darkness from your heart and mind', and the congregation reply; 'Christ go before you to guide your steps, Christ be within you to kindle your vision, Christ shine from you to give light to the world. On Easter Saturday, at our Easter Vigil we light the Pascal Candle.In procession it is carried through the church to proclaim the 'Light of Christ',in celebration of Jesus' resurrection.Christ is our light, to shine in our hearts, shine through the darkness.The Pascal candle is also the one that will be lit when the church is saying farewell to us at our funeral service. We lead up to Christmas, through Advent,by lighting the series of candles on our Advent wreath,culminating with the pure white candle on Christmas Day. Candles burn on the altar as we celebrate the Eucharist, to give thanks for what Jesus has done for us in his Passion, Death and Resurrection.A candle burns continually in the Sanctuary, reminding us that the reserve sacrament is there, ready for us to take communion to the sick and dying. At times of joy and sadness, when words cannot fully express what we want to say to God in pray,we can light a candle.For the candle is a sign of our prayers, and the offering of our lives in the service of Christ; of our prayers for others, that they too might be strengthened in their faith and love of our Lord; and a symbol of all those who through the ages, have shone as lights in the darkness of the world, and of their prayers for us. It is for these reasons we have placed our table with votive candles in the church. Please do feel free to light a candle and spend a few moments of prayer and reflection whenever you are in Church. Many people find it useful to light a candle following receiving the Eucharist, and continuing with their prayers after returning to their seats. Jane Nelson THE CANDLE IS A SIGN of our prayers and the offering of our lives in the service of Christ; of our prayers for others, that they too might be strengthened in their faith and love of our Lord; and a symbol of all those who through the ages, have shone as lights in the darkness of the world, and of their prayers for us; and as a witness that this is a place of prayer; a place where people have knelt in worship through the centuries to acknowledge that the Child of Mary is also the Son of God. "God, Our Father, source of eternal life, fill the hearts of all believers with the light of faith." Amen
Altar Screens Refurbished	News Added - 11/09/08
These three screens were completely renovated during September 2008. The embroidered decoration motives and lettering were removed and cleaned. The stained and rotted outer fabric together with the inner liner was also removed. The wooden frames were sanded down and treated with woodworm preventative fluid as there were signs of woodworm activity throughout. New liner fabric was attached, then new outer material, onto which the embroidered decorative motives and lettering were hand sewn. It is believed that this is the first time that these screens have been maintained since the Church was opened in 1888.
St Drostans Day Pilgrimage Photograph at cross stone	News Added - 02/08/08
Where to Now?	News Added - 21/04/08
The Vestry met with the Provincial Mission & Stewardship Co-ordinator to review their journey since the last meeting three years ago and to look to the future. The aims of the session were: a.. To discover where we have been? b.. What we have done/not done? c.. What are our strengths? d.. What are our weaknesses? Various things were identified that were on the whole positive and mission minded. It was commendable that there had been much refurbishment of church property and more planned that had led to an increased use of that property by the local community. The things not done were identified as: a.. Not having the church open daily. b.. That finances were not on a sound/long-term footing and stewardship issues need to be addressed. c.. That the Rainbow Shop could be used for other outreach/information exchange aims as well as a fund raising body. d.. There has not been established a specific mission committee to explore and oversee the development of mission/ministry goals. Over the past three years the congregation was seen to have grown in strength and fellowship and despite losing a few members was looking to the future with an open mind and heart. The vestry was also asked to consider what was important to keep and what was important to let go. To keep identified such things as: the people, the rector, the choir and organist, the willingness to be open to change, good leadership and fellowship, the outreach of the Rainbow shop and liturgical variety. To let go of: certain service times, the concept of a full-time rector, fear of the future, church buildings and fittings. When asked to do some 'blue-sky' thinking the following individual hopes for the future were shared: a.. An active congregation providing support to the community b.. Not having to worry about finance all the time c.. Becoming a centre of spirituality d.. Encouraging more people into the church e.. Growth and fellowship f.. Doubling the size of the congregation and becoming St.Andrew's Community Centre g.. A congregation centred on the Eucharist that is both a sign and instrument for the Kingdom of God h.. A living, loving church i.. A church that keeps moving forward - open minds with a willingness to change. TO DO IN THE COMING MONTHS: Try to discern what God is calling us to be and become from the blue-sky hopes we expressed. Look again at these hopes and try to see what common threads arise, these are probably going to be our long-term aims. Once we have identified these aims, we will need to 'brainstorm' them to identify and discern the objectives (small steps) that we can do in order to start turning hopes into reality. It also important, to use these aims and objectives to begin to form a vision of the future - 'Constructively Gossip' about them with the wider congregation. Listen to what each other and God has to say to us too. Once we have the vision we can then weave stewardship through it because we will have a clearer idea of what it is we are asking others to commit their time, talents and money too - a clear vision leads to a good response. ..
Rectors Notes April 2008	News Added - 14/04/08
A Spiritual Journey: Being a Christian is a great deal more than simply proclaiming a right set of beliefs. It is a whole way of life. We are called open our lives to the love of God, to grow in that love and to share it with others. Being a Christian is not something we live as isolated individuals for we are all members of the church. It is as part of the people of God, the church, that we make our journey towards God. It helps if we have a framework, a discipline, for our Christian life. That is what discipleship is about. A framework - a rule of life it was called traditionally - helps us when the spirit is weak, sustains us in the face of temptation and helps us not to focus too narrowly on one aspect of our religion. So here is one simple nine point rule... 1. I take part in the Eucharist and make my communion, especially on Sundays and other important Christian festivals. What preparation will I make for my communion? 2. What can I do to learn more about the faith? Can I attend a study group? Can I set time aside for Bible reading - perhaps looking each week at the gospel set for Sunday. 3. What time can I set aside each day for prayer, whether at home or in church? How can I regularly offer prayers for friends and family, the church and the world? 4. How can I set time aside for looking back over my day and examining whether my life is leading towards God? Do I feel called to make a regular sacramental confession to a priest? 5. What opportunities do I make during a year to have a special time with God? Perhaps through a quiet day or a retreat. 6. How can I use my gifts and talents to support the work of the church? 7. How can I use my gifts, time and talents in the service of others. If I have a choice, how far is my paid employment part of my service to God. What use do I make of my possessions and how do I exercise responsible stewardship? 8. Pray and work for justice and peace and the coming of God's kingdom 9. Do I have someone that I talk to from time to time about my spiritual journey, someone that I trust and can be honest with...and someone who will also, in love, be honest with me. If not, find someone! Father David
Some Key Outcomes of our Visits to other Churches	News Added - 06/09/07
Members of the congregation visited three churches in the Diocese. Each person completed a report for each church and these reports were then consolidated into an overall view. There were a considerable number of good ideas identified from this overview, which could be adapted for use at StAndrews. Starting at the entrance: It is important to appropriately greet all people as they come to church, either a member of the clergy team or someone from a greeters rota. There should be a welcoming area, with up to date and tidy information notices, possibly an intercession board and preferably with some comfortable chairs and a small table. This area should be used for social meetings and coffee after services; the congregation should not be allowed to escape! The example of numbers increasing for midweek services after the introduction of socialisation/coffee is encouraging. The area could also be used for small business meetings. The church should be open during the day to allow access for visitors and private prayers. The church should appear to be light, clean, warm and welcoming. We need to have an easily accessible, warm and quiet prayer chapel, with aids to prayer, e.g. Icons, stones, crosses, music and possibly a votive candle stand. The Blessed Sacrament could also be a focus for prayer. We need to develop a special area for children, which they can "own", connected to the service through an extension speaker. The seating, of whichever form, should be comfortable and organised to give an inclusive feeling to both regular congregation and visitors and allow liturgical development. These are some of the basic points that were abstracted from the combined reports from the visiting team and reported to the Vestry. Most of these will need some re ordering of the space within St Andrews, and some will require a change of routine, however, with a willingness to seize the opportunities present within any process of change, it is possible to make our church more welcoming as a place of worship within Brechin. Peter Nelson Lay Represntative
Father David Instituted as Rector of St Drostan's, Tarfside	News Added - 28/08/07
On Saturday the 11th August, Father David Mumford, the Rector of St Andrew's Episcopal Church, Brechin was Instituted as Rector of St Drostans Episcopal Church at Tarfside by The Bishop of Brechin, The Rt RevDr John Mantle. Father David will continue his role in Brechin in addition to serving the Episcopalians in the Glenesk area. A congregation of over one hundred visitors and guests greeted Father David after the Institution, with formal messages of greeting being given on behalf of the local Churches by the Reverend Alan Watt of Edzell, and on behalf of the civic community by Councillor Robert Myles. A feature of the ceremony was the ringing of St Drostans Church Bell. This bell, which forms an architectural feature of the outside of the church, has not worked for over twenty years, but thanks to the considerable efforts of local slater, Garry Alexander of Edzell, it now rings out over Tarfside for the regular services which are held every second Sunday of the month between Easter and October. Although there is only a relatively small congregation at St Drostans Church, the associated St Drostan's Lodge, which provides low cost self catering accommodation for groups and families of up to seventeen people in the heart of Glen Esk, has a great number of regular users. Some groups have been attending the Lodge annually for over fifteen years, and the Institution gave them an opportunity to meet the new Rector, and with each other, at a reception in the Lodge following the Institution.
Review of Worship space in St Andrews-looking at Others	News Added - 27/06/07
SHARING IDEAS: HOW DO OTHERS USE WORSHIP SPACE? Join a party from St Andrew's on 22July as we visit some other churches to see how they use their worship spaces The programme is as follows: 12.30 to 1.10pm Sandwich lunch in Hall. Discuss the key points we wish to discover (what works well, what could be improved?) View short Video Clip of proposals for modifications to "Steeple" church in Dundee (this to see possibilities of using "virtual reality" when considering changes) 1.10pm Travel to St Mary and St Peters Montrose( Rev Canon Ian Stewart) 1.30 Arrive Montrose spend about 45 minutes finding out how space is used, Then travel to All Souls Invergowrie 3.30 Arrive Invergowrie (Rev Ashley Cummins), 4.15 travel to St Salvador Dundee 4.45 Arrive St Salvador Dundee (Fr Clive Clapson ) Join in an evensong service at 5.00pm This visit is open to all, If you wish to come along please add your name to the list in church and indicate if you need a lift or can provide a car. WORSHIP SPACE IN ST ANDREWS The Vestry meeting on the 16th July will be in the Church to start to view items needing repair, any improvements and general space planning. Thoughts generated at this meeting will be part of our input into the visits to other churches on the 22nd of July. Some may recall that in March 2006 we asked the congregation for their ideas on the use of the church space prior to a vestry meeting, some ideas from the congregation were sought ; Three views submitted were, 1) Fix Heating, clear out back of church, tidy Choir Vestry as a Chapel. Consider Organ Vestry as a family room. Remove Pews, get some comfortable chairs. 2) Fix Heating, make back of church a hall by putting in a partition. 3) Clear out church pews, get some comfortable seats, make church more family friendly. In addition the Vestry meeting on 27th March 2006 came up with the following ideas: Heating: review former proposals and geothermal / solar. Removal of remaining two pews at rear of church Sale/complete removal of three pews stored in rear of church. Clearing of rear part of Church and provision of better display and social facilities. Complete removal of all pews and replace with comfortable chairs. Clean & tidy Lady-Chapel. Convert flower vestry into family room with new toilet, heating, and cupboard facility for flower ladies .Remove pipe organ and convert organ loft into storage space/office. Convert back of church into a hall - create a glass front? Disabled access/wheelchair ramp; replace gravel with tarmac or smooth surface? Protect windows - removal of grids/old glass fibre and install polycarbonate. Replace existing toilet Alternatively, install new disabled toilet in entrance to flower vestry. Install water heater. Replace missing cushions on pews. Screen off tower.Lower lighting/install up lighting. As you will see, there are lots of ideas to consider, please do join us on the 22nd July when we will be looking at how others use their Worship space
Rectors Notes MAY 2007	News Added - 16/05/07
Why 'Father'? It is traditional for Roman Catholic priests and for many Orthodox, Anglican and Episcopalian priests to be called 'Father'. Many service chaplains are called 'Padre' - which is exactly the same. Yet Jesus (Matthew 23:9) expressly said, "Call no man on earth your father, for you have one Father who is in heaven." In the same passage, Jesus told his hearers to call no one rabbi - yet when Mary Magdalen (John 20:17) or the disciples (eg Mark11:21) address Jesus as teacher/rabbi, they are not rebuked. The apostle Paul describes himself as the father in Christ of the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 4:14-15) and his relationship with the church in Thessalonika as being like 'a father with his children' (1 Thessalonians 2:11). So one verse should not be taken out of context, but needs to be understood in the light of the passage as a whole and the practice of Jesus and the early church. The broader context of the passage (23:1-12) is that Jesus wants to emphasise that 'the greatest among you must be your servant' (23:11) and that anyone who tries to exalt himself will be humbled (v12). Jesus came among us as a servant king. His church is called to service. Through the sacrament of orders, bishops, priests and deacons are appointed to be servants of the people of God. The fullness of the local church is shown when the bishop celebrates the Eucharist in the presence of all the priests, deacons and people of the diocese. The bishop shares parts of the episcopal oversight of the people of God with priests who minister to particular congregations. So I am called to exercise a priestly ministry in Brechin and Tarfside. Ordination does not make me a better Christian - I am a sinner and I need people's prayers. Ordination does not place someone as an intermediary between themselves andGod - we all pray directly to God. Ordination does not give a priest authority over the many practical aspects of running a church - it does not make me any better at managing the Rainbow shop, or mending a leaking roof or decide where the Guild should go on their annual outing. Any exaltation of priestly status to imply personal superiority is wrong. Ordination does, however, give me the authority to teach on behalf of the Church, to preside at the Eucharist and a share in the bishop's pastoral responsibility for that part of the people of God in Brechin and Tarfside who look to the Episcopal Church. Every time someone calls me Father it reminds me of my pastoral responsibility under God for those committed to my care. It reminds me that I must with God's help do my best to help people on their journey to God and to try and ensure that the local church shows in its own relationships the signs of charity, forbearance and love. And the relationship between priest and people only works if it is founded upon mutual love and respect. A priest is both a fellow Christian with the local congregation and also someone who is slightly separated for service - and that degree of detachment enables the priest to exercise authority where required, to be trusted to keep confidences and to minister counsel and consolation. So 'Father David' - Father as a term of loving respect and David showing that I am a fellow Christian and human being. Having written all the above, if anyone feels that Father is a term of address with which they are not happy, I shall respond most cheerfully to David or Rector.
The Institution of our New Rector	News Added - 17/02/07
St Andrew's celebrated the Institution of Rev David Mumford on Saturday 10th February. An assembly of over 150 Clergy, Lay Readers, Friends and Congregation members took part in the Service. The Chancellor, Prof. A Bissett Johnson read the Deed of Institution, members of the congregation brought forth the symbolic gifts of a bible, prayer book, oil,candle,bread and wine,and the church key. Bishop John then presented a stole, and led Father David to pray at the significant points in the church before finally charging him with his duty as Rector. Father David was then welcomed by the Earl of Dalhousie on behalf of the Lord Lieutenant of the County and various councillors on behalf of the local authorities. A reception in the Mechanics Institute following the service allowed people to meet Father David and Joyce in a less formal setting
St Andrew's Thanks Ursula and Jane	News Added - 17/02/07
The congregation of St Andrews Scottish Episcopal Church, Brechin, held a surprise party on Friday 26th January in St Andrews hall, to acknowledge, and give thanks, to their two part time non-stipendiary priests, Rev Ursula Shone and Rev Jane Nelson for the work and service they have given over the past two year, whilst the Church has been without a full time Rector. The party was organised by Mrs Shirley Crozier on behalf of the congregation. Ursula was presented with a flower vase and Jane with an evening bag. St Andrew's Woman's Guild provided a stovies supper, and Steven Carcary's young accordionists once again provided a superb evenings entertainment. Ursula and Jane are looking forward to working with Father David, and also to have a bit more time to pursue their respective retirement hobbies of rambling and ballroom dancing as well as spending more time with their families.