Page 25 - Contact Summer 2017

CHRISTMAS BASKETS To meet food safety requirements, these
Christmas can be a hard time for people of
any age group, but many of our elderly
members find it especially difficult, bringing
sad memories, cold and dark days, and
feelings of isolation. We try to ensure that none
of our 200 elderly and housebound people feel
forgotten, so every Christmas they are visited
by one of the pastoral staff or their visitor and
each given a small basket of groceries or
toiletries and a handwritten Christmas card.
The value of each gift is small, but the time that
has been spent preparing the baskets by the
Girls’ Brigade and a team of volunteers lets our
older folk know that they are important mem-
bers within our church - as their little card says
‘With love and best wishes from your church
family at High Kirk to let you know that you are
valued within our church’.
HARVEST GIFTS
After our harvest services each year, the
flowers, fruit and vegetables are divided up and
given out to those who are older or ill. Each
pastoral
person may only receive a small gift of 4 or 5
items, but so many people have expressed
gratitude to the kind volunteer deliverers –
they deeply appreciate that they have been
remembered and that something has been sent
‘with love from your church family at High Kirk.’
FUNERAL CATERING
At a time of bereavement, another issue which
families face is providing refreshments after
the funeral service, especially for those who
have travelled a distance. We have a great team
of ladies and a few men who prepare and serve
the food, and look after the clearing up in the
kitchen and halls, allowing the family to focus
on speaking with people who have come to
offer support. Like all these ministries, there
is no charge for funeral catering though many
families choose to make a donation.
FREEZER MEALS
When someone we love is seriously ill or dies,
cooking and eating well can be the last thing
on our minds. Add to that the time pressure of
extra things to do, and we can easily resort to
snacking on less nutritional food. That’s when
being given a couple of freezer meals can be a
help!
dinners have to be prepared in our own church
kitchen by an excellent team of chief cook and
vegetable preparers and food labellers!
Sometimes the meals may include lasagne or a
chicken bake or vegetarian, but by far the most
popular are beef stew or cottage pie –
kindness
complete meals with potato already included.
Like all of these gift ministries, the freezer
dinners are simply a gesture of our love and
support at a difficult time in your family.
Situations of financial need are best met
through bags of blessing or our benevolent
fund.
THE GIFT OF HELPS – DO YOU HAVE
IT AND ARE YOU USING IT?
Many people in our church are involved in
these ministries because they have the gift of
helps – a lovely gift that can be undervalued
within any church or fellowship. It is always
right to pray for those facing tough times but
sometimes there is more we can do – the first
book on Tear Fund was entitled ‘They can’t eat
prayer.’ So continue with your prayer support
for the hurting but also ask yourself if there is
something more you can do practically.
Each of the ministries mentioned here are
organised and financed within our church
pastoral ministries, but several times a week I
hear of High Kirk members showing their
loving concern for others through practical
expressions of kindness eg paying informal
visits, providing transport, helping with
shopping or other practical jobs such as
cleaning or gardening. Thank you to caring High
Kirk members who exercise a quiet ministry of
looking out for the needs of older, ill or
bereaved neighbours and friends. What you
are doing may go unnoticed by the rest of us,
but the Lord sees your kindness and
compassion and will bless you.
If you are already serving in a ministry or are
taking informal opportunities to minister to
neighbours and friends, please continue to
do so, but if you would like more information
about helping in any of these caring ministries,
please speak to me. Also have a word with me
if you or another member you know seems
neglected – it is important that everyone is
included.
Anne Taylor