On Sunday 28 June we celebrated our Recognition Day service in which we gave thanks for the young people in our church family with gifts to them.

We also recognised the contribution over many years by Elizabeth Tonner and Donna Anderson to the Sunday Funday Club, and of Jim & Lorraine Brown and Malcolm McCormack to the IQ Group.

We also recognised the commitment of Mary Dick as a member of The Guild for sixty years, and we wished May McNab well as she prepares to move back to Canada.

A good night was enjoyed by all at the Daffodil Tea on Wednesday 22 April, with a great spread of nibbles and homebakes. The entertainment was led by Susan Mathieson and her incredibly talented band. 

Thanks to the members of the Membership Action Group for organising the night, for the bakers, and to all the musicians who made the night so memorable.

Easter Holiday Club

This year's Easter Holiday Club was The Tale Machine. This five day Holiday Club used the famous stories or parables told by Jesus. The themes of these parables was explored through games, crafts, puppets, music and much more giving an opportunity for the children to learn from the messages of the stories: these themes included listening, friendship, caring, action, and welcoming.

We will have a final story produced by The Tale Machine during our morning worship on Sunday, 19 April 2009, to round off our week with the young people.

Many thanks are due to all the volunteers who helped during the week. As we sang together and to each other during the week: "You are a star!"

Tonight St Andrew's hosted all the Anchor Boys from the local region for a celebration with an Easter theme led by our Puppet Ministry. They did a fantastic job and the boys really enjoyed the show - especially when they had the opportunity to join in with the actions for "Great Big God".

Many thanks to Lorraine, Jim and Jonathan for organising and for all the team who worked really hard to practise their parts.

Check back for a video of some highlights in the next week.

The trustees of Blantyre St Andrew's Parish Church of Scotland (under Charity Regulations the trustees comprise the elders and minister) approved the Annual Report for year ending 31 December 2008 on Sunday 1 March.

In addition to the accounts, you can read about what has been going on in St Andrew's over the last year.

Print copies will be available for all househoulds in advance of the Stated Annual Meeting on Sunday 29 March following Morning Worship.

We celebrated the Sacrament of Baptism on Sunday 8 February during morning worship and welcomed Sophie Elizabeth Ann Ritchie into the church family. Sophie is sitting on her dad's knee. We wish Mark, Janice and Sophie's sister, Lucy, every blessing.

On Sunday 8 February we took part in this year's "church swap" when members from St Andrew's visited other nearby churches, and we received visitors from those churches. We had groups going to visit St John's Parish Church in the heart of Hamilton town centre, and our friends at Hillhouse Parish Church.

The visitors from St John's had long connections to Blantyre which it was good to re-forge, and one of the visitors, May Russell, even brought along an old photo which she thinks dates back to around 1939 and shows the Stonefield Parish Church choir (the current St Andrew's building was built on the site of the old Stonefield building). May can be spotted seated two from the right in a floral top. Do you spot anyone else you know?

Rachel Elizabeth Fleming was baptised at Blantyre St Andrew's on Sunday 1 February. Here is Rachel at the tea following the service with her parents, Karyn and Jonathan, cutting the cake.