ST MICHAEL’S PARISH CHURCH  • LINLITHGOW  •   EH49 7AL

tel - 01506 842188   e-mail - info@stmichaels-parish.org.uk

MINISTER:  REV DR STEWART GILLAN  BSc MDiv PhD

St Michael’s Parish Church is recognised as a Scottish Charity  No SCO16185

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Springtime greetings to you all from the manse here in Blackburn! The last six months have been busy ones for us both, but you have never been far from our thoughts. This is just a wee missive to let you know how we’re doing – but before continuing, I want to say a big ‘thank you’ to all our friends in Linlithgow who have been so faithful in keeping in touch and keeping us abreast of all the news, both joyful and sad.

Ellen is busy as ever with the daily running of ‘Fintray, Kinellar, Keithhall Church of Scotland’. Each of these three places of worship is very different and special in its own way. Every Sunday, Ellen takes an early service down in the ‘Kirkhill suite’ at the newly-built community hall here in Blackburn, before jumping into the car and heading off to the Eleven o’clock service. Some weeks she preaches in the neighbouring village of Fintray, but once a month she’s in Keithhall, the old estate church of the Keiths of Elphinstone, ten miles north, on the outskirts of Inverurie. With every passing week, Ellen’s call to rural ministry becomes ever stronger. She has already formed wonderful relationships with many of the parishioners here and we pray that these will deepen over the coming years.

Meantime, I press on with my PhD research, writing and teaching. Some of the time, I work from my home office, looking out across the wooded hillsides of Tyrebagger and Kirkhill. On other days, I head into the university, where I’m running a course entitled ‘Ministry with the Marginalised.’ On campus, I share an office in the Old Brewery Building with Brannon, a visiting scholar from California. Sadly, the vats are long gone, but there’s still a marvellous spirit about the place. I give thanks daily for this opportunity for further study – and indeed for the trusts that are funding the research. God has blessed me in so many ways.

When we’re not working, Ellen and I are enjoying discovering the wonders of Aberdeenshire.  There’s some marvellous walking around here, including ‘Aberdeen’s hill’, Benachie, Balmedie beach and countless forest trails. It is also splendid to be living so close to family and school friends after so long away from the region. Life is very enjoyable for us here at the moment… if only we had an Oliphant’s nearby, it would be just perfect!

BLACKBURN, BENACHIE, AND THE OLD BREWERY

by Mark Davidson