XPLORERS, KILMELFORD CHURCH

A small but lively group met at Kilmelford Church on Sunday 27^th March at 2:30 pm to hear the Easter Story.

We started with a Mother’s Day prayer using props taken out from an empty cereal box.

Rolling chocolate eggs on to a target proved much harder than looked, but one succeeded.   Stickers and coloured pens were used to create designs on card crosses and then laminated and a ribbon tied so to be able to hang them in a window.

We ended by all saying the Grace together and going home with a chocolate egg and Easter Story book kindly donated by Esther and Frank.

Kilmelford Hall has been booked for the next Xplorers on Sunday 24^th April at 2:30 pm for a picnic, table crafts, games and songs.   Please bring your own picnic.    Juice cartons and snack bar will be provided.

It was lovely to see so many people, young and not quite so young, at the Carol singing, lessons and gift service.

The number of bags of gifts highlighted the generosity of village and local friends.

I had been told by the Social Work department back in November that they could receive unwrapped gifts but when I took them in on the Monday morning I was informed, sadly due to new Covid regulations, that they were no longer allowed to access family homes and couldn’t take the gifts.

It was suggested that Hope Kitchen could, so I took the bags there where they were gratefully received and they much appreciated the wide variety of presents and ages they could give them to.

Warmest thanks to all who gave gifts and to those who took part in reading the lessons.

Won’t it be great when we can sing without masks again.

Happy Christmas!

With encouragement and input from Mums with young families it was decided to rekindle our XPlorers group as it had paused due to Covid restrictions.

Esther Beaumont from Ardfern happily agreed to help lead the worship side if Antoinette Luckhoff and I sorted out crafts and refreshments etc.    Antoinette also took on the mantle of spreading the word through social media.    Esther, being good with technology, found an entertaining Nativity story told by Lego figures and also the words of the hymn Joy to the World which she put on the Church’s screen from her laptop.

Our message was Jesus is the Gift to us at Christmas.    Fourteen children, aged from 3 – 14 years, arrived at the church with some Mums and Dads.

The fun and companionship in the making of the Christingles was a great success.     A date was agreed to meet in the New Year to plan future XPlorers to be held on the second Sunday of each month, beginning 13th February.

After everyone left, the scent of oranges and echoes of childrens’ voices hung in the air.    Outside in the cool late afternoon sky a neat slice of new moon hung in the south west between Jupiter and Saturn above the Glenmore hills.

Thank you to one and all who made this such a happy event and for the inspiration to plan for the future.

Georgina Dalton