 Andrew
Dick on the left with Andrew Dunsire provide music for the hymns, while
Joyce Harrison and Sophie McDonald lead the singing.  Graham McDonald on piano is kept in time by son Sam on the drums.
The congregation enjoy the 'thank you' lunch after the service
The special cake that Fred and Joyce would cut .
A vote of thanks from our congregation wishing Fred and Joyce ' God speed' as they move into another new experience.
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| | | Farewell to Fred and Joyce |
 Sunday
28th October signaled another milestone for St. Mungo's and for Fred
Harrison who has led our services for the past 5 months since our
previous minister Geoff Berry answered the call to become an Army
chaplain. This was Fred's last service with us, as he moves on in
his training programme to the final placement at Kings Park Church in
Dalkeith, after which he will become a fully ordained local minister.
The
service just also happened to be a Communion service, and it was
Fred's idea to make it an 'All Ages' event with the children staying in
the church for the whole service, and the music provided by the praise
musicians, drawn from the talented people within our
congregation. Our interim moderator Andrew Dick took the actual
communion element of the service.
Fred arrived at a difficult
time for our congregation, having suddenly, and unexpectedly lost
our resident minister. However Fred soon managed to work out how to
support us and raise our hearts as we started along the difficult road
of searching for a new replacement permanent minister.
Using
many stories from the Bible Fred encouraged us to be forward thinking
and to think about how our church can serve God both for our
congregation and further out into the community of Penicuik. He
encouraged us to use our strengths and talents, showing us in one
sermon just how many people and teams give their time to the work of
St. Mungo's.
Time with the children was a very special part of
each service for Fred. Often the Sunday School children would come to
the front of the church and help Fred with the story. The recent
harvest thanksgiving service when the children helped to plant seeds in
the 'reap what you sow' story was just one example, each with a
powerful biblical message behind it.
Ian Dickson
presented thank you gifts to Fred and Joyce on behalf of the
congregation, expressing our thanks for his time with us and raising
our hopes and energies to seek a fulfilling journey with God.
Fred in responding blessed us all with the hymn;
May your life in this world be a happy one
May the sun be warm and may the skies be blue
May each storm that comes you way,
clear the air for a brighter day
May the saints and saviour watch over you.
 After
the service we enjoyed a lunch that the social team had arranged
for Fred, Joyce and the congregation, culminating in the cutting
of a 'Thank You' cake baked especially for the occasion.
Fred
commences his new role in Kings Park church Dalkeith on the 4th
november and will take the Armistice service there on Sunday 11
November, yet another first for him.
We all wish Fred and Joyce a great future as he enters his final year of training. May the Holy Spirit watch
over and guide him always, and the words of his blessing to us shine on both him and Joyce as well.
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