What’s On Page
Minister: Rev. Raheel Arif
Tel: 01324 819149
Magazine: Winter 2024 now available to download from this link
December 2024
Sunday 1st - Advent Sunday - United Service Haggs - 10:30 am
The online service can be viewed on the following Facebook page, Minister Denny Old and Haggs at 10.30 am
A facebook account is required to access.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/815604555526629.
Sunday 8th - Joint Communion Service Haggs at 10.30am
No service Denny Old
The online service can be viewed on the following Facebook page, Minister Denny Old and Haggs at 10.30 am
A facebook account is required to access.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/815604555526629.
Sunday 15th - Gift Service Haggs at 11.15am
(Gifts will go to Homestart)
The online service from Denny Old can be viewed on the following Facebook page, Minister Denny Old and Haggs at 9.45 am
A facebook account is required to access.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/815604555526629.
Sunday 22nd - Service Haggs at 11.15am
The online service from Denny Old can be viewed on the following Facebook page, Minister Denny Old and Haggs at 9.45 am
A facebook account is required to access.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/815604555526629.
Tuesday 24th - Christmas Eve Watchnight Service Haggs
The Parish Church at Haggs is closing as we unite with the congregation at Denny Old Parish church.
Consequently, the Christmas Eve Watchnight service will be the last one held in the Haggs Kirk building.
On Christmas Eve there will be teas, coffees and festive baking served in the Maclean Hall at 10.30pm, prior to the service in the church starting about 11.30pm.
There could be some communal carol singing 10 minutes or so before the actual service starts.
Since our minister Rev Raheel Arif is conducting the Watchnight Service in Denny Old church, I will be conducting the service in Haggs.
The congregation and elders join with me in inviting you, your family and friends to this nostalgic service.
The service will finish just after midnight on Christmas Morning.
Best wishes to you all.
Lorna Duncan
(Church of Scotland Reader.)
Sunday 29th - Lessons and Carols Service Haggs at 11.15am
The online service from Denny Old can be viewed on the following Facebook page, Minister Denny Old and Haggs at 9.45 am
A facebook account is required to access.
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/815604555526629.
Christmas Greetings:
Wishing all my friends a Peaceful Christmas and best wishes for a Happy and Healthy 2025. Jean Proffit
Best wishes to all at Haggs and Denny Old Churches, have a great Christmas and happy New Year. Jean McCheyne
Maisie Mortimer wishes everyone a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year Haggs Parish Church
A very merry Christmas and a good New Year to all our friend in Haggs Church. Jim, Anne Bell and family.
Nan and Allan Young wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Heeps family
Wishing everyone Christmas blessings and a Happy New Year from Lynne and Morag
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Elma Findlay
Marion Dickson wishes a Merry Christmas to everyone
Marion and Archie Campbell wish all the best for a happy healthy Christmas and New Year
Kenny Halliday is wishing everyone Happy Christmas and good New Year
Lorna and David Duncan wish every blessing for Christmas and New Year to everyone. eeps
Alan, Shirley-Anne, Stuart and Caitlin wish to thank everyone for their words of support over the past years and best wish-es to all.
1st Haggs Boys Brigade
1st Haggs Boys’ Bridge and Girls’ Association
Thanks to everyone for their support over the session. Despite our small number we have participated in our Opening Service,
Remembrance Sunday and managed to provide six shoe boxes for the Blytheswood Appeal.
We also recently had sponsored a Monopoly Fitness event in the Church hall to raise some funds for the work of the company and the upkeep of our minibus.
We continue to meet on Tuesday (6-7pm) for the Anchors (Primaries 1,2 and 3) and Friday (6.30pm - 8.30pm) for Juniors (Primaries 4,5 and 6) and Company (Primary 7 and up) in the Church Hall. All new members are welcome.
Best wishes for Christmas from all the children and Officers.
Messages from The Session Clerk
We all feel as if we need the joy and love that generates around us at Christmas time when families and friends spend more time to-gether and the dark nights are lit up with Christmas lights.
Many people in this secular society now fail to link this expansion of love and joy to the birth of Jesus Christ over two thousand years ago.
As Christians it is our task to spread the Good News of Christ’s birth out into our communities through the love we show and the joy we can bring into the lives of others who are lonely or struggling during this festive season.
I wish you all much joy this Christmas time and may you feel the love of Christ in your lives.
Sue Storrar
(Session Clerk at Haggs Parish Church)
Shoebox Appeal
45 Shoe boxes were handed in by Haggs Church on Sunday 29th October 2023.
Once again Haggs Church is asking for your support with the Shoebox appeal.
To bring a smile to the faces of children in Eastern Europe who have very little to smile about
is one way of showing our Christian love.
These boxes are delivered to Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine, Kosovo and Moldova.
Join together with friends and relations to make up a box.
Leaflets are available to show you the items that perhaps can fill your shoebox.
Shampoo, shower gel, a notebook and pencil and a pair of socks
given to someone who has nothing is like a dream come true.
The Shoebox should be at Haggs Church by the end of October.
Yoga 4 All
Yoga Sessions have restarted on 24th August 2023 after the summer break on Thursday evenings from 7 – 8.15pm in Haggs Church Hall.
The classes are led by Sue Storrar, a qualified and registered yoga teacher with ‘Yoga Scotland’, who has over 20 years of yoga teaching experience.
Yoga aims to exercise the body, still the breath and lift the spirit. If you would like to come along for some gentle exercise with a friendly, non-judgmental group then contact Sue for more details and to book a place.
Phone or text: 0770 9263588.
The Sunday Club
The Sunday Club will be starting on Sunday 10th September 2023
we will welcome all young people to join us.
We will have stories, crafts and a monthly games feature.
Moira Martin
The Snowdrop Cafe
Meets every Monday in Haggs Church Hall at 1.00pm
All are welcome.
Food Bank – Basket in Church
Your generosity in giving donations to the Food Bank is to be commended. Without your contributions there would be a marked difference to the help the Food Bank can give. Please keep giving it is much appreciated.
Zumba Classes
There are two classes which meet in the Church Hall – Monday evenings at 6 p.m. and Zumba Gold on Fridays at 11 a.m.
Please come along – you will be made most welcome. For further information contact Liz Heeps.
Driving Force - reminder
I am sure most people are aware of the service from Driving Force for cancer patients appointments. If you know of anyone who would benefit from this service please ask them to be in touch with their GP to make arrangements with Driving Force, who relieve the strain and worry of getting to appointments and parking.
School Visits
Over the past two years primary school visits have been stopped. Jean Duff from Denny Old and myself representing Haggs in conjunction with our Minister, Raheel, have maintained a relationship with the head teachers of the three schools by sending PowerPoint presentations to be used alongside the school curriculum.
The latest one is entitled “Starting again” In the first slides we talk about learning to do something. Perhaps its learning to swim or ride a bike. We may have to go over and over it, getting annoyed at our lack of ability but practice helps.
We often have to start again from the very beginning, whether it’s in our personal life, relationships with friends or in a game of Jenga.
We can learn from our mistakes so not to make the same ones the next time.
Then we go on to tell the story of Noah.
When the ark finally came to rest on dry land, Noah and his family had to start again. They had to rebuild their lives but the first thing that they did was thank God for their safe deliverance.
We need to “start again” and bring the good news to as many people as we can, because God has called us to follow him.
Moira Martin
DONATIONS TO CHARITIES IN 2023
CHRISTIAN AID…………………………………………........£1,876.00
POPPY SUNDAY………………………………………..…….£180.00
FALKIRK FOOD BANK………............................…….£541.00 and FOOD
MACMILLAN CANCER CARE…………….....………...£567.00
BLYTHSWOOD CARE………………………..................45 SHOE BOXES
UNICEF……………………………………………………….....£185.00
CROSSREACH………………………………………………....£651.00
Turkey/Syrian Appeal………………………………………..£422.00
Jacob's Vision………………………………………………...£673.00
Homestart…..........................................................CHRISTMAS PARCELS
Driving Force………………………………………………....£210.00
Strathcarron Hospice……………………………………..…£280.00
Vine Trust………………………………………………..........£177.00
TOTAL DONATIONS FOR 2021…………........………….....£5,551.00
THANK YOU EVERONE FOR YOUR TREMENDOUS GENEROSITY AGAIN IN 2023
TOGETHER WE HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE.
Message from your Treasurer
On behalf of the Kirk Session may I thank you for your continued support to Haggs Parish Church.
Can I just remind you of the different ways in which you can make your offering?
By Weekly Freewill Offering envelopes. Please see the Treasurer if you wish to have envelopes or ask your elder.
If you pay Income Tax please Gift Aid your offering – this allows Haggs Church to claim back the tax which you have already paid (approx. 20% more – at no extra cost to you). Please see Marion Campbell for a form to complete (this does not tie you to a fixed amount or a fixed term but allows the Church to claim back tax on however much you give) or again ask your elder. On average over the last few years we have recovered between £5000.00 and £6000.00 per year from Gift Aid. Without this money would not have been able to pay all our bills…………..so please – the more we can claim in Gift Aid the more money we can get back.
Either of the above methods can be made by Standing Order directly from your bank account to the Church’s bank account. Saves the number of WFO envelopes we have to buy and saves you remembering to make up the Sundays you have missed for whatever reason. It is really important to Haggs Church that you do make up the weeks you have not managed to get to Church so that we have a more accurate assessment of what monies are coming in to be able to budget for the expenditure.
We are most grateful for your generosity to all the charities we support – for a small congregation you do give very willingly to others – so thank you.
Thanks for all your loyalty and support and PLEASE ………don’t change!
Marion