Welcome

Glencairn & Moniaive Parish Church is a linked charge with Dunscore Parish Church and is within the Presbytery of The South West.

The parish of Glencairn & Moniaive is located at the northern end of the scenic Cairn Valley in mid-Nithsdale, which is part of the Dumfries & Galloway region of South West Scotland.

The community is centred around the village of Moniaive.

We aim to play an active part in the community we serve, reaching out with the love and joy of Jesus Christ.

Our vision is ‘To convince all people of God’s love for them’.

 

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Message from our Minister

19 July 2026

The Bible tells us: “… perfect love drives out fear …” (1John 4:18). This week we grapple with the paradox of how we respond to God. God who is the Holy, Almighty Judge of all, whose standards we cannot meet. The same God who loves us so much that He was willing to become human and die to break the barrier of sin which stops us receiving His Love.

It isn’t that long ago that the Minister would have leant over the edge of the pulpit wagging a finger at the congregation gathered below, warning of God’s wrath and anger, literally putting the fear of God into them. I was brought up with the old 1662 Book of Common Prayer, whose main aim seemed to be to make one feel like a miserable worm. Albeit a miserable worm in need of God’s Mercy and Grace, not deserving it, but in desperate need of it.

As is often the case, the message about God’s Love became hidden by the confirmation of our imperfection. How often we hear only the bad news, the criticism, the perceived slight!

The Apostle John also wrote: “God is Love … there is no fear in Love.” (1John 4:16b, 18a).

The challenge for us as followers of Christ is to see God as ‘Abba Father’ who wants to pour His Love onto us despite our miserable-wormness!

Join us as we let Love break through the fear!

God Bless,

Mark

PS I’m ‘off’ this week so please contact Nan Tait (Moniaive 200403), or Rev Tim Harmer (Dunscore 820861) if you need any help or information.

 

PRAYER for this week:

Thank You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

for Your ever-with-us Presence.

You are with us everywhere,

we cannot go anywhere without You.

Happy or sad, You are beside us.

Waking or sleeping, You are with us.

Lost or found, You direct us.

Thank You for Your ever-present Help

and everlasting Love.

 

PRAYER THEME:

Ask God to help you remember His Great Love, shown through Jesus, as you walk with Him this week.

From the Manse –

SUMMER 2026 – Beginning? or ending? …

I am writing this on the hottest day of the year (so far), a few days after the astronomical start of Summer (21^st June), a few weeks after the meteorological start of Summer (1^st June), just before the end of the school term.

As with much of life, the seasons bring endings and beginnings. In the ebb and flow of life we must adapt and ride the mixed emotions which come with the constant change we face.

Many of our children will be changing school at the end of their Summer Holiday – some will be glad to go to the ‘big’ school, others will be fearful of what it will bring for them. For parents, it means guiding children through the emotional rollercoaster that this particular change will bring with it. Hopefully, learning to face this change will give children the tools to face the ‘changes and chances’ which crop up throughout life.

In a country where we cannot trust the weather, how do we cope? Physically, the thermals are not yet in the loft. Vests may be off, but they are near at hand. Remember the frosts in May before the last mini heatwave? Waterproofs are never far away, either.

But what about life itself? We never know what ‘curve balls’ are coming our way. We need to be adaptable and well-grounded. Open to change, yet solidly fixed to our base.

Jesus told a parable about a Wise builder and a Foolish builder. The Foolish builder didn’t have a solid foundation so that when the storms came, the rain came down and the floods went up, his house was easily washed away in the torrent. The Wise builder took care over her foundation so that when the storms came, the rain came down and the floods went up, her house upon the rock stood still. I suspect some of you will have been singing the familiar song as you read that bit! Did you do the actions too!?

For Christians Jesus is the Rock, the foundation of our lives. Whatever goes on around us, we trust Him to be alongside us each step of the way. A bit like our seasonal wardrobes, Jesus is always at hand, nearby, whatever the storms of life bring. He goes through life’s ‘stuff’ with us.

Most of you will be familiar with the Footprints story – can you think of times when Jesus has carried you? Whether you asked Him or not!

Being part of something bigger can often help when we face the changes and challenges of life. Our family, our community, our congregations are all important ways of being together, meeting the chALLenges we face – see what I did there!?

The various Summer Activities in our communities help us come together to celebrate the good things which are not weather-dependent – each other. Join us in Dunscore Church, St Ninian’s Church, or even in the Gala Marquee, to find out more about how much God values you and those around you.

Whether Summer feels like a beginning or an ending, join us to put your life on a solid foundation – Jesus, the Rock.

May God Bless you,

Mark RS Smith