November 2011.
National Stewardship Programme The General Assembly of 2011 have instructed all parishes to embark on a stewardship programme in 2011/2012.
The suggestion is that in the first year of the programme, we look at our regular Christian giving; in the second year we look at the giving of time and in the third year, we look at the giving of talent, the fourth year we go back to money!
A leaflet produced by the moderator has been included with your newsletter.
Anna
Report from Presbytery
Presbytery meets every month on the 1st Wednesday and anyone is allowed to attend (but not allowed to speak).
The most recent update concerns the new Presbytery Plan which was voted to go through last week. In this Oxnam is now under a “Guardianship” status. This means we have the Rev. Anna Rodwell as our Minister as well as our Interim Moderator. Anna now works for Oxnam Kirk two days a week which is excellent news.
There will be a reduction in the number of ministers in Hawick from the present five ministers. One is due to retire in June 2012 and this will then be allocated to the Kelso area.
In June 2011, the General Assembly passed that – “All congregations have to participate in a National Stewardship Programme.” Presbyteries are expected to enforce the instruction, so we shall all be hearing more about this.
Moira Land
COMMUNION CUPS
For the first time the Kirk will be using individual communion cups for our winter communion on 6th December. Peter and Heather Rhodes have very generously donated communion trays and glasses to Oxnam, for which we are most grateful. We are aware that some members of the congregation had voiced concerns at drinking from the common cup and hopefully this will now meet with everyone’s approval. We look forward to having your comments
Cemeteries
The Borders Family History Society has published a booklet of Oxnam monumental inscriptions although the list is mainly that of pre-1855 inscriptions - many later ones are not included.
Church Records
The parish church (Church of Scotland) has registers dating from 1700. Old Parish Registers (before 1855) are held in the General Register Office for Scotland in Edinburgh, and copies on microfilm may be consulted in local libraries and in LDS Family History Centres around the world.
Later parish registers (after 1855) are often held in the National Archives of Scotland as are any records of non-conformist churches in the area (often unfilmed and unindexed, and only available there). In his entry for the Statistical Account of Scotland (compiled 1790s, see the Statistics section of the Roxburghshire page for more details) the Rev. John Hunter made the following comment about deficiencies in the registration of births in Oxnam in the 18th century: "The parish register was accurately kept, from 1700 to 1710, during which, the births amounted to 398, annual average 40 nearly. Since that period, the register has not been so accurate; occasioned, chiefly, by the neglect of parents to save a very trifling expence. Within the last 10 years, the annual average of births has been about 15, of which only 10 are registered." Civil Registration Registration of Births, Marriages and Deaths began in Scotland on 1st January 1855. For further details of this see the General Register Office for Scotland website.