Stirling church congregation give poetic farewell to retiring deacon

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A well known church deacon has bid a fond farewell to parishioners as she retired after serving the Raploch community for fourteen years.Jean Porter DCS – Deacon of the Church of Scotland – retired last week after dedicating the last 14 years of faithful service at St Mark’s Church.The congregation and friends from across Raploch and beyond held a farewell party at which there were speeches and tributes, including a ‘Jean Porter – this is your life’ section as well.During Jean’s years at the church, she was central to many activities within the community – she has led the annual Remembrance service for many years, as well as leading monthly hymn singing at Forthbank nursing home, running a weekly kids’ club at Raploch Primary, being a key member of the group wishing to bring a war memorial to Raploch, and many others.Central to Jean’s ministry has always been her pastoral care of others, especially during lockdown when Jean kept in regular contact by telephone with many vulnerable members of the community.Click here for more news and sport from the Stirling area.Rev Barry Hughes, minister at St Mark’s said: “Jean will be missed by everyone in Raploch and leaves a void at St Mark’s which will be hard to fill.”As part of her retirement evening, John Coutts, former poet-in-residence at The Smith, read out a poem he had composed.

It read: For all you’ve done in vanished years, Sharing our struggles, joys and fears, Joining in laughter, toil and tears, Thank you, Jean! You proved a staunch and stalwart Deacon, Serving our needy parish week on Week: a brightly gleaming beacon. Thank you, Jean! I could have a said ‘A guiding star.’ How blessed, how truly blessed they are Who hear your sweetly tuned guitar! Thank you,