Cumbernauld Old Parish Church

Mission & Discipleship 64 – January 2012

chinapenguin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:53:46 +0000

The latest news bulletin from the Church of Scotland’s Mission & Discipleship Council contains details of events and resources that may be of interest to church people across Scotland (and beyond). Among the events listed is one called ‘Work, Prayer, Thought’ led by Ian Fraser who, according to the newsletter, “is arguably Scotland’s greatest living theologian, whose theology is lived out in action, prayer and poetry”. This conference provides a rare opportunity to explore, in the round, the ways in which Ian’s gifts of thought and language have expressed themselves, in a unique witness for our times. It takes place in Stirling on 24 March and further details are available in the newsletter.

The newsletter also contains details of a variety of events being run by the Scottish Storytelling Centre to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, information about new publications from Saint Andrew’s Press as well as details of new worship and mission resources provided by the Mission & Discipleship Council. Read the full newsletter at Mission & Discipleship 64 – January 2012

Church and Society News – January 2012

chinapenguin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:00:05 +0000

The latest edition of enews from the Church and Society Council of the Church of Scotland covers such diverse subjects as homelessness, a toilet-twinning charity initiative, Bible-study material for Lent and Fairtrade Easter Eggs. There is also a review of the Moderator’s Christmas visit to Bethlehem.

Looking forward to Lent, which starts on 22nd February, the Church and Society Council has prepared Bible Study and discussion material to encourage people to look at current issues and consider how to be ‘salt and light’ in our communities. The 6 topics are: Fair Trade; One Scotland, Many Cultures; Mental Health; The Internet; Nuclear Weapons; Money Matters? The leaflets and Bible studies are all free to download or can be ordered from their office.

Before that, the period from 28 January to 5 February is Poverty & Homeless Action Week and there is news about a series of online resources calling on people throughout the churches to show solidarity with people who are pushed to the edge of our society.
Read the full newsletter at Church and Society – January 2012

Earlier editions of the enews weren’t posted on our blog at the time of their publication, but are now available. Link to them here:
Church and Society – December 2011
Church and Society – November 2011
Church and Society – October 2011

Mission & Discipleship 63 – December 2011

chinapenguin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:15:16 +0000

The December 2011 edition of the Church of Scotland’s enews from the Mission & Discipleship Council features information about a large number of events and resources to start the New Year 2012. Among them are a series of Contextual Bible Studies run by Christian Aid and a program of events focusing on worship and leadership from the Mission & Discipleship Council.

Information is given about PRAY NOW 2012 – Daily Devotions on the Theme of Time from the Pray Now Group. This popular annual collection of modern prayers, written by individuals, prayer groups and leaders of worship, is for everyone, whatever their denomination. It offers a place to start when you feel you have no words of your own, and prayer activities that allow time to think and space to listen. This year’s theme is ‘Time’. The Pray Now Group is a team of experts who care deeply about the role of prayer in our lives. Drawn from an ecumenically minded Church of Scotland group, their work is written for a wide, diverse and international readership.

In addition, there is information about PRAY IT FORWARD – a new initiative from Mission & Discipleship featuring an attractive collection of high quality cards carrying a range of blessings inspired from scripture, for churches and individuals to give away free to others. The aim of the cards is to encourage and bless the recipient, and to encourage them to pray for, and bless, someone else in turn, i.e. to focus outward, and not just on what God can do for ME! They are ideal for use in outreach, pastoral care and personal contexts, e.g. pop one in with each Christmas card you send. Each box of 80 cards features an assortment of 8 different designs. £5 per box.
Read the full enews at Mission & Discipleship 63 – December 2011

Church and Society News – September 2011

chinapenguin — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 09:47:11 +0000

The September 2011 edition of the Church of Scotland’s Church and Society Council newsletter looks forward to Creation Time, looking his year at our attitudes to food and, especially, what we mean when we pray “Give us this day our daily bread”.
There is also news about Racial Justice Sunday (11 September), a Church and Society Day Conference (17 September), a School Chaplains’ Conference (29 September) and various other events of interest to Christians in Scotland.
Read the newsletter at Church and Society – September 2011

Mission & Discipleship – September 2011

chinapenguin — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 15:11:35 +0000

The September 2011 edition of the Church of Scotland’s Mission & Discipleship newsletter is jam-packed full of information about events and resources of interest to church folk throughout Scotland. Among the items featured this month are:
An ecumenical service to mark RACIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY being led by members of Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS) and Minority Ethnic Christians Together in Scotland (MECTIS). This takes place in Glasgow on Sunday 11 September.
As part of September’s DOORS OPEN DAYS there is free (but ticketed) entry into the John Knox House on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. Saturday 24 September.
There is also further further information on the staging of THE GLASGOW PASSION on 6 October, including a request for volunteers to help the event go smoothly.
You can read the full newsletter from Mission & Discipleship 60 – September 2011
We didn’t publish a separate post for the August edition of the M&D newsletter when it came out but it can now be downloaded from Mission & Discipleship 59 – August 2011

Good News – July 2011

chinapenguin — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:53:42 +0000

The Church of Scotland has joined the world of social media with an official Facebook page (www.facebook.com/churchofscotland) and Twitter account (@churchscotland). This is one of the news items on the latest edition of the Kirk’s Good News bulletin. If you are a user of these social media sites then why not add the Church of Scotland to your list of favourites? There is also a Youtube page (www.youtube.com/churchscotland) but this looks to be still at the embryonic stage.
Also in the newsletter is an invitation to take part in The Big Blether. Dr Steve Mallon, Mission and Discipleship Council Secretary, said:
“We are keen to hear peoples’ views on how they understand the word ‘mission’ today. In the 21st Century, post-modern, post-Christian, disconnected and connected world that we all live in how can the Church of Scotland engage with the 90 per cent of people who have nothing to do with any of the churches? We want to hear views on three key elements of congregational life: worship, witness and discipleship. We want to re-imagine the understanding and practice of these elements so that we can do them in ways that will stand a chance of being noticed by the people to whom we are currently invisible.”
The Council is eager to connect and engage with people and get your views, experiences and perspectives. To join the discussion visit www.bigblether.net and have your say on issues such as:
How accessible is the church to new people? and
What could we be doing to get more people through the door?
Elsewhere in the newsletter, the Right Reverend David Arnott, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, gives his views on the recent (current?) phone-hacking scandal, welcomes the UK Government’s decision on the 1994 Chinook helicopter crash on the Mull of Kintyre and reports on the launch of The People’s Bible project in Edinburgh. Read the latest edition of the newsletter at Good News – July 2011

Mission & Discipleship 58 – July 2011

chinapenguin — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:10:57 +0000

As ever, the latest newsletter from the Church of Scotland’s Mission & Discipleship Council is packed full of events, activities and resources of interest and covers everything from academic seminars to worship events to children’s activities, and much more. Among the many items listed this month are:
AN EVENING WITH DAVE BILBROUGH: a worship-orientated evening supplemented by some solo songs and anecdotes from Dave, who has three decades of experience in the worship arena. ‘All Hail the Lamb’, ‘I Am a New Creation’ and ‘Abba Father’ are among his many compositions that are sung worldwide by Christians of all denominations. Recent years have seen him developing a vision towards integrating musical influences from around the world to create authentic new sounds of worship. His ministry brings an emphasis on the grace and faithfulness of God, and uninhibited praise and reconciliation. 8 September, 7.30pm, Falkirk Old & St Modan’s Parish Church £8 (£6 concessions)
SAMOSA SUNDAY: Churches are invited to hold a special lunch (samosas, soup, sandwiches etc) on behalf of The Well Multi-Cultural Advice Centre in Glasgow. A resource pack (sermon outline, children’s resources and information about The Well) are now available. 11 September – the 10th anniversary of ‘9/11’. This can be used as an opportunity to show Christ’s love to those of other faiths and cultures.
THE GLASGOW PASSION 2011: a new and modern interpretation of the greatest story ever told. Over the centuries it has been expressed in different ways but this fresh adaptation, by Scottish playwright Rob Drummond, engages with contemporary culture and promises to enthral and challenge today’s audience. 6 October, 7.30pm, George Square, Glasgow. Free, but tickets are required for entry.
Read the full newsletter at Mission & Discipleship 58 – July 2011

Church and Society News – July/August 2011

chinapenguin — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:21:32 +0000

The Summer 2011 edition of the newsletter from the Church of Scotland’s Church and Society Council starts with a feature on sectarianism. The Council states “Sectarianism isn’t about ‘them and us’ – there is only us. We are all part of the same human family; we are all neighbours sharing this land together” – read what the Moderator of the General Assembly has to say on the issue.
Next year the Special Commission of the Purposes of Economic Activity will report to the General Assembly. The Council wishes to hear our views on four vital questions (below) and suggests “Why not discuss these at your House Group, Kirk Session, Youth Group or Guild?” and invites us to send our answers and other comments to: fbrown [at] cofscotland.org.uk
1 How important do you think economics is in the life of each of us?
2 Do you think the Church has anything to say about the current economic situation?
3 What would you change about the current economic system?
4 What can the Church do to ensure that our economic system serves the needs of the poor?
And, of course, there is much more in the newsletter which can be read from Church and Society News – Summer 2011

Church and Society News – June 2011

chinapenguin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:00:57 +0000

The Church of Scotland’s Church and Society Council newsletter for June has details of a day conference being held in Larbert on Saturday 17 September. This free conference will look at how congregations and individuals can make a difference in their local communities. Also, the Council reports that, over the next few months, it will be producing new worship material, discussion starters and news of campaigns and how to support them. Read the newsletter at Church and Society News – June 2011

Mission & Discipleship 57 – June 2011

chinapenguin — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:54:14 +0000

The June edition of the Church of Scotland’s Mission & Discipleship enews is, as ever, packed full of events and resources of interest to church folk throughout Scotland (even though, as they admit) some of the events take place outwith Scotland. Some of the varied events listed in this edition include:
An afternoon Discovering the Healing Sounds of Aramaic which “provides an opportunity to learn the Lord’s Prayer in the language Jesus spoke” on 10 July in Edinburgh.
This year’s National Youth Assembly of the Church of Scotland has the title Love Life. This Assembly is for 16–25 year-olds with a Church of Scotland connection and takes place in Stirling between 2 – 5 September. John Bell from the Iona Community will be giving a daily input, to nurture and challenge their faith. The Daily Debate will provide an opportunity to explore issues and to tell the wider church what they think. Each day there will be times of worship, prayer, celebration, fun, exploring faith, encounter, exchange and conversation.
Man Alive is a day event specifically for men, to hear inspiring Bible teaching from Jeff Lucas, with a specific vision to encourage and equip the church. Worship will be led by singer/songwriter Stuart Townend. The event is on 3 September in Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and tickets are £25 (with a reduced price for early booking). Later that day there is An Evening With Stuart Townend (for men & women!)who is best known as writer of such songs as ‘In Christ Alone’ and ‘How Deep The Father’s Love’ and many others. More information in the newsletter (click on the link below).
Among the resources listed is information about changes in Copyright Law as it relates to the playing of recorded music, a new interactive website developed jointly by Eco-Congregation Scotland and the Church of Scotland for anyone involved in a church to share their thoughts and experiences on reducing costs and saving money and a new DVD produced by the Mission & Discipleship and Ministries Councils of the church. They have been supporting some fragile experiments in new models of church over the past couple of years and this DVD tells the stories of seven of these ‘fresh expressions’, most of which are not quite what are generally recognised as church yet, but the missional instinct of these pioneers is driving them on to plant new expressions of church in areas and among networks not presently being reached by our churches.
All of the above and much more can be read at Mission & Discipleship 57 – June 2011