Food Bank thanks

Cumbernauld Old has received a ‘thank-you’ note from Norma Cowan at Bethlehem House of Bread, our local food bank managed by our friends at Cornerstone House. The note reads:

“Thank you once again for your magnificent contribution to our food bank over the last year and for the wonderful Christmas gifts. In 2015 with your help, between both food banks we gave out over 1500 food parcels into the community and 2016 has exceeded this number. Your continuing support is indeed welcome, so thank you again. It is a blessing not only to those who serve but also to the many people and families who benefit especially at Christmas. God Bless and we wish you all a prosperous 2017.”

Christian Aid Week – Sunday 11 to Saturday 18 May

As we’ve done in previous years Cumbernauld Old Parish Church is supporting Christian Aid Week in 2014. As usual, our volunteers who take part in the house-to-house collection will be knocking on doors in the parish, so please welcome them and donate whatever you can. If you don’t see a collector – with the best will in the world we can’t cover the whole parish – please donate by clicking on the logo above, by sending a cheque to FREEPOST Christian Aid, phoning 08080 006 006 or at www.caweek.org

Food Banks – a request for help

As far as we know, there are now two ‘official’ Food Banks in Cumbernauld. At its recent meeting the Kirk Session at Cumbernauld Old agreed that we should encourage the congregation to help our local community by contributing to these banks, run by the Salvation Army and Cornerstone Christian Fellowship. Most of the goods needed are tinned items (e.g. mince, ravioli, stew, peas, beans, etc.) and we hope to have a full list available next week or soon thereafter, and place a box for donated items at both the Parish Church and Forge Community Centre from Sunday 9th March. We’ll keep you posted with further details once they are available.

Church & Society eNews – December 2013

The Church & Society Council of the Church of Scotland ‘Speak Out‘ newsletter for December 2013 encourages church members (and others!) to Speak Out against Human Trafficking – a practice the Council regards as “modern day slavery” and which is happening in Scotland right now. To find out more and get details about how we can play our part in speaking out against this practice, visit the main article on the Church of Scotland website.

The newsletter also reports on the Church and Society Conference held in October, looks at the legacy of the IF Campaign in Scotland, encourages members to become blood and organ donors, looks back at Living Wage Week 2013, reports on the Stop Destitution Campaign, introduces the Your Faith Your Finance initiative, encourages churches to take part in Earth Hour 2014 (which will be on Saturday 29 March at 8.30pm), and much more.

Church & Society eNews – March 2013

The theme of the March 2013 edition of the Church of Scotland’s Church & Society Council newsletter is ‘Campaigning’.

There is news about a movement called Enough Food for Everyone IF, a coalition of over 150 organisations (including the Church of Scotland) calling for change.  Recently launched across the UK, the campaign aims to eradicate global hunger for good.

Church and Society News – April 2012

The April 2012 newsletter from the Church and Society Council of the Church of Scotland encourages us to Close the Gap, i.e. the gap between rich and poor, in a campaign run by Church Action on Poverty. According to the newsletter, the campaign is “built around ordinary people and churches pledging to join the movement and do what they can. If we Give, Act and Pray together, we can build a more equal society. Happier, Healthier. Safer. Fairer.”
There is news from Eco-Congregation Scotland and the kirk’s Society, Religion & Technology Project (SRT); news about the Council’s participation in Heart & Soul 2012 and a look forward to the General Assembly in May, when the Council will be reporting on, among other things, Barriers to Literacy, the Commission on the Purposes of Economic Activity, Domestic Abuse, Give us our Daily Bread, Homelessness: achieving the 2012 pledge, Human Trafficking, Neurobiology (free will and moral responsibility) and Sectarianism.
Read the newsletter here.

Christian Aid News – Winter 2011/12

The latest edition of Christian Aid News looks forward to Christian Aid Week 2012 (13-19 May) and encourages everyone to get involved in some way. There is a story of how one Kenyan church minister is fighting the stigma that is attached to people with HIV, news of the singer Beverley Knight’s visit to Malawi as a Christian Aid ambassador and an appeal for the UK Government to do more to “tackle the role that British banks and companies play in fuelling and facilitating corruption overseas”.

The newsletter also reports on some of the ways Christian Aid and its partner agencies are dealing with devastating flooding in Central America and East Africa and launches an appeal to churches to raise £500 each to fight malaria in Sierra Leone this year. There is a report from the UN Climate Change Summit held in Durban, South Africa in December, and how Christian Aid is joining the fight for land rights in India. And these are only some of the articles, so please click on the link above to read the complete thing!

Church and Society News – January 2012

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