The Gathering, Christian Aid Scotland’s annual supporter event, returns on 24 February 2024 at 10.30am, online. We’ll be celebrating the difference we’ve made together over the last year and getting ready for Christian Aid Week 2026 and the year ahead.
Rooted for Men is an action-packed weekend away in the Scottish Highlands for men who want to get out into nature, unplug from busy lives and connect with other guys. We have something for everyone, from gorge-walking and coasteering, to hiking and mountain biking, to walks through the Caledonian pine forest on your way to the local café!
Rooted for Men is designed to inspire, challenge and energise men to live powerful and passionate lives for Christ within their family, workplace and church.
We need your help! We believe that there are guys out there who would love and value this weekend – we just need to reach them.
Please tell as many men as you can, reach out in your sphere of influence and encourage them to book on. You/they won’t regret it
Note that the event on 22nd June is at Central Edinburgh Methodist Church.
Thank you to all who attended the online Safeguarding Clinic last week. We had a successful session discussing Safer Recruitment, the process for volunteers (current and new) and the related documentation that should be held by local churches.
As a charitable body the church has responsibility for safer recruitment, this responsibility lies with District Synod, Circuit meetings and local church councils. We want to have safety at the heart of our Methodist communities so we follow the 12 steps from the policy. PDF summary. This starts by the responsible body i.e. church council, having a recruitment and selection policy. There is a template version of this available to save reinventing the wheel. The policy then has further detail as to the 12 steps and how to determine volunteer role outlines.
A reminder that we have online Foundation Safeguarding training coming up on evening of 6th May 25. Please register at Scotland District Creating Safer Space: Foundation Module (Online) Registration, Tue 6 May 2025 at 18:45 | Eventbrite
Some of you may be aware that there are changes coming into force from 1st April 2025 regarding PVG scheme membership. I will be sending out further information but for now if anyone works with/has non-incidental contact with children or protected adults within their role they MUST by law as of 1st April 25 have a PVG. Please contact your circuit safeguarding officer or myself if you believe you require a PVG for the role you currently have but do not have one.
The UK government is consulting with the public on whether to end new drilling for oil and gas.
Operation Noah, Christian Climate Action, Christian Aid, the Laudato Si Movement and Green Christian are joining together with Uplift, the group behind Stop Rosebank, to use this moment to persuade our politicians to take action to end further exploration for fossil fuels in the UK.
Their online event on Thursday 6 February at 7pm will help Christians to find out more and to participate in the campaign.
The Learning Network in Scotland is offering a series on ‘Working out Worship’ and the first of those begins with Local Arrangements on Tuesday 18th April from 7-9pm.
This session is designed for church stewards and worship leaders, as well as anyone else who currently or would like to contribute to worship. This will be a very accessible session and will be a great opportunity for churches to explore different ways of worshipping together. It will look at the steps of planning a service, different aspects and approaches to keep in mind, and how to plan ahead. The session will also signpost participants to useful resources.
Sign up here: Working out Worship Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite
This link is the same to register for the other events which will be helpful for all involved in worship and preaching. They are:
With democracy under pressure everywhere, can Christians recover a positive vision for political engagement?
This four-week course explores a vision of constructive and critical participation in British democracy. Cynicism about politics is at an all-time high, citizens are divided and angry, and democracy seems unable to promote the common good. Given rising global religious extremism, many fear the presence of religion in politics and argue for a wholly secular democracy. But Christians, not least Methodists, have long engaged in political action as an expression of love of neighbour and concern for the common good. There are rich resources in the Christian tradition to empower us to engage with politics faithfully, wisely and effectively today.
Faith in British Democracy: A Christian Vision for Political Engagement delves into these resources, equipping participants to become more articulate and confident Christian citizens working for the common good. The course is designed for anyone engaged in or interested in British politics, campaigning or church-based action. Through readings, conversation and reflection on participant’s practical experience, we will explore a broad Christian vision of democracy and consider its application in concrete areas of political life.
