The latest edition is entitled Summer Journeys. Read it here!
Trigger warning: this article discusses work around the area of suicide. Please only read it if you are in a good place to cope with the topic. Should you find it triggering, please contact one of the charities listed at the end of the article (or others known to you).
“I believe in the living, loving God who knows us and loves us completely. I think of psalm 139 that says that ‘we’re fearfully and wonderfully made’. Made in the image of God. Every person, no matter what they’ve gone, or are going through, is precious, is of worth.”
Deacon Helen Coleman has been working in suicide prevention and suicide bereavement since discovering that her teenage daughter had suicide ideation. Seeking information and training eventually led to her supporting people in the community as part of her work.
“Our first pause was on the threshold of our holiday cottage, where we discussed
what it means to ‘Depart’. For someone just getting used to the idea of going to school,
that had relevance.”
Jill Baker shares a pilgrimage she did with her granddaughter on Lindisfarne and how it was an occasion to engage with concepts such as ‘Depart’ and ‘Devotion’ in a practical and creative way.
This week a team of individuals from across the connexion have joined in with
the beautiful mayhem of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. They’ve been wheeling
their sofa out each day and inviting people to take a seat and share their story.
They offer a space to pause and find peace in the chaos of the festival, and ask
the people they meet to tell of a time they have been ‘lost in wonder’.
These are now available online.
Christians on Ageing produce a quarterly magazine; Summer 2025 is now out.
The Leaders of Worship and Preachers Trust offers tuition grants for Methodists pursuing church-based ministry at UK institutions.
Funding Available:
Eligible studies include certificate, diploma, and undergraduate degree programs that benefit church ministry.
Application Deadlines: October 3rd & May 3rd
To apply, email lwptoffice@lwpt.org.uk.
Download the application form here.
Thanks to the Scottish Government Humanitarian Emergency Fund (HEF), Christian Aid and partners are able to deliver urgent support to some of our most vulnerable global neighbours.
Read more about work in Malawi, Zimbabwe, South Sudan and other countries.
Do you want free resources that provide suggested actions to take as a follow up to the 2024 Methodist report on Singleness? Then check out Single Friendly Church Network’s campaign www.singlefriendlychurch.com, which has been going for over 10 years!
What is Single Friendly Church Network?
We are a Christian charity helping churches to welcome and value single people at every stage of life. We are research-based and provide free resources and training for churches and leaders. We believe listening to single people’s voices is so important to pastoral care and church growth. You can also watch our short video www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HcbPTm8DPY to find out more about our work.
Register your church here www.singlefriendlychurch.com/register-your-church-form
Scotland released census data last year and here are some articles which you might find interesting about single person households:
www.heraldscotland.com/news/24400205.scotland-highest-percentage-single-person-households-uk/
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c897zwwz29yo
www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk/2022-reports/scotland-s-census-2022-demography-and-migration/
www.scotpho.org.uk/wider-determinants/social-environment/data/lone-parent-households/
