Category Archives: News

Church Action for Tax Justice is calling for the UK Government to levy a windfall tax on fossil fuel giants.

As BP announces record profits, households across the country are battling a cost-of-living scandal – with rocketing energy bills playing a major part in their woes. Shareholders in the energy giant look set to benefit from a $2.5billion share buyback – whilst at the same time, ordinary people are having to make heart-breaking decisions about whether to ‘heat or eat’.

As Christians, we know that those among us blessed with abundance are called to care for those less well off, and not to make unfair profits at their expense. Timothy reminds us of this – “[a]s for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything we enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life”.  (1 Timothy 6:17-19 ESV).

Right now, we’re seeing families struggling with some of the worst financial challenges for decades, whilst at the same time the rate of tax on the working poor-and-middle has been hiked to eye-watering levels. In a fair society we should not be allowing corporate profiteering at the expense of the population, and we’re calling on the government to urgently redress the balance.

As part of a district wide focus on issues around addiction, Woodlands Methodist Church in Glasgow has partnered with charities, government agencies and academics in a symposium and exhibition, ‘Recovery Rising’, to outline a vision of what services could look like if they were reoriented from the culture of addiction, to a culture of recovery.

Read more, including comments from Rev Laurent Vernet.

The Spring 2022 edition of the Interfaith Scotland newsletter is here. You can view it at the link below:

https://interfaithscotland.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Interfaith-Scotland-Newsletter-Spring-2022.pdf

The Covid-19 pandemic has had, and continues to have, a profound impact on individuals, families, communities, and community leaders. Feelings of loss, loneliness, stress, and anxiety have become widespread, and it is often difficult to find means of support, refreshment, and inspiration. One possible route might come as a surprise; research shows that reading poetry as a way of reflecting upon, recognising, and reinterpreting our experiences can be a very helpful tool. Encountering the right poem, at the right time, can open up a difficult moment and offer connection, hope, and respite; in this way, a poem can act rather like a prayer or meditation.

Interfaith Scotland is working with the Scottish Poetry Library to create a book of poems on the theme of ‘The Gift’. The poems will be written by people from diverse faith and belief backgrounds, and will be offered to community leaders and activists with thanks and gratitude for all they have done to steer us through the current crises. The theme of ‘The gift’ allows those submitting poems to write about what inspired them and helped bring them through the pandemic; gifts such as faith, community, connections, nature, family, friends, music etc.

We would like to offer you the opportunity to submit a poem for the anthology. Poems should be a maximum of 40 lines and on the theme of ‘The Gift’ as outlined above. We have brought together a small panel with representatives of different faiths to select poems for the anthology. Although not all poems submitted to us may be selected for the anthology we hope you find the poetry writing a positive and uplifting experience.

Please send your poems to us by 14th June 2022.

Join with folk from across Scotland at The Scottish Methodist Gathering in Perth 9th –11th September 2022. Dip in and out of a full programme of worship, prayer, pilgrimage, study, conferring, a Ceilidh and much more. Contributors include John Bell of The Iona Community, Rev. Roger Walton, Fischy Music and the programme includes activities for all ages.There is no charge, but to help with the organizing, please book today at www.scottishmethodistgathering.org

Resources for the week, including worship, are now available for download.

Christian Aid is  inviting you once again to get stepping and take on the popular 300,000 steps challenge.

It’s simple: take 300,000 sponsored steps in the month of May to raise funds for communities battling the climate crisis.

Coming in at just under 10,000 steps a day, hundreds of people have taken part and walked over 500 million steps to help end poverty!

Find out more and take the challenge!