Inspires Magazine – Celebrating 10 years

A special 10 year anniversary edition of inspires magazine has just been published!

To mark the 10th anniversary of the launch of inspires magazine, the Information and Communication Board has produced an anniversary edition of the magazine – the first of the re-launched magazines under a new editorial group. This is the first of four editions of the magazine for 2015; thereafter magazines will be published in June, September and December.

For further information, and to subscribe: http://www.scotland.anglican.org/who-we-are/publications/inspires/

Bishops’ Lent Appeal 2015 – Scottish Episcopal Institute

Help build the Church of the future by investing in the candidates of today, through the work of the Scottish Episcopal Institute.

For this year’s Bishops’ Lent Appeals, all seven diocesan bishops have agreed to support the training and formation of those entering ministerial training in the Scottish Episcopal Church.

2014 saw the creation of the new Scottish Episcopal Institute (SEI), which replaced the former Theological Institute of the Scottish Episcopal Church (TISEC).

The ethos of the Scottish Episcopal Institute (SEI) has a very intentional emphasis on formation – the shaping of a person for ministerial functions and ensuring that the person has sufficient maturity in Christ to carry those functions.

The Rt Rev Kevin Pearson, Bishop of Argyll & The Isles and Convener of the transitional Institute Council says “We recognise the importance of investing substantially in a candidate’s training and formation, and to equip them as best we can for the wide and varied tasks that they will encounter as they develop their ministry.

“We are already very encouraged by the numbers of potential younger candidates exploring vocation, and funds permitting, we hope to be able to offer full-time training as a possible pathway for some in the future.

“Please give what you can to the Bishops’ Lent Appeal so that we can equip the Church for its future ministry.”

Now booking! Provincial Youth Week 2015 2-8 August

All the fun of Glenalmond is being packed into only one week this summer. The annual Youth Week offers teenagers from all over the Scottish Episcopal Church a unique opportunity to get together for full-on fun and fellowship. Together they share Bible study, worship and a wealth of different activities, including sports, crafts, a murder mystery evening and the ever popular ceilidh. Whether you have one teenager in your church or whole youth teams, they all need to know about Glen 15.

Contact your diocesan Youth Officer for further information or email Rev Tembu Rongong rector@stpj.org.uk

If your church wants to know more about what happens at Glenalmond, there is a full report on Glen 14 here.

Download the Poster and Application Form.

A Celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the Ordination of Women to the Priesthood

At the recent Edinburgh Diocesan Synod held on 7^th March, a special celebration service took place to mark the 20^th anniversary of the ordination of women to the priesthood.

To mark this event, a video was recently created, and played during the service. The film features Jane Millard, Janet Dyer, and Sheila Cox, three of the women ordained in 1994, and Rosie Addis, one of Edinburgh Diocese’s most newly ordained women. The video can be accessed here.

Signing for the Hearing Impaired in worship

The Rev Rosie Addis, Assistant Curate at Church of the Good Shepherd, Murrayfield, is a qualified British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.

Rosie has worked as a BSL interpreter for many years, within a variety of contexts, including theatre, education and healthcare.

In addition to her current role as Assistant Curate at Church of the Good Shepherd, she also works at the Church of Scotland as their Deaf Development Worker, and is chaplain to the Albany Deaf Church.

Here she introduces herself in BSL, asking people who are deaf to get in contact with her.

Updates…

At the Argyll and The Isles Diocesan Synod Eucharist on 10th March, the Rev Simon Mackenzie, Synod Clerk, was installed as Canon of St John’s Cathedral, Oban, and Donald Shell was welcomed as Warden of Lay Readers.

The Rev Dr Richard Hines will be licensed as Priest in Charge of St James, Aberdeen on 29th March.  Richard was previously Vicar of Christ Church Cathedral, Stanley, Falkland Islands, and he and his wife Jen will be the subject of BBC’s next series of “An Island Parish”, featuring his work on the Falkland Islands. The first episode will be aired on Friday 27th March, 7pm on BBC TWO Scotland.

Holy Week Resource – Action of Churches Together in Scotland

Action of Churches Together in Scotland (ACTS) has produced a resource for Holy Week on the theme of “Companions on the Way”.

Jesus, accompanied by his disciples, journeys towards Easter. Six representatives of the Churches, including Helen Hood, Convener of ACTS, and member of the Faith and Order Board and the Inter-Church Relations Committee, share some of their own companions on their particular journey through life and in their Christian formation. The resource can be accessed here.

Tackling Sectarianism Showcase Event – 26th March 2015

On Thursday 26^th March, from 4-8pm at Central Hall, Edinburgh, there will be a showcase event presenting the outcomes of this project tackling sectarianism.

This project, a partnership between Just Festival and Black Dingo Productions, was supported by The Scottish Government. At the event there will be three specially commissioned productions aimed at tackling, and raising awareness, of this complex issue.

For more information including programme, and to book a ticket, please see Eventbrite.

Earth Hour – 28th March 2015

Join churches from around Scotland marking Earth Hour – download a free information pack.

This year’s Earth Hour takes place on Saturday 28th March at 8:30 pm. Last year over 150 churches from across Scotland took part in Earth Hour. This year, Eco-Congregation Scotland and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Scotland have produced an information pack for churches wishing to take part.

WWF describes Earth Hour as “a global annual event where hundreds of millions of people switch off their lights for one hour to show they care about our planet. It’s about people from across the globe coming together to create a symbolic and spectacular lights out display and asking for change.”

Bye Buy Childhood Campaign Report 2015

The Mothers’ Union launched the Bye Buy Childhood campaign in 2010, seeking to highlight concerns that childhood has increasingly become a marketing opportunity, and that children are being targeted by and exposed to inappropriate sexualised media and marketing.

A report has been recently published, evaluating the campaign, and examining whether parents feel things have changed since previous research in 2010.  The report in full can be accessed here.

Vacancies

Vacancy: Communications Officer, Diocese of Edinburgh

Vacancy: Provost, St Ninian’s Cathedral, Perth 

Vacancy: Priest-in-Charge, St Peter’s, Stornoway & St Moluag’s, Eoropaidh

Vacancy: Priest-in-Charge, St Ninian’s, Dundee

Vacancy: Children And Families Worker, St Andrew’s Cathedral, Inverness