The Most Rev Mark Strange, Bishop of Moray, Ross and Caithness and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church offers a Christmas message and reflection, saying “At the time of writing this, I am heading home for Christmas – the meetings in Edinburgh are now over, and I will join my family as they too travel home. It is exciting, the whole sense of preparation and celebration is one I enjoy so much. It is a time to rejoice, it is the birthday of our Saviour, it is a time of celebration.
“Sadly it is also a time of isolation and anxiety for some. There are parents who feel unable to keep up with the expectations produced by our consumer driven world, people who have fallen out with family, those with nowhere to call home. Across the world there are people living in war zones and in places of food and water shortage.
We live in a divided world, a world that needs healing and love.
“We have a message which is about healing and love, the message of salvation brought about by God in the shape of a baby born in a shelter, destined to teach us of love and care before being rejected and killed and who through the resurrection offers us all the promise of eternal life. That is a message of hope and one that we need to share.
“That sharing can be by word but often the most powerful message is the one we share by giving something of ourselves, offering a meal to the hungry, working for peace in our communities and inviting the outsider into the inside of our lives and festivities.
“Enjoy Christmas, and share Christmas, it isn’t only a family time, it is a sharing time, a caring time and a loving time, a time for the world to hear us say Come and Join the Celebration.”
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In the process to elect new bishops, the Preparatory Committees in each of the Dioceses of Brechin and St Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane have been unable to achieve a shortlist of candidates by the due date. (Under the canonical process the Preparatory Committee is charged with preparing a shortlist of no fewer than three, nor more than five, candidates for presentation to the Electoral Synod.) In light of this, the Electoral Synod of each diocese will meet to hear an explanation of the position from its Preparatory Committee and will be invited to consider a second round of the election process which, following a new mandate from the Primus, would then allow a period of 120 days from the date of the new mandate for elections to take place.
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Each day throughout Advent a short video is being shown on the Scottish Episcopal Church’s website. The opening of each daily Advent ‘window’ reveals a short video reflecting a variety of Advent related themes and reflections – highlighting how the Church is living out the Advent promise and how individuals and groups respond to the call of Advent and look forward together to the Birth of Christ.
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The Alastair Haggart Bursary Fund awards a grant every year of up to £1500 to help fund a sabbatical or similar leave of absence for someone in authorized ministry. Such study leave should occur at a stage in the person’s life when the experience will significantly enhance his or her ministerial practice and development. The outcomes of the project should also be of benefit to the wider Church. Grants in recent years have funded studies of ‘pilgrimage’ and of ‘interim ministry’, and also a sabbatical in the Tantur Institute of Ecumenical Research. For an application form for 2018, please contact the Scottish Episcopal Institute’s Administrator, Denise Brunton: DeniseB@scotland.anglican.org . The deadline for the submission of applications is 31 January 2018.
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The Rev Christine Downey has been appointed Rector at St Mary, Dalmahoy on 1 December 2017.
Very sadly, Carol Duncan, the Senior Cashier at the General Synod Office, having been on sick leave for much of this year, has been advised that she will be unable to return to work and has therefore now retired. She will be greatly missed by all her colleagues at the General Synod Office and those more widely in the Province who worked with her. A process of recruiting a successor will commence in the New Year.
The Rev Richard Kilgour is to be appointed Rector of Holy Trinity, Motherwell and St Andrew, Wishaw on 7 February 2018.
The Rev Mary Lennard died on 25 November 2017, aged 96. She served as a Deaconess at Christ Church, Falkirk from 1982-91. Mary worked as Assistant Supernumerary Chaplain, in the Diocese of Edinburgh from 1991-96 and retired in 1992. During her retirement Mary served as a non-Stipendiary Minister, St Mary, Grangemouth and St Catharine’s, Bo’ness, from 1996-2004.
The Rev Canon Dr Alexander Emsley Nimmo has resigned as Dean of the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney from November 2017. He will continue as Rector at St Margaret of Scotland, Aberdeen.
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Pisky.Scot is the online magazine of the Scottish Episcopal Church. It was launched in June when the printed inspires magazine came to an end.
If you register with Pisky.Scot you will be sent a regular update of the articles posted to this and you might consider submitting an article yourself. Pisky.Scot can be read here.
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IAWN Newsletter November 2017
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This Christmas, for every pound the public give to the Christian Aid Christmas Appeal to support people living in poverty, the UK Government will also give a pound. That’s double the support for families struggling to feed themselves in South Sudan, meaning even more mothers and infants under-five in South Sudan will be saved from the life-threatening effects of malnutrition.
Earlier this year, famine was declared in parts of South Sudan, the first time it was declared anywhere in six years. More than three years of conflict had displaced nearly four million people, disrupting harvests and leading to devastating food shortages. Although famine was averted, the crisis in South Sudan has reached unprecedented levels, with an estimated six million people lacking adequate food. If left untreated, acute malnutrition – the most extreme form of food crisis – can lead to death.
Sally Foster-Fulton, Head of Christian Aid Scotland said: “The situation we are seeing in South Sudan is particularly dire, with half the population now experiencing food insecurity. The economic crisis in the country continues to escalate, with the cost of cereals, skyrocketing. The situation has been further exacerbated by the ongoing civil war which has forced millions to flee.
“We welcome the news that our Christmas Appeal is again being supported by UK Aid Match, which will double the amount raised, helping us to support people living in poverty.”
Donations made to the Christmas Appeal between 6 November 2017 and 5 February 2018 will be matched up to £2.7 million. Christian Aid will use donations for projects such as those featured. The UK Government’s match will fund our work in South Sudan.
Other news …. Christian Aid has announced the appointment of Amanda Khozi Mukwashi as its new Chief Executive. Amanda has more than 20 years’ experience, extensive knowledge and expertise in working to alleviate poverty, injustice and inequality, with a special focus on women’s leadership, civic engagement and volunteering. Her most recent appointment was as the Chief of Volunteer Knowledge and Innovation for the United Nations Volunteer Programme, based in Germany, a post she has held since December 2012.
Further information, contact Esme Allen, Christian Aid Scotland Media Officer on 07802 920804 or email EAllen@christian-aid.org
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St. Ninian’s is a small church, in a beautiful Highland glen near Loch Ness and within easy reach of the city of Inverness. The church, established in 1853, has been newly renovated and is at the centre of an extensive parish comprising several villages of various sizes and wide expanses of countryside. The congregation is not large but seeks to be as active as possible in bearing witness to our faith within the community.
