This initiative, promoted in the Archdiocese of Glasgow for more than 30 years, has given churches a form of service which enables them to look back together at their roots in the worship of the people of Israel.

The service this year was originally taken from Kevin Mayhew’s publication Focus on Holy Week, but it has been adapted this way and that ever since.

• A full report is available on the website of St Leo the Great parish church.

The Church of Scotland has announced an ambitious plan aimed at regenerating eight of the country’s poorest areas.

Moderator: 'A different approach is needed'

The Kirk’s Chance to Thrive scheme will see churches reconfigured as community spaces, complete with facilities to benefit everyone living in the area.

Download an information document from the Church of Scotland website.

Five of the eight churches involved are in Glasgow and the others will be in Larkhall, Stirling and Dundee. Church officials selected the eight areas from 19 applications from around Scotland.

The pilot project is expected to last five years and is intended to help communities bring about changes to their area, rather than relying on agencies to impose change from outside.

If successful, the scheme will be rolled out to other areas around Scotland.

The Right Rev David Arnott, Moderator of the Church of Scotland’s General Assembly, said: “Despite the massive public investment of recent years, many of our poorest communities a generation ago tragically remain our poorest communities today.

“Particularly in the current economic climate, a different approach is needed. Over the last decade the Church of Scotland has doubled its commitment to Scotland’s poorest neighbourhoods.

“Through Chance to Thrive we are well placed to play our part in the transformation of a number of these areas.”

In Glasgow, St Mark’s in Drumchapel, Tron St Mary by the Red Road flats, Cranhill Parish Church, and Maryhill Parish Church are involved in the scheme.

Castlemilk East Parish Church and Castlemilk West Parish Church will work together in the hope that within five years, both will be united in a new building.

The Rev Dr Martin Johnstone, who organises the Kirk’s work in deprived areas, said: “In many of the post-war housing schemes, churches provided the first community facilities, helping to create and support the community, and the churches are committed to remaining there even when others walk away.

“Over the past 10 years we have learnt some critical lessons, including the importance of starting small and focusing on the local. We also know that real change comes about when people who live in local communities are really listened to and supported to become the architects of change.

“This is not primarily about buildings – it is about people and their aspirations for the places where they live.

“It is about a model of regeneration which recognises the importance of interdependence, that in order to build places where we all want to live everyone needs to be involved.”

The scheme will be launched at the Scottish Parliament tomorrow evening at an event hosted by Alex Neil MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment.

• Full story at The Herald.

The appointments were made at ACTS’ annual general meeting on June 22, where it was also agreed that the organisations Faith  in  Older People,  Minority Ethnic Christians Together in Scotland and  the  Scottish Churches China Group be recognised as Bodies in Association with ACTS.

The retiring convener, the Right Reverend Monsignor Philip J. Kerr, said that during his two years in office a great amount of energy had been spent on very practical issues, including the future of Scottish Churches House in Dunblane, “which seemed to have diverted us from the more fundamental goals of ecumenism”.

However, the period had also been marked by “a number of very historical occasions”, such as the Edinburgh 2010 World Mission Conference. “It has been a great gift that these events have happened to lift our spirits,” he said.

• Full reports are available on the ACTS website.

Visit the dedicated website

‘Roll Away The Stone’ will showcase the Church of Scotland using a section of the Gardens from St Cuthbert’s Church to the Ross Bandstand with worship, entertainment, displays and stalls highlighting the full spectrum of the church’s work under the themes of celebration, inspiration and discovery.

There will be something for everyone: children’s activities, music, drama, storytelling, puppets, juggling, drumming, conversation, crafts and comedy.

Rev Dr George Whyte, Depute Principal Clerk of the Church of Scotland, said he expected up to 4,000 visitors to the five-hour festival.

Dr Whyte said:  “Admission is free – we are there to celebrate the life of the Church of Scotland.  It’s for those who know nothing about the Church and those who are deeply involved.

“We are hoping for around 3,000 to 4,000 people to come and we are encouraging anyone in the broader church family within a reasonable travelling distance to come to Edinburgh on the day.”

Headlining acts include performances of the Easter Play, the Scotland African Massed Choir and New Scottish Arts Chamber Orchestra. Children’s entertainment will be provided by Fischy Music. Christian rock bands and a massed choir from congregations across the Church of Scotland will also perform.  There will even be a new church built on the day – from recycled plastic bottles.  The event ends with worship at the Ross Bandstand.

Dr Whyte said:  “The general public are very welcome to come. Stewarding and information on the day will ensure people can participate.”

He added:  “We would like to think that a public event like this could be a part of the General Assembly week in the years ahead.”

Scotland’s senior Christian figures have come together to urge the country to vote in May’s elections.

The Church leaders are encouraging the public and politicians to examine their faith as they prepare to vote in the Scottish elections.

Churches and Christian organisations have produced a shared election resources website, www.churchesvote.org, to inform potential voters about Parliamentary and election processes; to collate information about party policies and inspire Christians of all political persuasions to participate in the debate.

The website is a joint initiative between the Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office, Catholic Parliamentary Office, CARE for Scotland, Evangelical Alliance and Christians Count.

It is supported by the Baptist Union of Scotland, CARE for Scotland, Christians Count, Church of Scotland, Congregational Federation, Destiny Church Network,

Evangelical Alliance, Free Church of Scotland, Methodist Church in Scotland, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), Roman Catholic Church, The Salvation Army, Scottish Episcopal Church, United Free Church of Scotland and United Reformed Church.

A joint statement in support has been issued by all of those organisations.

At a launch in Edinburgh today were:

• Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Right Reverend John Christie.
• Cardinal Keith O’Brien, President, Bishops’ Conference of Scotland.
• The Most Rev David Chillingworth, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane and Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church.
• Rev John Humphreys, Moderator of the National Synod of Scotland United Reformed Church of Scotland.
• Rev Fred Drummond, National Director for Scotland, the Evangelical Alliance.
• The Salvation Army: Lt Col Alan Burns, Scotland Secretary
• Rev Alexander MacDonald, Free Church of Scotland
• Methodist Church in Scotland, Rev Lily Twist, Chair of the Methodist Synod in Scotland
• Destiny Church Network, Andrew Owen, Senior Pastor

In a joint statement the church leaders said: “This website is about encouraging people to use their vote and helping them to understand the process involved. It provides information and links to individual churches resources.

“This is an initiative of a wide range churches and Christian organisations that are united in their commitment to encourage informed participation and real debate on the Scottish Election in May.”

The full statement issued on behalf of all the Church Leaders is as follows:

Church Leaders’ Statement ahead of the Scottish Election in May 2011

Elections to the Scottish Parliament take place on 5 May 2011. Church Leaders and representatives of Christian organisations across Scotland have come together ahead of these elections to challenge candidates and voters alike to remember that elections are community events in which “my” vote is not only for me but also an opportunity for each of us to express the needs of the whole community. Let us look beyond the selfish and fearful parts of ourselves and aspire to build a society where everyone has equal access to opportunities and can live with dignity.

A fair and just society must place the value of every human life at the centre of its thinking. This is only possible in a society which respects human life at every stage and supports the family in which life is born and nurtured. Families have a right and a need for sufficient material wellbeing to flourish; the right to sustainable work is an essential part of satisfying this need. Human choices are not value free; when making far reaching choices about the future of our economy we must understand the moral consequences of our decisions before we act. In our roles as consumers, workers, employers, investors and shareholders we must strive to create fair economic mechanisms that, while acknowledging that profit is a valid form of economic activity, place human outcomes above the need for ever greater financial rewards. Our current levels of consumption cannot be sustained. As a society we must aspire to a future in which, as a society, we live within our means and learn from the past.

There is a deep need for those with political authority to be a part of the communities which they serve and to act in the best interests of that community as a whole. Politicians must be accountable for the morality of their decisions and when we hold them accountable we must remember that we serve each other and not our own self interest. While many politicians work tirelessly in their communities there remains considerable scepticism in relation to political institutions and politicians. An awareness of human failings should not tempt us to abandon the political system. Dissatisfaction with politics should prompt Christians to be more involved in shaping political life so that it better serves the whole of society.

For generations Christians have served society and been at the heart of civil and political life, a tradition we are committed to continuing. Motivated by faith, Christians are particularly aware of the need, found at the heart of the Gospel message, for a just social order where the government and economy function properly in contributing to social harmony. Electing a government that is capable of doing this in a way compatible with the dignity of each human person is therefore a task of utmost importance. Churches and Christian organisations have produced a shared election resources website: www.churchesvote.org to inform potential voters about Parliamentary and election processes; to collate information about party policies and inspire Christians of all political persuasions to participate in the debate. It is up to us to respond to the needs of our communities, to be informed about the decisions that will be taken after this election, and fulfil our duty to vote.

Signatories List:

• Baptist Union of Scotland: Rev Alan Donaldson, General Director
• CARE for Scotland: Bill Baird, Manager
• Christians Count: Andrew Witty, Director
• Church of Scotland: Rt Rev John Christie, Moderator of the General Assembly
• Congregational Federation: Rev Malcolm Muir, Chair
• Destiny Church Network: Andrew Owen, Senior Pastor
• Evangelical Alliance: Rev Fred Drummond, National Director in Scotland
• Free Church of Scotland: Rev James Maciver, Clerk to the General Assembly
• Methodist Church in Scotland: Rev Lily Twist, Chair of the Methodist Synod in Scotland
• Religious Society of Friends (Quakers): Leslie Stevenson, Representative Friend
• Roman Catholic Church:  Cardinal Keith O’Brien, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland
• The Salvation Army: Lieut-Colonel Alan Burns, Scotland Secretariat
• Scottish Episcopal Church: Most Revd David Chillingworth, Primus
• United Free Church of Scotland: Rev Robert O Owens, Moderator of the General Assembly
• United Reformed Church: Rev John LI Humphreys, Moderator of the National Synod of Scotland

‘The larks still bravely singing fly, scarce heard amid the guns below.’

Christmas lights brighten the mid winter. There is an urgency around which seems at odds with a Northern Hemisphere winter during which nature is largely dormant. Before the Remembrance poppy has bloomed sacred and secular Christmas music was being played in some shops keen to get the Christmas season underway.

Truth is that the Christmas season does not begin until Christmas Day. The four weeks before that are known as Advent which has much more to do with introspection and reflection and of looking forward to Jesus’ birth and Christ’s return so that we can be well-prepared for the former if the latter doesn’t happen first and for the latter if it does!

There is no doubt that we live in difficult times. The world is ill-divided between rich and poor, our country has its armed forces serving in places like Afghanistan; families are separated one from the other; some will celebrate Christmas others won’t

The larks still bravely fly though they are scarce heard is Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae’s response to a world clamouring in his poem in his poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ – a reminder of the consequence of war through generations of human history. That which drowns the lark’s song is the same as that which drowns the angel chorus which sang of the birth of a child turning shepherds into seekers as they rushed to see baby – the son of a carpenter called Joseph and his wife Mary. Both far from home – it would have taken a week to undertake the journey – because the call to a census had taken them from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Homeless they’d managed to get a roof over their heads – but only just – the child’s cot was a trough.

But the angels sang for him. For a moment discord was stilled. The angels lit the skies and for a minute or two the first faltering chords of a new symphony were heard.

‘Peace on earth goodwill to everyone!’

Somewhere behind the clamour this Christmas may we hear the angels’ song and, perhaps, begin to sing it ourselves so others can hear it too giving a new song which sings of faith, hope and love, of joy and peace. A song which creates a concord of harmony with the angels and shepherds and kings, with our friends and families, with our enemies and those with whom we disagree, one which draws us into the harmony of harmonies in the presence of Christ crucified and risen.

May you be blessed with Peace and joy this Christmas and through the New Year.

The new translation, Soisgeul Eòin, is part of the translation of the whole of the New Testament from Greek into contemporary Gaelic and is being undertaken by a small committee, comprising of two Church of Scotland ministers, a Free Church minister and retired Catholic priest Canon John Macdonald, of Argyll and the Isles Diocese.

No more fitting a venue could have been chosen for the launch of Soisgeul Eòin than Scotland’s biggest celebration of Gaelic culture and life—which was formally opened in Thurso and is taking place in Caithness for the first time.

The book has been published by the Scottish Bible Society and, according to Canon Macdonald, could not have been completed without the help of Rev Paul Ellingsworth, eminent Biblical Greek scholar and Methodist minister.

• Full story at the Scottish Catholic Observer.

Archbishop Mario Conti (Roman Catholic archbishop of Glasgow), Christine Davis (Religious Society of Friends / Quakers) and the Rev. Dr Sheilagh Kesting (ecumenical officer of the Church of Scotland and former moderator of its General Assembly) shared reflections about the successes, disappointments and hopes of churches working together in the nation.

When the ‘churches together’ model was adopted in 1990 with the formation of ACTS, there “were vociferous and in some places quite unpleasant protests”, said Christine Davis, one of the early participants in the churches together movement.

She pointed out that today “at one level, the fact we are working together is taken for granted”. In 2009, “we had a very valuable joint conference of everyone involved in the churches in Scotland on Calvin: Catholic and Reformed”, she said. The theme was inspired by the 500^th anniversary of Protestant reformer John Calvin’s birth. “Now, that is the kind of event which allowed us to be learning together about a part of church history people don’t normally see as having in common.”

Archbishop Mario Conti: 'engagement, respect, listening'

Archbishop Conti, the first convener of ACTS, said its role was all about “engagement, respect and listening”, he said.

Sheilagh Kesting, who was also involved in the formation of ACTS, talked about landmark developments that grew out of the Swanwick consultation in 1992, with “people reporting afterwards about the moment when Cardinal Hume of England came forward and said the Roman Catholic Church was ready to come into a new ecumenical structure, the churches together, that we now call ACTS”.

The momentum this created, along with the subsequent leadership and grassroots work of the churches together, has led “the Roman Catholic church into the ecumenical movement, and this is not something we wanted to go back on”, Kesting said.

ACTS and the churches together movement have not led to unity in all things: there remain stark differences between churches. But, according to Conti, the churches resist criticising each other in public and work at respecting their differences and discussing them together.

Today it is more likely churches will consult with each other before they move forward on important matters, according to Kesting. Some of the disappointments the group felt about the churches together movement is that it may not be challenging the churches enough, she added.

Conti said that there remain challenges in regard to issues of morality and ethics, such as family values and homosexuality.

Even with these sort of “mismatches” among churches in the same communities, particularly around ecclesial issues, this sometimes “baffles people”, Davis said, “but it doesn’t stop them from getting on”.

Despite these challenges, all three ecumenical stalwarts saw hope in the movement of churches together, with ACTS and agencies like the World Council of Churches at the forefront. There was strong participation of the churches in addressing social issues such as poverty, Conti observed.

In conclusion, Davis said that churches have to share their resources better, deal with their own internal divisions, look at broader inter-religious and secular issues and in the end live out the good news of Jesus Christ, “which is to be extended to everyone we meet”.

• Full story at the World Council of Churches.

Glasgow Gospel DVD cover

Jamie Stuart, 89, from the East End will travel to Nashville on Tuesday to narrate A Celtic Christmas Concert, which is being recorded for America’s most watched faith TV channel Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN).

It will go out over Christmas on the channel which can be seen on cable around the world.

Organisers had read Jamie’s book, The Glasgow Gospel, which offers a Glaswegian take on some of the gospel stories and invited him to America.

Jamie, an elder at High Carntyne Church, said: “I’m compering the whole event and giving presentations on the Glasgow Bible. I’m very excited. They seem to have fallen in love with it and I reckon it will fit in with the Celtic Christmas idea”

The Glasgow Bible is a compilation of Jamie’s books, The Glasgow Gospel and two volumes of Auld Testement Tales, and has sold more than 150,000 copies around the world.

• Full story at the Glasgow Evening Times.

But Garthamlock and Craigend East Parish Church on Porchester Street is one of two new rejuvenated churches to open its doors in the fast regenerating areas of the city along with St George’s and St Peter’s Church, on Sunday. Both churches built to replace the original buildings are a symbol of the Kirk’s commitment to ministry throughout.

With light and airy surrounding it is only when you enter the main hall and notice the main window with its panes separated by the shape of the cross that you realise that Garthamlock and Craigend East Parish Church is a place of worship.

Rev Dr Val Duff, minister of the church for the last 14 years, said she and her congregation are looking forward to new and exciting times ahead with their new church. Dr Duff sees their new church building as a symbol of the regeneration of the area and the Kirk’s commitment to the neighbourhood.

Dr Duff said: “Garthamlock itself is undergoing huge changes and the whole area is being regenerated. In a time of church cutbacks this is hugely exciting and the new church building is a symbol of the regeneration of not just of Garthamlock and Craigend Parish Church but the whole community. The old church was a product of its day built more than 50 years ago but our new building is the next stage of the church’s life and we are looking forward to its future now.”

It is a sentiment shared by Rev Malcolm Cuthbertson, minister at St George’s and St Peter’s, Boyndie Street.

The original church building suffered severe storm damage in 1998 and the sanctuary had to be demolished.

Mr Cuthbertson said:”It was a struggle to maintain our church status but now we’ve reached the end of the road with the rebuilding of it and we’re looking forward to taking over the new church building. We’re all very excited about being able to have our first service there on September 5.”

The original churches were built in the 1950s and 1960s but by the late 1990s both buildings were beginning to show their age. The best option it was decided would be to replace them and new churches were scheduled to be built alongside a major housing redevelopment site.

Finance for the new buildings was provided through the Church of Scotland’s Priority Areas Committee with the design and construction led by the Central Properties Department.

The challenge of developing a suitable design for each site that reflected the needs and aspirations of two very different congregations was heightened by strict budget limitations. It was important that the design of each building respected the changing context in which they would be set.

James F Stephen Architects were appointed as the design team leaders. Previous working partnership experience would be essential in these projects to maximise the potential outcome for both developments.

The designs remained “simple” in terms of the construction process to keep costs low but nonetheless both buildings have a high quality specification. Constructed with timber frames and facing brick and concrete externally, the buildings are of a robust nature externally whilst internally the careful use of space has provided multi-roomed buildings with sanctuaries that will provide the dignity for worship yet equally provide activity space for a variety of purposes.

Communication is a vital aspect within any church building and the churches make good use of the latest audio-visual technologies throughout.

When opened, the new churches will provide a focus for the congregations and the communities, bringing opportunities for the future that the original buildings had over 50 years ago.