Hello everyone,
Hope you are well and enjoying the sunshine.
Are you looking forward to the clocks changing? Looking forward to giving back the extra hour of sleep you were given in October?
As we are officially now in Spring there is change all around us. I saw someone out with their mower a couple of days ago. Garden Centres are doing a roaring trade on plants right now. On the warmer days people have put aside their big coats for spring wear. Apparently more cleaning will go on this week that any other week in the year. Change is in the air. Thankfully though the world around us changes in its normal routine of seasons, the faith we possess does not change. Whether the weather is good bad or indifferent Jesus Christ remains the same. If it is wet or dry, light or dark, Jesus remains the same. Even as we change going from one year to the next Jesus remains. I take great comfort from knowing the God we worship will endure irrespective of whatever changes happen around us.
One of the changes to report this week is that Mr Roger Dodd has stepped down as Convener of Property and Mr David Menzies (davidmenzies28@talktalk.net) has taken on the role. We will publicly thank Roger when we meet at the June Presbytery but in the meantime we express our thanks through this email to Roger for many years helping congregations with all matters property.
A few decisions were taken under powers since my last update to you.
| 12/03/2025 | Presbytery Council | Concur with the KS of Hawick South in the sale of the former Hawick Trinity Church and Manse |
| 14/03/2025 | Presbytery Council | Via an email vote on 14th March 2025, approve the placement of an Ordained Local Minister in the charge of Ormiston linked with Pencaitland for an initial period, till 31st December 2025, reviewable thereafter. |
| 20/03/2025 | Presbytery Council | Thank and discharge Rev Dale London from Interim Moderator at Newbattle on 1st April 2025 and appoint Mr Connor McFadyen as Interim Moderator, Rev Katherine Taylor as Assistant Interim Moderator and Rev Graham Duffin as Mentor in Newbattle and Dalkeith St Nicholas Buccleuch and thereafter in the united congregation to take effect from 1st April 2025. |
| 21/04/2025 | Presbytery Council | On the resignation of Mr Roger Dodd, appoint Mr David Menzies as Property Convener for a period of 1 year in the first instance. |
From 30th March we are asked to pray for those involved in Ministry Training & Next Steps.
We give thanks and pray for all those in training for mission & ministry; for students Greg Robertson & Andrew Henshaw; for those doing their probationary period -Sarah Cook in Jedburgh & Oxnam, Michael McMullin at St.Andrews High, Musselburgh; & for Assistant Ministers Jelias Mutimbairi & Tim Linford as they discern their next steps in ministry.
No one objected to the Declaration of Friendship with the Korean Church planting a congregation in Newton or offering Associate Membership to their Minister and one of their elders. Therefore on Wednesday 2nd April at 7pm in the Newton church we will be joining with representatives of Busan South Presbytery in the ordination and induction of Mr JunSoo Park as their pastor. Given this is a church plant there is no large congregation so if as many people could go along to show support, that would be a good thing.
Below are a few adverts for various events taking place over the next few weeks and attached is a flyer from Gorebridge advertising an evening with Gareth Davies-Jones and a post on Sacred Crossing, more details on that one below.
Enjoy the Spring, enjoy the sunshine and enjoy the gift of faith God has given to us.
Please remember you can share these emails with anyone you want. If you have a good news story or something you want advertised, please send them in.
God Bless and take care
Norman Smith
Presbytery Clerk
Alpha Connect Day – Innerleithen – 27th May 2025
Alpha Scotland are hosting a Connect day in Innerleithen Church of Scotland with the opportunity to attend either at lunchtime or in the evening.
Alpha Connects’ are run across Scotland for church and Alpha leaders to come together and spur one another on in mission. Churches don’t need to be running Alpha to come along and it’s not always about Alpha. It’s for anyone wanting to help their communities explore faith and encounter Jesus.
Lunchtime booking – Connect: Borders, Lunchtime Tickets, Tue, May 27, 2025 at 12:30 PM | Eventbrite
Evening booking – Connect: Borders, Evening Tickets, Tue, May 27, 2025 at 7:00 PM | Eventbrite
Hi Everyone!
The Springtime is arriving, and with it Gladsmuir’s season of half a dozen “Sing at 6.30” services, spanning April to September. For 2025 these will take place on the second Sunday of each month in our beautiful building, with people from across our Mission Grouping (and beyond!) being made very welcome to join in, as together we “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness”.
With our first date, Sunday 13th April, now approaching, please put the following invitation out and about around your people, whether in conversation, spoken announcements or printed newsletters/powerpoints:
“Passion Sunday Blues”: Gladsmuir Church’s first “Sing at 6.30” service for 2025 will take place on Passion Sunday, 13th April, at half past six. Everyone is welcome to join in a lively service which will combine hymn-singing, Holy Week readings from Mark’s gospel and dramatized reflections on Jesus’ journey to the Cross. In addition, we will be welcoming the Christian singer and blues guitarist, Andy Shuttleworth, who will be providing soulful musical reflections across the service. Admission is free, with refreshments served. Our retiring offering will be for Christian Aid Scotland.
If you, or anyone you know, would like to present one of the readings or a very short (already scripted) reflection, we would be pleased to spread participation far and wide. As a Mission Grouping, this kind of service should be as inclusive as possible, and we will be DELIGHTED to build our already growing relationship in this way.
Just let me know if you would like to take part – all will be welcome in the “Sing at 6.30” services.
Many thanks, and see you soon!
Robin
Sent on behalf of Mirella Yandoli
TO: Ministers with a Church of Scotland email
Dear Ministers,
Holy Week is a profound time of reflection, worship, and renewal in the life of the Church. It is also a time when we encounter the deep historical and theological connections between Jesus’ final days and the Jewish celebration of Passover. These connections can enrich our understanding but also present challenges—especially in how we approach scripture, tradition, and interfaith sensitivity.
The Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ) have agreed to co-create a bespoke webinar for our ministers and all involved in designing and leading worship in the Church of Scotland. It’s the first time they’ve offered this so they are keen to share their own wisdom and hear your perspectives and questions. The session will be co-hosted by the Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Interfaith Manager Mirella Yandoli, and James Roberts, from CCJ and Rev Ruth Kennedy, Digital Ministries Advisor, will give reflections on the resources she’s produced for a lectionary based Holy Week this year.
In this special lunchtime webinar, we will explore:
✅ The intersection of Holy Week and Passover—where they overlap and diverge.
✅ How Passion Plays and Holy Week scriptures have shaped perceptions of Judaism—sometimes in unintended ways.
✅ The complexities of “Christian Seders” and what Passover meant in Jesus’ time vs. today.
✅ Digital resources, worship materials, and creative ideas to enhance your Holy Week services and teaching.
This is a space for reflection, open discussion, and practical takeaways—helping you shape meaningful worship and deepen your ministry.
The primary audience is for anyone in a nationally or locally recognised ministry, however, please forward to anyone in your network who might find this helpful or interesting.
Date & Time: Wednesday 2nd April 1:00pm – 2:15 pm
Online Webinar
Come with questions, leave with new insights and ready-to-use resources.
If you have any questions in advance that you’d like to be addressed in the webinar, please email: myandoli@churchofscotland.org.uk
We hope to see you there!
Mirella Yandoli
Dear friends,
I hope you don’t mind the group email to the Presbytery Digital Ministry contacts. I have 5 freebies for you!
Part of the national Digital Ministry strategy is to create resources that might be used by Churches and Presbytery’s, and hopefully provide some ideas of what might be created locally. This is complemented by workshops designed to enable digital ministry.
- International Women’s Day; we have a brilliant specially commissioned song by Sisken Green ‘There is a line of women’ available to share and use on our Youtube channel The Church of Scotland – YouTube. It will go live later today (Tuesday) and is in partnership with ourselves, Integrity and Sisken Green.
- There will also be an Instagram reel live on Thursday ‘International Women’s Day?’. This has been created by a super Church of Scotland girls youthgroup! Church of Scotland (@churchofscotland) • Instagram photos and videos
It would be great if you can use, share etc these resources and let me know how you find them.
- Holy Week – we will have daily digital ministry resources available later this month. These will be shared across our national platforms, and hopefully they are useful to you too!
- The Priority Areas team is hosting ‘Enabling Digital Ministry’ workshops, beginning in April, these may be open to all Churches. Please contact me or them for info.
- The national digital ministry strategic aims are designed to provide a framework for the development of Presbytery digital ministry strategy with an accompanying online assessment. If you would like to meet with me to develop your own, please be in touch. Feedback has been that this is useful and good so far!
There will be more good developments coming and please be in touch if there is something your Presbytery or Churches are asking for, or ideas I can help with.
Grace to you,
Ruth
