Celebrating what God has done in the past – anticipating what God will do in the future
This weekend we welcome the three-person Local Church Review Panel from the Presbytery of England, as they undertake the first part of their review of our linked charge. (Part II at St Andrew’s, Newcastle follows on the weekend of 20th & 21st November.) The last review was undertaken in 2014 – so an enormous amount has happened in the meantime.
Celebrating what God has done in the past – anticipating what God will do in the future
This weekend we welcome the three-person Local Church Review Panel from the Presbytery of England, as they undertake the first part of their review of our linked charge. (Part II at St Andrew’s, Newcastle follows on the weekend of 20th & 21st November.) The last review was undertaken in 2014 – so an enormous amount has happened in the meantime.
Friends,
I recently attended a family funeral in Scotland and while it was obviously a very sad day, and I was especially sorry to see another of my parents’ generation go, I enjoyed meeting various cousins and second cousins after the service.
I’m sure that ours is not the only family who tend to gather at funerals but rarely on other occasions. As always, we all said, “We must catch up again soon”, and I hope we do before another sad event occurs but often our busy lives just get in the way.
Friends,
As I write this, Glasgow and the rest of the United Kingdom are preparing for the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change and I suspect we can all see why it is usually abbreviated to COP26!
However, the rather wordy title of this conference serves to underline how serious the subject matter is and I suspect it may prove to be the most significant international gathering in the history of the United Nations Organisation. At the same Prince William has launched the “Earthshot Prize” to encourage scientists. entrepreneurs, voluntary organisations, and others who are trying to find practical solutions to the various environmental problems currently facing our planet.
Chewing the fat…
With his permission, I share reflections made this week by retired Church of Scotland minister, Revd David Donald Scott.
For over forty years Prisons Week has prepared prayer literature for the Christian community to use as they pray for the needs of all those affected by prisons: prisoners and victims, their families, their communities, those working and volunteering in prisons and the criminal justice system. Those who organise Prisons Week request that we pray each day during Prisons Week but also ask ourselves whether there is one thing that we as an individual, or as a church, can do to help any of the people that we are praying for.
Friends,
In the opening devotions at the Kirk Session last Friday evening, we heard the following questions in relation to our lives of faith – offered not as a manifesto, but as something to ponder:
“What could we say no to? If we didn’t do something, would that activity cease altogether, and if it did, would that be a problem? Or would it give a breathing space out of which something else might emerge?”
Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. Hebrews 12:2
Friends,
In August the Presbytery of England ordained Rev Dr Allan Wright to a pioneering ministry to the veterinary community of the Northeast of England. One definition of pioneer is, “a person who is among the first to explore or settle a new country or area.” This week I received the following thoughts on pioneering ministry.
Friends,
Having collated the responses to the recent Congregational Survey and taking advantage of a fresh pair of eyes, I invited our Associate Minister, William to offer “an executive summary” of the survey findings. The St Columba’s Kirk Session meets on Saturday 25th September. Prior to that they will have opportunity to see the full set of survey responses, to assist the shaping of a Congregational Plan for presentation to the Local Church Review Panel in November. Once again, thank you to all who took part in the survey, and I hope you find the following encouraging and of interest.
Angus
Good Afternoon All,
I hope this email finds you well and have enjoyed the last bit of summer we have enjoyed this week.
Us Llewellyn’s have survived the first full week of school and have come out of it pretty unscathed. With schools starting back in full, we have had somewhat of a full house here at St Columba’s too. Knightsbridge School returned with a school assembly in the Lower Hall on Thursday and the church was full of Hill House students (parents are still unable to join to allow for distancing). It was glorious to hear their chatter and music through the building this week.
Along with the schools many of our groups have also started back- Mini Mozart’s music filled the Upper Hall on Tuesday morning, Tarka put the children through their paces on Wednesday and we have enjoyed hearing the ‘hi-ya’s’ of the Martial Arts Federation. Next week we welcome the Langham Sketch Club on Wednesday evenings and the Choir With No Name on Thursday evenings.
Dear All,
I hope this newsletter finds you well having had a wonderful bank holiday weekend.
I am safely back in the hot seat here at St Columba’s after a wonderful weekend in Pembrokeshire- the final visit before Christmas I should imagine. We enjoyed some fantastic weather, paddle boarding around the coast and eating lots of ice cream.
Back to St Columba’s today and we prepare for the schools restarting next week. Knightsbridge School restart a week today and we have our first Hill House assembly since the start of the pandemic also. We are looking forward to the sounds of school children being back in the building. Along with the schools a lot of the groups start for the Autumn Term. We have baby opera, toddler football and baby ballet all to look forward to!
Dear All,
Well the last bank holiday before Christmas is upon us. Where on earth has the summer disappeared to (have we had a summer?)?
This afternoon I head down on the train to Pembrokeshire for my final visit before Christmas. The plan is to spend the weekend on the beach – Baz, Betsy and Sophie love swimming in the sea and I enjoy watching them from the warmth of the sand (it needs to be above 25 degrees to get me to even think about sea swimming!).
Good afternoon everyone from sunny Knightsbridge,
We have had quite varied weather this week, but I am happy to report that the sun is shining at the moment.
This is almost the end of my 2nd week covering Lucy for her holiday and in 2 weeks time I shall be heading back to my little people in the classroom. I shall have a varied role this year including teaching in Nursery and Reception and working with groups for reading in Year 3! All very varied, but will make my days interesting.
Dear All,
I always say, no two days are the same at St Columba’s and today has been one of those days! We had a couple visit the church this afternoon who have never been to St Columba’s ever before BUT have not missed one of our live streams, as recommended by her friend. They asked to meet Angus who has been an important part of their lockdown and looked around the church, as they left they also met William and said to me “oh what a bonus I got to meet both of the boys!”. It was so nice to meet them and to see the joy the church has brought to them. In fact I think they made our afternoon!
Good Afternoon All,
I’m back from a refreshing week in Pembrokeshire. Staycationers everywhere! I have never seen the beaches so busy and trying to get a reservation in a local pub was somewhat interesting, however we managed lots of ice cream, fish and chips and late night swims (well Baz & the kids not me) on the beach.
