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Emerging from lockdown in Scotland – August update
However, there have also been a number of recent announcements that are of relevance to churches in relation to face coverings, Sunday schools, recovery meetings, advice services and youth work as restrictions continue to lift. This article should be read in conjunction with relevant Scottish…
Kieran Turner
A missional opening for the taking
Such was the finding of the Talking Toddlers research released in May. It showed that almost two-thirds of non-Christian parents with children under five have taken their children to a church-based activity such as a toddler group or Messy Church in the past year. “There’s a huge opening here,”…
Naomi Osinnowo
Fun, friendship and faith
At about 10am we do the notices and remind people of future activities. The children are then allowed into the sanctuary area for ride-ons, tunnels, dressing up and more. This area becomes a big, open space, enabling children and parents to move freely between rooms. Most Thursdays see between 30…
Karen Relton
Annual report 2019-2020
Our annual report for 2019 - 2020 shows you in detail what where our funding has come from, and our impact over the last year. You’ll find all the facts and figures as well as stories of what God has been doing across the UK.
Online church: a lifeline for Christians with disabilities
Pre-COVID-19, the church experience of those with disabilities and additional needs has not been good, and this has been for as many reasons as there are disabilities. Ask the inclusion question to disabled people now and you will find the percentage of those able to access and even be included in…
Kay Morgan-Gurr
Reimagining church and mission
However, despite initial alarm bells ringing, no consensus on how to respond was agreed. By the end of January more than 7,800 cases in China and close to 100 in a further 18 countries were reported. The Chinese New Year compounded the problem as it heralded a time of travel as many returned to…
Dr Sheryl Haw
In God's strength we can
Though the gospel is as glorious as it ever was, the world has changed dramatically. Today our western culture is increasingly post-truth and post-Christian: not merely not Christian but set against Christianity. Our challenge in the west comes from living in a culture that reflects the distortions…
Guest writer
“Be great friends”: a renewed call to deepen friendships amid COVID-19
One of these was highlighted by a BBC article that was published last week. It explained that our new rhythms and patterns “could have some long-term effects on some friendships”. As a result of lockdown, less office working, limited physical gatherings in churches and bans on mass gatherings, it…
Phil Knox
Graduate Scheme
For the graduate scheme we have designed a training programme incorporating weekly content from a range of contributors. This will include theological input, understanding our cultural context, leadership, communications, personal development and much more. You will report to a line manager who…
“Being a witness”: how sharing the good news is not just about what we do, but who we are
I’ve been reflecting recently about this verse from Acts 1:8 and how for many years I concentrated on why I was supposed to witness or share the message of salvation with others. Reasons that come to mind might be because of all that Jesus has done for me or because it was command language in the…
Rob Burns
Hate crime and public order (Scotland) update
We want to encourage engagement with this bill and would encourage you to contact your MSPs to raise any concerns. However, in a highly charged media and social media environment it is also important to be clear about the what the bill does and does not do, where the concerns are, and how to most…
Kieran Turner
Lockdown latest: Scottish Government September update
This last month has seen some significant opening up of activities that many churches undertake with guidance published for a variety of sectors including youth and children’s work, community learning and development (that incorporates education), outdoor events and running meetings for the…
Kieran Turner
COVID and the future of work
Over the summer, the Evangelical Alliance hosted a roundtable of member organisations discussing the impact of the pandemic on the economy, and what the church can do in response. One issue that stood out for several participants was employment and the future of work. While the furlough scheme has…
John Coleby
Hope has a name, and its name is Jesus
The change in government guidelines and regulations that we’re seeing on a seemingly weekly basis exposes how vital hope is, and yet how easily we place our hope in the wrong things. We hope for a reduction in coronavirus cases to enable our lives to return to some semblance of normality. Better…
Danny Webster
In this together – a call for generational unity
In the last few weeks young people and young adults have been specifically addressed by government and media and warned to behave responsibly. The warnings may be valid and appropriate but all to easily slide into blame and accusation. Jesus’ prayer for His church was that we would be one (John…
Phil Knox