Category: News

Emergency alert testing and phones only you know about

On Sunday 23rd April, at 3pm, the government will send a test alert for possible future emergencies. This will go out to all 4G and 5G phones that are switched on at the time, and will sound an audible alarm.

If you have a phone that an abusive partner does not know about, this  alarm could alert them to its existence. You should decide whether to switch off the phone, or change the settings so that you do not receive such alerts. The alert will still sound if you have your phone on, but switched to ‘silent’.

To opt out:

  1. Search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’.
  2. Turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘extreme alerts’.

Pastoral letter Lent 2023

Dear Friends

“Overdose at Christmas and give it up at Lent” sang Robbie Williams in his hit “Millennium” released in 1998.  In my memory it still seems a relatively recent song, but it is 25 years old – time flies!  For children and young people, it is ancient history.

The lyric captures a sense of feasting in the Christmas period and giving up something in the period of Lent, but to view Lent simply through this lens (of giving something up) is to miss the richness of the season.  The idea of giving something up comes from the notion of self-denial.  The purpose of self-denial is to help us recall our relationship with the Creator through Jesus Christ.  Lent is an opportunity to deliberately spend time in the presence of God.  When we are busy consumers, Lent challenges us to make the time to think again.

During this period of Lent, let us take time to remember who we are in the presence of God.  Some questions we might reflect upon:

  • How did we end up in church?
  • Why do we want to be part of a church?
  • What does Jesus mean to me?
  • Do we see ourselves as disciples of Jesus?
  • What does that even mean!?
  • How do we talk to each other about these things?

Change happens quickly in our communities and such questions can help us navigate the way and may even bring some revelation.  Actually, May will bring Revelation in the form of Bible Month and by way of preparation we are invited to share in the District online Lent groups.

With love

Nick

Kindle a Flame

The latest edition of the Connexion magazine is now published.

connexion magazine 29 front cover

The theme of issue 29, Kindle a Flame, challenges us to see God’s flame and discern God’s spark.

The Revd Dr Jonathan Hustler reminds us of a Palestinian Jew who kindled a spark to lighten our darkness.  And we can kindle that spark into a flame in so many different contexts: the Revd Heather Leake Date describes nurturing the flame of care in her work with HIV patients, Richard Oppong-Boateng ignites fires in young people’s hearts, and Youth President James Carver says it’s when the fire of inclusion burns in our churches that we fully affirm and welcome those with neurodiverse conditions.

And we must be ever watchful not to let the fire go out, say Abi Jarvis and Andy Fishburne.

We believe this edition will inspire you to keep the fire burning, so that God’s flame may warm your heart, light your church and community and enable us all to share God’s eternal love.

Traidcraft

Traidcraft

Traidcraft was founded as a faith organisation in 1979, and has promoted fair trade ever since. In January 2023, it went into administration.

They are encouraging their customers to support the many fair trade suppliers with whom they worked.

Transform Trade is a completely separate organisation to Traidcraft PLC and they are not affected by the administration. Their work will continue at www.transform-trade.org

Revelation through Lent

Specifically for those in the Scotland and Shetland region, these 90 minute sessions through lent offer two short series running fortnightly on Wednesday and Thursday evenings (on alternate weeks), from 7.30-9pm on zoom, beginning Thursday 23rd February and finishing on Wednesday 29th March.

Each evening will focus on a different theme from the Book of Revelation and associated texts or theological ideas.

Thursday Evening Series:

  • 23rd Feb Revelation in Context
  • 9th Mar The Now and Not Yet
  • 23rd Mar The Sheep and the Goats

Wednesday Evening Series:

  • 1st Mar Revelation as Fuel for Worship
  • 15th Mar Revelation as Pastoral Guide Book
  • 29th Mar Revelation as a Manifesto for Mission

Attend as an individual OR gather your small group in your home or church and join the zoom from wherever you have gathered!

Come to your chosen sessions, a mini series or all six sessions – whether for personal study or to help you in your role as you prepare for Bible Month in your Circuit.

This is an opportunity to connect with others across the Scotland & Shetland region around the Bible Month theme for this year and is led by Kathryn Campbell, Lorraine Darlow and Michael Wadsworth from the Connexional Learning Network.

Free registration through Eventbrite.

All We Can in partnership

All We Can is doing development differently!

Hear how they are working with Eagles in Malawi.

Meet our Malawi partners, Eagles, and discover how together, we’re doing development differently.

 

Jimmy Likagwa, Church Mobilisation Coordinator, Eagles.

Jimmy Likagwa, Church Mobilisation Coordinator, Eagles.

 

Putting communities in the driving seat in Malawi

At All We Can, we are changing the rhetoric. We believe in the power of partnership – it’s in our DNA. We understand that overcoming the challenges of poverty, crises and social injustice is complex and can only be achieved by working with local organisations, like Eagles, rooted within local communities.

Local organisations like Eagles know the communities, they know the landscape and are able to make real change at a grassroots level.

This March, we’re giving you the chance to meet our Malawi partners, Eagles, and discover their work directly!

 

Community-led initiatives

The Eagles’ church mobilisation process is a sustainable approach as it increases the likelihood of lasting impact.

Working with local structures of churches and communities, it empowers women and men in the community to use existing assets and skills and builds their capacity, creating a mind-set change away from dependency towards a sense of collective responsibility and collective confidence.

 

Members of the Madalitso choir (meaning blessings), in William village.

Members of the Madalitso choir (meaning blessings), in William village.

 

Getting to know the community

Church and Community Transformation (CCT) equips local churches to break mindsets of dependency and work with their community to achieve holistic change, especially for the most vulnerable.

Communities are equipped to identify their own problems, discover the abundance of their own resources, find solutions and act together, taking responsibility for their own development. Church and community mobilisation as an approach has been found to be 26 times more cost-effective than traditional development and 4 times more sustainable.

It works by utilising lasting local structures in the community like churches, empowers local people to radically transform their livelihoods and involves advocating to the government for larger-scale change.

 

Meet The Eagles

This March, we’re offering our supporters the chance to meet the Eagles team directly:

  • Learn about the community
  • Discover our partnership approach in action
  • Be inspired with stories of hope

 

Come and join us on Thursday 2 March to learn more about their incredible work and be part of the transformation.

 

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 18th – 25th January

This year the material has been prepared for world-wide use by churches in Minneapolis, USA, seeking to “explore how the work of Christian unity can contribute to the promotion of racial justice across all levels of society”.  There is a particular focus for the UK on the murder of Stephen Lawrence in April 1993.  More information is available from Churches in Britain and Ireland.

Broughty Ferry Churches Group will observe the Week at a Service led by the Rev. Mark-Aaron Tisdale, in    St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Queen Street, Broughty Ferry, on Friday 20th January 2023 from 2.30 pm to 3.30 pm.  Refreshments will be served after the service.  All are warmly welcomed to this Service.