Bulletins

Short Courses – Trinity College Glasgow

  Short Courses | Trinity College Glasgow | Scotland

Church of Scotland Learning

Eleanor McMahon, the People and Training Manager gives a broad overview of the (still newish) Church of Scotland Learning resource and invites you to engage in the growing community interaction that is now evolving. Take four modules, add to that the architects behind them, give them a stir with a couple of facilitators, and what …

Spotlight on MDC!

Many drivers are familiar with the need to ensure that when a car is over 3-years old, there is a need to have an annual MOT. It serves as a safety check, a time when the owner can gain some comfort in knowing that their vehicle is in a satisfactory state and safe for the …

Behind the Pulpit: Stories of Faith and Service

As part of a new series, we are asking Presbyteries to nominate someone who they feel has a story of faith and service from which we can all learn. The Presbytery of Perth have nominated Barbara MacFarlane who has combined both her vocation for nursing with her role as an Elder, to develop this extraordinary …

Bread for the Journey

Being a Minister of Word and Sacrament is, to me, one of the best jobs in the world. It’s a deep joy to walk alongside people at all stages of life—be it leading worship on Sundays, speaking in schools, officiating weddings and funerals, opening Scripture beside someone who is dying, reading bedtime Bible stories with …

New College Festival of Books and Belief 7-8th November 2025 Save the date!

Save the date! Our fifth New College Festival of Books and Belief will be held from 7-8th November 2025.   Confirmed speakers include Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin (Ordinary Saints), Mustafa Briggs and Shannon Vallor. We will also be hosting a creative writing workshop with Liz MacWhirter and celebrating the launch of the new Oxford Handbook of …

Church in a Changing Landscape – A webinar from the Church of Scotland Learning. Thursday 19th June – 1.00-1.45 pm

“Change is the only constant,” “Change is here to stay.” Motivational speakers often quote these phrases, and they reflect much of what is happening around us in this current season. Since the beginning of 2025, Church of Scotland Learning has launched a number of modules, all of which share the common theme of responding to …

Let’s Celebrating 80 Years of Christian Aid: A Legacy of Compassion 

  As Carol Finlay takes her leave after 36 years of service within the Church of Scotland as both a missionary partner and more recently a staff member in FAPLT, she reflects on her involvement with Christian Aid, as they celebrate their 80th Anniversary this year. Jeremiah 29:11 says ‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to …

Job advertisement: Director of Place for Hope.

Place for Hope Director recruitment Are you a leader who would like to make a real difference in faith-based peace and reconciliation? Would you love a role that allows you to support people and faith communities to flourish as they navigate change, conflict, and differences well? Then this exciting role might be for you… About …

Sign up to the monthly Ascend E-Newsletter here

The Church of Scotland website allows you to sign up to a number of newsletters including the Ascend monthly E-newsletter Sign up here Newsletters | The Church of Scotland

Kay Haggarty describes how flourishing community projects began with a commitment to prayer

My name is Kay Haggarty, and I am an OLM with South East Edinburgh Church of Scotland (SEECOS). We serve the communities of Gracemount, Southhouse, Burdiehouse, and an expanding area of new housing at Frogston. We are part of the union of Church of Scotland worshipping communities in South East Edinburgh, working together as a …

Rev Douglas Hamilton: Navigating the challenges of change with compassion and care.

Change is a stressful and emotionally taxing thing, yet it is also unavoidable. We will all encounter seasons of significant change in our lives and in the church. In this film, Douglas Hamilton, minister in the parish of Traprain, shares his experience of navigating change both personally and professionally and how he led others through …

Turn aside to see

There’s a detail in the story of Moses at the burning bush that I love. At this stage in his story, life is very different for Moses. Pharaoh’s palace would be a distant memory now as he tended sheep for his father-in-law, spending his days doing the same mundane, everyday tasks. Yet, amid these ordinary …

Reviving the Soul: The Power of Retreat

“…. the one who refreshes others will themselves be refreshed.”  Proverbs 11:25b We all know that to be able to continue to pour out to others, there needs to be a pouring in. Despite knowing the benefits of taking time out to be refreshed, it can so easily become the one thing on the list …

The Moderator Designate, the Rev Rosie Frew reflects on the changes she has encountered through her life and ministry, and asks, ‘Have I Changed?’

I first felt called to ministry when I was 14. I was 24 when I was licensed as a minister in June 1986 and 26 when I was ordained in May 1988. That all seems a long time ago, and I was very young, ridiculously young, but it also feels like yesterday! And yet, so …

Holy Week Digital Ministry Resources

Part of the digital ministry strategy is to create resources and host sessions to enable us to create locally produced resources and teams. We have produced digital ministry resources for Holy Week based on the lectionary readings for use in services, sharing on websites and social media, or leaving!  If appropriate, would you be happy …

Holy Week, Passover, and the challenge of representation

As Holy Week approaches, I often reflect on the intricate relationship between Christianity and Judaism. In my role as the Interfaith Manager, I engage with challenging texts, consider the appropriateness of conducting Christian Seders, and deliberate over costume choices for Passion Plays. These reflective moments, however, extend beyond my professional responsibilities; they are shaped significantly …

SPaCE26

  My wife is an Addictions Nurse and I’m a parish minister with experience of prison chaplaincy and involved in recovery groups. Together we are triple adoptive parents with three adult care experienced children.     A key component of mission is having a heart for the people we are seeking to reach and my wife and …

The Great Prayers of the Church

The Great Prayers of the Church St Richard of Chichester, 1197-1253 Regarding biographical details, a considerable amount is known about Richard, and any quick search will take you there. But one or two notes are worth noting here. He was educated at the University of Oxford, and after furthering his studies in Paris and Bologna—where …

The Anchorage

  Anchorage: noun. haven; refuge; safe place; resting place; secure connection The Anchorage sits on a busy part of the High Street of Forfar. It is a mission and outreach base for Forfar: All Souls Church, a recent union of five congregations formerly based in the town and the rural areas nearby.    Its raison d’etre …