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Fresh Expressions Vision Day
2 November 2013
*** STOP PRESS ***
Places are still available, but this event is filling up fast. BOOK NOW to avoid disappointment! Registration will close at 9am on Wednesday 30 October.
Come and learn what the Spirit is doing through new forms of church. The day will include: Stories of fresh expressions of church in Scotland and beyond; Input from Scottish church leaders plus Bishop Graham Cray and Andrew Roberts of Fresh Expressions; Creative worship and prayer; and a celebration of the Church of Scotland joining the Fresh Expressions partnership. Read more......
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More Than Gold - On Your Marks Tour
Come and find out how your church/community can be a part of this once in a lifetime opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ practically, when the Games come to Scotland next year. The 'On Your Marks' Tour will be going to various locations around the country. Join others from your area for a packed programme of update, information and know-how. For dates and venues, click here...... NB: This takes you to an external website.
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Scottish Storytelling Centre and Network
43-45 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SR
There are lots of things happening at the Centre, most notably ‘Once Upon a Journey’, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, which runs from the 18-27 October.
The 2013 festival explores the role of wandering storytellers, minstrels, explorers and pilgrims. Often despised and persecuted, nomadic artists carried the great myths and legends of world culture throughout Scotland and internationally. Now their art has experienced a contemporary rebirth worldwide. Immerse yourself in ancient traditions and modern magic across 10 days of enchantment in Edinburgh and Caledonia. About the Festival...... NB: This takes you to an external website.
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Different Voices
Different Voices is an online magazine for people interested in the music and worship of the Church. The SEPTEMBER issue is now available, and contains a wide range of articles to point you towards people, events and musical offerings that will hopefully resource and inspire you.
Mark Cameron is back with another insightful album review; Clarsach player Eilidh Munro shares a bit about her fantastic musical gifts and how they might be of use to your church; Robin Hill reports on the Heart and Soul Swing Band; and Russell McLarty explores how to manage conflict whilst making changes in worship.
It is available from both the Resourcing Mission website and the Church of Scotland website
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Pray Now: Revealing Love
This is a collection of modern prayers that can be used by all denominations, by individuals, prayer groups and leaders of worship. Within its pages our relationship with God is explored through the theme of Paul’s Hymn of Love. 31 daily prayers and prayer activities are set in a different context for each month of the year. Available to purchase from November. Read more…… NB: This takes you to an external website.
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Future Focus: the way ahead
Future Focus: the way ahead is part of the wider Future Focus initiative, designed to help congregations to look afresh at their community, to examine their congregational life and to discern what it is that God wants them to be and to do in the next phase of their life and witness. A new handbook is available here.
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Mission & Discipleship Special Trusts
The Council has limited funds available which have been set apart for individuals, local congregations and other groups to access if it can be demonstrated that the money will be used in certain ways, for example: an individual learning a new skill/undertaking a course of study that will add value to their ministry in the local church/community; a local church engaging in innovative work that develops learning congregations or enhances worship; a project to develop an area of the life and witness of local congregations. Grants normally do not exceed £500 and applications are considered throughout the year. For Guidance Notes click here… and for an Application Form click here…
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Quick Guides
These are free resources which do exactly what they say. These downloadable files contain information on a wide range of topics in the areas of mission, discipleship and worship.
The Parish Magazine: an effective tool for mission
The purpose of this Quick Guide is to help harness the significant potential of the parish magazine for mission. Read more here......
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This is the second edition of Enews in its new, electronic format. We'd love to know what you think of it. Please send your feedback to mandd@cofscotland.org.uk
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Letters From John retreats
2 November - Lochaber (Caol)
16 November - Orkney (Kirkwall)
Would you like to refresh your spiritual life? Why not come and join a retreat? Following the success of the ‘Inside Out’ retreats that have been running in various parts of the Highlands and Islands, registration is now open for retreats in Lochaber and Orkney. The theme will be ‘Letters from John’ and the retreats will explore some of the keys themes of John’s letters (love, truth and hospitality). There will be times of meditation on scripture, reflection on our own experiences, prayer and worship. For more information and to book, click Lochaber or Orkney
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Statistics for Mission
*** STOP PRESS ***
Every congregation in Scotland is now able to download from the Church Finder section of the Church of Scotland website a PDF containing data specific to their parish, which will be useful for Planning for Mission, Characterising Parishes, Church Tourism and Applying for Funding.group. Training will be available in the early part of 2014 to help congregations make the most of this information. Look out for further details in future editions of e-news! To download your Parish Profile, click here......
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www.resourcingmission.org.uk offers key mission resources for download (eg Quick Guides) and purchase (eg Pray It Forward cards) and an online booking facility for Mission and Discipleship Council events.
We welcome feedback - if there is something you would like to see on this new site, please use the 'website feedback' option on the 'Contact Us' page.
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How to Pray
No matter who we are, where we have been, what we are like – everyone can start where they are and begin to pray. We do not have to wait for a special teaching, a particular moment or spiritual feelings – we can quite simply begin as we are and take it from there. For anyone who is unsure where to start, help is available! Read more on How to Pray……
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Starters for Sunday
Starters for Sunday offers a range of suggested material which can be used each week for individuals and congregations to develop. Sometimes there may be background material to the readings, at other times it may be ideas for deepening prayer, or involving children, or using drama.
We always try to include musical suggestions. All of the material is written by people who are experienced in leading worship regularly though not all are ordained. Our hope is that we reflect the wider voice of the church through our contributors.
View the monthly Starters for Sunday here......
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www.lifeandwork.org is a new online presence offering readers and followers an enhanced and up-to-date experience of the Church of Scotland's popular magazine.
There are always fresh articles appearing at www.lifeandwork.org/news/news. NB: This takes you to an external website.
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Eldership Consultation
The second phase of the Eldership consultation process is now underway. M&D’s Eldership Working Group sent out a discussion paper to all Kirk Sessions on 9 September seeking responses to the following: What distinguishes an Elder from others in a congregation; The roles carried out by an Elder; Seeking new Elders; Preparing to serve; Ongoing support and development of Elders.
We look forward to receiving the responses and using them to shape proposals for developing the Eldership. Read background information and a summary of findings from the first phase here……
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Go For It is about funding change in church and community, aiming to encourage creative ways of working that develop the life and mission of the local church and are transformative for both communities and congregations. The focus is very much on ‘the local’ and any application must be able to demonstrate clearly its association with at least one Church of Scotland congregation. The closing dates for submitting a Main Grants application are 1 March and 28 September. Read more……
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