News

Parish news round-up

Thursday April 9

Our regular round-up of news received from churches.

Glasgow Cathedral is widening access to its tradition of musical excellence by broadcasting its weekly service of Choral Evensong via its website.

The Cathedral has invested heavily in music and now supports fourteen choral scholars and choristers under the dynamic leadership of a new Director of Music, 22 year-old Andrew Forbes.

The streaming has been made possible thanks to expertise from within the congregation, as Elders Jane and Glen Collie of Collie Productions offer their services and equipment free of charge, assisted by their daughter Lindsay and colleague Gavin McNae. The service, at 4pm every Sunday, is streamed live and then remains available on the website for a further seven days.

“Now in its second year of operation, the broadcast has reached 17,000 hits,” says Glen. “As many people will be watching along with others, this could represent something like 25,000 people who effectively make up a worldwide online congregation.”

The service is reaching countries as far afield as China, India, Denmark, South Africa, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.

The Moderator of the General Assembly, the Rt Rev John Chalmers, accompanied by his wife Liz, visited Carlops Church in the Borders on April 2 to hear about its eco-congregation and outreach strategies.

During the visit four people who, while not regarding themselves as members of Carlops' congregation, participate in several of its activities; told the Moderator why the church matters to them, and what value they derive from it.

Praising Carlops' approach, the Moderator said that churches should worry less about organisational formalities like membership rolls, communicant numbers and attendance statistics, and concentrate on working with people throughout the week in whichever ways they can be engaged: “Seek the beauty in peoples' lives, no matter what it is, and nurture it”, he said.

The Moderator was given a cross and dove, made by one of the congregation from a former Carlops pew – a miniature of a carving that hangs in the church.

Three Elders from Crail Parish Church in the Presbytery of St Andrews were presented with long service certificates. From left to right: Ruby Mackie (30 years), Session Clerk Sandy Nelson, Peter Tillbrook (34 years), the Rev Dr Ann Allison, parish minister; and Margaret Peebles (30 years).

Greenhills Parish Church in East Kilbride has hosted a number of international students in recent years through the charity HOST UK

The most recent visitors were Chengyang Jiang from Shanghai, who is studying politics in London, and Magdy Aziz from Cairo, a postgraduate student of international relations and security at St Andrews.

During their visit, the two students visited the local Hairmyres Hospital, where George Orwell wrote 1984 while he was a patient. They were presented with copies of the novel.

They also learned about the local Credit Union and South Lanarkshire Council, visited Westwood Parish Church Men’s Group and gave talks about their own lives at home. Finally, they attended a rehearsal of Puss in Boots by Greenhills Panto Club, and saw the minister of Greenhills, the Rev John Brewster, in another light in his role as Dame!

As a member of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Magdy was happy to contribute to Sunday worship in Greenhills: reading the Gospel in Arabic and sharing Coptic prayers with the minister.

Mr Brewster said that the visiting students ‘have all brightened up our lives in Greenhills Parish Church, and we would encourage other churches to seek out HOST UK’.

Please send items of parish news to magazine@lifeandwork.org or Life and Work, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN. Digital photographs should not be reduced. Please check the quality of your pictures: images which are blurry or too dark cannot be used. If there are children in any pictures please confirm that their parents or guardians have given permission for publication.

Comments (0)

Post Tags: Parish news round-up, glasgow cathedral, carlops, crail, greenhills