Very regrettably, the Bishop has had to make the decision to cancel the conference at Dunkeld in January 2021. The uncertainty about whether face-to-face meetings will be possible is a factor, but the main reason is that the Dunkeld House Hotel has decided to refurbish some of its conference rooms, which would therefore not be available to us.

Planning will begin soon for an online conference on Tuesday 19 January, following the pattern of SEI which now holds its ‘residential’ training weekends online. With long breaks between sessions, and keeping sessions short, it is possible to avoid the ‘zoom exhaustion’ many of us now feel.

A fully residential conference will take place either later in 2021 or in January 2022.

“Our Digital Church,” Part 1 Friday 9 October, Part 2 Friday 6 November, both 10.00am to 12.00. This is a two-part course with Petko Marinev, Digital Missioner of the Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway, who will give a step by step guide to improving our skills with website, social media and other digital media for keeping our congregations in touch.

To book and receive a Zoom invitations for this course, email the Diocesan Office – office@standrews.anglican.org.

Please pray for those who are preparing for ordained ministry as we approach the dates of the Ordinations in the Diocese:

Revd Annie Hughes, preparing for Ordination to the Priesthood at St John, Perth on Friday 2 October at 7.30pm.

Dr Josh Cockayne, preparing for Ordination to the Diaconate at St Andrew’s, St Andrews on Sunday 4 October at 4.30pm.

Phase 3 requirements will apply at both of the services, and so attendance will be limited. However, both St John’s and St Andrew’s intend to live-stream the services online. Further details of this will be sent out before the Ordinations. Please pray for our ordinands as they prepare.

For further information please click the links below:

Scottish Interfaith Week 2020

Scottish InterFaith Week Poster 2020 Poster A4

Ask Me Anything Poster

Scottish Churches Disability Group September newsletter.  To view please click the link below:

SCDG-newsletter-September-2020

Much is continuing to happen at MSH not least work on Domestic Abuse and preparations for the 16 Days of Activism later this year.   Isabelle Pottinger, one of our Trustees who looks after Social Policy for our diocese is now part of the Community of Interest looking at Domestic Abuse and has recently been part of a Webinar and has sent the following information to me to pass on to you all.

The lockdown has highlighted Domestic Abuse even more with the increase in cases and there is a Bill going through the UK parliament at present.

MU made a formal submission to the House of Commons Scrutiny Committee of the Domestic Abuse Bill in July, and this Bill will be progressing to the House of Lords towards the end of September. There are opportunities to influence debate within the House of Lords, and also the associated Guidance through the Home Office.

The webinar group agreed overwhelmingly to support a letter-writing campaign where MU members were requested to write to their MP.  In addition, the DP was requested to write to their Bishop.  The purpose of this letter-writing campaign was to “highlight the progress of the DA bill and call for support for change in 2 key areas:

The 2 key “asks” which MU is making is to remove the “no recourse to public funding” restriction for victims where their immigration status is unclear, which means that they are faced with the choice of returning to the perpetrator or becoming destitute; and to include faith as an important element, both in understanding causes of Domestic Abuse and the value of faith-based organisations in signposting survivors to appropriate support.

MSH  have been working with Bishop Rachel Treweek and her team, to see how we can work most effectively together. Bishop Rachel is leading the Church influencing through the Lords Spiritual, working together with the other Female Lords Spiritual, and they are going to be encouraging Diocesan Bishops to become active, not only in influencing the Bill, but also in addressing the challenge of Domestic Abuse on an ongoing basis, both within and outside the Church family.

She is keen to encourage the Dioceses to participate with MU in the 16 Days of Activism this year, and is keen for MU to make Diocesan teams aware of what is being planned, as well as looking at ongoing options for collaboration, and highlighting the areas of the Domestic Abuse bill which we seek to influence.

There is an additional opportunity for members or branches to write to their MPs to ask for specific issues to be addressed in the Home Office Guidance.   Template letters are provided in the attachments above.

The Trustees are meeting soon to discuss what we in this diocese can do to mark the 16 days of activism so more information will be sent out in due course to let you know what is being planned and how you can take part.

In the meantime if you or anyone else you know would like to write to your MP (London not Scottish) using the Domestic Abuse letter above as a template for you to personalise then at lest we are trying to make a difference in this important matter.

With my prayers and best wishes

Sarah

bandipolicygroupbriefaug20

ScannedMUDomesticAbuseLetter

Joint Evidence on the Domestic Abuse Bill

OHCHR Submission on Gender-based Violence during COVID_June 2020_FINAL V…

Our Church had its first Eucharist Service last Sunday in a church now specified to take only 20 for worship.

Our Priest-in-charge being the gate keeper where you had to log on to attend by emailing that you wish to be present. Many of our members phoned in the days beforehand to discuss how our service would go, even after having a printed service sheet beforehand.

In the end many members held back because they were unsure that they could go a long time with a “face mask on” (majority being over 70 and many much older).

All they wanted to know was ‘how long this service would last??’

I felt the omens were good. The service sheet had no list of a talk or sermon, but I knew in my heart of hearts that our Priest after no face to face worship was not going to pass up the chance of a sermon. Flash to bang the service started at 11.00 am and by 11.45 am, it was over. It was a good well paced, crisp service with our digital organ producing music during the service.

Our Priest did us proud!

The congregation after the service were all ringing round, to see how it had gone and much more important – how long had it lasted! 

I have had emails to say they have heard and want to give it a go!

There are some who have said they are holding back for more information and re-assurance and that is how it should be in the days of return to church (COVID19).

 

The notes of a Vestry Secty. ANON. Sept 2020

St. Andrews Dunkeld and Dunblane Diocese

Linda White is married with three grown-up daughters – one working in Connecticut, USA and the other two working in London. Her husband, Christopher is a CA who runs a small commercial property company from their home in Comrie, Perthshire.

Linda is a lawyer and worked for many years in Glasgow specialising in criminal law before moving to Perthshire and establishing a family court practice in a Stirling firm. She has also been a part-time Sheriff for many years and particularly since she retired from private practice five years ago. Linda is also a keen gardener and a member of the Council of Glenalmond College with particular responsibilities for child-care/protection issues. In her spare time, she enjoys travelling to Italy and attending Pilates.

Welcome to the Rev’d Stephen Graham as chaplain at Glenalmond College

A small message from Rev’d Steven Graham:

I was brought up on a farm across the Irish Sea in County Down and after reading Classics at Queen’s, Belfast, I moved to England to train as a teacher and spent fourteen happy years working in schools in Norfolk, Oxfordshire and on the missionfield in the South Pacific. I was formed for ministry at St Stephen’s House, Oxford, and served my title in North Norfolk. The chaplaincy at Glenalmond is an exciting opportunity to live out my dual vocation as priest and schoolmaster and I look forward very much to serving there and strengthening bonds with the diocese.

Please pray for those who are preparing for ordained ministry as we approach the dates of the Ordinations in the Diocese:

– Revd Annie Hughes, preparing for Ordination to the Priesthood at St John, Perth on Friday 2 October at 7.30pm.

– Dr Josh Cockayne, preparing for Ordination to the Diaconate at the Cathedral on Sunday 4 October at 4.30pm.

We hope very much that the Ordinations will go ahead on these dates, but because of the Pandemic they have to remain provisional until nearer the time. If the present regulations for public worship are still applicable, the services can be attended by up to 50 persons and other restrictions will apply. Please pray for our ordinands as they prepare in such times.