Delighted that a firm friend of All Saints’ will return to give a recital later this month.

On Sunday, Bishop Ian came to St Mary’s Dunblane to lead worship, to licence Les Slater as Lay Reader and to authorise the ministry of Lay Eucharistic Ministers and Visitors, Worship Leaders and Young Church Leaders.

On Sunday 8th September congregations of the Highland Perthshire Linked Charge, guests from around the Diocese and other friends gathered at Holy Trinity, Pitlochry as Rachael Wright was commissioned as Ordinand in Training to the Linked Charge. Rachael, training as a mixed mode student for 3 years with the SEI is placed in Highland Perthshire with the Rev Liz Baker. Rachael is both the first Mixed Mode Student in the Diocese but also the first to train in a rural setting. We wish her every success.

   

Scottish Group Work Residential Gathering 2019  will be taking place from Tuesday 15th – Friday 18th October at St. Mary’s Centre of Spirituality, Kinnoull, Perth.

Please note that the Booking Form can be downloaded online and emailed to the BPF Administrator Mary Rodgers, or can be completed by hand and sent to her by post.

Printed copies can be accessed by request to the BPF Administrator, Whitfield Parish Church, Haddington Crescent Dundee DD4 0NA.

Founded on the groundbreaking insights of Dr. Frank Lake, BPF exists offer training for psychotherapy, counselling and related caring professions, especially for  those who work with people suffering from spiritual and emotional distress. Founded in 1962 as the Clinical Theology Association, BPF runs a variety of courses, conferences and care networks for those working full-time in these areas as well as for those who wish to focus on their own emotional development. A key element in our approach is that, in order to care for others, we must first understand ourselves. Much of our training, which is highly experiential, focuses on this.

Further information on the organisation can be obtained from our website: http://www.bridgepastoral.org.uk/

Please click the below for further details:

BPF Scottish Residential Brochure October 2019

BPF Scottish Residential Application October 2019

 

 

 

We had a goodly number of folk in church on 18th August which included a fair few clergy of which there were three Bishops (two retired), three Canons and two Priests. It was wonderful to hear from a friend of our Rector’s this morning Bishop Jim Currie. He has discovered an amazing retirement ministry turning weapons into objects of practical use. A number of people who have been injured by the use of weapons also have the opportunity to play a part in their destruction. Photo: Bishop Jim Currie his wife Kathleen and Rev Canon Graham Taylor

 

Butterflies, our Monday morning group for pre-school children and their carers, resumes after its summer break next Monday, 26th August, 10-11.30am. Happy time for play and good company in a safe environment. Admission free. All welcome!

Highland Perthshire is really excited about this year’s All Age Pet Service! Bring your dogs, cats, birds, hamsters or maybe even your giraffe!

Everyone is warmly welcomed to St James’ Thursday morning less formal Eucharist which starts up again after a short summer break in the Parish Rooms at 9.45am on August 22nd.

 

 

Photos: 1 – Bob and +Paritosh, 2 – Bob and +Paritosh at Bangladesh Border,  3 – St Bartholomew’s Cathedral, 4 – Street in the diocese of Barrackpore,

In February 2019 at the gracious invitation of the Right Reverend Paritosh Canning, Bishop of Barrackpore, Canon Bob Harley of the Diocese of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane, spent six days in the Diocese of Barrackpore.

 

Barrackpore is an army city, having been the first cantonment of the British East India Company. On the way to the Bishop’s residence a multicoloured Diocese of camouflaged tank stands as a gate guardian for a military establishment. The railway station has a splendid façade. +Paritosh’s residence is within a walled compound, which includes the beautiful St Bartholomew’s Cathedral, offices, a  delightful garden and the single storey residence. Canon Bob received the warmest of welcomes from +Paritosh, who met him at Kolkata Airport, and from his House Staff and his drivers.

 

A comprehensive programme was provided for the visit: preaching in St Stephens, Dum Dum, four school visits, a house blessing, the inauguration of a skills centre, the conduct of seminars with the Diocesan Clergy and with the School Principals.

 

It was a pleasure for Canon Bob to make new friends and to renew acquaintance with old friends, e.g. Charles Ringrow and Raghab and Monica Naik. It was the latter’s house, which was blessed . +Paritosh invited Canon Bob to say an introductory prayer in English before conducting the service in Bengali. This is typical of +Paritosh’s generosity in allowing Canon Bob to participate in events. Another example of this was at the inauguration of St Stephen’s Skill Development Centre, Baruipur. Canon Bob said a few words, cut the ribbon and unveiled the plaque, which contained the names of the Bishop and the Canon. In a previous career in the Royal Navy Canon Bob had  arranged vocational training courses for sailors to prepare then for new careers in civilian life and so appreciated the value of such training. The aim of the most worthwhile Baruipur project is to provide local young people with skills to enable them as self-employed businessmen and businesswomen to earn a living and to make a contribution to society.

 

Canon Bob was given the opportunity to conduct seminars on his own initiative with all the clergy and the next day with all the school principals. These were stimulating sessions exchanging information about method and practice, and acknowledging  shared and diverse experience. It was good later in the week to cross paths again with some of the participants.

 

One difference between CNI and SEC noted by Canon Bob was the administration of the Communion. In St Stephen’s, Dum Dum, the  universal practice was Intincture. In Scotland communicants choose whether to dip or to receive the chalice.

 

Geographically the Diocese is very widespread and predominantly rural. There were long drives to destinations. +Paritosh has reliable cars and dependable drivers. Great fellowship was enjoyed on the way. Comfort breaks were gratefully received (particularly at a café with fantastic fish fingers). A special moment was to have a Scottish breakfast provided by a School Principal’s wife, who had visited Scotland: porridge followed by scrambled eggs on toast, tasting just like it would in Kirriemuir. The furthest destination is a five and a half hour drive. A great initiative of +Paritosh is to have accommodation built for the Bishop and his staff at this far away school. A highlight of school visits was to be  entertained in the beautiful school chapel by a young girl accompanying herself on keyboard while singing ‘As the deer pants for the water.’ The welcome was universally warm and spectacular in the case of  St Stephen’s School  as children lined our route and showered us with petals while their older colleagues sang us a song of welcome while we were felicitated with floral garlands; and practical: at the prayer meeting on the island in the mad river. During a thunderstorm, which rendered the muddy ground impassable, Canon Bob was gripped on either side by the elbows and steered to firmer ground by considerate hosts who on their own initiative saw a need and provided a service.

 

A profoundly moving experience was the visit to St Stephen’s School, Malia Pota, where 125 years earlier a manifestation of God, the Holy Spirit, in the manner of Pentecost had occurred. Every anniversary there is a two day event attended by 6,000 pilgrims who sleep on the school lawn. Canon Bob viewed the ovens where food to feed them was cooked.

 

There were moments for entertainment and leisure: relaxing dinner parties, a tour of a tiger reserve, a visit to the Kolkata Wax Museum, a ‘Toy Train’ ride in a beautiful park (which included an Eiffel Tower) and a photo opportunity at the Bangladesh border.

 

Canon Bob had an informative and fascinating visit. He considers that there is huge scope for a successful link between the Dioceses of Barrackpore and  St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane.

 

 

Photo from left: Sally Carr, Gwynneth Crawford, Rev Gerry Dillon, Gordon Munn and Fiona Munn from St Luke’s Church

St Luke the Evangelist in Auchmuty, Glenrothes has received a National Lottery grant of £375,235 to help transform part of their building to create a community café, kitchen and social hub and to run it for the next three years.

The facility will be called Peace ‘n’ Jam and it will benefit around 500 people in the community, as well as creating 20 volunteering opportunities. It will allow people, many of whom would otherwise be socially isolated, to come together to build relationships and benefit from low cost nutritious meals.

Peace ‘n’ Jam will provide upgraded kitchen, toilet and disabled facilities as well as creating 2 new meeting rooms and it will allow us to benefit the local community in so many ways and serve as a focal point for everyone to feel they can access.

The cafe will run throughout the school holidays, allowing breakfast clubs to continue and providing meals to families who would have been in receipt of free school meals during term time.

It will also provide a base for a monthly youth cafe for local youngsters, cookery workshops for young parents and support for vulnerable and at-risk families.

Further match-funding has been secured from Fife Environmental Trust and we are awaiting the results from applications for additional match-funding, as well as continuing to seek other funding streams.

The National Lottery Community Fund Scotland chairwoman Maureen McGinn, has said: “The funding will make a big difference where it is needed most, and I wish Peace ‘n’ Jam every success.”

Jenny Gilruth, MSP for Mid Fife and Glenrothes, has also lodged her congratulations for the award in a motion to the Scottish Parliament, and wished St Luke’s every success with the project and its other work.