As a child I found it strange when my mother insisted on us tidying up the house before we would go out for the day. It seemed to me to a perfect way of making life easier for burglars, who would be only people to see and benefit from our efforts.
But those days are long gone...
Many of us will now be preparing for holidays and time away. And no doubt we will be trying our best to tidy up our emails and our desks before disappearing off. It really is worth it for when you get back.
Anyway, there are a few things in the office which we would like to tidy up over the summer months, before our next Presbytery meeting. And we potentially need your help for that. Thank you so much to everyone who has already done so much to complete the 'to do' list. And thank you to those who have been in touch to explain why you need a bit more time.
Here's the list:
- Ministers Logbooks - they are being checked by David Stewart and so far we have had less than 50% submitted. If you claim mileage expenses, please can you upload your logbook asap. The link is: https://www.dropbox.com/request/sGQbZmr1qtIFCyp3p5mg
- Commissioned Elders - if you are not going to appoint a Presbytery Elder this year, please can you let us know and we'll stop chasing you. If you are appointing the same Presbytery Elder as last year, we still need your extract minute.
- Gift and Skills Form - this is to help the Connections and Nominations Committee to complete their task of filling Presbytery committees. It is the best way of ensuring that the right people with the right skills are asked to serve in the right place. If you've not completed it, take a few moments to do it now and send it to iaitken@churchofscotland.org.uk. You will find the document here: Gift and Skills Audit 2026
- Presbytery Dues - these are now overdue. If your congregation has not yet paid their dues for the year, please can you follow up with your treasurer. The office can provide the necessary details.
- Property Registers and Accounts - these should be submitted to Maureen Esson, our new Property & Finance Convener, for attestation. A number of congregations have not done this yet. Please can you make sure that these are provided as soon as possible.
- Annual Inspection of Congregational Records - a huge amount of work has gone into this. Thank you. We are still waiting for information from some congregations. If you are having trouble with this, please get in touch with our Congregational Support Officer, Natasha Hepburn on nhepburn@churchofscotland.org.uk.
And finally - welcome to those who are new to Presbytery. We look forward to getting to know you over the coming months. There is a plan to have an induction event for new members and we'll let you know when that is taking place.
Rev Stella