Notices
Safeguarding Training Sessions for the NENI
Face to face Advanced training course will be held on:
Trainer: Anne Shirran
Date: Thursday 26th September
Venue: Pitmedden church, AB41 7PS
Time: 7pm-9.30pm with registration at 6.45pm for a prompt start.
This training is for safeguarding coordinators and safeguarding panel members. To book a place please email anne.shirran@btinternet.com
Face to Face Trustee training course will be held on:
Trainer: Natasha Hepburn
Date: Thursday 26th September
Venue: SALU, St Andrew’s Lhanbryd & Urquhart Parish Church, Elgin IV30 8LA
Time: 7pm-9.30pm with registration at 6.45pm for a prompt start.
Please contact Natasha to book NHepburn@churchofscotland.org.uk
Online Introductory training course will be held on:
Trainer: Rev Julia Meason
Date: Tuesday 8th October 2024
Venue: Zoom
Time: 9.30am-12noon
To book please book using this link or contact NHepburn@churchofscotland.org.uk
Online Advanced training course will be held on:
Trainer: Natasha Hepburn
Date: Saturday 12th October 2024
Venue: Zoom
Time: 1pm to 4pm
To book please book using this link or contact NHepburn@churchofscotland.org.uk
Online Trustee training course will be held on:
Trainer: Rev Julia Meason
Date: Wednesday 13th November 2024
Venue: Zoom
Time: 2pm to 4.30pm
To book please book using this link or contact NHepburn@churchofscotland.org.uk
Disability Awareness Week - call to action!
Disability Awareness Week launches on Sunday September 15. All churches are invited to reach out and meet with disabled people in their community. This could be through organised church events or through individuals inviting a disabled person they know to meet for a coffee.
There will be a launch service available after 3 pm on September 15 here.
Through the Roof are encouraging you to hold a Disability Awareness Sunday service on September 22 or a day of your choice. Free resources for it are available here.
You can find more information and a resource pack for the week here.
Pulpit Supply Request
The Presbytery Office is often asked to provide help when it comes to finding those who can lead worship – sometimes at very short notice. We would like to gather information to produce a list of those within the Presbytery who would be willing to provide pulpit supply in their local area (or across a wider area). This could then be provided to congregations who find themselves in need.
If you would li
ke to offer your services in this capacity, or know of someone who would be happy to be on such a list, please contact the office on neni@churchofscotland.org.uk). If you are in the Aberdeen area or in Moray, please can you get in touch as a matter of urgency.
Service of Union (Torry St Fittick’s and South St Nicholas Kincorth)
Presbytery meets for a Specific Purpose Meeting for the Service of Union of Torry St Fittick’s Parish Church of Scotland and South St Nicholas Kincorth Church of Scotland congregations, forming the new united charge of Aberdeen South Church of Scotland, on Friday 6th September 2024 at 6.45 pm at the Torry St Fittick's Parish Church, Walker Road, Aberdeen. The Presbytery will proceed to the Service of Union at 7pm.
Resources
ACORN: a Practice that Works!
ACORN is a movement that seeks to connect Christians with the work God is doing in others through caring conversation.
Here is what Paul Haringman, ACORN National Director, shared with us:
"Can you imagine your regular church folks having meaningful conversations with others about God, all the time? I can, I am seeing it, every day. Acorn really works, cause it isn’t a programme. We have seen so many people in our churches changed. We would love for you to get a better understanding of the practice, so you can enthuse others to come too at the end of the month."
Please download the poster for your congregations here.
Paul is offering basic Acorn sessions and space for Q&A this month for you. You can mix any of these times.
If you are interested but these timings don’t work for you, please let Paul know (paulharingman.mission@gmail.com). And feel free to invite some missional enthusiasts you know too.
Mon afternoons Sept 9 & 23 2-3pm
Tue mornings Sept 10, 17, 24 11am-12noon
Thu evenings Sept 12, 19 7.30-8.30pm
all on https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6513521976
Read more about ACORN in this article: https://navigators.co.uk/blog/2024/01/11/i-had-no-idea-being-an-alongsider-could-be-so-easy/
ACORN's YouTube
ACORN's Facebook
Prayer Points for September are here!
We have already uploaded our September Prayer Points. Please use them in your prayers.
A Sneak Peek at Oh All Right Then by Rev Dr Marjory A MacLean
We are excited to offer you an excerpt from Rev Dr Marjory A MacLean's book!
And remember: £2 from each book's royalties will be donated to the brand new Orkney Islands Parish Church.
You can buy the book here.
There will be three book launch events: September 22 - Edinburgh; September 29 - London and October 1 - Orkney.
Tickets are free, but should be booked at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/marjory-maclean
God's Invitation to Relationship Course on ZOOM
"We will experience how to still ourselves in preparation for prayer. Scriptural passages will be used to invite us to engage with our imagination in prayerful experiences with God. We will explore art and music as ways into prayer, and there will be opportunities each week for sharing with each other."
Feel free to download the poster for your church here.
To register, please email: epiphanynescot@gmail.com
Vacancies
Outreach Lead – Dunfermline East Parish Church
Presbytery of Fife is looking for an Outreach Lead:
Full time (up to 37.5 hours per week
3 year fixed term contract with possibility of extension
Salary: £28,815-£32,575 per annum
Ref: M17/24
Closing date: Monday, 23rd September 2024, at 12 noon.
For a full job description and details on how to apply, please visit churchofscotland.org.uk/about-us/vacancies-and-volunteering/ministries-council-posts
Applications for MDS posts are now open!
Please submit your MDS application(s) by 10am on Friday 13-Sep-2024.
You can find all the information here.
Volunteer Listener needed
Community Chaplaincy Listening Service is looking for an individual who are able to provide ½ day per week commitment, with days and times flexible. Volunteers are also based within GP practices across Aberdeen City. We look for at least a year's commitment plus attendance to both supervision and VBRP sessions 6 times per year.
Read more here.
Events
Textile Art by Jacqui Parkinson in Shetland
Two collections of textile art panels are touring Shetland! One is dedicated to Creation and is exhibited in St Magnus Episcopal Church, Greenfield Place, Lerwick.
The other one is about Prayer - it can be seen in multiple locations.
Read more here.
Big Band Night Fundraiser in Aberdeen
Aberdeen Hillside Parish Church is organising a fundraiser on Monday, September 9, at 7 pm! Download a poster for it here.
New Deer St Kane's Church Memories
New Deer St Kane's Parish Church is running a memories week and is looking for memorabilia to add to their display. Please download the poster here.
A Prayer on ZOOM for Orkney Congregations, 5 September, 7pm-8pm
Ahead of Orkney congregations uniting in a single Kirk Session on 1st October, in a service led by the NENI Moderator, there will be a gathering by zoom - to pray for the quite unique event and way forward for 19 existing congregations.
Please join the meeting from 7pm to 8pm on the 5th of September, and Zoom will be open from 6.30pm. The zoom details are set out below
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81869917861?pwd=oBT6UUQ3RCWDrHVlLkmobi87D1v17v.1
Check for more details or print the poster for your church here.
Don't forget to send your news to doskolkova@churchofscotland.org.uk