The URC National Synod of Scotland

A team from Greenock East URC and Port Glasgow URC has raised £2,400 for community work in one of Scotland’s poorest areas.
Rev David Walton, minister of the two congregations, was joined on the 63-mile trek along St Cuthbert’s Way from Melrose, in the Borders, to the island of Lindisfarne, by three members of 14th Greenock Boys Brigade and Chris McTiernan, from Port Glasgow URC.
They smashed their original fundraising total of £1,000 and also enjoyed the spiritual aspect of the journey.
Rev Walton said: “I was impressed at how these young people – who had not walked in the countryside before – persevered, supported one another, encouraged one another, showed such good leadership skills, and found joy in the struggle and achievement together and were able to give thanks to God each day for it. May their journey of faith continue in this way.”
The money raised by the group will support Building for the Future, a project launched by Greenock East URC to raise £150,000 to replace its church roof and carry out other major repairs.
The repairs would allow the church to expand its community work, which already includes a parent and toddler group, an under-eights disco and family party nights.
Members have signed commitments to pray for the project, support fund raising efforts and, where they can, commit to donating and additional monthly sum on top of their current giving to the church.
Rev Walton added: “Greenock East URC is set in one of the 5% most deprived areas of Scotland. Our aim is to become a truly community church.”

Reform, the magazine published by the United Reformed Church, has launched a dedicated website at www.reform-magazine.co.uk

Kay Parris, the magazine’s editor, said: “Reform is read by people of all faiths and none. We’ve been overwhelmed by the volume of positive feedback we have received daily since relaunching the magazine two years ago.

“Now we hope our website will allow many more people to encounter Reform, get a taste of it and discover whether there might be something in it for them.”

Reform is published 11 times a year and the July-August issue includes an interview with evangelist and author Gerard Kelly.

As well as Reform, its UK-wide magazine, the URC also publishes SynNews, the National Synod of Scotland’s quarterly magazine. Copies of SynNews are available from local churches or by calling the Synod office on 0141 332 7667.

Assisted dying can be viewed as a loving act and is consistent with God’s nature being essentially loving, according to the Synod’s Church & Society committee.
In its response to the Scottish Parliament‘s consultation on the End of Life Assistant (Scotland) Bill, introduced by Margo MacDonald MSP, the committee said it had no “in principle” objections to the Bill, although it was concerned to make adequate safeguards.
Church & Society’s acceptance of the Bill comes in contrast to the joint consultation submission made by the Church of Scotland, the Methodist Church in Scotland and the Salvation Army.
The Synod’s response was submitted following the formation of a working group to consider the issue.
While endorsing the ecumenical vision of the United Reformed Church (URC), the working group asserted that “the church’s public stances should be able to accommodate a variety of Christian opinion rather than insisting on one voice”.
In its submission, the committee noted that the working group’s conclusions had been accepted by the committee but not discussed at a Synod-level.
The committee also noted that the overall position of the URC had last been stated in resolution 51 of the 2007 URC General Assembly, which oppossed assisted dying.
Frank Kantor, the URC’s Church & Society Secretary, has written to the committee thanking its members for their contribution to the debate surround end of life issues.
You can read the committee’s full submission to the consultation here.

A Synod minister will trek 63 miles along St Cuthbert’s Way this month to raise money for community work in one of Scotland’s poorest areas.
Rev David Walton, minister of Greenock East URC and Port Glasgow URC, will be joined on his walk from Melrose to Lindisfarne by three members of the 14th Greenock Boys Brigade and Chris McTiernan, from Port Glasgow URC.
Their sponsored journey will support Building for the Future, a project launched by Greenock East URC to raise £150,000 to replace its church roof and carry out other major repairs.
The repairs would allow the church to expand its community work, which already includes a parent and toddler group, an under-eights disco and family party nights.
Members have signed commitments to pray for the project, support fund raising efforts and, where they can, commit to donating an monthly sum on top of their current giving to the church.
Rev Walton said: “Greenock East URC is set in one of the 5% most deprived areas of Scotland.  Our aim is to become a truly community church.
“But to carry out all our plans we need a building fit for purpose so are raising an initial £150,000 for urgent repairs.
“While this will no doubt be a physical challenge for someone as old and, more particularly, as overweight as I am, it will also be great spiritual journey for the team.”
The group is due to set off from Melrose, in the Borders, on 19 July and reach Lindisfarne on 22 July.
You can sponsor David and his team at www.justgiving.com/David-M-Walton

Life, death and taxes were all on the agenda when the Synod’s programme committees gathered in June for their annual joint meeting.
A special focus at the meeting in Glasgow was given to the Synod’s aspirations and how these could be achieved through the work of the various committees.
The Church & Society committee discussed end of life issues, as well as receiving an update on the Robin Hood Tax Campaign for a banking transaction tax.
Church & Society also congratulated Coaltown of Balgonie URC on becoming the first church in the Synod to receive an award from Eco-Congregation Scotland, and to Helensburgh URC, which in quick succession became the second succcesful church.
A lack of use of the Synod Mission Fund – which was set up to fund training for lay people – was discussed by the Church Life committee, although it was noted that the Inverurie Mission Trust was being well-utilised.
The Children & Youth Ministry committee discussed relations between the Synod, Fury and the Youth Forum and also the children’s programme for the Synod Gathering at Perth Racecourse on Saturday 18 June 2011.
Relations between the Synod and its partners in Cuba and Hungary were discussed by the Ecumenical & World Church committee.
You can find out more about the work of the Synod’s committees by visiting the Our Work pages.

CTBI 2009-10

Coaltown of Balgonie URC, in Fife, has become the first congregation within the URC National Synod of Scotland to win an award from EcoCongregation Scotland.

The independent award assessors commended the congregation for its “awareness of its relationship with the environment” and the active steps taken “to deepen that awareness”.

Rev Kathryn Price, the minister at Coaltown of Balgonie URC and Dunfermline URC, was also commended for her “inspirational leadership.

Hot on Coaltown’s heals was Helensburgh URC, which has also picked up an award.

11am on 19 June 2010

St Mary’s Cathedral, Great Western Road, Glasgow

a wee act of blessing open to people of all faiths or none, celebrating glasgow’s blossoming bicycle community and blessing cyclists as they pilgrim across our city…

What to Expect?
Bicycles and their riders of all shapes and sizes and ages (hybrids, folders, fixies, mountain bikes, recumbants, tourers tandems and childrens bikes are all welcome!) INSIDE, lining the aisles of a gothic revival cathedral. A few words of blessing from The Very Reverend Kelvin Holdsworth. An opportunity to remember cyclists who have died on our roads. To end, a chorus of bicycle bells filling the the building in celebration of the gift of two wheels as we depart.

Don’t forget your bicycle! Wear what you like – whatever you cycle in is fine, although maybe be considerate with your cleated shoes – shimano steel + stone floors maybe don’t go too well together.

The event won’t last all that long – so we suggest arriving promptly!

for any enquiries please contact glasgowblessingofthebikes [at] gmail [dot] com

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=128571403837410

http://www.thisiscentralstation.com/events/blessing-of-the-bikes-glasgow.aspx

http://glasgowbicycleblessing.wordpress.com/
http://www.twitter.com/bicycleblessing

Joanna Smith, from Selkirk URC, pictured above right, was commissioned as a General Assembly-accredited lay preacher on Friday 4 June. Joanna’s commissioning took place during the annual service held by the Scottish United Reformed and Congregational College, which took place in St Columba’s-by-the-Castle Scottish Episcopal Church, in Edinburgh.

Rev Connie Bonner, the Synod’s lay preaching advocate, pictured above left, led the commissioning and read the URC’s statement of nature, faith and order. Rev John Humphreys, the Synod moderator, commissioned Joanna, while Rev Dr Jack Dyce, the college principal, said a prayer.

Joanna explained to the congregation that she had begun preaching more than 30 years ago at a Methodist chapel in Bowness, on the Solway Firth. When a preacher couldn’t make it to the chapel because the firth had flooded the road, Joanna stepped in to preach. She later honed her skills in Newcastleton and went on the Training for Learning and Service (TLS) education programme while it was run by the Scottish Churches’ Open College.