Adventures in Faith

Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

Adventures in Faith January 2025

Welcome to Adventures in Faith, where everyone in the Diocese of Edinburgh can explore, learn and grow in fullness of life.

It feels like we have had a rather crazy start to 2025 in the Diocesan Office...hence the tardiness of this newsletter hitting your inbox!

We have endeavoured to keep the online AiF information up-to-date, so would like to remind you about these resources, and invite you to check them regularly. You can also add events happening in your own congregation to our calendar. So, go on, have a look! 🤩

Finding Adventures in Faith Online

Homepage - Outlines what Adventures in Faith is, with links to other landing pages.

Newsletter - Links to all previous newsletters and to sign-up for emails.

Calendar - Events happening across the Diocese, in congregations and partner organisations.

Courses - A list of courses and events happening all over the UK.

Awareness - Awareness days that link in with our faith and Marks of Mission.

Diocesan Lent Course Now Available!

The 2025 Diocesan Lent Course is now available on our website. We know a number of congregations and groups have enjoyed journeying through our courses in recent years and are delighted to share this year's materials with you. Christ has no body now but yours echoes the prayer of St Teresa of Avila, and invites reflection on the central Christian theme of the Church as the Body of Christ. Different parts of the human body are used to explore the characteristics of God and the invitation to follow and work with God each day, both individually and as the gathered ‘Body of Christ’. Download the course now from our website.

Have you ever been on a Retreat?

Whatever your answer to that question, 2025 might just be the year that you go on a retreat. Within the Diocese is Whitchester Christian Centre, which offers some programmed retreat time, the next being at the end of February.

Slightly further afield, The Bield in Perthshire has a range of day-retreats and longer options, with times set aside especially for those who work in the NHS. If the great and rugged outdoors is more your thing, perhaps you might consider heading west to Abernethy Kilmalieu for some time in Scotland's newest retreat centre.

If you are interested in something like this, but are not quite sure, please have a look at some of the retreat venues listed on our website, head to the Retreat Association website for UK-wide locations, or contact the DMMC team to explore further.

For the Whole Family

The Knitted Bible is coming to Scotland in February, for the very first time! It will be on display in St Anne’s, Dunbar, over the weekend 15/17 February. There are over 30 biblical scenes presented, including 2 new scenes created by Dunbar's Christian knitters, with stories either printed or read to explain each one.

▶ Sat 15 Feb - the church is open 10am-4pm, for anyone to visit and look around. Refreshments, knitters, and stewards available.

▶ Sun 16 Feb - 2:30-4pm there is a guided tour for all visitors, focusing mainly on NT stories (refreshments available).

▶ Sun 16 Feb - 4:30pm informal “Sing and Celebrate" service based on the scenes displayed.

▶ Mon 17 Feb - Children's Day (all children must be accompanied by an adult). There will be knitting demos, a quiz about the bible stories on display, and story telling sessions at 10:30, 11:30, 1:30, and 2:30. Refreshments available.

St Anne's invites everyone in the Diocese is invited to attend one or more of the sessions. Find out a bit more about the Knitted Bible by clicking this link.

There is still time to visit this temporary exhibition in the Museum of Edinburgh entitled "Four Seasons in Faith: Worship in Edinburgh Throughout the Year". Dive into the traditions, celebrations, and stories that shape Edinburgh’s spiritual landscape throughout the changing seasons, all curated in collaboration with members of Edinburgh’s faith communities. The exhibition is open now, until Monday 21st April 2025, and is free to visit (donations welcome).

Something for Everyone!

This is the time of year when courses and events, of various lengths and topics, start becoming available. From a couple of hours about a named Mystic, to a Net Zero drop-in, to a concert in support of Christian Aid, to a self-paced course on parenting for faith, there is something for everyone out there. Please do take a look at our curated list of courses on the website, and the Calendar listing events taking place within the Diocese. Where will your Adventure of Faith take you next?!

Denis Duncan Lecture by the Rev Prof John Swinton: 30 January, 7-9pm

"'Restorative presence' is a way of being that seeks to create spaces where people experience deep belonging and holistic healing. Drawing on the lived experiences of individuals navigating mental health struggles, this lecture will examine the essential practices of presence, belonging, and healing as modelled by Jesus."

This event is free and on Zoom. Register here and joining instructions will be sent to you. You need to join GoHealth's mailing list to register.

The Aberdeen Academy of Theology is hosting a series of workshops, led by Dr Sara Mannen, on the theme of God’s power. These will be held on three Saturdays, from 9:30am until 12:30pm, at Fountainhall Church Centre in Aberdeen. The 2 dates and topics left are:

▶ 15 February - Christ and the Power of God

▶ 15 March - The Spirit's Power

An RSVP to Dr Joel Pierce ([email protected]) would be appreciated for catering purposes.

Cost: £10 (conc) / £15 for each day.

Visit Old Saint Paul's for their Radiant Heating Open Church on Friday 21 March. The church will be open from 12noon. Eucharist will be celebrated at 12:20pm (so you can experience the heaters during worship!), and then there will be an open-church demonstration.

Email Jack Niven for more information or to register: [email protected].

Have You Tried?

In this section, we share a resource that might help you explore, learn, or grow in your faith: it could be a book, a podcast, an email subscription, or something else!

Do you know about the revised Daily Prayer for Experimental Use, now available online and in hard copy? This has been authorised by the College of Bishops to run from Advent 2024 until General Synod 2030, after recent revision work by the Liturgy Committee. The order of the book has been amended to follow the seasons, whilst the language has been updated to reflect developments in the English language. Perhaps the most notable change is that the Recitation of Psalms has been moved to a 60-day cycle, particularly following feedback since the pandemic. There are many ways to access this revised Daily Prayer: please click the links below.

Pray Each Day

Full Book

News article

And Finally...

😃 We hope you have enjoyed exploring this Adventures in Faith newsletter.

🔼 Check out the dedicated AiF webpages via the menu options above.

📧 Please forward this email to congregational friends, who can sign-up using the button below.

👈 Share the QR code via church magazines, noticeboards, pew-sheets, etc.

Sign up for Adventures in Faith!

Rev Fiona (Fee) Reynolds, Advisor for Christian Life
0131 346 9089, [email protected]

Kristine Sisask, Interim Administrative Assistant (M&M)
0131 346 9085, [email protected]

If you would like to unsubscribe, please click here.