Adventures in Faith

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Adventures in Faith
June 2025

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

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 & retreats from across the UK: something for everyone!

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

News

Programme on Pilgrimage

On 26 June at 3pm the Revd Nick Bowry, Rector of St James the Less, Penicuik and St Mungo's, West Linton, will feature on Radio 4's 'Ramblings' programme as he shares his rich experience of pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago. If you miss the episode, you can catch it later on iPlayer. Get more information about the programme here.

New Prayer Resource and Webpage!

For a quiet day last October, St James the Less, Penicuik, and St Mungo's, West Linton, produced a wonderful wee booklet full of practical ideas for praying. We have published it in a designed PDF format and can also provide printed copies (email us). You can find a downloadable copy of Practical Ideas for Praying on our new web page, which also contains an A to Z list of ways to pray. This list is just a start for this year's Thy Kingdom Come. We will add to it and we would very much welcome more prayer ideas! Email us with your suggestions 😃

General Synod Presentations

Recordings for informative and educational presentations, which were offered at General Synod 2025, are available to watch on the SEC YouTube channel. Access for information about: The Nicene Creed; Assisted Dying; Net Zero; and Charity Governance.

Learning

These are a few of the learning opportunities that are listed in the Adventures in Faith: Courses page on the diocesan website. There you will be able to find the full range of courses running in the next few weeks, some that are running later in the year, and the website addresses of course providers so you can explore further. We list retreat providers on the same page. Happy learning!

Growth in Prayer and Reflective Living will be running again from 28 October. Tuesday evenings (online) plus three Saturday sessions in person at Christ Church Morningside, £465. Further information on Epiphany's website.

On 14 July, Christian Aid is holding its last 'Faith into Action' webinar before the summer. The subject will be 'Art and Activism'. More details here.

On 29 July, there will be a webinar as part of the 'Restore Campaign' series, entitled 'Looking at the Role of Restoration, both within our Christian Faith and in our Latest Campaign'. More details here.

Trinity College, Glasgow, are advertising their Autumn/Winter short courses, many of which are online:

History and Theology of Worship
Contemporary Visual Art and Worship
Preaching in Church Contexts
Listening in Mission

The Scottish Baptist College is starting a series of online or hybrid online courses from September:

Encountering the Old Testament
Turning Points in Church History
Christian Leadership
Going Deeper: Sermon on the Mount
Going Deeper: Spiritual Formation
Going Deeper: Theological Approaches to Contemporary Issues

Sarum College offers a number of online or hybrid short courses this summer, including week-long intensive introductions to biblical languages:

Reclaiming Evangelism
Leadership, Imagination and Innovation
Exploring the Assisted Dying Debate
Serving the Present Age: Methodism and Modernity
Clare of Assisi and Female Expressions of Franciscan Spirituality and Theology
Introduction to Biblical Hebrew
New Testament Greek in a Week

Retreats

“Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself… a place near your altar…” Psalm 84:3

As human beings, we long to belong. How do we put down roots and grow in an increasingly rootless world? What does it mean to “remain” in God, or for God to “dwell” in us? Are we nomads in this world, focused on a distant future home, or citizens committed to the earth and its people? How do we come home to ourselves, and to the God who makes a home in our deepest hearts?

A Place Like Home is a complete retreat package with reflections to read and listen to and other materials to linger with. It can be used at your own pace in a dedicated time of retreat, or in extended times of daily reflection. The approach draws on Ignatian spirituality and other reflective traditions, and uses art, poetry, Scripture, wisdom writing and other creative material.

This retreat package costs £30 (£35 with booklet). To book visit: https://heartinpilgrimage.org.uk/a-place-like-home/ or email [email protected]. A limited number of low-cost and no-cost places are available.

Keen to explore retreats? You can find more than 25 retreat venues that have been used by members of the diocese on our retreats page. There are 100 retreat centres, most based in the UK, in the Retreat Association's Retreats Directory, or pop into the office to explore their 2025 Handbook.

The Bield at Blackruthven, near Perth, has these events running in summer:

Going Deeper with the Enneagram: Saturday 28 June, 10am–4pm
Seasonal Quiet Garden Day: Tuesday 8 July, 10am–4pm
Body Prayer Capacitar Wellness Taster: Wednesday 9 July, 2–4:30pm
One-Day Silent Retreat – August
Thursday 7 August, 10am–4pm.
Walking on the Edge
Tuesday 12 August to Friday 15 August.

Abernethy Kilmalieu, near Fort William, has released its dates for autumn retreats:

Individually Guided Retreat, 3 or 4 nights from 5 September. More information here.
Faith in Nature (Autumn Gathering), 12 to 15 September. More information here.
Autumn Birdwatching Retreat, 29 September to 3 October. More information here.

St Mary's Monastery, Kinnoull, Perth, is hosting a Jesuit-led retreat, Exploring Mindfulness, Psychology and the Christian Life, from Thursday 14 August to Sunday 17 August. More details here.

Events

Below is just a small selection of events in and around the diocese. Find the full range of upcoming events on our events page.

Solas Festival is being held again at Errol Park in Perthshire from 20–22 June.

Solas is a festival of music, arts, ideas and wellbeing – a celebration of the coming together of arts, justice and faith. The event is family friendly and open to all.

Get tickets and get general information here.

On 21 June, St Michael and All Saints, Tollcross, is holding an afternoon of Youth Prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, to give young people 12–18 the chance to try a way of praying that's been part of Christian life for centuries. There will also be games, conversation, and food.

More info and free registration via Eventbrite link.

Stories of Belief, an exciting audio-visual exhibition taking visitors through 900 years of faith and belief in Edinburgh, will run in three consecutive locations from 23 June:

Rainy Hall, New College: 23–29 June
St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, 1–15 July
St James Quarter, 16–23 July.

Find out more on the EIFA website.

The Net Zero Team will be hosting a Diocesan Net Zero Roadshow event for the Edinburgh Diocese at St Mary's Cathedral, Edinburgh, on Saturday 19 July, 10am–3pm.

There will be time for networking, sharing stories and hearing from external contributors. Contributions will include talks, information stands and workshops, tackling a range of subjects e.g. funding, climate justice and building improvements.

The day will include a plant-based catered lunch and will end with worship. Register here.

Edinburgh Festival of the Sacred Arts takes place from 10–16 August, and includes a wealth of music, art, poetry, architecture and film at events spread throughout the city. Get the full programme here.

Edinburgh’s Festival of Faiths, running from 15–17 August at Lauriston Castle, is a vibrant celebration of the people of faith and religious communities who live, work and worship in Edinburgh. Run with Just Festival, it forms part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as well as the Edinburgh900 City of Diversity celebrations.

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!

It can be difficult to know how to pray about current events in Gaza. The Wave of Prayer webpage from Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center offers a form of words you can use while praying for the situation in Gaza, along with the latest details of events from those on the ground, to help you create your own prayers.

And Finally...

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

Cathy Tingle, Interim Administrative Assistant (M&M)
0131 346 9085, [email protected]

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