A newsletter filled with ideas, courses, events, and more!
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| Adventures in Faith
July 2025
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Welcome to Adventures in Faith: where everyone in the Diocese of Edinburgh can explore, learn, and grow in faith and fullness of life. |
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| Taizé 2025: Young Adults' Group has an Adventure in Faith! |
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In the first week of July, a group of young adults from five of the SEC's seven dioceses visited Taizé in France. The trip was organised and led by the Diocese of Edinburgh and faithfully documented by James Gardner of the Diocese of St Andrews, Dunkeld & Dunblane, in a series of social media posts and blogs. You can read them all on the our Diocese's website. Here's a summary... |
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| The main group journeyed from Edinburgh to Taizé by train, coach, ferry, coach, train and bus. This took 27 hours and gave the pilgrims every opportunity to start getting to know each other! Here, they are waiting for their coach to Paris at London Victoria Coach Station. Represented within the group were the Dioceses of: Edinburgh; Moray, Ross and Caithness; Glasgow and Galloway; St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane; and Brechin. The two leaders, The Revd Janet Spence and The Revd Nick Bowry, are from the Diocese of Edinburgh. |
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| A day at Taizé starts with morning prayer at 8am, then breakfast. At 10am there is either Bible study or work – all group members were assigned tasks from cleaning and food preparation to supporting visiting families and working on Taizé's social media. Midday prayer and lunch, with optional song practice, is followed by another Bible study/working session. At 5pm there is tea and some free time, then an evening meal and evening prayer. After that – the opportunity to relax. The group often visited the Oyak, Taizé's social area, for ice cream and a drink. |
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| During the week there was plenty of time for reflection and quiet prayer, either during the organised sessions – pictured is the Saturday night evening prayer with candles, symbolising Easter – or by finding other opportunities for quiet moments. On one of the days, the group visited the local Roman Catholic Church and spent some time in prayer there. |
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The group was struck by the atmosphere of inclusivity and acceptance at Taizé. James's blog entry from 2 July testified to the group's own part in this: 'Other young adults see us as people who understand and welcome everyone. The SEC Welcomes You is our tagline, and we have all realised that we are a symbol of that message being carried and lived out into the worldwide church. We have had deep conversations not necessarily because of what we have shared or said, but in part because the colours of the PYN (Provincial Youth Network) logo and wristbands show that we care and most importantly are open to have these often challenging and personal conversations.' |
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| Before he leaves the diocese in August, The Revd Michael Johns-Perring, Priest-in-Charge of St Fillan's, Buckstone, is taking on a fundraising challenge – to walk from St Fillan's Church to St Fillan's Cave in Pittenweem. |
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| Michael's hike of more than 50 miles is planned for 1 and 2 August. Any funds raised will go towards creating a new, accessible side entrance for St Fillan's Church, as currently there is no step-free access to the church toilets. If you would like to find out more, or make a donation, click here. |
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| Walk Edinburgh's Historic Churches: New Resource |
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| Coming soon! On 24 July we will be launching a new leaflet that takes you around 10 of Edinburgh's historic churches. The leaflet includes a map, What3Words references and a QR code for the online version with a digital map so you can zoom in on the detail. Edited by Anne Martin of Edinburgh Diocese, the leaflet is produced on behalf of the City Centre Churches. Keep an eye on our social media accounts and website for more news! |
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| Ramblings: Listen Again to the Radio Programme |
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| From the Mission & Ministry Team |
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| Have you read our Summer Newsletter yet?
It is packed with what has been happening across our Diocese with children and young people since January. Connections large and small make all the difference in our faith journeys and adventures... so we encourage you to read, celebrate, give thanks, and be inspired. And if you have a story to share between now and December, do be in touch! |
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| Toddler Group Gathering: Save the Date
Are you involved in running a baby and/or toddler group in your church? Are you thinking about starting one? Then join us on the afternoon of Wednesday 20 August to share ideas, resources, best practice, and more. Further details to be shared very shortly. |
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| If you are a member of vestry, you are a charity trustee! This brings with it duties and responsibilities, and we are here to help you do these well. At least twice a year, we offer training from an excellent speaker and experienced lawyer, and we encourage all vestry members to attend. If you have yet to join us, or it feels like a long time since you did, please do register for our next session in Haddington on Saturday 15 November. There are breakfast rolls, tea, and coffee from 9am; the training proper starts at 9:30am; and we finish by 1pm. Register here. |
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The Adventures in Faith: Courses page on the diocesan website is where you can find a whole range of courses running in the coming weeks and months. There course provider websites so you can explore further. We also list retreat events on the same page. Happy learning! |
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The Epiphany Group has three courses running this autumn: - Spiritual Conversation Formation Programme: Tuesday evenings online from 30 September, plus five Friday/Saturday sessions at Christ Church, Morningside, £765.
- Growth in Prayer & Reflective Living: Tuesday evenings online from 28 October, plus three Saturday sessions at Christ Church, Morningside, £495.
- God's Invitation to Relationship: An Introduction to Ways of Praying: Wednesday evenings online from 5 November, free of charge.
More information on the Epiphany Group website. |
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| Sarum College. Now is the time to enroll in the Exploring Theology course for the Autumn term. During this coming academic year, the focus is the Bible. Starting on 23 September, spend 10 weeks online exploring the Hebrew scriptures from as little as £95. More information here. Or, explore the Modern Mystics, considering the lives of Edith Stein, Dag Hammarskjöld and Dorothee Sölle. This webinar series will run on Zoom on Monday evenings from 22 September to 6 October. Tickets are £20 for each session or £50 for the series. More information here. |
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| The Edinburgh International Centre for Spirituality and Peace hosts regular Zoom forums on a wide range of subjects. They now offer recordings of some of these sessions, which can be accessed for a donation. Head to their website to explore: eicsp.org/events/event-recordings. |
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| Youth and Children’s Ministry Training Day at Ps & Gs Church is on Saturday 27 September, 9am-1pm. An invitation is extended to everyone working with children and young people across the Diocese to join this event. There will be tea/coffee and pastries to start, followed by training on 'Neurodiversity', 'Play', and 'Mossy Church'. The training will be interactive and run by guest speakers. There will be a chance to pray together as well. Register here for this excellent, and free, event. |
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| Godly Play Storyteller and Door Person Training This accredited training in the Godly Play method is next running in Edinburgh 22-24 October. It takes an immersive, hands-on approach, helping participants to understand the process and the theory of Godly Play. The days are composed of storytelling, reflection, and practice, with breaks for tea/coffee and lunch (provided). The cost is £315, reduced by 10% if you register before 26 August, and by 5% before 9 September. More info and booking here. |
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| You can find more than 25 retreat venues that we have come across, or that have been used by members of the diocese, on our Retreat Venues page. This lists: - Day retreats
- Self-catering accommodation
- Catered accommodation
- Providers that offer occasional retreats
- Retreats in daily life and online retreats.
There is also a map, so you can see at a glance where the listed retreat centres are based. And this is just the start! There are 100 retreat centres, most based in the UK, in the Retreat Association's Retreats Directory, which is online, or pop into the diocesan office to explore their 2025 Handbook. |
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| A Place Like Home is a retreat you can do anywhere! For £30, you can access a whole range of materials to guide you through prayer and reflection on belonging, identity, and flourishing. To explore the ideas behind it a little more, and to order the materials, head to the Heart in Pilgrimage website. |
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| Booking is now open for the 2026 programme at the Iona Abbey centre. There are opportunities for short or longer retreats. Whatever you choose, you would be getting involved in the Abbey community's life, work and worship. More information. |
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| Abernethy, Kilmalieu, is well into its summer programme and has a busy autumn lined up. This stunning location is great for those who love the outdoors, whilst the team are also building the indoor resources for arts and crafts. In short, this is a place for anyone! Have a look at the organised retreats available on their website. |
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| Dipping your toe in If you've never been on retreat before, a quiet day is a good way to start. Many centres that provide accommodation also offer quiet days too, which means that if you enjoy your quiet day at a particular centre you could consider a longer retreat there. Centres that offer both accommodation and quiet days include: |
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| Below is just a small selection of events in and around the diocese, many of which are centered, this month, around Edinburgh's various festivals. Find the full range of upcoming events on our events page. |
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| Don't miss Stories of Belief, an exciting audio-visual exhibition that takes visitors through 900 years of faith and belief in Edinburgh, which will now be running at the St James Quarter until 23 July. Find out more on the EIFA website. |
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| Festival at St Mary's Cathedral is a full month's worth of programming, covering music, drama, art, and worship. Everything is detailed on the Cathedral's website: www.cathedral.net/whats-on/festival |
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| 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. |
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| This is the final year for the Just Festival in its current format, and there is plenty on offer, all the way through August. As well as events at St John's, Princes Street, the team are partnering with Museums and Galleries Edinburgh to host a weekend-long Festival of Faiths . |
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| Edinburgh’s Festival of Faiths, running from 15–17 August at Lauriston Castle in conjunction with the Just Festival, is a vibrant celebration of the people of faith and religious communities who live, work and worship in Edinburgh. |
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| On Tuesday 9 September, 7:30-9pm, the Revd Ryan Bennett (Christ Church, Morningside) will deliver an online talk about Christian Socialism. This is the subject of his doctoral research and is being offered on behalf of Mission to Seafarers, Scotland. To book a place, and receive Zoom details nearer the time, please email [email protected]. There will be an opportunity to give to Mission to Seafarers Scotland. Full details will be sent with the link. |
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| On 11 October, 2–4pm, Professor John Swinton will give a talk at St Mary's Cathedral: 'Mental Health, Faith and Community: Rethinking How the Church Cares'. He will reflect on the roles of prayer, preaching, and worship in responding to difficult psychological experiences – not simply by offering answers, but by allowing space for honesty, hope and compassion. Mark your diaries and more details to follow! |
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| 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!
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| Reimagining the Examen App Many Christians use the Examen as a way to review before God a period of time, such as a day or part of a day. An ancient practice, the Examen is most associated with St Ignatius of Loyola, who described how to use it in his Spiritual Exercises. The Reimaging the Examen app is based on a book by Mark Thibodeaux SJ, Reimagining the Ignatian Examen, which offers 34 adaptable versions of the Examen. On the app you can choose from one of the themed Examens, for example 'Uncovering Hidden Truths', 'Identifying Inner Wounds' and 'My Emotions', or select the Examen of the day. The app then walks you through the steps of the examen. Read more and find out how to download the app. |
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| 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. |
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| 😃 We hope you have enjoyed exploring this Adventures in Faith newsletter. 🔼 Check out the AiF webpages via the menu 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. 👇 Check out our other newsletters via buttons below. |
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| Do you follow Edinburgh Diocese on social media? We appreciate every look, like and share! |
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