magazine july:august 2020€¦ · the rest of this magazine includes various ways we can express...

MURRAYFIELD PARISH CHURCH MAGAZINE issue 543 July/August 2020

Scottish Charity 005918 www.murrayfieldparishchurch.org.uk

Magazine July/August 2020

http://www.murrayfieldparishchurch.org.uk

MURRAYFIELD PARISH CHURCH MAGAZINE Issue 543 July /August 2020


Going into ‘lockdown’ at the end of March was quite a shock for everyone. In the church it meant the cancellation of all church services and events, the c l o s u re o f o u r b u i l d i n g s , t h e suspension of all rentals at the church centre, and the furlough of several of our staff. We adapted as quickly as we could and have been producing short weekly pre-recorded acts of worship which are available as videos on the website (and can be listened to on the telephone for those who aren’t online!).

As the months have gone by people have adapted to the changed circumstances but by now most of us are keen to embrace the easing of lockdown. The extroverts amongst us are desperate to get out and meet friends and socialise. The introverts are keen to travel to scenic destinations for long walks. Grandparents are looking forward to seeing grandchildren, children to seeing their parents. Those in retail and leisure businesses are anxious for trade to start back.

The Kirk Session is beginning to consider what is involved in the re-opening of our church buildings. In many ways it appears that getting out of lockdown could be more difficult than going into lockdown! The Church of Scotland has produced a comprehensive set of guidelines and risk assessments about the steps required to make church sanctuaries safe for worship and to make church halls safe for rental groups.

You can look at the guidelines here but be warned they are not necessarily light reading, including, as they do, a 50 point checklist covering a range of health and safety matters. https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/resources/covid-19-coronavirus-advice

In addition to these there have been a series of Webinars and Zoominars hosted by the central offices of the Church of Scotland, by the Presbytery of Edinburgh, and by a Ministers’ Forum.

THE EASING OF LOCKDOWN

https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/resources/covid-19-coronavirus-advice


https://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/resources/covid-19-coronavirus-advice



The potential for church buildings to open for extended gatherings falls within Phase 3 of the Scottish Government’s Route map. The First Minister has indicated that it won’t be until towards the end of July that places or worship will be given permission to open. Even when that permission is granted it will come with restrictions on numbers due to social distancing measures, and with restriction on the content of worship eg no singing, no communion, no tea coffee.

Please pray for wisdom - for me as minister and for the elders who make up the Kirk Session - we want to proceed at a sensible pace but we are also aware that at least initially the experience of church on a Sunday morning might be very different to what we are accustomed. It would also be of great help if you could take a few moments and complete the survey which we launched a week or two ago (it’s only 4 questions - and one is about returning to church).

Please also pray for togetherness through this time when the normal patterns of church life have been disrupted. The rest of this magazine includes various ways we can express togetherness - through our giving to the work of the congregation and its projects - through supporting our partnerships - through virtual fellowship. May what comes next in the life of our congregations draw us closer to Christ and closer to each other.

Your minister

Keith




PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO JOIN IN WITH THIS

SURVEY

How we communicate with you is very important and we want to make sure that we are doing the best we can or

perhaps we can do even better?

Click here - https://forms.gle/EjXrW2n6D9gk8Bmb8

SURVEY


https://forms.gle/EjXrW2n6D9gk8Bmb8

https://forms.gle/EjXrW2n6D9gk8Bmb8



LOVE YOUR CHURCH ….

How to help? This exciting project will increase the appreciation of our sanctuary as a place of worship and also ensure it remains a welcoming and well equipped space for years to come. Many of the current lamps need to be renewed and this is impossible as some are no longer available due to the latest energy saving regulations.How will the new lighting system improve on the current poor condition?

• Aesthetically it will highlight the beauty of our

wonderful sanctuary as a place appropriate

for worship.

• Ecologically all lighting will be energy efficient LED conforming with current regulations.

• Missionally the exterior lighting will raise our profile in the community.

• Safety-wise the installation will include emergency lighting in the case of an emergency

evacuation.

Monies raised will be held in a restricted fund which will be exempt from assessment for Ministries & Mission payments to central church. If you feel like you would like to contribute to the Lighting Project please either:

i. Enclose a cheque in an envelope marked ‘Treasurer - Lighting’, and send to the office [NB only

the Treasurer will open this].

ii. Make a payment by digital transfer and email the Treasurer noting this transaction.

[email protected]

account number 00818749 sort code 80-02-78.

LIGHTING PROJECT


mailto:[email protected]


MURRAYFIELD PARISH CHURCH MAGAZINE Issue 543 July/August 2020


Keep Sunday special. Short online reflections available to view online every Sunday

www.murrayfieldparishchurch.org.uk/video

KEEPING SUNDAY SPECIAL

http://www.murrayfieldparishchurch.org.uk/video


http://www.murrayfieldparishchurch.org.uk/video



PRACTICAL WAYS TO DONATE TO CHURCH DURING LOCKDOWN

At Murrayfield the closure of the church centre leaves us with a large shortfall which typically accounts for

approximately 25% of our income. We are also missing out on the weekly giving on the plate at

Sunday services. Please consider whether you would like to make a donation. The vital work of the

church still goes on even when the buildings are closed.

Please continue to support Murrayfield Parish Church in these challenging times.

This link takes you directly to a donation facility for our congregation. http://cos.churchofscotland.org.uk/donate/?cong=010066#single_donation

Recognising the impact of the global Coronavirus pandemic on church finances the Church of Scotland has

launched an online donate facility.

Freewill Envelopes: If you use free will offering envelopes please save these up. You can either post them through the office letterbox

in an envelope or replace them with a cheque.

http://cos.churchofscotland.org.uk/donate/?cong=010066#single_donation


http://cos.churchofscotland.org.uk/donate/?cong=010066#single_donation



WOMEN’S GROUP

SUNDAY EVENING GROUP

Would you like to try something new? fortnightly on Thursdays at 8pm. Share in a bible study on Nehemiah. Contact Fiona Jack


Or perhaps join in on alternative Sundays.The Bible Society’s Community Bible Experience. Starting to look at The Prophets.

Contact Zoom host David Holton mailto:[email protected]








Would you be interested in joining in with a mid week Zoom meeting for coffee, prayer and a get together?

Please contact Keith Graham [email protected]

MID WEEK PRAYER AND COFFEE






FRESH START

While lockdown continues, as a key service provider, our warehouse remains a hub of activity and I am

delighted to say that we have been able to distribute over 3,000 Emergency Packs to those in need since the beginning of the pandemic! It has been hard work and a real team effort from everyone at Fresh Start, our partner organisations, our funders and supporters but getting feedback like below from those who have received the packs reminds us how much of a lifeline they are for people during this challenging time.

“The packs made a real difference at this time.”“Brilliant food and great for the kids.”“The packs were a life saver!” “Really helped me and my family. Thank you!”“I would have struggled without it. Thanks a lot!”“Really grateful don't know what I would have done without the packs.”“Over the moon with the packs!”“Very grateful for all the help.”“Thank you so much, very useful to me, great selection of products and arrived just in time.”“Really good range of things, always something in it unexpected that makes you smile.”“Amazing job you are all doing good idea to help community. Really good that people in the area help each other.”


MURRAYFIELD PARISH CHURCH MAGAZINE issue 543 July /August2020


• 90% of people who received the packs said they enabled them to feed themselves and/or their

family• 94% of people who received the packs said they helped to ease their financial pressures• 90% of people who received the packs said they helped to ease their stress/worries• 62% of people who received the packs said they stopped them from having to borrow money or

incur debt to buy items While Fresh Start will continue to strive to deliver as many Emergency Packs as possible throughout the Covid-19 crisis we are also looking ahead at the bigger picture and our longer term aims with the hope that we will be able to resume some of our other services in the coming months. We hope that over the summer, when it is safe to do, we will be able to start taking donations of goods again (although this will likely be a bit different to how we’ve done it previously to comply with health and safety) and we hope to begin welcoming our volunteers back but again in a safe and controlled manner. As soon as we have some definite dates for this then I will be sure to update you all so you can share the information with your congregations and wider networks. Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to the church community for the continued support which allows us to provide these vital Emergency Packs to some of the most vulnerable individuals and families in our communities

Jen McQuistanCorporate Partnership Co-ordinator


MURRAYFIELD PARISH CHURCH MAGAZINE issue 543 July /August 2020


AN ECUDARE UPDATE

On behalf of the Ecumenical Day Care and Support

Women Project I would like to acknowledge and

thank you for the receipts of an equivalent £1300 from MCT family Edinburgh towards support of the women during these tough times of COVID-19. The situation in Kenya is getting worse as the number of infections has continued to go up. We are still under partial lock down and the economy has continued to collapse. Even those of us who are strong and healthy cannot raise any income as the shutdown has severely affected all sectors.

With 250 families from the women project and 550 families from the school community, we can only hope and trust God for the best. Most of these families have continued to struggle to place a meal on the table. Thanks to generous support from MCT, Ecudare Kenya has continued to share food packages, soap and masks to the women and children in our locality.At the moment Kenya has over 2000 confirmed cases. Ministry of health has projected a rise to over 10,000 cases by mid-August. We can only trust God for the best.

Thank you MCT and all partners and friends from Edinburgh for helping Ecudare to transform and give hope to our families during these difficulty times. We have very special thanks to Julie Brown and Shirley Brown for donating funds to make over 2000 re-usable masks that our members have continued to receive.You will continue to be in our thoughts and prayers during these difficulty times of COVID-19.

Love and prayers from Kenya. Esther




Email Steve Yates - [email protected]






QUEST ONLINE

Summer funWhy not join us over the summer break on Sunday evenings for some fun games and an opportunity to look at and explore the Bible. 6.30 - 7.15pm.There are plenty of ways to connect over the summer period. We will be running groups on Friday evenings full of games and challenges. The first of these will be the 17 July.

If your young person is in P7 moving up to high school then keep your eyes peeled for more information about a group exploring the changes and challenges they may face in High School.

There is a new festival in town. The Magnitude festival was meant to hold their first event this year at Lendrick Muir. They have moved a majority of their events, seminars and worship spaces online. Find out more here, https://magnitude.org.uk/more

For more information on any of the above contact :AndrewKennedy [email protected]

https://murrayfieldparishchurch.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e647f5fa00dc736d4f14da505&id=9059d8892b&e=05beb6b9cb



https://murrayfieldparishchurch.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e647f5fa00dc736d4f14da505&id=9059d8892b&e=05beb6b9cb




FAMILIES

Today, 28th June would have been my last service in my role as Family Worker at Murrayfield Parish Church. Who would ever have thought that the church would be closed and we would be watching an online service. I was overwhelmed by the lovely cards and special messages that I received today and want to say a BIG thank you. It has been a joy to meet and work with you all and I really appreciate the support and encouragement that you’ve given to me. The good news for me is that as a member, and elder I will avoid sad good byes. In fact due to these strange times I am going to be staying on for a month or two to help with communications. Murrayfield Parish Church is blessed to have connections with so many young families. I look forward to seeing family work at Murrayfield flourish in the future. Kind wishes Fay.




Thanks to Fay Forsythe I wanted to pen a note of heartfelt appreciation to Fay who has retired from her role as Families Worker. For the last six years, since I became the minister at Murrayfield, Fay and I have worked closely together, exploring lots of different ideas, and co-operating on many initiatives. The work has evolved a great deal over those years including the commencement of Messy Church and TOTs, everything has been based on the principle of making church as accessible as possible for families.I think that, through the course of working together with Fay, we have encouraged each other, and also stretched each other, which is a sign of a team working well. I would like to put on paper my thanks to Fay for her dedicated work, her commitment to the congregation, her imagination and creativity, her positivity even in the face of setbacks, and her invaluable support to me when there have been bumps on the road. Fay and I have had some long discussions about the way forward for our families work and have shared these with Helen Holton who convenes the Families Group. Plans to recruit a new Families Worker are on hold until the beginning of next year (the original intention had been to advertise in April but the pandemic overtook our plans). We trust that in God’s perfect timing there will be an opportunity for someone new, in due course, to take the work into its next phase.Fay will be remaining as a member of the congregation and as an elder on Kirk Session. That means we will still see her around and still benefit from her being involved in a few things in a voluntary capacity. That is certainly a major positive and I am delighted Fay will still be part of our fellowship. Please remember though that Fay is no longer the Families Worker and will need a bit of space to settle into a different mode! As it happens Fay has also agreed to help with communications for a month or two whilst other staff are furloughed. This is a temporary arrangement, for a few hours a week, to assist us through the next period as we emerge from lockdown. In due course we will want also to make a small presentation to Fay once it is possible to gather together. I am sure you will all join in me in acknowledging what a real

blessing Fay’s ministry amongst us has been. Keith Graham

A NOTE OF THANKS




FAMILY SERVICE

Did you manage to watch the family service? If not it is still available to view and you can access on this link. Look out for The Year in Pictures. It’s a mixture of pics throughout the year at church and at home during lockdown.

https://www.murrayfieldparishchurch.org.uk/video/family-service

S CLUB AT HOME

A big thank you to Julia and Beverley for the S club materials that they send out weekly.Great news! These activities will continue over the summer months!






THE MURRAYFIELD CLUB ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

JOINING DETAILS FOR THE ZOOM MEETING CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE SECRETARY MAILTO:[email protected]

FUN PLACE FOR OLDER MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY






BE AWARE

KEEPING YOURSELF SAFE AND AWARE OF SCAMS

In the latest edition of Scam Share you can read about some of the most recent scams which have been reported by consumers across Scotland, including those related to the COVID 19 outbreak.

Read more by clicking on the link below

https://www.tsscot.co.uk/news/latest-scams/






MODERATOR SPEAKS OUT ON VIOLENCE IN USA

Rt Rev Dr Martin Fair has been looking at the history of the civil rights movement

and the legacy of Rev Dr Martin Luther King Jr as he reflects on the crisis in the

United States. Here are his thoughts:

On August 28th 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. stood at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D,C. and spoke of his dream. He began by making reference to the Emancipation Proclamation which in 1863 had declared freedom for millions of slaves - but went on to say that 100 years later the descendants of slaves are still not free. Urging the crowd to make that promise of freedom a reality he said:“Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”Much has changed in the 57 years since that iconic moment and yet much of King’s dream remains unrealised.




Along with folks from around the world, we in Scotland have watched in horror at the turmoil that has spread from city to city across America in response to the death of 46-year-old George Floyd on the 25th May at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. Several officers were summarily dismissed from their positions and one is to stand trial for murder.The cry of ‘Black Lives Matter’ is heard again on the streets and the frustration of one more black life lost in such a fashion has erupted into a catastrophic round of destruction and violence.Many will remember that Martin Luther King also said that, ‘a riot is the language of the unheard’ and that although he advocated non-violent responses, he condemned the conditions that led to such unrest in the first place.We plead for people of reason and goodwill from across every community to come to the fore to bring an end to the present cycle of violence but just as importantly to begin the mammoth task of addressing the underlying divisions that continue to be a scar through too many of our nations and communities.We call particularly on people of faith to give expression to Jesus’ words that ‘Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the children of God.’In saying as much, and in committing ourselves to pray, we remain mindful that there are divisions within our own society which are every bit as ugly and life-denying and which rear their head all too often. Let us not rest while barriers between one person and another remain and where bridges need to be built.




JULY 2020

A Changing and Changed ChurchHow the Church of Scotland has already changed, and how the near future might look for congregations

Installing a ModeratorThomas Baldwin reports on the installation of the new Moderator, and the decisions taken by the Commission of Assembly in the wake of the cancellation of this year’s General Assembly.

Heart and Soul 2020 Lynne McNeil takes in the virtual Heart and Soul.

21st Century Buildings The second part in the series looks at two churches that have blended old and new.

Faith and EvolutionContinuing the series marking the 50th anniversary of Church of Scotland SRT, Er ic Pr iest , Emeri tus Professor of Mathematics at St Andrews University, looks at faith-based responses to the theory of evolution.

‘A Highlight of a Fascinating Town’ John Hume considers the architecture and history of Linlithgow: St Michael’s.

OnlineVisit www.lifeandwork.org for news and exclusive features, including Coronavirus Diaries from Church of Scotland mission partners across the world. You can also find us at facebook.com/lifeandwork or on Twitter @cofslifeandwork

Subscribe online from £12, or download a digital copy for £1.99; return the form in the magazine or speak to your church’s Life and Work coordinator.

During this challenging period, Life and Work is committed to helping keep our Christian

community connected. The magazine continues to be published and distributed to our loyal readers. If you need to contact our

team please email editorial enquiries to [email protected] or all other

enquiries to [email protected]. This month we have launched Lockdown Weekly, a

free weekly update which we hope will be a useful resource to help people keep in touch with events in the Church of Scotland while

churches are shut and many of us are in isolation. Free every Friday to download from

www.lifeandwork.org/features/features/view/441-lockdown-weekly

LIFE AND WORK

http://www.lifeandwork.org

http://www.lifeandwork.org




http://www.lifeandwork.org/features/features/view/441-lockdown-weekly








Contact details

contact the church officeon 0131 337 [email protected]

Our minister Keith Graham can be contacted on 0131 337 [email protected]

Our session clerk Jane Smart can be contacted on 0131 337 [email protected]

Our session clerk Sheena Douglas can be contacted on 0131 343 [email protected]

Our pastoral care co-ordinator Chris Goudie can be contacted on 0131 312 8468 [email protected]

CONGREGATIONAL ROLL

Very sad to tell you the news of the following death:

Kathleen McGovern - 25th May

Please keep Kathleen’s family in your thoughts and prayers

As you are all aware the Church and Centre buildings are now closed due to COVID-19. All our staff are furloughed but Fay Forsythe is running communications on a temporary basis.

STAFF ARRANGEMENTS

Office emails and phone calls are picked up daily so please do still get in touch if you wish and we will get back to you as soon as we possibly can. If you or someone you know need help with essentials, we have a list of volunteers who would be delighted to help.

TRIBUTE Just to let you know, a tribute to

Margaret Henderson will follow at the time of Margaret’s Memorial service.












magazine july:august 2020€¦ · the rest of this magazine includes various ways we can express...

Documents