CHURCH OF SCOTLAND COMMITTEE ON ECUMENICAL RELATIONS Issue 58 November 2008 Methodist Church The Methodist Church has launched a new web resource offering information and guidance about how different Christian denominations can work together. The web pages give a basic introduction to ecumenical work and guidance about how to get involved. www.methodist.org.uk/ecumenical Scottish Churches House Has appointed a new Director, Mrs Carol Stobie. Carol currently works as Cultural Events Officer at the National Library of Scotland and has had a 20-year career in Community Education. Carol is a member of Abbey Church of Scotland, North Berwick. Carol will take up the post in January 2009. Scottish Churches House is an ecumenical conference centre on the Cathedral Square in Dunblane, offering accommodation at attractive prices for residential conferences, day meetings, weddings and celebrations. The mediaeval chapel in the garden is a special venue for intimate weddings and other celebrations. You can find out more about the facilities offered by the House and its programme of events here: http://www.scottishchurcheshouse.org/ Churches Together in Britain and Ireland Will again partner BBC Radio 4 and BBC Local Radio to provide a rich worship and prayer resource for Lent 2009. The Sense Making Faith Lent project will enable people to make their Lenten journey accompanied and inspired by worship, prayer and reflections promoted by the senses. Each week begins with Sunday Worship on BBC Radio 4 (0810-0850), complemented by additional programmes on the Daily Service (0945-1000 – BBC R4 LW), and Sunday morning BBC local radio programmes will also carry special items based on the themes of the course. The radio programmes will have downloadable resources for groups and individuals (www.sensemakingfaith.org.uk – to go live on 1 January 2009). These will also be available through the BBC Religion and ethics (www.bbc.co.uk/religion) and the BBC Local websites (www.bbc.co.uk/local), and will be usable with or independent from the radio programmes. Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – 18-25 January The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is rooted in the experience of the churches in Korea. In their context of national division the churches have turned for inspiration to the prophet Ezekiel, who also lived in a tragically divided nation and longed for the unity of his people. The material was developed by the International Committee for the Week of Prayer composed of members of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and adapted into its present form by writers from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales on behalf of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. Copies of the material (pamphlet, flyer and PowerPoint presentation) can be downloaded from: http://www.ctbi.org.uk/349/ calvin09: official hymn for the Calvin Year published The title of the hymn for the Jubilee Year calvin09 is called “People of the Lord”. Greg Scheer of the Christian Reformed Church in the USA won the competition for the international Calvin hymn. The hymn encourages the people of God to hand on the heritage of the faith to the next generation – as Calvin successfully did. It is hoped that the Reformed Churches will play the hymn in as many worship services, devotions or congregational events as possible during the Calvin Year. The hymn and sermons can be heard on or downloaded from http://www.calvin09.org/EN/ Formation of new global body Members of the governing bodies of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed Ecumenical Council (REC) met from 6-10 October in Utrecht. The meeting consolidated planning for the historic merger of the two organisations into the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC). A uniting General Council will be held in June 2010 at Grand Rapids, Michigan. The theme of the General Council will be “Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”. WCRC will represent 80 million Reformed Christians around the world. WARC has 75 million members in 214 churches in 107 countries. REC has 12 million members in 39 churches in 25 countries. The gathering was hosted and supported by the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, which is a member of both WARC and REC. Edinburgh 2010 Over a 1,000 delegates from all over the world will gather in Edinburgh to celebrate the Centenary of the 1910 World Missionary Conference. They will meet in the Assembly Hall in Edinburgh from 2-6 June 2010. It is hoped that as many churches throughout Scotland can know of this and get involved, even in a small way. Ceilidhs will be held in six venues in Edinburgh on the Friday night to introduce delegates to Scottish culture. Group and school study materials are planned. It is hoped to have materials that can be used in local church settings. Fringe events will be held in Edinburgh and delegates will be given the opportunity to take part in Sunday worship services in churches in and within commuting distance of Edinburgh. More information should be available next year. Volunteers will be sought to welcome delegates at the airport, train and bus stations and helpdesk at Pollock Halls of Residence and also to assist in other ways. To find out more, visit www.edinburgh2010.org Conference of European Churches The new website for the 13th Assembly of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) was inaugurated at the meeting of the Central Committee held from 6-11 October in Paralimini, Cyprus. The Assembly website is the first step in the development of a new website for the whole of CEC. It includes several inter-active functions which makes it possible for everyone to send greetings to CEC on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary, to register on-line and to reflect on the Assembly theme, “Called to one hope in Christ”. Please visit the CEC Assembly website at: http://assembly.ceceurope.org/ Church of Scotland, Committee on Ecumenical Relations, 121 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4YN Phone: 0131 225 5722 Email: rmilne@ofscotland.org.uk